92 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[November 7. 
to. Anagallis —Seeds of this you may procure from any respectable seeds¬ 
man. Some better kinds do not seed freely, and are therefore propagated 
by cuttings. Mr. Beaton recommends the white Campanula carpatica 
for bedding, and we wish we had it, as we have no doubt it will be beau¬ 
tiful, if at all as good as the blue. For a taller bed nothing beats the 
double Feverfew : we have had it in dense masses, each flower being from 
the size of a shilling to nearly that of half-a-crown. There is also the 
little white Campanula pumila for a dwarf bed, and the Lobelia ennus 
albus for the same ; also the (Enothera Turaxacifoliu for a thick low bed; 
and then, for early work, what is more beautiful than the white evei'grecn 
Candy-tuft , or even the annual white Candy-tuft ? For Greenhouse 
1 plants, cheap and of easy culture, to cut blooms from in winter, see Mr. 
Fish’s article on cool greenhouses, and you will be farther attended to. 
Brunsvigia (A Learner) .—This, which has been out all summer, you 
may take up from the border ; keep it dry, and secure from frost during 
winter, and either pot it and grow it in the house, or transfer it to the 
border next spring, securing it from frost by planting it deep enough, and 
covering it before the heat of summer. 
Hybrid Perpetual Roses for Forcing (Ibid).— Prune now , and 
the buds will be better swelled. Top dress when you like, but do not 
pot until your plants have flowered. Put the plants in the house when¬ 
ever you like; you will succeed best if you do not commence forcing 
until after the new year. See an article by Mr. Fish lately. Force gra¬ 
dually at first, beginning with 45°. 
Vines in a Greenhouse (Arthur Loftus). —Owing to various reasons, 
we seldom can answer correspondents in the first number after their 
writing to us, from the necessity of having the work in a forward state. 
The second number from the time of writing is, in general, the earliest that 
can be relied on for an answer, and frequently it must be longer. “ Will 
the vines injure my flowers?” No, not in winter or spring, nor yet in 
summer if only planted thinly, and plenty of air given, so as to suit the 
plants more than the vines. If vines and their fruit are made the chief 
objects during summer and autumn, then you must keep your house 
closed, and remove your common greenhouse plants out of doors, and 
supply their places with tender annuals, Sec. “ The best method of 
training vines over plants ? ” In single rods up the rafter ; this rod to be 
cut-back the first season within a short distance of the bottom, and the 
spurring system of pruning in future resorted to. The best kinds where 
little artificial heat is used are White Muscadine and Black Hamburgh. 
Good-sized vines may be planted ; and if roots were proportioned to tops 
they would bear sooner ; but in general nice strong healthy plants in pots, 
raised from single buds this spring, will answer best. Plant now, disen¬ 
tangling the roots, in a nice drained border, or wait until next spring, 
starting the plants in the house before planting out in May. 
Vine Roots Decayed (T. E., Leicester).— Never mind what you are 
told about “the drainage being ample,”—those roots sent to us were 
rotted by stagnant moisture ; and you explain the source of the mischief 
at once by saying—“ the roots are confined, as it were, in a cistern, by a 
brick wall.” If you cannot get the roots out of that cistern—as by 
getting them on to the surface in a station, or by breaking down the 
walls—that vine’s roots will continue to rot. 
Lobelia Erinus Grandiflorus (Flora Montague). —This is of very 
dwarf habit, about eight inches high—colour of the flowers blue. It is a 
greenhouse perennial, but does well planted out in summer along the 
front of borders. Other questions next week. 
Pickling Tomatos (E. K. V.)— You pickle yours too ripe, probably. 
When mature, but not quite ripe, cut them off, leaving a small piece of 
stalk attached ; wipe them dry with a soft cloth ; put them into a jar, and 
cover the whole with cold vinegar; fasten down close, and in three weeks 
they will be fit for use. By this means you retain most of the flavour of 
the Tomato. When fattening poultry, if barley or oats are used, it is 
useful to soak the food ; otherwise, it is immaterial. 
Flower-pots (An Amateur). —When a flower-pot is described as a 
60, or 40, and so on, nothing more is meant than that the manufacturer 
sells them in quantities containing that number—he calls it a cast, and 
there are 60, 40, and so on, to the cast. It has nothing to do with the 
price. You can get your evergreens at the nearest nurseryman’s. 
Chrysanthemums Blind (W. M.). —You are not singular in having 
many of your Chrysanthemum-shoots without blooms. You cannot 
remedy it now. The cause, probably, was that you cut down the stems 
too soon last autumn, before the plant had finished elaborating the sap 
necessary for this year’s growth. The most deficient part of Chrysan¬ 
themum-growing is the want of judgment shown in treating the plants 
after they have finished blooming. 
Mulch (Rev. D. A. B .).—No fear of your not being able to obtain 
this ! It is the gardener’s term for long, half-decayed stable litter. We 
verily believe it is in common dictionaries! Your other questions next 
week. 
Autumn-sown Annuals (Elise). —These are best sown where they 
are to remain. The long-fruited Evening Primrose ((Enothera macro - 
carpa) is about twelve inches high; sown this year it blooms the next. 
Campanula carpatica is about six inches high, and takes the same time 
before it blooms. Lobelia ramosa may be sown in the open ground. 
You are quite wrong in thinking that questioning us is any annoyance ; 
our aim is to be useful, and answering questions is one of the modes of 
being useful. 
