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424 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 30. 
Wintering Verbenas (St, John's). — Mr. Beaton said, “Cut the j 
roots of old Verbenas, in September, to within six inches of the stem, or | 
stool; pot them in October from the beds, and they will then keep over 
the winter better than cuttings.” You fear, “ the roots being so short,” 
there will be none to cut at that length from the old stem; but Mr. 
Beaton answers that his Verbenas seldom made roots less than two feet 
long. Some were four feet long. You mean the roots from the joints j 
of the young shoots which are not wanted ; all the shoots are to be cut 
back at potting time to the same dimensions, or rather shorter than the j 
six-inch roots. It is not now too late to try this useful plan. 
Pit over a Well.— W. II. 0., at page 3/4, might well say there is 
nothing new under the sun. The very plan he mentions was suggested 
many years ago by Mr. Gorrie, of Annat Lodge, Carse of Gowrie, in 
Loudon’s Gardeners' Magazine for 1830, page 402 ; and he there says he 
found it successful, but it was on a small scale, and using cotton as a 
covering instead of glass. 
Keeping Plants in a Stable (M . M — , Cranbrook). — This is 15 ft. 
by 17 ft., and 12 ft. high, furnished with a window, and a light above the 
door, and to be further supplied, if necessary, with a stove and pipe to 
burn cinders. Will it do to keep geraniums, heliotropes, and petunias, over 
the winter ? We doubt it; old geraniums, deprived of their leaves, would 
do. We fear the moisture and the ammonia together would kill the 
others. Rather keep them in your pit without artificial heat, or devote 
a small room in the house with good light to such a purpose. Such a 
stove applied to your pit, if the pipe is tight at the joints, would be a 
capital thing for expelling damp. 
Tecoma Jasminoides not Flowering (A Subscriber, Dalston). — 
This must either have plenty of room, or be curtailed at the roots, and 
have the shoots well-ripened. Messrs. Knight and Perry tell us that 
they have a variety that blooms in a very small state doing well in a pot. 
Showy Plants for a Small House (Ibid). — Many of these have 
been alluded to, and some pretty things, only a few weeks ago ; but more 
attention will be given to the matter directly. 
Bignonia Ciiirere.— This was lately spoken of somewhat doubt¬ 
fully by Mr. Fish, as being suited for a warm conservatory. He has 
since learned that it has grown and bloomed beautifully in a common 
conservatory at Trentham, where frequently the frost is merely excluded. 
It seems, therefore, to do equally well in a cold house or a warm one. 
Two Eggs in a Day.— Captain W. Hornby, R.N., informs us that 
one of his Cochin-China hens laid two eggs on the 14th instant, but 
then she did not lay on the following day. 
Grapes and Camellias (An Anxious Enquirer). — You can now 
only dust the leaves of the vine with flowers of sulphur to check the 
mildew. When all the leaves are shed, remove every growing plant from 
the house, burn some sulphur in it, and then paint over all the stem 
and branches with the mixture of sulphur and clay so frequently men¬ 
tioned by Mr. Errington. Your Camellias shedding their blossom-buds, 
probably arises from their roots being sluggish, either from too great 
dryness, or too little warmth. 
Forget-me-Not.— Ellen would be obliged by being informed where 
she can get some of the seed of the true blue species. 
Manure (A Lady ).—The cow-dung, though only a few months old, 
will do for your flower-beds and bulbs. R,otted weeds, and thoroughly 
decayed tan, are the nearest approach you can have to leaf-mould. The 
tan must not be used unless reduced to a black powder. Bone-dust is a 
very good manure for roses, hollyhocks, and all flowers. Your rose-buds 
dropped off probably from want of moisture at the roots. These should 
have had mulch over them, and water, soap-suds, See., applied during the 
dry weather in summer. 
Ciiepstow Flower Show (J. Heath). — The Society, unless they 
stated publicly otherwise, were wrong in saying the extra prizes for 
Dahlias were “ open to all England,” and then refusing to let you 
exhibit unless you “paid a subscription of 10s. to the Society.” We 
quite agree with you in thinking that any gardener who was busy with 
the exhibitors whilst taking the Dahlias to the stands, should not have 
been one of the judges. Judges should be from some place far distant 
from the locality of the exhibition, or they will always be suspected of 
bias, whether deservedly or undeservedly. 
