80 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[November 7 . 
either for greenhouse or window, some of the plants 
should have had their roots cut round in August, been 
raised and potted in September, and then set in a shady 
place ; and long ere now they would be fit for going 
wherever you please. To attain a similar result now, 
without any previous preparation—and then, after all, 
with greater chances of ultimate disappointment—the 
plants should be carefully raised, so as to preserve, at 
least, all the larger roots; jiotted into light sandy soil; 
the pots plunged over the rims in a slight hotbed ; the 
temperature of the bed averaging 70°; the sashes then 
laid over them, but not shut close, either night or day, 
i except in the time of frost; and no water given at the 
i roots until fresh rootlets appeared in the new soil,— 
though when the sun shined a dusting over the foliage 
| might be given to check evaporation. The keeping of 
the top cool was to prevent expansion there; while the 
i heat at the roots was to encourage fresh action there ; 
and when fresh roots were thus formed, the reciprocal 
| action between the roots and leaves would be restored, 
j and water being given, the absorbing and perspiring 
mediums would balance each other. The pots should 
then be gradually raised from the material in which 
they were plunged, set upon the surface of the bed, and 
ultimately transferred to the room or the greenhouse 
shelf. 
Now, admitting that all these arrangements were 
attended with success, still in the case of our window- 
gardeners, to whom both time and space are scarce 
commodities, the whole of them may be neglected, and 
a spice of forethought will be sufficient to atone for the 
neglect—to expiate the seeming cruelty of allowing 
old favourites to perish without an attempt to save 
them, while future expectations may be no less san¬ 
guine, and present satisfaction from beholding healthy 
vegetation increased rather than lessened. From what 
has appeared in these pages, and also, perhaps, more 
strikingly from what will appear in the Dictionary, 
readers will be perfectly aware that, unlike the goose 
and gauder sauce proverb, different plants require very 
different treatment as to propagation and culture. Of 
these, our Scarlet Geraniums are the easiest almost to 
manage. We are not now to dilate upon the methods 
by which they may be successfully treated, I only mean 
to meet the present case. Supposing, then, by the end of 
May one or several plants have been transferred to 
the flower-border or clump, and have there appeared 
with a luxuriance and a brilliancy which they never did 
in a pot ; just to prevent nightmare visions of dis¬ 
quietude as to how you were to preserve such large 
plants in winter,—visions which, however dim, always 
serve to detract from present enjoyment,-—look over 
your plants in August, the nearer the commencement 
the better; you will then observe, according to the size 
j of your plant, several or a number of shoots, from three 
j to four inches in length, the removal of which will be 
j an advantage to the plant, as enabling the sun and air 
to reach its principal stems, and thus cause it to bloom 
more freely. Cut these shoots off close to the main 
| stems from which they proceed; the firmer and shorter- 
! jointed they are the better. Then remove the lower 
| leaves, say from one or two inches from the bottom of 
the cutting. Place them down in a row, that the cut- 
j end may be dried; but sprinkle the leaves with water, 
j and put a cabbage-leaf, or a bit of paper, &c., over them 
i to prevent their evaporating. Here they may remain 
J for twenty-four hours, less or more, according to your 
I faucy. 
In the meantime, get a small piece of ground dug, 
enough to hold all these cuttings when standing in 
rows eight inches apart, and four or five inches from 
each other in the row. Any aspect will do, but one 
facing the south will be the best. This done, beat down 
the dug ground with the back of the spade, and then, if 
you have such a thing as leaf-mould and rough sand, 
mix some together, and throw them over the ground to 
the depth of at least a couple of inches, and beat down 
again. If you have neither of these commodities, hunt 
some road-side, and get a few shovelfuls of the drift : 
that has been washed by heavy showers, draw shallow j 
drills, place the road-drift in them, and beat down as in 
the above case. In both circumstances, insert the cut¬ 
tings from one to two inches deep, and give the ground 
a thorough watering. If very dry, it should receive a 
soaking before road-drift, &e., is put on. This will save 
future labour, as anything like a thorough watering will 
not again bo required. If very sunny in the beginning 
of August, and you have chosen a south aspect, a little i 
shading, such as by an evergreen bough, may be re¬ 
quired in the middle of the day, but that will only be 
for a short time. Whenever the leaves, though a little 
drooping in the middle of the day, yet manage to regain 
their proper consistency and stand upright, inviting the 
sun in the morning, tiioy are just giving a quiet hint 
that your services, so far as shading is concerned, may 
be safely dispensed with. In the forenoon or afternoon, 
or both in sunny days, a dash from the syringe, or a 
spirt from a fine-rosed watering-pot, will be useful, just 
i to check evaporation from the stems and leaves. The 
advantage of the south aspect is, not that the plants will 
root so much sooner, but that the plants will be more 
sturdy and short-jointed afterwards. In September you 
may raise them with little balls and pot them. Set 
them a short time in the shade, and then full in the sun; 
and, by this time, they will be nice healthy stout plants 
that—provided you can keep them from frost—rather dry, 
and give them light—will occupy far less room than old : 
plants, look better, and require upon the whole less j 
trouble. On a south border, this season, we planted a 
number, over part we laid some old sashes, supported 
back and front by rails, the space between the rails and 
the ground about a foot being entirely open, and in the 
other part wholly uncovered, and if there was a differ¬ 
ence, it seemed to lean to the part that was quite unco¬ 
vered and unshaded. 1 mean to allow a number to 
remain with the old sashes over them, and banked-up 
bade and front with turf. Such plants, if potted, may 
be got to almost any size before bedding-out time, if 
room and suitable temperature is given them. One 
objection may be urged against them, so far as bedding 
is concerned, that they do not flower so freely as the 
old plants; but this objection has little force, as luxuri¬ 
ance is easily diminished by shallow planting, poor soil, 
and root-pruning. The succulence of the stems, the 
orgauisable material stored up in these short firm roots, 
support vital action until fresh roots are formed, and 
thus propagation is so easy. Try the same system with 
Calceolarias , and you might as-well hold your fingers | 
to the sun! But of this, more anon. R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
STOVE PLANTS. 
Agalmyla Staminea (Long-stamened A.); Java.— 
A curious, handsome plant, with bunches of scarlet 
flowers something like the blooms of a Gesnera. They 
are produced in clusters, growing out of the stem between 
the leaves; and are in that respect singular and curious, j 
The foliage is large and handsome. It is a kind of soft- j 
wooded trailing shrub; and is worthy of cultivation 
either in the moist stove or the orchid house. The 
price now is 5s. each. 
Culture .—It may be cultivated successfully in several | 
ways; perhaps the best method will be, to combine pot- j 
culture with a branch of tree set in the middle of the ' 
pot, and covered with short moss. The plant should be 
