[ July 26, 1883 
G6 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
custom with exhibitors to sow in boxes kept very near the 
glass, as early as January and not later than the beginning 
of February. The soil used is very rich. Often enough 
hotbeds are used, and the young plants forwarded on these 
under frames. A good heat is maintained, and airing is 
attended to, to prevent drawing as much as possible, though 
that is not greatly feared, for after transplanting the old 
leaves disappear in a short time as others are made. A 
dozen or two are generally pricked off when the second leaf 
is forming into thumb pots, from which they can be easily 
and without injury transplanted. Oftener, however, they 
are pricked out in other boxes, though they are often left 
alone. When the soil in the boxes is filled with roots liquid 
manure is given every time water is wanted. By such means 
the plants are frequently stronger by April than are those 
sown in the autumn. 
Such preparation is by no means so laborious as it may 
seem. In a really cold climate, in fact, a much greater 
weight of Onions may be raised with a certain amount of 
work thus than in the ordinary way. Sown on a hotbed or 
in boxes not a great deal of labour is involved in this nursing, 
and the dibbling-in of a few thousands is hardly more work 
than is involved in the sowing, hoeing, thinning, and weed¬ 
ing needed by a breadth of Onions that will produce an 
equal weight by autumn, for a much smaller piece of ground 
and a much less number of plants will suffice. Nay, it often 
happens that those sown in the ordinary fail wiiolly or par¬ 
tially by maggot, mildew, or even want of sun, which is sel¬ 
dom the case with transplanted Onions; and, above all, the 
produce is very much finer, and such as one can look at with 
pride instead of humiliation. Let it be understood, however, 
that it is only in backward localities that we consider such a 
plan the best. 
Maggots often ruin spring-sown Onions. It is seldom 
that this occurs if soot is very plentifully used when the 
Onions are sown or planted, and again when fairly growing. 
Wood ashes are also capital preventives, and so is charred 
garden rubbish. These are also capital manures. For heavy 
soils ordinary manure well made is the best, and for light 
soils cow manure. But thoroughly decayed hotbed manure 
which has been under frames or in pits, and so has not had 
•its virtues washed away, spread over the surface and very 
lightly forked in, is the best dressing that can be given. 
During winter urine may be poured over the ground with 
great benefit, and at midsummer the same well diluted will 
prove of immense service. 
Onions often fail to keep after wet seasons because they 
are not properly dried. Unless really dry weather occurs 
at harvest time a good plan is to spread the Onions thinly in 
vineries, Peach houses, Melon pits, and other structures 
which are kept dry and airy. A Melon pit from which the 
plants have been removed is a capital place, for then the 
Onions may have heat, sun, and arid air, which cannot fail 
to dry them. 
Among the best growers that we know of it is hoped that 
no offence will be given if we name the following in the hope 
that this may catch their eye, and that they may further 
enlighten your readers on this subject:—Mr. Neil Glass, 
Carbrook, Larbert; Mr. Donald Macbean, Johnstone; Mr. 
G. Potter, Seacliff, North Berwick ; and last, but by no means 
least, your esteemed correspondent, Mr. Murray, Culzean, 
Maybole, whose Onions were, we are told, comparable to 
“ gas-globes.”—A Scotchman. 
SEASONABLE HINTS ON VERBENA CULTURE. 
Many people of late have expressed regret that they cannot grow 
Verbenas satisfactorily in their flower beds, and as these plants do 
well with me visitors frequently conclude that there is something in 
our soil which especially suits them ; but as I grew them equally 
well in at least two places before coming here I do not think the soil 
or the cl mate ought to have all the credit. 
I he Ve-bena when well grown, and more especially the variety 
known as Purple King, fills a place in the flower garden for which 
no perfect substitute can be found ; but it must be grown properly 
or not at all, for there is scarcely anything so miserable-looking as 
badly cultivated Verbenas, and to grow them properly requires a con¬ 
siderable amount of attention. Purple King is not supposed to be a 
strong grower, but mine are planted about 15 inches apart, and they 
will fill this space by the middle of August, which is quite as soon 
as they are wanted here, and last in full beauty till late in the 
autumn. If there is a secret in their cultivation it is this : They 
must be kept growing always—not necessarily fast during the winter 
months, but they must be kept growing. Let them once become 
stunted and hard, and it takes a considerable amount of coaxing to 
induce them to start again freely. 
