March 27.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
409 
i 
they naturally begin to wither. At this busy season, so difficult is it to 
attend to all this, that it is generally preferable to get fresh bulbs for 
forcing every year, and consign those previously used to the flower- 
garden, or border, where, if they do not flower much the succeeding year, 
they will do pretty well in the second. Whatever is done with the bulbs, 
attention to the foliage, until it begins to wither, is the all in all for 
future success. Taking plants either from a greenhouse, or a comfort¬ 
able room, and placing them out of doors, without protection, in March, 
would give the whole plant such a check, that the leaves could not ap¬ 
propriate a sufficiency of organiseable material to supply flowers the 
following season. 
Exportation of Cuttings {Subscriber).— Soft cuttings of roses 
will not bear the journey to Italy, but shoots, with good eyes for budding, 
might easily be sent there in June ; deprived of all the leaves, the ends 
stuck into a potato, and the whole wrapped in a cabbage leaf, and then 
covered with brown paper. Geranium cuttings would go that way, from 
May to August, without the potato. The several packages would be 
better in a deal box, nailed down, than in a tin box soldered. We have 
sent several kinds of cuttings and rooted plants that way, to Malta, but 
we prefer putting the roots in damp moss. You talk of six weeks or two 
months going to Italy, whereas you could get them to Calcutta, or half 
round the globe in that time. 
Flower-gardens (M. D. C .).—We must be firm. No more plans 
can be looked at for the present; this announcement has been made long 
ago. 
Annuals ( Elise ).—Your first attempt is not at all bad. No. 1 and 2 
will do very well. No. 3, discard the Calandrinia, and use the purple 
candy tuft, not scarlet, for there is none such, inside the Alyssum. No. 
4, discard the Eutoca, and Flos Adonis, and the other two will do. 
Concrete Walks (W. C. E.). —Dirty gravel is unfit for concrete 
walks, but a large proportion of sand is more favourable that not. On 
moist soil, the top layer should be of lime and gravel, but on any soil 
frost has the same effect on these as on the common walks, it loosens the 
surface, but the roller makes them firmer than when first made. It is 
not a new scheme, the thing is completely proved by seven years’ ex¬ 
perience. 
Indian Seeds ( Simpleton ).—We have seldom seen a more select list 
of Indian seeds than your’s, every one of the plants are beautiful in 
India , but have long since been confined to botanic collections in this 
country. We would not give five shillings the bushel for the usual col¬ 
lections of seeds, introduced annually from public collections in India. 
The days for private botanic collections are gone. The best of your seeds 
are 5, 10, 17, 20, 22, and 23 ; 22 is a splendid low tree with large trumpet¬ 
like flowers, but no one can flower it here. 
Plumbago rosea (A. B. C. D .).—You say the little growth they 
make in summer, dies away before they flower in winter. Grow and 
flower it in summer. Thus, as soon as, by and by, the shoots are a few 
inches in length, shake the old soil from the roots; pot in sandy loam 
and peat; plunge in bottom-heat for a month or two ; encourage shoots, 
which, by and by, will be crowned with flowers. When done flowering, 
ripen the wood by exposure, and keep the plant rather cool and dry 
during the winter. Cutting down the shoots either in autumn or spring 
according to your fancy. 
Pikenocoma prolifera Cuttings (Ibid). —Head the description of 
the propagation of the tenderest Cliorosema given lately; take off the small 
side shoots, about an inch in length; remove the little tuberculed foliage 
from the base, and insert firmly in sand round the side of a pot that has 
been fixed inside of a larger one, and cover with a bell-glass, and shade 
in sunshine. Propagate now, or any time within these two months. 
Heated Cellar (J . C.). —Glad you have succeeded so well with 
rhubarb, mushrooms, and sea-kale, and are rather at a loss what else to 
advise you to try in the vegetable way. Asparagus you should put at the 
coldest end, and do not raise the heat too high, from 55° to 60°, is quite 
high enough for all the purposes you mention. By allowing it to come 
more gradually, and cutting the asparagus a day or two, and setting it in 
a saucer, with a little water at its base, in full light, in a window or else¬ 
where, the bitter taste, we think, would not be complained about. In 
such a cellar, you might have some old potatoes producing waxy young 
ones, if you like them, or you might spring others for early forcing. 
You might also secure abundance of endive, blanched for salads, or even 
chicory, with scarcely any trouble. The leaves thus eaten, would be quite 
as good for us as having the roots mixed in our coffee, &c. 
Climbers ( Sancho ).—The Mandevilla suaveolens and PharbitisLearii, 
will both answer well on the spare part of your back wall in your house, 
which is a combination of the vinery and the greenhouse; but they 
would answer better if your father would let you take a slice of the roof 
room, as they dearly like to ramble. If not, you cannot do better than 
let them climb up one wire for a support, and then bring them down 
another, though rather against the grain. Instead of planting out in 
such circumstances, they had better be kept in large pots, in peat and 
sandy loam, obtaining, during the summer months, a dash from the 
manure tank. 
Arnott’s Stove (Ibid). —We hardly comprehend you here. See Mr. 
