July 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
233 
tlucken with grains, barley, or pollard, and that the fowls 
eat it greedily. I do not give them it more frequently than 
every other day, as it might be too fattening ; and I do not 
give it to the very young poultry, thinking it may be too 
strong for them, and especially might not improve the 
flavour of those intended for the spit. I am also able to 
inform you, that there is a person in the neighbourhood of 
St. Paul’s Churchyard who sells them in cakes, giving 
directions how to use them to the best advantage for that 
liurpose ; inasmuch, as it was on reading his advertisement 
in the Times newspaper that I determined to try them. 
W hen I can get hold of a file of the Times newspaper I will 
look for the advertisement and send it to you. It is headed, 
I think, “ Eggs for the Million,” and professes to be a 
receipt to make hens perpetual layers. I do not think it 
has had that effect on my hens as yet, but time will show. 
I admire much the spirit of good nature with which your 
Journal seems to inspire your readers. It is pleasant to see 
so much readiness to oblige one another as is displayed in 
so many instances; and it is in humble imitation of that 
spirit, that I propose myself the pleasure of procuring the 
information you require; and in proving that good nature is 
infectious, 1 hope it will encourage you in establishing a 
certain fraternity, or rather a generous rivalry in all those 
pursuits which your Journal illustrates so well.—A Brighton 
; Subscriber. 
— 
HARDY PERENNIAL PLANTS. 
No. 2 . 
THE PENTSTEMON, ITS SPECIES AND VARIETIES. 
In my last paper I gave some hints as to the culture of 
| Pentstemon gentianoides, and its varieties ; in this, it is my 
intention to direct attention to some of the most ornamental 
species and varieties of this extensive genus not compre¬ 
hended in that section. 
The flowers of all the Pentstemons are pretty, but some 
are highly ornamental, and enduring decorations to the 
j flower-garden, for many of them bloom from May to 
October. It is also a family that comprises many colours— 
crimson, purple, scarlet, rose, pink, blue, and white. There 
| are also many of various habits of growth ; some shrubby 
j an< I others herbaceous. The following are deserving exten¬ 
sive cultivation, and should be in every collection. 
P. pubescens (hairy). Native of North America; 1ft. high; 
j colour, lilac-purple ; blooms in August and September; of a 
i very neat, compact habit, and showy appearance, 
i P. glaberrimum (smoothest). Native of Columbia; 2 ft. 
i high; colour, blue-purple; blooms from June to October; 
! rather straggling, shrubby-like habit, but valuable for its 
lively colour, and length of time it continues in bloom. 
I P. heteropliyllum (various-leaved). Native of California; 
I colour, yellowish, tinged with purple; height, 2 ft.; flowers 1 
I from June to October; of shrubby habit, and, from its 
colour, of showy appearance. 
P. diffusum (spreading). Native of North America ; colour, 
purplish; height, 1* ft.; flowers in September; a free- 
! growing, hardy species. 
P. Scouleri (Scouler’s). Native of North America; colour, 
purple; height, 2 ft.; flowers in May and June. A very 
i compact, perfectly shrubby-growing species, and large plants 
{ assuming the character of a dwarf evergreen shrub. 
The above five kinds are of easy culture, preferring a light 
I loamy soil and open aspect. Scouleri and pubescens are well 
adapted, from their neat habit and being abundant bloomers, 
for bedding purposes ; the others, being of more straggling 
! growth, require supporting with sticks, and form useful 
objects among mixed beds or borders. 
The following are herbaceous in their habit of growth, 
dying down close to the ground annually, and forming' 
fresh shoots for the next year’s growth under ground. They 
require to be grown in a situation thoroughly drained ; for, 
although nearly all the species are perfectly hardy, an over¬ 
abundance of wet during the winter season about the roots 
1 generally proves fatal to them. 
P. atropurpurcum (dark purple). Native of Mexico; colour, 
dark purple; height, 1 ft.; blooms in July. One of the best 
of the herbaceous kinds. 
P. pulchcllum (pretty). Native of Mexico ; colour, lilac- 
purplo ; blooms in June; height 1 ft. A very pretty orna¬ 
mental species. 
P. ovalurn (egg-leaved). Native of North America; colour, 
blue; height, 1 ft.; blooms in July. A beautiful plant for 
rockwork; evergreen. 