They are liable to mildew more or less towards late autumn. 
Cuttings taken then will not strike freely, and those which do strike 
do not grow kindly. It is a good plan to take a few cuttings as 
soon as the plants get into a thoroughly vigorous growth after they 
have been planted out—say by the end of July—to grow these 
cuttings briskly, and then, if they are likely to become too large, to 
keep them for stock through the following winter, they will furnish 
by r September better cuttings than can be had from the beds. 
A cold close frame is suitable for them to strike root in during 
July ; but in September, if the weather becomes chilly, they do 
better in a little warmth, such as is afforded by a gentle hotbed. I 
use boxes 32 by 12 inches for them, and lay panes of glass over these 
boxes in addition to the covering afforded by the sashes. Very small 
cuttings are preferred, taken from vigorous shoots fully exposed to. the 
light. They are simply cut off half or three-quarters of an inex 
below the first pair of moderate-sized leaves, and have the flower bud 
picked out, if there is one. We do not want many for stock ; fifty 
or sixty plants of a sort are ample to keep through the winter. We 
can then afford to give them plenty of room, and they are all the 
better for it. 
Rather light soil is placed in the box to the depth of 2 or 3 inches, 
and a little sand or road grit is scattered over the top. The cuttings 
are then inserted with as little delay as possible, so that they may not 
commence flagging, for if they do they will certainly be a day or two 
longer in striking. A sharp-pointed dibber should never be used, as 
it is apt to leave a cavity below the cutting, which should always 
rest on a solid bottom, and the leaves should always stand up clear 
of the soil. Immediately a box is finished it should be watered 
rather copiously with a fine rose, covered with the panes of glass 
and placed in the frame, where it will need no more attention 
besides shading till the cuttings are rooted. 
When this stage is reached one of the panes of glass (I have 
either two or three to cover a box) is shifted about a quarter of an 
inch, so as to admit a little air, and in a couple of days from this 
the panes are removed altogether. In three or four days more the 
sashes may be opened an inch, and so on a little at a time till the 
young p’auts will bear complete exposure. They are then trans¬ 
planted to other boxes filled with moderately rich soil, and allowed a 
space of 6 inches from plant to plant. If they are likely to grow too 
large before winter we start afresh by taking cuttings off them, and 
proceeding again in a similar manner. A few healthy young plants 
is all we want for stock. Keep them gently growing throughout , the 
winter, and an almost unlimited number of thousands can be raised 
from them in the spring. If there is any suspicion of insects I dip 
all cuttings in the softsoap and petroleum mixture recommended 
some time ago in this Journal, and plants, when we are transferring 
them, are subjected to the same treatment if necessary.— William 
Taylor. 
CLEANING STONEWORK. 
The paths and curbs in plant and fruit houses are not 
unfrequently formed of stone, and this in many gardens is 
by no means the limit of the stonework that has to he kept 
perfectly clean. In order to accomplish this severe scrubbing 
is resorted to very frequently, yet it is almost impossible to keep 
flags and stonework free from green. In plant and other houses 
where water is continually thrown about, scrubbing becomes an 
arduous and laborious operation, and the stonework in spite of 
this retains a green appearance. They cannot be kept clean by 
this means, however determined a man may work at them, as I 
have ample proof. Some years ago I had charge of a number 
of houses in which the floors were formed of Yorkshire flags, 
and I worked at these with a will, first in the hope of getting 
them clean, and then keeping them in that condition afterwards 
During the two years I had charge of these houses days and 
weeks, if not months, of valuable time were wasted in scrubbing, 
and with results anything but satisfactory. 
Another plan is to scour the stonework by means of other 
coarse-grained stone and water, which will, without doubt, 
accomplish the object in view by giin ling down and reducing 
the stone until it is perfect’y clean. To grind down soft sand- 
