130 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 
December 6- 
till the following spring. We need hardly say that we approve of | 
iMr. Beaton’s directions. 
Capons (S. Pen-and-inlc ).—The very details you give show its 
cruelty, and one of such a nature as ought not to appear in pages 
circulating in family circles. It is quite true that the treatment 
of oxen and sheep is equally cruel; hut here there is the plea of 
necessity—the flesh of bulls and rams is not eatable. Your sug¬ 
gestion is under consideration. 
Pat»r-maker’s Refuse ( Paper-maker ).—Your residuum, after 
making chlorine gas, is chiefly a mixture of glauber salt (sulphate of J 
soda), common salt, and manganese. It might be put upon vacant 
ground, and would there destroy vermin. A little—5lbs to 30 square 
yards—would be beneficial, if applied twice or thrice a year, to 
asparagus beds—say early in March, July, and September. 
Stiff Soil on Clay Subsoil (I. L. Sheard ).—As you cannot I 
obtain pipes for draining it, cut drains two and a half feet deep, and 
twelve yards apart, and fill these to half their depth with flint-stones, j 
putting turf, &c., over these, in the usual course of draining. Mix 
coal-ashes and lime rubbish to lighten the staple ; gradually breaking 
up and mixing a little of the subsoil until you get the surface soil 
afoot deep. Black currants and raspberries will probably succeed 
on your soil. 
Black Barley (X. Y. Z.). —Our correspondent wishes to know 
if winter tares would not come in well after this barley, as of those 
tares he wishes to get a crop, and then one of Swedes after the tares ? 
Now, as we have not tried the black barley, we cannot give an 
opinion upon the point; and a very intelligent farmer of Hampshire 
writes to us thus 
“ It is the general opinion among farmers, and my own experience 
goes with it, that they cannot get a good crop of Swedes, or turnips, 
succeeding winter tares ; not, I believe, because there is not time 
enough, but because either the tares exhaust the peculiar food of the 
turnip, or because the roots of the tares render the soil so light and 
spongy that it does not suit the turnip root, albeit fond of a highly 
pulverised soil. I believe the latter is the case; but if the failures 
proceed from either of these two causes, the sowing the tares earlier, 
which will give the roots of the tares more time to possess themselves 
of every portion of the soil, is not likely to correct the evil. Your cor¬ 
respondent is probably aware that there is a variety of the winter 
vetch called Racer vetches, which come into blossom full ten days, or 
nearly a fortnight, sooner than the common winter vetch, and, conse¬ 
quently, must be fed off, or cut, earlier than the common sort. This 
gives a longer period for a succeeding crop of turnips to perfect them¬ 
selves, and it also would give time to work the land with more than 
one ploughing, and to break down the sponge-like condition with a 
heavy Crosskill roller; so that the finely pulverised earth may sit 
close and tight to the turnip-seed, being at the same time easily per¬ 
meable by its tender roots, which, I believe, is what is wanted. I 
never get a good plant of turnips on loose hollow ground. The 
Racer vetch does not give so large a produce as the common sort. 
When in full bloom it is about as bulky as the common winter vetch 
is when opening its first blossom. I usually sow some of both, side 
by side, so that I may have a succession.” 
Eist of Half-hardy Plants (Tyro ).—What do you mean by 
“plants?” I)o you require annuals or perennials—herbaceous or 
shrubby plants? Many greenhouse plants may be grown during the 
summer in a verandah facing the south, and be wintered in a pit. 
Out-door Grapes (H. N .).—For your south wall at Wivelis- 
combe, we recommend you to grow the Royal Muscadine, white, and 
the Black Hamburgh. The best celery we have ever grown is Nutt’s 
Champion. Keep your hyacinths in glasses in the dark until they 
have made more roots. 
Potato Planting (Stupid ).—Do not use manure of any kind. 
Your question about your peaches, &c., next week. 
