December G. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
under Unit name there, and T bought one of them 
on speculation, knowing it not to be true to 
name. It proved a fudge. Quercifolium is a line 
dwarf red one for a small bed; blooms most pro¬ 
fusely through the whole season, and is very easy to 
keep and to increase. This is a Norfolk seedling, 
and is nearly 20 years old. The person who raised 
it from seeds sold it to a London florist, through Mr. 
Bell, of Norwich ; but the London dealer went oil' to 
America, and forgot to pay for this Quercifolium ; but 
Mr. Bell, much to his credit, discharged the debt in 
full, owing to the poor raiser, although be bad no 
claim on him for the amount; and, at the risk of 
offending Mr. Bell, 1 mention this, as such acts of 
disinterested kindness should never be put under a 
bushel. 
Quercifolium cocoineum is an elegant variety for 
a bed, with small scarlet flowers and fine leaves. 
It is tender to keep in a rough way, and not easy to 
get a stock of it in summer. This will always keep 
its place as a gem, and it is only three or four years 
since a beautiful specimen of it was exkibited at one 
of the Horticultural Society’s shows at Chiswick, but 
under a wrong name. It was then called Quercifo¬ 
lium superbum. Another one, called The Curate, is a 
pretty little tiling, very dwarf, and not at all difficult 
to keep or increase. Many people admire it as an 
edging, but the best way of all to use it is in chil¬ 
dren’s gardens. It is just such a thing as little girls 
would like to water and attend to ? D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Salvia Splendens. —This, among the family of the 
Sages, is well worthy of the title of splendid. Rivals 
in the same family groupo it may have in summer 
and autumn, but in the earlier winter months it is 
unmatched. Contrasted at this season even with 
the loveliest and tire gayest of other flowers, it con¬ 
stitutes one of the most dazzling ornaments of the 
greenhouse or conservatory. Even where there is 
nothing else very striking beside it, its own elegant 
foliage sets off to advantage its rich racemes of scar¬ 
let flowers. This interest is prolonged from the 
calyx being of the same colour as the corolla, as it is 
first expanded, and remains for some time after the 
corolla has dropped. 
There is something peculiar and worth looking 
at in the structure of the stamens of the Salvia. 
They generally spring from near the centre of the 
tubular corolla before it becomes lipped. When 
about half their length, they form a sort of stud, 
upon which the remaining portion may be moved 
upwards and downwards like a swivel on a joint; 
the upper portion from this articulation is crowned 
with the pollen-bearing anthers, and the lower por¬ 
tion terminates in a point in the tube of tbc corolla. 
What purpose those parts of the stamens answer, 
that thus point downwards, it is not for us to say. 
Did we allow ourselves to fancy that those stud-like 
parts of the stamens wero double, and that the part 
which proceeded downwards from them was termi¬ 
nated by an anther, then we should have tbc Salvia, 
like most other Labiate flowers, possessing four sta¬ 
mens, two longer and two shorter. Everything we 
investigate is fitted to take away our pride, and teach 
us humility. Flowers are powerful monitors, did wo 
only listen to their teachings; but we must not linger 
here. The stamens in splendens are separate; in 
many of the other species they are united for a part 
129 
of their length. The pistil is also different in the 
different species, though long and slender in all. In 
the beautiful blue Salvia patens, its single stigma 
bends over tbc anthers of the stamens ; in splendens 
it is long, but terminated with a bifid, or two-horned 
stigma; while the beautiful red Salvia fulgens, that 
raises its pistil considerably above the anthers, is not 
only furnished with a bifid, or two-horned stigma, 
but also near the end of its style with abundance of 
sbaggy matter, which we have little doubt acts as a 
bottle-brush for scattering the fertilising pollen from 
the anthers; all evidencing wisdom and forethought, 
as to the means for ensuring the perpetuity of the 
race. 
Salvia splendens, as well as most of our greenhouse 
and bedding-out species, is a native of Mexico. The 
term Salvia is derived from Salvus (safe), in allusion 
to the beneficial character of many of the species in 
a medicinal and culinary point of view. Even now, 
many who arc not yet decided epicures may be look¬ 
ing forward to the festive period, and thinking of par¬ 
taking, along with friends, of those good things in 
the preparation of which even the common sage is 
brought into abundant requisition. At the present 
time, the plants, if safely lodged in the greenhouse 
and conservatory, should 'not be exposed to keen 
draughts of air, if it is wished to preserve the bloom 
as long as possible. In watering, let the liquid be a 
little warmer than the air of the house; and if co¬ 
loured with guano, superphosphate of lime, &c., they 
will like it all the better. If it is not convenient to 
have manure water, much the same object will be 
gained by top-dressing with old dried cow or sheep- 
clung. Watering over it will enrich the compost, 
and, acting also as a mulching, less watering will be 
necessary, which is something, as if the pots are 
crammed with roots, and the weather should be fine, 
they will drink like any topers. They will bloom 
well either in small or large pots ; though, for striking 
effect, large plants in large pots are the most de¬ 
sirable. “ All very well!” says some dozen of our 
friends at once; “ I should like to have half a dozen 
of these fine large plants in my greenhouse now; they 
would look so nice, among chrysanthemums, and 
opening camellias, &c.; and I should like a few 
small plants to enliven my window; but then 1 have 
always been deterred from growing them from the 
great space they would occupy when done flowering, 
or before they had commenced to bloom ; and then 
numbers of clever people have dunned into my ears 
to beware of them as 1 would shun the plague, as a 
few plants would soon fill a whole house with red 
spiders, and then farewell to all my other favourites, 
so far as their healthy looks are concerned.” Now, 
even in these days of cheap glass, we are well aware 
that from various causes the husbanding of space 
under glass is* as much demanded as ever. But, 
even in this respect, our friends, the Salvias, are 
wonderfully accommodating. They arc but little 
subject to the spider, when sturdily, not daintily, 
reared. In any circumstances they arc less troubled 
with it now than during the dog-days. A slight 
syringe over the leaves when in bloom,—and in cold 
weather, when a little heat is necessary, the brushing 
over the pipes, or flue, when not very hot, with flowers 
of sulphur and water,—will be next to effectual in keep¬ 
ing the intruder away. So much for present manage¬ 
ment. Now, as to preparing for another year: as 
soon as the plants have done flowering, give away, 
or transfer them all, save one, to the rubbish heap ; 
place the one saved in any out-of-the-way corner, 
where a stray ray of light may reach it, and where 
