202 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 4, 1830. 
tually be placed into 6-inch pots. If extra large plants are desired 
7 or 8-inch pots are not too large. The best plants I ever saw were 
grown in a propagating house.— A. Young. 
- Sharpe’s Queen Pea. —May I add my testimony to that of 
your correspondent, Mr. Lumsden, on page 159, in favour of the above 
Pea ? I can fully endorse all that he says in its favour. Coupled with 
its sturdy growth and free-bearing qualities, it has the power of retain¬ 
ing its flavour when we should consider it absent in some varieties ; in 
fact I consider it the best flavoured Pea. To anyone on the look-out 
for a good Pea let me advise them to give Sharpe’s Queen a trial.— 
ft. Pinnington. [Messrs. Sharpe have sent us some samples of this 
Pea which fully bear out all that has been said about it. The pods 
contained nine and ten fine peas each ] 
- The Weather in Shropshire has been very cold this last 
week or two, especially at night. On Thursday night last I had some 
Gourds cut down by frost, and on Sunday morning 3° were registered. 
We had hail on several days and very heavy rain. On the first Satur¬ 
day morning in August we had 2° frost registered, but I may say that 
our gardens catch all the early frosts, as we are rather low lying and 
damp. Fruit crops this year are very poor; many large orchards have 
no fruit at all in them, and Plums are very scarce. Apricots are a poor 
crop with us, but outdoor Peaches are good, and will be if we can get a 
few fine weeks to ripen them. They are late, as I have picked none 
from our trees yet. I have never seen such a crop of Hazel Nuts in the 
woods and hedges, all the bushes being loaded.— John Ettle. 
- Strawberries.—I have been much interested in Mr. Meehan’s 
remarks on the Strawberry, page 162, and my own experience has 
proved them to be correct. If more Strawberries were planted in the 
shade they would be less troubled with spot, red spider, &c. Fresh 
plantations would not be required so often, the fruits would be more 
numerous, and the quality much better. This season our heaviest crop 
was gathered from Elton Pine, planted about seven years ago by the 
side of a line of Pear trees. In other parts of the garden we have the 
same variety two, three, and four years old, but the crops did not equal 
those shaded by the trees in abundance, size, or flavour. I could give 
more instances, but I choose this one on account of the age of the plants, 
which I think will be sufficient to corroborate Mr. Meehan’s statement 
that in a shady place the Strawberry feels most at home.—A. Scott, 
Iiathmore, Belfast. 
- Naming Flowers at Exhibitions.—I s it possible for an 
exhibitor to place a name on a variety that has not yet been named ? 
Surely the Judges in Mr. H. Elliott’s case went beyond their duty. He 
(Mr. Elliott) so far named them as to call them “ seedlings.” This sort 
of disqualification greatly annoys young exhibitors. The object of 
naming is certainly that other exhibitors may procure the varieties. In 
the matter of “seedlings ” that could not be done. Even when the rule 
runs that each bloom must be “ correctly named,” how difficult it is 
for the young exhibitor to do this. Often, very often, the plants are sent 
out under a wrong name, and this is wholly an accident. How can the 
tyro know whether the name be correct or not ? He must trust the 
seller, who, through no fault of his own, may yet send the wrong variety- 
Then often the name is just placed in front of the bloom, and if a gusty 
day, it may be blown away before the judges visit, or by the manager of 
the tent moving the stands. This always appears to me a regulation 
that should only be acted on when it is evident that the exhibitor has 
paid no sort of attention to it, and the whole stand is nameless. It is not 
easy to frame a regulation, any more than an Act of Parliament, 
without flaw, and most have to be acted upon less rigidly than as 
printed. In my opinion Mr. Elliott has been hardly treated.—Y. B. A. Z. 
- Carnations and Picotees. —No time should be lost in pre¬ 
paring stock for another year. They can be layered, or cuttings may be 
taken with a sharp knife. The latter should be cut to about the fourth 
joint, inserted in 5-inch pots of light sandy soil, plunged in an old 
Cucumber or Melon bed, shaded from hot sun, and gently syringed twice 
a day. They will form roots in three weeks or a montb, when air should 
be admitted gradually until the lights can be removed. When suf¬ 
ficiently strong they should be placed singly into large 60-pots, and 
arranged in a cold frame and kept close for a few days, air being 
admitted as previously advised. They will make good plants by the 
spring, when they should be placed into 6-inch pots in a compost of 
two parts loam, one part leaf soil, one part sharp river sand, or 
planted out in beds as they are required. Layering is easily per¬ 
formed where time can be spared; the plants having been cleared of 
all old flower stalks and weeds removed, the soil around them should 
be loosened and some fresh added. The shoots selected should be 
denuded of their leaves at the base of the stem. A slit should be 
cut in an upward direction, so as to form a tongue, which should be 
pegged firmly in the ground and covered to the depth of an inch, 
care being taken to see that the tongue and main stem be separated. 