Glass for Greenhouses (L. R. L .).—We cannot recommend 
you to use glass tinged of any colour; it is more expensive, and has 
been proved to be without benefit. We recommend rough glass ; it 
is cheap, strong, and prevents scorching. We are not responsible for 
advertisers. We cannot give you an estimate for glazing; ask two or 
three glaziers to tender for the job. Muriate of ammonia will not be 
of use to remove the crust from the inside of your boiler. 
Rape Cake (H. C. Mills ).—This, which your cattle refuse to eat, 
may be powdered, and drilled in with your turnip seed. A quarter of 
a ton per acre will be enough. It is found to be most beneficial on 
heavy soils. 
Plumbago capensis (IF. Savage ).—The mealy appearance un¬ 
derneath the leaves is natural to the species. To clear your plant from 
the red spider dip it into tepid water ; or use the sponge, as recom¬ 
mended by Mr. Appleby to-day. Stephanotis floribunda is a stove 
plant, and requires more heat than will agree with the other plants in 
your greenhouse. 
Fuchsias Raised from Leaves (H. Benton).— The plants thus 
raised are the same as the parentsfrom which the leaves were gathered. 
Pray refer to what we have said about wintering fuchsias in recent 
numbers, for our observations will apply to yours unless they are some 
particular species. New varieties of the chrysanthemum or of any 
other flower can only be raised from seed. Leave your leeks as they 
are ; they may come round into good vigour in the SDring. If your 
bookseller does not supply you with Tiie Cottage Gardener regu¬ 
larly, go to some other bookseller in Plymouth, who, being in a larger 
way of business, does have a weekly parcel. 
Swallows (A Lover of Birds ).— Our correspondent says he saw 
two swallows pursuing flies under the south wall of his garden at 
Ramsgate, on the 18tli of November, and one of the same birds was 
there on the 22nd. This is three weeks later than Mr. Jenyns ever 
saw even a straggler at Swaffham, in Norfolk. During 12 years’ ob¬ 
servations, he never saw one there later than October 31st. Those 
which stay after the departure of the main flock are supposed to have 
been late-hatched birds. The swift was seen as far north as Tyne¬ 
mouth Priory as late as the 4th of November in 1822; and in Times 
Telescope for 1825, it is stated that “ swallows have been seen in 
mild weather to congregate previously to taking their departure so 
late as the middle of December.” 
Ventilating Taylor’s Hives (Civis ).—You say there is no ven¬ 
tilator provided for the top hives of this kind. In reply, we have to 
state that the upper box of “ Taylor’s Amateur’s box-hive” should on 
no account remain upon the stock-box during the winter; let it be 
removed, and should the stock-box contain less than 2Ulbs. of honey, 
let this be made up to that weight by feeding by means of the feeder 
supplied with the box ; the feeder remaining upon the stock-box for 
the winter makes an admirable ventilator and condenser. 
Chinese Pigs (J. Ball ).—You may write to J. Crisp, Esq., Hope 
Cottage, Norwood, Surrey. 
Cuttings of Leciienaultia Formosa (Homo ).—Those will 
strike very easily any time from the end of February to August, but 
the spring ones do best afterwards. Take small pots, drain well, and 
fill with equal parts of peat and sand, with a thin layer of sand on the 
top ; water and press down, and they are ready for cuttings. Make 
the cuttings an inch, or rather more, in length ; plant them firmly, 
and put a bell-glass over them, in a gentle bottom-heat. Thousands 
of other plants will grow from cuttings thus treated. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plant Seeds (Ibid ).—Acacia seeds, 
and those of all greenhouse and stove plants, as well as mimulus 
seeds, will grow best from spring sowing, any time in March. Zin¬ 
nias ought to be treated as half-hardy annuals ; that is, to be sown in 
a hot-bed, and the pots removed to a cooler place as soon as the seed¬ 
lings are well up ; but they will do after the middle of April without 
the aid of the hot-bed. 
