66 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 29. 
Mirabile (T.), apricot-yellow. 
Mrs. Bosanquet (C.), pale flesh, edges white. 
Mrs. Elliott (H. P.), purplish rose. 
Moiret (T.), large, yellowish-fawn. 
Niphetos (X.), large snowy-white petals, like a magnolia 
flower. 
Niliila (T.), white, tinted with pink. 
(Edict Par/ait (G.)j white, striped with crimson. 
Prince Ester hazy (T.), flesh, centre rose. 
Pins the Ninth (H. P.), brilliant crimson. 
Reinu des Fleurs (H. P.), rosy-pink. 
Paul Joseph (B.), superb velvety-crimson. 
Paul Pcrras (H. P.), beautiful large rose. 
Paul Ricaul (H. 0.), bright rosy-crimson. 
Persian Yellow (Austrian), the finest yellow. 
Princess Lamballe (A.), pure white. 
Princess Royal (M.), rosy-flesh, very beautiful. 
Queen (B.), buff and salmon. 
Heine de Lombardie (C.), rosy flesh-colour. 
Sylvain (P.), brilliant rose. 
Sophie dc Marcilly (A.), flesh, edged with blush. 
Souchet (B.), large, rich crimson purple. 
Speciosa (B.), full, shaded rose. 
Souvenir d' un Ami (T.), salmon-rose shaded. 
Soleil d ' Austerlilz (H. P.), brilliant crimson. 
Safrano (T.), fawn apricot yellow, the buds very beautiful. 
Solfaterre (N.), beautiful fawn. 
TayUoni (T.), creamy white, centre flesh-colour. 
Tippoo Saib (H. C.), carmine, mottled with purple. 
Triomphe du Luxemburg (T.), large and full flesh-colour, 
■with rose and fawn centre. 
Vidor Hugo (H. C.), large, rosy-lilac. 
Wm. Jesse (H. P.), large crimson, tinged with purple. 
WATER, ITS USES AND ABUSES. 
Perhaps there is no operation in all gardening affairs 
so often improperly performed as that in which water is 
applied to plants, seed-beds, &c. Many a time have we 
seen the poor cottager employing his evenings in carry¬ 
ing water from some spring well, with which he treats 
his favourites in such drenching quantities as would 
certainly terminate their existence, did not nature assist 
her progeny in withstanding such barbarous treatment; 
we call it barbarous, because a quart or two of cold hard 
water, administered every night to a newly-planted cab¬ 
bage or cauliflower plant, does not deserve a better 
name; besides which, we have seen it dashed on to 
onion, and other seed-beds, in such quantities as almost 
to inundate them, leaving the sun to harden the surface 
the next day, in such a manner as to make them look 
like so many patches of concrete. Such a state of things 
can hardly be expected to be successful, unless other 
more kindly agents exercise their influence to save the 
crop from the systematic punishment it is undergoing 
through the mistaken kindness of its would-bc-best- 
friends. Now, as the present spring has been one of 
more than ordinary drought in many districts, and has, 
doubtless, called forth the various energies of all who 
are interested in the welfare of garden produce, a few 
words on watering may be of service to the amateur 
and others; and in the first place, we beg to say, that we 
arc no advocates of a course of regular dribbling, any 
more than of those thorough delugings noted above. 
When water is applied to a plant or plants enjoying the 
benefits of the open ground, we ought, as far as possible, 
to imitate nature in furnishing them with such refresh- 
' ing food, the reverse to which is pouring large quantities 
i on in bright sunny weather; rather let us take ad¬ 
vantage of that which is dull or cloudy, and on some 
| occasions, even when it actually rains, provided that we 
have reason to believe the fall will be inadequate to the 
wants of our crops. Now, though this latter case may, 
i in the opinion of some people, resemble “ carrying 
i .cals to Newcastle,” yet we maintain it to be the very 
best time that water can be applied; the air being then 
loaded with moisture, supplies the foliage with that 
beverage so essential to its existence, whilst its roots 
may perhaps have absorbed all that the ground below 
was capable of yielding. It is, therefore, manifest that 
renovating the latter must be attended with the best 
results, as a means of laying by a store for future wants; i 
this, therefore, is the most rational time to do it; of 
course, in following out advice of this kind, our readers 
will see that certain cases require it to be qualified 
accordingly. Plants, only small, and standing widely 
apart, will require but little water, compared with those 
crops the roots of which are supposed to occupy every 
inch of surface mould; the latter living, to a certain ex 
tent, on water alone, ought to be liberally supplied, but 
such allowances must not be stinted when any is given, 
otherwise the evil is increased. 
The old saying that when you “ once begin watering, 
you must keep at it,” is not without much of truth in it; 
for water applied to crops, in such quantities as just to 
moisten the ground some two or three inches deep, induces 
the roots to occupy that portion of the ground, and to de¬ 
pend on it for their sustenance, and any omission of that 
regular feeding, or rather watering, is attended with bad 
consequences to the plants inured to such an artificial 
system of management. We, therefore, say that when 
water is applied to plants occupying the ground the 
whole depth cultivated, such crops ought, when watered 
at all, to have a good drenching; of this latter class, wc 
may mention Strawberries, and similar things, while 
beds of seedlings, or beds newly-sown, and fears are 
entertained for the young brood’s not coming up in con¬ 
sequence of the dry weather; in these cases, water may 
be applied more frequently, and in less quantities, as 
the object the water is expected to act upon is so much 
nearer the surface, and consequently more influenced 
by the state of the atmosphere, &c., than arc crops 
which draw their food from a deeper and more extended 
source; we therefore, in concluding, warn the inex¬ 
perienced cultivator against indulging his crops in such 
copious draughts of cold spring water, as, be assured, 
that however it may appear to revive the drooping 
foliage of his lately-planted cauliflower plants, such 
renovation resembles the temporary excitement which 
strong drinks have on the confirmed drunkard—a partial 
rally, followed by increased depression. Yet the water¬ 
ing-pot cannot be done without, and the present spring 
is one in which its utility has, perhaps, been moro 
manifest than many others, a long succession of east 
winds having withdrawn so much moisture from the 
ground, seeds in the act of vegetating were denied 
that element so essential to success, that watering 
became moro an object of necessity than choice; still, 
we urgo on our readers to modify it as much as possible, 
and try the effects of shading, as well to check evapora¬ 
tion as well as the surface-hardening influence of the 
sunshine mentioned above. For beds of ordinary vege¬ 
tables, we use pea stakes, which are generally beech or 
hornbeam. We are averse to spruce and other green 
firs, with the leaf on, as well as all other evergreens; 
their unsightly appearance is objectionable; besides 
which, we think the small foliage of the pinus tribe 
withering and falling amongst the tender herbage I 
below is much worse than useless ; such shading must j 
be gradually removed as the plants gather strength, I 
otherwise a sickly drawn growth will be the result. We 
need hardly add that liberal allowances of manure 1 
water will be more beneficial to such crops as have much 
exhausted the soil below them, as cauliflowers standing 
some three or four together on the hill left by the , 
removal of the handlight; here liquid-manure will be 
of great service, and the same in continuous rows of 
winter spinach, but we think it hardly called for in 
Asparagus, as the roots of that vegotablo are scarcely in I 