Fish to-day. He and Mr. Errington seem to be at one as to heating, 
and reducing the temperature at night. A stove in the house is always 
objectionable, because, when very hot, the air is robbed of its moisture 
and oxygen. But wc cannot see how of necessity, when you light a fire, 
the temperature should be 55° at night, which is more likely to draw your 
greenhouse plants than 60° or 65° during the day. Neither of them would 
be out of the way for starting vines. Neither do we see why you should 
light a fire either night or day unless when it was wanted. Why the fire 
in its strength should not be in proportion to the weather without; nor 
why a fire, once lighted, should be so made up as to burn all night, and 
thus create those alternations in temperature you are anxious to avoid; 
nor why, in a very dull cold day, you should not have a small fire during 
the day, if even it should not be wanted at night. Have you no damper 
to regulate the draught; no means of limiting the air that keeps up the 
combustion ? If not, supply them, and the consumption of coke will not 
be so alarming, while you have it under command. 
Hepatica — Violets ( L .). —The best soil for the Hepatica is a deep 
sandy loam, and not to be often disturbed. Violets should be divided 
and transplanted every year. The Single Russian at the end of February, 
and the double ones when they have done blooming in April; or the run¬ 
ners of either may be removed in summer as soon as they have rooted. 
They like a rich light loam. Your proposed measures of bone and guano 
for the upland field is a fair dressing for grass and barley. 
Marl Bank (J. K .).—If it stands the frost, and that you can make a 
good border for the roots of fruit-trees, such as Mr. Errington recom¬ 
mends, you may consider it in all respects as a brick-wall having a south 
aspect; Peaches, Apricots, and the best desert Pears, which you will see 
in our lists, will ripen fruit against it. 
Gladioli (R. G. C.). —If you keep them in pots, put G. psittacinus 
and gandavensis into pots one size larger when the leaves are six inches 
high; but all of them would do better planted out into a good deep 
border, say the first week in May. 
Poultry-yard (W.H.). —Your hen-hottse and walk must be very 
good. With such a place you may keep as many fowls as the house will 
well accommodate. A Spanish-hen should undoubtedly have a white 
cheek. Can any reader tell the points of beauty and value of the true 
bred Jungle fowl ? ■ 
Trellis—Fruit-border (Bealieu). —The shape of a trellis is a mere 
matter of fancy. You must, of course, first collect the water, and then 
provide for carrying it off. Introduce plenty of coarse rubble, and lead 
a drain from the bottom. Secure eighteen inches of sound soil, adding 
turfy material; but little manure. Not less than six feet wide. Road- 
scrapings will do good in proportion to the stiffness of the soil. Why 
did you not name the aspect ? Who can advise kinds without this ? 
Tying-down Pear-shoots (Philocarpus). —Our plan of tying-down 
shoots looks not only “well on paper,” but on our walls; and which, 
having been under the practice for some fifteen years, sufficiently attests 
the propriety of the course. During this time we have made many con¬ 
verts amongst soundly practical men, and we must still endeavour to 
proselytise. Surely you did not expect your shoots of one year old to be 
covered with buds ? We tie down our shoots, whilst growing, as much 
as possible; they are not brittle then. The soil ought, if possible, to be 
fresh for Peas. This, perhaps, is what the poor people mean ; for it then 
requires no manure. Peas always pod best on fresh soil, which does not 
need manure. Whether Honeysuckles cross each other or not is a matter 
of fancy with the owner. In situations of “ high dress” it is, perhaps, 
better taste to train them artistically. Roll all your young seeds, if you 
can, when thoroughly dry, with a light roller. For the Dog-distemper, 
game-keepers place some reliance on the Hellebore leaf, which is thus 
administered:—A pair of the lower leaves are for twelve hours stewed or 
boiled in water ; and they only give this dose once to a full-sized dog. 
What is termed Turpith's mineral is, however, esteemed best. Six grains 
to a full-sized dog ; half that quantity to a puppy. The Hellebore they 
use is the Hclleborus foetidus, known by the following English names : 
Bear’s-foot, Setterwort, and Stinking Hellebore. 
Vines (Rev, R. Blackburn). —We should take one Dutch Sweet¬ 
water for earliest, then one Muscadine to succeed it, next two Black or 
Wilmot's Hamborough, and one West's St. Peter's for very late purposes. 
The St. Peter’s at the hottest end, next the Sweet-water, then the Mus¬ 
cadine, and at the coolest end the Hamboroughs. You will not get 
more grapes by giving up the back wall. The front wall on arches, by 
all means, and so arrange the soil that the roots may go freely in and 
out; and, if you can, plant inside. The Frontignans are all liable to 
what is termed shanking—the Grizzly, we think, least so. The Muscats 
resemble them in flavour, but they are shy, unless much heat can be 
afforded them. Surely your border must be narrow, or your trellis very 
high. A five-feet trellis on an eight or ten-feet border would not shade 
much until nearly winter, when the shade would be unobjectionable. 
We should have used an horizontal or inclined trellis (see page 304 of 
present volume). Do not trouble yourself about the atmosphere to your 
walk roots—they will be all right: you will have control enough and to 
spare between each two trees. You can, however, arrest the roots on 
that side if you prefer it. We should never employ live edging. 
Cucumber House (C. C.). —You can easily grow cucumbers in your 
vinery if you admit light to them ; but you must keep your bed nearer the 
glass than the floor line. Remove your roses directly. For annuals undei • 
the shade of your trees, try Escholtzias, Nolanas, Mignonette, Kaul- 
fussias, Goodetias, Clarkias, Collinsias, Lobelias, Calandrinias, Alyssum, 
Leptosiphons, and Virginian stocks ; but you must not expect much 
success. 
Verbenas on E. Border (Sarah).— A border with an easterly aspect 
will suit your varied verbenas very well. We grow our specimens in a 
similar aspect, and very well they flower. Buds of Camellias should 
never be wetted after they begin to swell for blooming. Before that it 
will do them no harm. Rain from the clouds in autumn, when out of 