Pelargoniums (W. H. O .).—You will find a full list and description 
of the species, and a treatise on their culture, in The Cottage Gardeners' 
Dictionary. We know of none trustworthy in a separate form. The 
varieties of the Gourd are too numerous in India, and elsewhere, for us 
to tell you the name of yours. We know of no test whereby to know a 
double from a single Hollyhock before the bloom opens, except that the 
flower-buds of the double are more globular and larger. Glass labels, 
written upon with a diamond, have been long in use ; but your suggestion 
of painting the back black, to render the writing legible, is very good. 
The great objection is, that there is a difficulty in fastening them to any 
plant, and the incapacity of many people to write with a diamond readily. 
Dried Grasses and Flowers.— A Subscriber would be glad of 
information where she can obtain these for winter bouquets? They can 
be obtained in Covent Garden Market; but any one who will advertise 
particulars will find it to their advantage. 
Wine-making (A Constant Reader). — You may obtain Mr. Roberts’s 
book on this subject through any bookseller. You will find there where 
his saccharometer may be purchased. 
Golden Spangled Hamburgh Fowls.— A Fowl Fancier says, 
“These have no tuft on the head; those which have, Mr. Brent is right 
in supposing to be a cross with the Poland. I know them well, and have 
kept them for many years, also imported them from Germany. They 
are without any tuft, are much like those which in Lancashire are called 
Bolton Bays, and in this neighbourhood (Hull) Golden Pheasants; 
rather lighter in the colour, when true, and are better laced in the feather. 
I consider these the handsomest of all poultry. They arc also called 
Every-day -layers , do not sit, and produce abundance of eggs. There 
are two other kinds procurable in Germany and Holland—the Silver and 
Golden Pencilled. In this country these are called the Chittaprats. 
They are also good layers.” 
Peas in November.— G. P. says “In your ‘Notes on vegetables 
and new varieties,’ in the August part, J. K. T. says, * I grew a pea last 
season, called the American Dwarf, from which I gathered a nice dish 
the 10th of November.’ When was this pea sown, and in what county ? ” 
We can answer, that J. K. T. lives in Devonshire; he will perhaps be 
kind enough to state particulars. 
Dahlia Roots (]V .).—There arc two conditions which arc almost 
equally fatal to these when stored for the winter—heat, with dryness; and 
dampness. A cold dry place is the only one in which they will keep well. 
Hung up in an osier basket, in a dry outhouse, where frost is excluded, 
is as good a situation as any. They must be very thoroughly dried before 
putting there, and if taken out occasionally and spread in the sun they 
will be benefited. 
Peach and Nectarine Trees (A Cheshire Rector). —Root-prune at 
once, according to the rule lately given by Mr. Errington, and we will 
give you further directions next week. 
Training Peaches, Sec. (Rosa).— The only advantage is, that there 
are no holes made in the wall by nailing and unnailing, such holes being 
disfiguring, and harbours for insects. Two Cochin-China cocks are suffi¬ 
cient for twelve hens. 
Which is the Best Fuchsia? (Lacy ).—This is one of those ques¬ 
tions to which no unanimous answer can be obtained. One good florist 
tells us that he should reply, Commodore, as a dark fuchsia, and Prince 
Arthur as a light; another authority replied, Voltigeur for the dark, and 
Bride for the light; and for ourselves, we should select Sir John Falstaff 
for the dark, and Conciliation for the light. If you buy them all, you 
will have six good ones. Your shrub is probably an Acacia , but we 
might tell better if you sent us a leaf from the top, as well as from the 
lower part of your young plant. 
Names of Plants (A. B .).—Yours are, 1. Polypodium vulgare ; 
2. Myosotis arvensis; 3. Daucas carota, the wild carrot; 4. Chenopo- 
dium urbicum; 5. Centaurea nigra; and 6. Of Blechnum boreale, the 
fruiting frond. 
CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Alstrcemerias, Van Hout’s, varieties, and others, plant six inches 
deep, and in frosty weather cover with leaves. Anemones, plant for 
earliest bloom. Sow a few of the hardiest Annuals before the end of 
the first week. Auriculas and Polyanthuses, put under shelter. 