_ The following, although not perfectly hardy in many 
situations, prove perfectly so in others, and from their 
peculiar beauty demand particular notice, namely:— 
P. Cobcea (Cobcca-like). Native of Texas ; colour, a mixture 
of white, purple, yellow, and rose; height 2§ ft.; flowers 
toward the autumn. This fine variety, although it has been 
in cultivation ever since 1835, is still comparatively rare, 
being the most difficult of the whole family to grow. It is 
generally found to succeed well in a light soil, composed of 
turfy-loam and peat, or leaf-mould; and to secure its living 
through the winter, it should receive the protection of a 
frame during severe weather. * None of the Pentstemons 
are more susceptible of too much moisture than this variety. 
P. azureum (blue). Native of Mexico ; colour, light blue; 
flowers in June ; height 1-J- ft.; a species of recent introduc¬ 
tion, of somewhat shrubby habit, and valuable on account of 
its lively colour. It is of easy culture, and when well estab¬ 
lished will stand the severity of the winter without injury. 
The above may be easily propagated by cuttings of the 
young shoots at almost any time of the year. Those shoots 
selected should be neither old nor quite young, as those of 
moderate hardiness strike best. During summer, the pro¬ 
tection of a hand-glass is all they require in some shady 
situation selected for the purpose. At other times of the 
year a slight bottom-heat is necessary. All the above seed 
freely, and raised from seed make good flowering plants. 
The herbaceous species are easily propagated by divisions 
as soon as the young shoots begin to grow. 
Joseph Henry Knight, Battle. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Tropieolum speciosum. — E. M. has obliged us with the following : 
“ I sent a communication a few weeks ago about a Tropoeolum speciosum 
which has succeeded with me so well that I thought it might be worthy 
of some notice. I have only just seen your note at page 156, in which 
you say you would like to know the exact locality and soil in which my 
plant has thus prospered. I live in a very cold part of Cheshire (near 
Congleton). We are near the Macclesfield hills, and exposed to cutting 
east winds. The thermometer on the night of the 29 th of May indicated 
25°; the Tropoeolum was very little if at all damaged, though every 
potato in my garden was cut down. Our soil is very light and dry—a 
gravelly sort of sand. The aspect of my house is due south; and the 
corner in which my little favourite dwells is a broiling one at mid-day, 
but sheltered by a projection from the rude west wind. I have only to 
add, that finding it do so well, I have never ventured to meddle with it 
in any way, nor has the soil about it been renewed since it was first 
planted in the autumn of 1848. I train wires in every direction for it to 
creep up ; but it rambles still further on its own account among the ivy, 
from the dark leaves of which the bright scarlet little flowers peeping 
out on all sides have a most beautiful effect.” We cannot learn anything 
about Mason's Hygrometer . 
Greenhouse {Rector), —Yours is one of those mixed cases in garden¬ 
ing in which it is not easy to advise safely. Statements concerning such 
things are seldom so complete as to enable the adviser to give full and 
complete advice. With the combination you mention, two questions 
present themselves; either the vines must be separated from the too 
warm air, or the pines must be isolated. Some old practitioners in this 
way used to have a second set of front sashes, adapted to the rising angle 
of the roof, at about some two or four feet from the frontage, and these 
were placed perpendicularly on some kerb-stone or base provided, thus 
cutting off a portion of the interior frontage of the house from the influ¬ 
ence of the piping; the vines being lowered and wintered within this 
cool and dctachea portion. Now, this answers very well, but much 
depends on the “ fittings ” of your interior. We fear your glass frame 
within the house would be an awkward thing to carry out; and question if 
the heights, widths, and piping-levels would permit you go to through 
with it. These complicated cases are, at the best, awkward things to 
deal with. 
Bees (C -, Leicestershire ).—There has not at present (June 25th), 
been any honey-gathering weather, and until there is, your bees will not 
work up, cither in the glass or small hive. If there come fine, dry 
weather, you need not fear having your supers full, if the long-continued 
wet has not already caused your bees to swarm.—J. H. P. 
Bees in Australia ( Ghyra ).—The accounts from Australia give the 
most flourishing statements of the success of bee-culture there. An 
emigrant, five years ago, took out a stock of English bees, and he now 
has above 300 families ; there may be some error in this, but, doubtless, 
the climate is most favourable, and I am told about a ton of honey has 
lately arrived from thence, and of fine quality. They work and swarm 
for nine months with little stopping. I should recommend their being 
placed in a shaded situation, and the use of hives of larger size than is 
common in England, holding, I should say, nearly a bushel, whether 
made of wood or of straw, and if the depriving system is adopted, to have 
the supers proportionably large.—J. H. P. 
Winter Plants (0 . P. Q.). —If you give way to such an idea as that, 
the proposed conservatory can be filled with plants and climbers that 
will only flower from September to March; you will break your own 