Pansy Seedlings (A Subscriber, Edinburgh). —Your Pansy is large, 
but coarse, and petals plaited; colour striking, bright yellow, fringed 
I broadly with purple. A good border variety, but will not do for exhibi¬ 
tion unless the petals next year are not plaited. (F. L.). —Your bloom 
(not being packed in damp moss) was dried up, therefore, we can say 
nothing about the form; but we could make out a golden thread edging 
round the lower petal, which is unique and pretty. Let us see a bloom 
next year. 
Plumbago Capensis (—).—This Cape of Good Hope Leadwort 
answers perfectly to your description. It is a very pretty greenhouse I 
evergreen, with blue flowers ; introduced in 1818. 
Dorking Fowls. —Any person having genuine five-toed Dorking j 
fowls to sell may write by post, addressed to R. T. Y., Post-office, I 
Throgmorton-street, London. 
Many Queries ( W . W . B .).— A roller-blind would be as effectual to ! 
prevent radiation from your greenhouse as would mats. In severe 1 
weather it is very advantageous to have a similar protection to the sides 
as well as top. Rose cuttings may be struck now in your warm green¬ 
house, but they may be struck much more easily in the spring. Your 
sewage mixed with earth instead of water (the latter being scarce with 
you and expensive) would answer nearly as well in rainy weather, but cer¬ 
tainly not at other times. It is impossible to say how much mould you 
should use, since we neither know the strength of your sewage nor the 
plants you intend to apply it to. Your brocoli not heading is caused by 
the badness of the variety or the poverty of your soil. You may cut away 
the roots of your fruit-trees striking into the clay subsoil, and yet they 
will bear next year, if the roots spreading near the surface are not too 
much disturbed. We are glad that J . B.’s greenhouse has set you to 
work, and that you have built one (12x6x9) for . 
Strawberries (P. A. 31 .).—Our correspondent (referring to Cobbett’s 
English Gardener, page 247) wishes to know where he can obtain the 
Cisalpine or Napoleon strawberry , or its seed, there mentioned. We 
suspect it is only the Red Alpine under another name. All the back 
numbers of The Cottage Gardener may be obtained at twopence each, 
at No. 2, Amen Corner. You shall hear shortly about vines in pots . 
Club-root in Cabbage-worts ( Gaidheal ). —This disease you say 
attacks your seedlings in the seed-bed, though your garden is new, and 
no cabbage-worts have been yet twice on the same plot. This often 
happens in light soils, the surface of which the fly can easily penetrate to 
deposit her eggs. Spread soot thinly over the surface of your seed-bed. 
The Cottage Gardeners ' Dictionary is not stamped for free transmission 
by post, but a penny postage stamp would frank it. 
Pony with Irritated Skin ( Cravensis ). —Give him three balls at 
intervals of a week, composed each of powdered nitre, 2 drachms ; sul¬ 
phur, 2 drachms ; black antimony, 1 drachm ; aloes, 1 drachm ; powdered 
ginger, 2 drachms. Treacle enough to form into a ball. Rub your cow's 
swollen hock with a mixture of mustard flour, 4 ounces ; liquor ammo, 
niee, 2 ounces ; and water enough to make it as thick as cream. 
West Indian Climber ( Beta ). —This would require to be cultivated 
in a stove, where it might be sown immediately; but be assured it will 
not repay you for your trouble. 
Gas Ammoniacal Liquor ( J . L .). —This, after being fixed with oil 
of vitriol, will keep until spring in an open tank; but rain should be ex¬ 
cluded. Other question next week. 
Stoves Heated by Small Limekilns (A Cymro Gian ). —Our 
correspondent says, that in Ireland hothouses have been heated with 
great success by small lime-kilns, and would be glad of information on 
the subject. We are incredulous of the alleged fact; but even if the ex¬ 
periment has been tried we shall be obliged by any of our Irish readers 
sending us particulars. 
Names of Plants (A Lover of Flowers from Childhood .) —Yours is 
Guzania unifora , a greenhouse under-shrub, but may be bedded out in 
the summer. ( R . W.). —Your plant is one of those odd-looking thick¬ 
leaved Crassulas . It should be grown in sandy loam, with a good por¬ 
tion of old mortar or brick-rubbish mixed with it, and well drained. 
Cuttings root readily in the same soil, if laid to dry in the sun for two or 
three days previous to planting them. Your species is the Crassula 
obliqua —a greenhouse plant. Crassulafalcata , or, as it is now usually 
called, Rochea falcata , is a much more desirable species, being one 
of the most beautiful of greenhouse plants, and requiring the same treat¬ 
ment in every respect. 
Ice-house ( Clei ' icus ). —The mode by which we intend to advise ice to 
be kept involves no brickwork. Mr. Beaton will be in time with full ex¬ 
planation about it. 
Flower-beds ( J . S ., Dudley ).— Instead of having the groups of pointed 
beds at cross corners, they would answer better to be both next the house ; 
the other two with the square sides being so much larger, would come in 
for the farthest side from the house, to be planted with the tallest plants 
you have. In the centre group of beds, you must reverse the beds 1 and 2 
for 5 and 6, as you can never see the scarlet Verbena, No. 1, or blue 
Lobelia ramosa , No. 2, over the heads of the blue Salvias in No. 6, un¬ 
less the ground is much out of level. The rest seem very well indeed ; 
9—8 and 8—7 on the left hand is a different arrangement from any we 
have seen ; very rich ; we should, however, be afraid the balance of colour 
would there be too strong; but we do not know the Calceolaria you call red 
in bed 7« 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—November / th, 1850. 
