October 25. 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 
43 
honour is justly due to the man, though I never heard 
even his name, who raised and preserved the Kentish 
Hero calceolaria, for though it would not be noticed 
by a fastidious florist, as it is narrow and longer 
shaped than any other of the shrubby varieties, and 
thus more slipper-like, yet the largeness of its brown 
orange-like flowers, the closeness of the opening of the 
corolla, the dwarf habit of the plant, the immense 
size when contrasted with all others of its spikes of 
flowers, if it be proper to call them so, and its con¬ 
tinuous blooming when grown in good soil, render it 
either for vase, bed, greenhouse, or window-sill, one of 
the showiest things we have met with for years. It 
takes longer time, and is shier to propagate, than any 
other calceolaria, shrubby or herbaceous, that has 
come under my care; but, probably, it wants a little 
peculiar management. It was presented me by a 
kind neighbour last autumn, and as I was greatly 
taken with its appearance, I did not let it stand idle 
during the winter and spring; and though my suc¬ 
cess in propagating it was far from meeting my 
expectations, it yet enabled 'me to send some of it 
north and south as freely as I had received it; but 
several of the recipients have since written to say 
that they cannot get a cutting to strike. If this 
should meet the eye of the raiser of this hero, or of 
any other person who has succeeded in propagating 
it, with any thing like the ease of other shrubby cal- 
ceolaries—losses in which, either from the cuttings 
not rooting or damping off, we never calculate upon 
—the statement of the peculiar mode of management 
will be acceptable to hundreds of its admirers. We 
have seen it several times this season, when there 
was nothing remarkable about; and, therefore, to 
show that we are not selfish, but are as ready to do a 
kind action as to expect one in return, we would say 
that, judging from our own practice, this calceolaria 
will always be most beautiful when grown in a rich 
loamy soil. There will then be little growth so far 
as the woody matter of the plant is concerned, but 
the masses of bloom will be splendid. 
We would gladly have filled our paper to-day with 
jottings about the management of shrubby calceola¬ 
rias, did we not feel convinced that those correspond¬ 
ents who complain that they cannot keep their plants 
over the winter must have reference chiefly to those 
which arc of a herbaceous nature, or are merely 
slightly shrubby. Now, we suppose something must 
be said upon this, though it is rather a sore point 
with us just now, for though we have had great suc¬ 
cess for years in the management of these fine 
blotched and spotted varieties, we fear wo shall have 
a little trouble with them during the coming winter, 
as already the plants are all gone, with the exception 
of a few bits of cuttings inserted a few days ago, and 
these not so healthy as they ought to be. 
Before describing the method by which previous 
success was obtained, I will first describe the cause of 
my present loss, as it may be useful as a warning, for 
if I succeed in preserving some favourite kinds it will 
be at the expense of extra-codling them. Previously 
to the plants coming into full bloom, though reared 
from cuttings of the previous autumn, many were in 
12 and some in 16-inch pots, with large heads, quite 
free from insects, and the leaves green and luxuriant, 
without which latter quality I always consider a cal¬ 
ceolaria a ricketty thing at best. They were then 
removed to a glass case close to the mansion, where 
the atmosphere is generally too dry to suit their na¬ 
ture, and where the usual methods for keeping insects 
at bay cannot be resorted to, but where they, never¬ 
theless, answer the purpose of decoration for a con¬ 
siderable time. They are removed thence by degrees, 
as soon as the least signs of unsightliness appear, 
and are placed behind a north wall. When all were 
got out they were examined, a plant or two of a sort 
kept, and, as the green-fly had commenced their 
ravages, they were put into a pit, to be well smoked 
and shaded. Unfortunately, the shading was blown 
off in a very bright day, and was not noticed until the 
mischief was done, as the leaves—injured by the in¬ 
sects, sick with the smoke—were regularly done for by 
the sun, so much so that it is only a few days since 
that we could obtain a few green bits as cuttings, the 
plants themselves being useless. Now, there were 
two errors here : the first, not properly fixing the 
shading; and the second, not placing the plants under 
a north aspect. During the summer .few plants are 
more impatient of full sunlight: setting the plants 
under a north wall, or planting them out in a well- 
drained north border, are the best positions for them, 
and, if not very bad with insects, a good syringing 
of cold water would send them a scampering. We 
have just pricked off into pans some seedlings. 
Those who have plenty of room would have done 
that some time ago, by sowing in August instead of 
September. 
Now for the mode of management. I have tried 
various methods,—such as the repotting of the old 
plants, and dividing the larger ones, &c.; but that 
which has succeeded the best with me in producing 
healthy beautiful plants, was by raising them every 
autumn afresh from cuttings. I have inserted the 
cuttings round the sides of pots, well drained, and 
placed them under glass, or inserted them in small 
prepared beds under hand-glasses ; but I have never 
been more successful than by the following method : 
At the foot of a north wall, a space of ground was 
levelled; a layer of salt and lime was put down, to 
keep slugs and worms at a distance; over this a layer 
of coal-ashes, and then another of broken potsherds, 
over which was placed four inches of equal portions 
of loam, leaf-mould, and peat, with a little sand and 
charcoal-dust—all well broken, and the finest sifted 
out; the coarse to go at the bottom, and the finer at 
the top—placed in width and length to suit the size 
and the number of the hand lights to be used; when 
these were put on, a good soaking of water was given. 
When settled, and a little dryish on the surface, from 
an eighth to a quarter of an inch of silver sand was 
added, pressed smooth and firm, and the cuttings 
were taken oft’, and inserted in the end of August or 
the beginning of September—choosing the points of 
the shoots, in preference to cuttings from the stem, 
as they make better plants—there never being any 
necessity for stopping these large flowering calceola¬ 
rias, however large you may wish the plants to grow. 
Those who merely possess a cold pit for wintering 
them, should set about propagating them in the ear¬ 
lier part of August. After the cuttings are planted, 
a slight watering must be given, to settle the sand 
and earth firmly about them; and after that, with 
the exception of a slight dust from the syringe over 
the foliage in fine days, and giving a little air in mild 
nights, they will require little more attention, until 
you take them up to pot them, some time in October. 
In potting we use small pots and light sandy soil, 
with a little leaf mould , and, as the sun is now de¬ 
clining in strength, we place them in a pit with a south 
exposure, with shading at command, and we like to 
plunge the pots, at this time, in a medium free from 
worms and possessing a mild heat: the object being to 
fill thepots with roots as quickly as possible. The pit is 
kept close for a short time, but air must be given as 