Bedding Geraniums, save as many as you can store; cut them close, 
and plant them in cold pits ; or dry, and keep in the upper rooms of the 
house. Bulbous Roots, finish planting in dry weather ; pot for latest 
forcing, and for plunging in flower-beds, Sec. Carnation layers, finish 
planting and potting ; secure the pot ones from rains. Climbers of ail 
sorts, plant, prune, and train. Compost, prepare, and turn in dry 
weather. Dahlias, cut down after frost, and let the roots remain as 
long as it is safe; when taken up, dry them in open sheds, Sec., before 
storing where frost and damp cannot reach them. Dress the beds and 
borders, and put mark-sticks to bulbs and other roots, to guide you when 
digging. Edgings, plant. Evergreens, finish planting, b. Fibrous- 
rooted Plants, finish dividing and planting, b. Fork over borders, 
Sec. Grass, cut very close the last time ; keep clear of leaves ; and roll. 
Gravel, weed and roll. Hedges, plant, clip, and clear at bottom. 
Hoe and rake shrubberies, and bury the leaves, Sec., between the plants. 
Irids, as Ievias, Gladioli, Sec., plant, and shelter from frost. Layering, 
perform generally. Leaves, gather for compost, Sec. Marvel of 
Peru, take up and store like dahlias. Mulch round trees and shrubs 
lately planted. Plant perennials and biennials. Planting, perforin 
generally. Potted Plants, for forcing, plunge in the earth of a well- 
sheltered border, facing the sun. Prune shrubs and trees generally. 
Ranunculuses, plant for earliest bloom ; seedlings of them, in boxes, 
Sec., remove to a warm situation. Rose-buds, untie the matting, if not 
already done, from newly budded, and cut the shoots to within six inches 
of the buds. Shrubs of all kinds, plant, stake, and mulch. Suckers, 
from roses and other shrubs, separate and plant. Tigridias, save from 
frost as long as possible ; should not be dried till January or February. 
Tulips, finish planting, b. D. Beaton. 
ORCHARD. 
Apples, house in succession. Berberries, gather, m. Borders, 
prepare, b ; composts, collect. Currants, prune, e. Damsons, gather. 
Fruit-trees, remove, e. Fruit-room, carefully ventilate. Figs, 
pluck off late fruit, c. Gooseberries, prune, e. Grapes, bag, or 
otherwise protect. Mulberries, gather. Medlars, gather. Pears, 
gather in succession, all at the end. Planting, prepare for, and proceed 
with at e. Pruning, commence as soon as the leaves are cast. Rasp¬ 
berries, protect late-bearing. Retarding: look well to currants and 
other retarded fruits ; keep away mouldiness. Root-trune, b. Straw¬ 
berries, dress away runners, but not the leaves, b. Tomatoes, gather, 
and ripen on heat, b. Vines, attend well to, b. Wood ripening: do 
all you can to secure this, b. R Errington. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Air—Moisture, gradually decrease. Bottom-heat must decline 
with the light until they reach about 75° in December. Cucumbers, 
thin out carefully ; stop regularly ; and give liquid manure. Cherries, 
in tubs or boxes, plunge in a cold and shaded situation. Figs, see that 
the wood is well-ripened; those in pots plunge and secure from frost. 
Fires, be moderate with; rather inclose sun-heat. Flues, clean and 
repair. Grapes, late, fire and ventilate freely ; watch for decaying 
berries. Glass, wash all that is in any way dirty. Melons, sustain a 
bottom-heat of near 80°; keep down red spider, and ventilate freely in 
the morning. Nectarines and Peaches : apply liquid manure to late 
houses after heavy crops ; keep away red spider; stop all growing” shoots, 
and secure the ripening of the wood. Pines, sustain heat, in order to 
ventilate most freely those to winter in pits. Apply liquid manure to 
swelling fruits, and sustain a bottom-heat of 80°; atmospheric from 65° 
to 85°. Prune vines, peaches, Sec. for very early forcing. Rest, apply 
systematically the principles to all things for early work Watering, 
decrease at the root in proportion to the decline of the season. 
R. Kkrington, 