They will root in about a month or five weeks. After layering, some 
soil should be drawn up to them, so as to form a sort of basin, and 
supply water when the soil is dry. When rooted they can be re¬ 
moved from the old plants, and, potted or planted as stated above, 
they will make useful plants to flower next season.—B. B. 
THE CYCLAMEN. 
Tiie best method of growing the Cyclamen to a high state of 
perfection is to treat it as an annual. It is a common practice to 
sow the seed for the year’s supply during the early months of the 
year, and then forward the plants in brisk heat for some months. 
Fair results may be accomplished by this system, but the utmost 
care is necessary to avoid a check to the young plants or prevent 
their foliage being drawn. Even if these evils are overcome plants 
in 4-inch pots only can be produced by the end of the season. 
Sow the seed at once, so that the plants have before them 
twelve to fifteen months in which to develop, and there is no 
difficulty in having large plants that will produce scores of flowers 
each, and prove highly ornamental in any position. Sow the seed 
evenly on the surface of fine soil in well-drained pans, a layer of 
leaf mould being placed over the drainage, and then a compost of 
loam and leaf mould in equal proportions, with the addition of 
sand. If the soil is suitably moist, and the pan can be plunged, 
covered with a square of glass and shaded, no water will be needed 
before the seed germinates. The pan should be placed in a 
temperature of 60°, and the young plants gradually exposed to the 
light and air of the house by the time their first leaf is developed ; 
they should then occupy a position close to the glass, where the 
temperature at night will range 5° lower. 
When large enough transplant the seedlings about 1 inch apart 
in pans, where they should remain until large enough for 2-inch 
pots. They must not be crowded before they are potted singly. 
To prevent the soil drying too rapidly in the small pots, plunge 
them amongst sand, fine ashes, or cocoa-nut refuse on a shelf 
close to the glass. If the night temperature during the winter 
does not fall below 50” they will grow sturdily and be stiff little 
plants not more than 1 inch high by the time they are ready for 
larger pots. The crown of the young plant should be just above 
the surface of the soil when transplanted from the seed pan, and 
also when they are potted. 
The next shift must be into 4-inch pots, using the same compost. 
This time the pots appear to be large for the plants, but with good 
treatment the latter will soon develop large leaves and plenty of roots. 
In this size it is often difficult to accommodate them on shelves ; 
in fact they are better stood together in a low house, where they 
can enjoy a moist base, such as ashes afford. Unless very carefully 
attended to shelves prove too hot and dry. 
The next shift should be into 5-inch pots, and in these the 
plants will develop into strong flowering plants. The largest 
and strongest when ready may be placed into pots 2 inches larger. 
If the plants have been kept growing the last shift should take 
place about the end of August or the first week in September. 
When placed into 5-inch pots the soil must consist of loam three 
parts, one part leaf mould, one-seventh of manure and sand. The 
soil must be pressed more firmly into the pots than was the case 
at the earlier pottings. 
From the time the seed germinates the soil about the plants 
must never be allowed to become dry. This is one of the mis¬ 
takes that is often made, and the plants are seriously checked in 
their early stages. Abundance of water is needed both at their 
roots and over their foliage. Even after flowering they should not 
become dry if any of them are to be retained for flowering again. 
Yery frequently old plants after flowering are ruined by careless¬ 
ness in supplying them with water. 
When the plants have been fully exposed to light in the house 
in wffiich they are raised no shading will be needed before they 
are placed into 5-inch pots, and only then if the weather proves 
exceedingly hot and bright. Cyclamens are frequently shaded 
too much, and the foliage becomes drawn in consequence. When 
ventilation is liberal and the sun bright, syringing and damping 
the house will prevent injury from flagging. 
Little ventilation will be needed during the early stages of the 
plants’ growth ; but from the time they are established in 2-inch 
pots air should be admitted whenever favourable to maintain dwarf 
compact growth. The ventilation must be gradually increased as 
