194 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
.June 24. 
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is a beautiful and novel variegated geranium. There 
are three distinct and well-defined colours on each leaf, 
green as aground colour, edged with white, and a distinct 
ring or horse-shoe between them; colour of the flower, 
a pleasing salmon red. T. Api-leby. 
CULTURE OF ROSES IN POTS FOR 
EXHIBITION. 
(Continued from page 179.J 
Conveying to the place oe Exhibition. —The cul¬ 
tivator having successfully (by following the instructions 
we have given as near as circumstances would allow) 
brought his plants into a fine blooming condition, the 
next consideration is how he is to convey them to the 
exhibition safely. This can be done in the mode Messrs. 
Lane, Paul, Francis, and others have proved. They 
bring their splendid plants la or 20 miles in such fine 
condition that they look as if they had not been brought 
as many hundred yards. The first thing to do is to have 
in readiness a spring van, or vans, according to the 
number required, sufficiently capacious and lofty within 
the cover, to hold the plants without crowding or touch¬ 
ing the sides or the roof. To keep the pots steady in 
going up or down a hill there should be some kind of 
package employed to put between the pots. A material 
that, perhaps, can be the most easily procured is coal- 
ashes, neither wet nor dry; for if it be wet, it would 
allow the pots to slip about; and if dry, the dust would 
rise up with the shaking of the van and spoil the flowers. \ 
It should be about six or eight inches thick, and the pots I 
should be plunged in it close down to the bottom, and 
the ashes packed firmly around and between each. Some 
persons use decayed tanners’ bark, and others damp saw¬ 
dust, whilst some thrust in short litter between the pots. 
Any of these will answer the purpose tolerably well, but 
we give the palm to the coal ashes, provided they are in 
proper condition. 
Selecting the Plants. —This requires considerable 
judgment. The great point is to choose such as are 
only expanding tho greatest number of bloom. If they 
are fully opened, there is great danger before the day is 
over that the blooms so forward will shed their flowers. 
The state of the weather will, it is true, greatly influence 
their power of retaining the bloom. If the day previous 
is hot and sultry, fully opened flowers are almost sure 
to be spoiled, but if it be cloudy and cool, the more 
advanced plants might be ventured with. j 
Preparing the Plants. —Previously to putting them 
into the van, let every rose, or bunch of roses, be tied 
firmly to some support, either to sticks, to be removed 
before placing them on the stage, or to some strong 
neighbouring branch. Care must be taken that the 1 
blooms are so distributed and fastened that they do not 
rub against each other, the foliage, or the branches, nor 
indeed against anything, because the least friction during 1 
even a short journey may injure the blooms sufficiently 
to lose the prize. Then, when they are as well secured 
as the ingenuity of the cultivator can devise, place them 
in the van, being careful again that they be so placed 
that the flowers do not touch each other, or anything 
else. Pack each pot firmly, so that it is not possible, 
with moderate care, to slip backwards, forwards, or side¬ 
ways. Also, if there be room, take one, two, or three 
plants more than are required, for fear of accidents, and 
then all is ready for starting. Whatever the length of 
the journey may be, start soon enough to arrive there, 
without hurrying, full three hours before tho time for 
the censors to enter the tents. This will allow time to 
dress the plants, remove useless sticks, clean the pots, 
and give water, if needful, to carry them through the day 
fresh and blooming. Not the least important point is 
to have a steady, careful driver, one that thinks on what 
he is about, and will, during all the way, constantly 
remember his charge ; will keep a look-out every 
moment for stones and deep ruts, and carefully drive so 
as to avoid them. Many a prize has been lost by start¬ 
ing too late; driving fast and heedlessly, and thus shaking 
the plants, and scattering the best and finest blooms 
before arriving at the journey’s end. The exhibitor 
himself, if he cannot depend entirely and fully upon his 
driver and assistants, should always travel with his 
choice plants that have cost him so much care and 
expense to bring them into a fit state to compete with. 
Staging. —Supposing they have arrived in the best 
condition, at the proper time, the next point to attend to 
is to place them to the best advantage on the stage ; 
and here, again, the benefit of early stirring will be found 
advantageous. The exhibitor can then place them in the 
best situation; whereas, if the plants arrived late, the 
best position will perhaps be occupied, and he will have 
to place them in the worst place, if there even is room 
for them at all; but by being in the field early, be can 
secure a good place at once, and have leisure to arrange 
them, as well as dress and set them off to the best ad¬ 
vantage. Let the pots be clean wiped, the earth on the 
surface in tho pots stirred, every decayed leaf, or over¬ 
blown or rubbed flower removed, and the perfect ones 
so arranged that every one will tell, and, as a whole, 
have the best effect. The taller plants place at the 
hack, and the more dwarf ones in front, and do not 
allow them to be crowded, but let every plant occupy a 
position. View them over at different distances with 
the eye of a censor; and when you have placed them 
so as to have the best appearance, see that your col¬ 
lection is properly entered in the clerk’s book, and 
ticketed according to tho rules laid down in the schedule. 
You having then done all that you can—leave them to 
the mercy of the censors, and go and refresh yourself 
with a good breakfast, not forgetting your assistants, 
your driver, and your horses. We have not space for 
the exhibiting cut roses, and so must defer our remarks 
upon them to the next opportunity’. T. Appi.eby. 
KITCHEN-GARDEN WALKS—EDGINGS. 
As we last week urged the propriety of using hard 
stones rather freely in forming kitchen-garden walks, we 
have little more to add to the opinions then given, except 
it be that in certain special cases, where expense is no 
object, a firm, smooth, solid walk may be made at once, 
by floating the surface of it with liquid mortar after 
the stones have been carefully levelled and pressed 
down. This, of course, is a concrete walk in its literal 
sense ; and in all cases where it is advisable to form a 
walk or road in a short time, regardless of cost, this 
method may with advantage be adopted; scattering a 
little gravel on at top will give it the necessary colour. 
But in a general way walks may be made pretty firm 
and good by a less expensive process, by having recourse 
to that all-important agent, “ time,” to assist in complet¬ 
ing the work, and good hard serviceable walks may be 
made without concreting. 
We now take leave of walks as far as regards their 
formation, and address ourselves to the Edgings most 
suitable for a kiteben-garden ; and whatever our floral 
friends may say to the contrary, we believe kitchen- 
gardens in general present a greater variety of such 
margins than do the parterres of the most enthusiastic 
admirer of Flora, with the exception of here and there a 
flower-garden edged with S'tone Icerbing, or something in 
imitation of it; the greater portion consist only of Box, 
or, it may be, a, Grass verge. It may be true that nothing 
can exceed these things for beauty and utility, and their 
presence in a kitchen-garden, when well kept, is always 
welcome. Nevertheless, box will not grow in all places, 
