30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[October ] 7. 
permitted, part of them placed upon a temporary platform 
made of the shelves they formerly stood upon, would 
thus have the protection of double glass, and air could 
be given by drawing the sashes down or raising them in 
front; and the plants could be examined by raising the 
sash in front, and supporting it upon an instrument, 
formed by two pieces of wood joined to form an angle, 
with an iron point at one end, and separated so as to 
form the base of a triangle at the other. To still farther 
secure the plants, a cloth covering should be provided, 
fastened on one side to the back wall, and in front of 
the pit to a round rod of wood, two inches at least in 
thickness, and furnished with a wheel for receiving the 
rope at one end. By pulling this rope, the wheel and 
rod would revolve until they reached the back of the 
house, when the rope should be fastened to a staple in 
front. As the rafters have been cut for the reception of 
the shelves, three smooth rods, one in the middle, and 
one at each end, should be fastened over them, that the 
covering may slide freely. With such a covering, made 
of stout cloth, sashes over the pit for all the hardier 
plants may be dispensed with. The covering and un¬ 
covering may be effected almost instantly, and the plants 
may be seen and examined far better than they could 
be in a cold pit. I am not recommending what circum 
stances did not force me to try: without any’means of 
artificial heat, without any means of internal protection 
such as these, which ensures from damp and keeps the 
protecting medium dry, I cannot hold out great expec¬ 
tations to our friends in winter, as to wliat they can 
accomplish in their cold greenhouses. I should not like 
to guarantee to our friend with liis small house the 
security of his verbenas, geraniums, petunias, &c., for 
bedding; with the meaus indicated they may be kept 
safe. 
With less care than is requisite for these bedding-out 
plants, the following will succeed. The list, though 
very short, will be too long for some of our friends, but 
it may suit others. Fancy things will be referred to 
again. It is best either to have only one or two of a 
genus, or else cultivate only a few families to succeed 
each other. Eveu common things have quite a different 
appearance when well grown :— 
Of the Orange tribes —much loved for the sweetness of 
their white blossom—for small places, the Otaheite i3 
the best; is almost always in bloom during summer, if 
not allowed to exhaust itself by fruiting. Light rich 
fibry loam. 
Cupressus torulosa and latifolius, &c.; yellow. Peat 
and loam. 
Camellia: the old double Red and the double White 
about the hardiest. Loam, peat, a little sand, and cow- 
dung. 
Myrtles: the Broad-leaved Myrtle flowers the most 
of the summer. 
Acacia aflinis, armata, falcata, verticillata, yellow. 
And granclis and olceifolia elegans, also yellow and new. 
Soil, peat and loam. Discolor, also yellow. 
Daphne indica, white; odora, pinkish white; odora 
rubra, reddish ; Fortunii, lilac. The last new; all very 
sweet. Peat and a little loam. 
Diosma ericoicles, white small flower, leaves fine 
scented ; oppositijlora, white; rubra, red. Peat and 
loam. 
Erica WUlmoreii, pinkish; ventricosa, flesh. E. 
coccinea, scarlet. E. superba, scarlet; tricolor, reddish- 
green ; translucens, red; suaveolens, pink; vestita, 
whitish; vestita coccinea, scarlet; Ccrinthoidcs, dark 
scarlet; ampullacea, whitish-red. Heath soil and sand. 
Epacris impressa, red; rivalis, white; camp>anulcc 
flora, white; hyacinthiflora, white; grandijlora, red. 
Peat and sand. 
Azalea indica: the white and purple varieties I have 
had frosted for weeks out of doors, and yet they survived 
the newer varieties, such as variegata, danultiana, Oled- 
stanesii, optima, &c.; will stand rough treatment, but 
they will not bloom so early. 
Nerium oleander splendens, red. Is a splendid thing 
in spring and summer; have had it out of doors in 10° 
of frost, and yet it survived; but, of course, it did not 
bloom next season. 
Rhododendron arboreum, and its varieties. This will 
do out of doors with a littlo turf above; but it lias 
nothing of the brilliancy when bloomed under glass 
from March to June. 
Leschenaultia formosa, crimson-red. Heath soil. 
Eriostemon: the whole family is desirable, and will 
do, provided you can give it extra heat after March. 
Flowers chiefly whitish, red, and lilac. 
Then there is the following woody plants :—Pimelea 
rosea, red. Polygala latifolia, reddish-purple. Corrcea 
pulchella, red. Eutoxia myrtifolia, orange. Anthocercis 
albicans, white. Pultencea polygalifolia, yellow. Mela¬ 
leuca decussata, pulchella, hypericifolia, purplish-red. IUi- 
cium floridanum, purple. Then for succulents, there is the 
Halosanthus coccinea, scarlet. Tire Rocheas, Mesembryan- 
themums, Sempervivums, Aloes, Yuccas, and, though last, 
not least, the beautiful Gercus and Epiphyllum, all of 
which will be safe if kept dry and just free from frost. 
For climbers, Passijlora cccrulea, and ccerulca racemosa, 
Tacsonia mollissima and pinnatistipula may be used, with 
more temporary additions of Lopliospermum Hendcrsonii 
and spectabilis, Cobcea scandens, Maurandias in varieties, 
and Tropceolums either upon pillars or trellises, and Thun- 
bergias in summer for the same purpose. Bulbs there 
are in plenty for summer blooming; and what, for in¬ 
stance, can be more beautiful than Oxalis Rowcii, with 
its large crimson blossoms, and which requires no room 
in winter, and only to have its roots kept from frost. 
And then there are many half-hardy herbaceous plants 
that die down to the surface in winter, and if kept from 
frost will bloom profusely iu the greenhouse, such as 
Lobelia splendens and its congeners; fine spikes of these 
when seen side by side with Campanula pyramidalis 
will not soon be forgotten. And then there is the whole 
tribe of tender annuals, balsams, cockscombs, Thunbergias 
and acliimenes, if there is such a tiling as a hotbed to 
forward them in spring. For years I kept the scaly 
tubers of the latter buried iu the soil in a warm shed. 
I must stop ; and as a parting word for the present, 
let me say to our friends with their small houses—Try 
and do a few things well, instead of cramming your 
space with tilings which it is impossible you can grow. 
If you present a fine specimen, your friends will be de¬ 
lighted ; not one in twenty will inquire whether it be 
new or old. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACEiE. 
orchids that thrive best on blocks ( Continued from 1 
page 9). 
Oncidium pulchcllum (Pretty 0.); Demerara and 
Jamaica. A very lovely species, with leaves very like 
O. triquetrum, only larger. Sepals and petals lilac 
blush; lip the same colour, except a dash of orange at , 
the base. The flowers are produced on a panicle i 
averaging a foot long, and are so numerous as to give it 
a curving, drooping character, very elegant and chaste 
We have frequently sent to its native country for it, but 
were not fortunate enough to procure any, it being very 
scarce even there. 105s. 
0. tricolor (Three-coloured 0.); Jamaica. Sepals and 
petals yellowish green, marked with red ; lip white, 
streaked with red : a beautiful small species, (ids. 
O. triquetrum (Triangular-leaved 0.); Jamaica. Sepals, 
