THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
95 
| November 14.] 
I 
half a statute acre; I say nothing of the light grain, which 
indeed was trifling; the straw, very long, weighing 25 cwt. 
“ Had not fully one half of the crop been laid by the wind, I 
should have thrashed out 25 measures, equal to 50 measures 
of wheat to the acre. The general produce in this part of 
Cheshire after potatoes, Swede turnips, and fallows, does not 
exceed, on the average, twenty measures of wheat to the acre, 
which is considered a good crop. 
“ The farmers can procure gas lime from the gas works 
here at sixpence per two horse-load; but they say it is of no 
value, all the strength being taken out at the gas works. 
A\ hat stupidity! It is impossible to convince them that, by 
passing the gas through the lime it is loaded with all those 
valuable fertilizing salts set forth in your very able publica¬ 
tion on The use of Gas Lime and Ammoniacal Liquor. This 
pamphlet I have distributed to all the large farmers in this 
neighbourhood, hut it is of little use; you cannot heat down 
their stubborn prejudice. 
“ In the spring of next year, I propose to try gas lime for 
onions, carrots, and parsnips." 
Of the result of these experiments we shall be glad to 
he informed. 
NEW PLANTS. 
THEIR PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES. 
Box-leaved Iron-wood (Metrosideros buxifolia ).— 
Botanical Magazine, t. 4515.—Native name, Aid, hut 
called by the settlers Lignum vita;. An evergreen green¬ 
house shrub, not unlike box in general appearance. It 
was introduced into this country before 1848, from the 
forests of Wangaroa, in New Zealand. It flowered in 
August at the Kew Gardens. Branches hoary; leaves 
almost stalkless, iu four rows, ovate hut almost round, 
slightly turned back at the edge, leathery, dark glossy 
green above, slightly hoary beneath; flowers with small 
j white petals, and very long white filaments, with yellow 
: anthers, almost stalkless, springing from between the 
j leaves and stem at the tops of the branches. It belongs 
to the Natural Order Myrtleblooms (Myrtaceie), and to 
I the 12— Icosanclria, 1 —Monogynia of Linnaeus. It is 
: propagated from cuttings of the ripened shoots planted 
! in sand under a bell-glass; and plants thus raised flower 
; whilst of small growth. It prefers a soil of equal parts 
loam, peat, and sand. It is a handsome shrub, but 
gives no idea of the striking beauty, while in flower, of 
its congeners, such as Metrosideros tomentosa (Downy- 
leaved Iromvood), which flowered last season in the Kew 
Gardens. Nor does it equal most of the old Beaufortias, 
Melaleucas, and others belonging to the same group. 
Benth’s Nasturtium or Indian Cress ( Tropceolum 
Bentliii). — Ally. Gard. Zeit. — Introduced hi 1849 by 
Messrs. Low, of Clapton. This climbing greenhouse 
plant is a native of Bolivia, and flowers in the spring. 
Leaves , with footstalk inserted in them middle, deeply 
cut into five or six blunt leaflets, bright green on upper 
surface, paler underneath. Flowers yellow, with short 
straight spur. Resembles T. brachyceras, which is raised 
from tubers. It requires a rich light soil. Natural 
Order, Nasturtium-worts (Tropeoleae); 8— Octandria, 
1 —Monogynia of Linmeus. 
Velvety Spider-wort ( Tradescantia velutina).—Ann 
de Gaud, v. 185.—Introduced from Guatimala by M. 
Warczewitz, of Berlin. Requires a cool stove. Tuberous- 
rooted herbaceous perennial. Stems branching, downy; 
leaves stalkless, clasping the stem at one end—oval, termi¬ 
nating in a point at the other; flowers numerous at the end 
of the stems, in umbels, with petals and filaments violet, 
but anthers yellow. Blooms in November. It may be 
propagated by suckers, and prefers a soil of equal parts 
sandy peat and loam. Natural Order, Spider-worts 
(Commelincae) ; 6 — Ilexandria, \.— ‘Monogynia of Lin- 
nreus. 
Vermillion-coloured Cupiiea (Cuphea cinnabarina). 
Flore des Serres, t. 527. This is a new species of one of 
the most useful genera of all our greenhouse plants, and, 
like its relative, G. platycentra, will probably prove 
half-hardy. It was introduced in 1848 by M. Van 
Houtte, from Guatimala. It is a low shrub with 
slightly hairy branches ; leaves opposite, willow-shaped ; 
flowers pale red, calyx tipped and ribbed with green. 
A variety—the Dark blood-coloured ( atro-sanguinea )— I 
has the petals purplish crimson. It requires the same i 
culture as the C. platycentra, now so common. Natural ' 
Order, Loosestrifes (Lythracese); 11— Dodecanclria, 1—■; 
Monogynia of Linnaeus. 
THE ERUIT-GARDEN. 
Forcing Vines in Pots. —Several inquiries having 
been made concerning this matter, and the season for 1 
commencement being at hand, or nearly so, we must beg 
to offer a little advice to the uninformed. The circum¬ 
stances under which such forcing is carried out by 
various persons are so different, that it is rather difficult 
to generalise them; we must, however, attempt to do so, 
and. to confine ourselves to those elementary principles 
which, under every mode, must receive the utmost atten¬ 
tion, in order to command success. 
It scarcely need be observed, that the first and, indeed, 
only secure step towards success, is to have good strong 
plants, with well-ripened wood ; without this, all will, 
indeed, be up-hill work. This is pre-supposing a good 
course of culture in the previous year, amongst the items 
of which may be mentioned, as of the greatest import, a 
thorough exposure of a liberal amount of foliage to the 
light. Such it is—acting, of course, in concert with a j 