Moving Strawberries (Alcyone ).—Your new strawberry-bed 
ought to be made with young plants, not by removing the old ones ; 
from the middle of February to the middle of March is the proper 
time to plant the young plants, or remove the old ones, as you must 
do so between this and June. 
Clematis and Honeysuckle Pruning (Ibid ).—Those which 
have overgrown their space, and all other hardy climbers in like con¬ 
dition, ought to be pruned very cautiously and by degrees, any time 
from the end of October to the beginning of March. Proceed thus— 
unfasten all the ties, and separate the tangled mass of shoots from 
each other, then cut down one half of the branches to different 
lengths, say from a few inches to as many feet from the older 
wood ; then train the other half over the whole space, and thus some 
of the top branches will hat e to be trained downwards to the bottom 
of the wall. But we will ask Mr. Beaton to write more fully on the 
subject. 
Removing Lilies of tiif. Valley (Ibid).— Do this forthwith. 
October is the best time. A deep sandy loam, partially shaded, suits 
them best. Select those plants or runners with the most prominent 
buds. 
Vines Over-luxuriant (II. A .)—Your two sweet-water vines 
in a greenhouse, with a good south-west aspect, have only produced 
two or three bunches ; but the young wood is three or four yards 
long, very robust, and with numerous laterals from these. You have 
allowed the vines to grow to the utmost, in the hope they will exhaust 
themselves, and now ask for our advice. We fear your vines are 
wrong at the root: the soil is, probably, too deep, too damp, and too 
rich. You had, perhaps, better take them carefully up (after pruning 
them pretty close) remodel the soil, or border, according to instruc¬ 
tions in our back numbers, and plant them again. You will see a 
series of papers on vine culture in the course of a few weeks, be¬ 
ginning with to-day. Study the principles, as there explained, care¬ 
fully, and you will not be misled. 
Sea Kale Blanching (Ibid).— No wonder that all your plants 
died which had no more room, and no other protection from the hot 
steam and ammonieal fumes of fermenting dung than that afforded 
by two or three house tiles. If you cannot have large pots of some 
kind, you had better raise annually a succession of plants to take up 
and grow in the manner recommended by Mr. Barnes. 
Preparing Carrots, &c., for Storing ( B. M. J.)— There is a 
deep ring, or collar, round the top of these. Cut so much of the 
carrot or parsnip away as to entirely remove that ring, for out of 
this the foliage would come forth. Do not apply liquid manure to 
your out-door kitchen-garden crops, except whilst growing and 
vigorous in spring and summer. The reference to Brussels sprouts 
should be to page 347. In very rich soil they do not button well. 
Cutting Potato Sets (R.S.). —We never plant cut sets, and 
cannot advise it to be done at any time; but we would rather use 
them in spring than in autumn, if compelled to employ them. If 
the Bangors are a late-ripening variety, do not grow them at all. 
Wintering Carnation Cuttings (A young Amateur ).—Your 
carnation cuttings planted in August are most likely rooted, and ought 
to be taken up, carefully potted in a light compost of sandy loam and 
leaf-mould or very rotten dung if leaf-mould, one-half; if rotten 
dung, one quarter. Use pots Bj in. across, drain well, and put a 
pair of rooted cuttings in each pot. Place them in a cold frame (not 
in a hotbed), shade from sunshine ; water moderately, and protect with 
mats from severe frost, giving air freely in mild weather. See instruc¬ 
tions under the head “Carnations.” The address is correct. 
Names of Plants (J. Burgess ).—Your climber is Loasa lateritia. 
We are sorry to say that your other application is too late. (Ftorum 
amator). —Your flower is Gettm strictum. (Sigma ).—Your plant is 
a Loasa, but the specimen was too imperfect for us to determine the 
species ; We think it is volubilis. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, 147, Strand, in the 
Parish of Saint Mary-le-Strand; and Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of St. Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, 147, Strand, in the Parish of 
Saint Mary-le-Strand, London.—December 6th, 1849 . 
