MARCII. 
89 
of being much more productive than any other winter green, and per¬ 
fectly hardy. The small specimens which, for convenience of transit, 
were chosen for sending to the recent exhibition at the rooms of the 
Horticultural Society scarcely conveyed an idea of the appearance of 
the plant when lairly grown ; it should be seen in its vigour, some 
four feet high, and covering an equal space, clothed to the ground with 
its immense produce of rosette-like shoots of an agreeable bluish tint, 
which, when boiled, assume a still more agreeable green. The seed 
should be sown towards the end of March, for planting out early in a 
deep and rich soil, and ample space must be allowed for the plants to 
develope themselves.’ Thus the spring of 1858 places two invaluable 
and really new vegetables at the command of gardeners—the Custard 
Squash and the Cottager’s Kale.” 
Among miscellaneous subjects was a hot-water table apparatus for 
small greenhouses, to be heated by gas, from Messrs. Thomson, of 
Dalkeith. Specimens of patent birch and other brooms were exhibited 
by Mr. Henderson, landscape-gardener, &c., Dunkeld. These we have 
described in a former volume. From Mr. Smith, of 3, Queen’s-road, 
East Chelsea, came various garden-pots made of a very porous clay, 
which burns a pale stone colour; These pots had grey bands round 
them, which indicated when the soil in them was dry or wet. 
THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 
Mr. Broome, of the Temple Gardens, has just published an excellent 
little work on this deservedly favourite flower. His long experience 
and great success in its management, not so much for purposes of 
exhibition, as for border decoration, eminently qualify him for such 
a task, and those who attentively peruse the pages of the little work 
before us will, we feel certain, not be disappointed. They contain 
not only ample cultural directions, but conveniently arranged select lists 
of the best kinds for different purposes. In addition to its comprising all 
that it is necessary to know with regard to the Chrysanthemum, it has 
also an appendix devoted to plants found to be most suitable for town 
gardens, from which we take, by permission, the following extract:— 
“ Although so many thousand Chrysanthemums are grown in the 
Temple gardens annually for autumnal-flowering, still they are not 
entirely devoted to the culture of this plant; there is a very fair display 
throughout the year of other hardy flowers which will thrive in London 
smoke, and may be grown with success in most of the squares and 
small gardens in large cities and towns. As a winter flower, the 
Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) does very well, Snowdrops too bloom 
very freely.—Next comes, the Crocus of different colours ; that does 
remarkably well, and if planted in October, in beds or good-sized 
patches, will in March and April make quite a show, and forms a 
pleasing mixture with the common Primrose. But you must guard 
against the impudent town sparrows; they are very destructive, and 
will pick off every flower as soon as it comes out. To prevent this, put 
in a few short sticks round the plants, and wind on the top some 
