August is, 1881 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 155 
but the majority of cultivators prefer pure bonemeal or Peruvian 
guano to all others. I saw a list the other day, wherein were 
enumerated no less than sixteen separate kinds of special ferti¬ 
lisers for thirty different crops, with the chemical elements of 
each split down to even one-half of 1 per cent. Now, I know 
nothing whatever about agricultural chemistry, and it may be 
presumption in me to criticise such a list; yet when I am told 
that one kind of fertiliser is needed for Cabbage and another 
kind for Turnips, one for Sugarcane and another for grass plants, 
if not of the same family, at least of the same natural order—I 
am forced to the conclusion that science, so-called, is taking the 
place of common sense, and is in direct opposition to the experi¬ 
ence of the practical farmer or gardener in his operation in the 
soil. In our market gardening and greenhouse operations we 
cultivate largely nearly every known family of plants, and in my 
long experience I have yet to see a fruit, flower, or vegetable crop 
that was not benefited, and nearly in the same degree, by a judi¬ 
cious application of pure bone dust; and I would here suggest 
to the advocates of special fertilisers that in their experiments 
they try equal weights of pure bone dust to the half of the crops 
of Wheat, Potatoes, Cabbage, or Strawberries, being experimented 
on by the “specials,” and note the results. I do not mean to be 
understood that these so-called special fertilisers do not answer 
the purpose of the crop to which they are applied ; but what I 
protest against is the hair-splitting distinctions claimed for them, 
confusing and troublesome to the cultivator, if of no practical 
value.” 
- Part 18 of “ Letts’s Popular Atlas ” contains two 
sheets of the Watershed Map of England and Wales, representing 
Westmoreland, Cumberland, parts of Lancashire and Northum¬ 
berland, and the Isle of Man in one, and North Wales in the 
other. Two sheets of the general and statistical map of India are 
also given, showing Sinde, Cutch, Guzerat, Berar, Malwa, and 
Khandeish. All are beautifully executed and very clear in the 
details. 
- An amateur writes—“ I am always interested in reading 
your articles and correspondence on the subject of Strawberries, 
and have been surprised not to see among the varieties recom¬ 
mended any mention of Le Sabreur, which I have grown for three 
years past side by side with President, Sir Joseph Paxton, Dr. 
Hogg, and eight or ten other varieties, and it is with me the 
favourite. I received it with a strong recommendation from Mr- 
Lovel of Weaverthorpe, York, and have found it a superior sort 
well worth cultivating. It is hardy, and has produced in each 
year an abundant crop of fine, rather large, handsome, conical 
fruit of good flavour and nearly of uniform size. It comes in 
with or just before Sir Joseph Paxton, and continues to bear 
throughout the season. A neighbour of mine who sells his surplus 
fruit, to whom I gave some plants two years since, is this year 
planting a new piece of ground principally with Le Sabreur, 
which he decidedly prefers.” 
- At the last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society 
a first-class certificate was awarded for Canna iridiflorA 
hybrida from the Chiswick Garden. It is a very handsome 
variety, with large rich crimson flowers ; indeed, it is scarcely 
equalled by any other form of the genus in the peculiar depth of 
colour. 
- A correspondent of the American “ Gardeners’ Maga¬ 
zine ” gives the following notes upon Porpiiyrocoma lanceo- 
lata —“ This is an old hothouse plant of rare beauty, belonging 
to the natural order Acanthacese. It is a perennial hothouse 
plant, attaining a height of about a foot, with dark green 
opposite lanceolate leaves, the leaves being slender at the base, 
producing its flowers in terminal and axillary spikes. The flower 
spikes are of a rich purple colour, and are deeply four-angled. 
The corolla protrudes far beyond the bracts, and thus gives the 
plant a rather singular and attractive appearance. It requires 
for its successful cultivation a compost of two-thirds turfy loam 
and one-third well-decayed manure and good drainage, a tempe¬ 
rature of 55°, and during its season of growth a moist atmosphere 
and an abundance of water. Its period of growth is during the 
winter months, and the beautiful tufts of flowers are produced 
about the first week in February, and continue in perfection for 
two or three weeks. After the flowering season is over do not 
water so freely, and about the middle of May turn the plant out 
of its pot; reduce the ball of earth about one-half, and plant out 
into a partially shaded well-prepared border, from whence it 
should be taken up and potted about the middle of September. 
Propagation is readily effected by seeds, which are freely pro¬ 
duced, and it could also be increased by cuttings. If the seeds 
are sown as soon as ripened in a pot or pan of well-drained light 
sandy soil, and the young plants liberally treated, fine flowering 
specimens will be obtained for another season.” 
- A correspondent of the Mark Lane Express writing 
from Christchurch, Hants, on Saturday, states that on the evening 
of the 6th he saw dug in an amateur's garden a row or two of 
American Hose Potatoes. Their yield was the best known 
about the neighbourhood this year, there being on an average 
seven or eight to a root, and their size also being remarkable 
Six Potatoes were taken from the crop and weighed, the largest 
weighing 1| lb., and the six together weighing 4f lbs. These 
had grown well, the green tops having only just peeped out of 
ground, when that severe frost was on the 10th May, and were 
then not out enough to be injured. 
- We understand that the following additions have been 
made to the National Rose Society’s schedule for Manches¬ 
ter on the 24th inst. Class 5a (nurserymen), eighteen distinct 
single trusses, £1 10s., £1, and 10s. Class 13a (amateurs), nine 
trusses, £1 10s., £1, and 10s. To be grown within twenty miles 
of the Town Hall, Manchester. 
-We are informed that the Weston-super-Mare Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition held last week was very successful, and 
as regards the number of exhibits it was the largest yet held by 
the Society. There were 165 exhibitors, and nearly two thousand 
collections staged, plants, fruit, and vegetables being all well 
represented. The Show was well attended by visitors. 
CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES. 
Amateurs or others who grow these will now find them in 
a suitable state for propagating by layers. For the past two or 
three years I have been late in having this very necessary work 
done owing to the lateness of the growth in the plants, and had 
to root many in a warm temperature during the winter months, 
but this year I shall have them well rooted by autumn. The 
finer kinds have been grown in pots for the last two or three 
years ; but, although I obtain fine blooms in this way, it is not a 
system that will recommend itself to the majority of gardeners. 
This is the only way I have been successful with the finer Car¬ 
nations and the charmiDg Picotees. When grown in beds or 
borders they invariably wither and are dead before the middle of 
summer. As I expect to have extra strong plants this autumn, 
I will try some planted out to stand over the winter. Some 
surplus plants of Souvenir de la Malmaison treated in that way 
last autumn not only lived through the past winter but are now 
the healthiest examples of that variety I have. 
The stronger-growing sorts of the above, with Clove Carnations 
and Anne Boleyn Pink, are occasionally left in the borders two 
seasons without being disturbed except by taking the strongest 
layers. I do not find them do well after the second year, though 
on stronger soils they may probably be left longer without loss. 
In preparing soil for layers I merely place some old Mushroom 
manure round the plants ; this is worked in to the depth of 5 or 
6 inches, and after being firmed the layers are pegged down. 
In preparing the layers a slit is made 1 to H inch up the stem, 
