THE COTTAGE 
EXTRACTS EROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
Shalot Culture. —I would call the attention ot 
every reader of The Cottage Gardener, to the very 
excellent results I obtained from manuring with 
charred refuse for shalots, in accordance with your 
valuable advice. During March last, I marked out 
a bed G yards long, by 4 feet wide; drew four mode- 
rately-deep drills : filled two with charred refuse, and 
two with a compost of salt,lime, and walk-sweepings ; 
and planted the roots thereon, 10 inches apart. Their 
subsequent treatment, as to hoeing and weeding, was 
precisely the same. They were taken up in July, 
each two rows were kept carefully apart, and when 
fully dried were weighed. The produce of the two 
rows grown 011 the charred refuse was 9^- lb ; and 
that of the two grown on the compost only 4^ lb.— 
Leighton. 
Rose Pruning. —In the January number ot The 
Cottage Gardener, Mr. Beaton anticipated one of 
the topics on which I wished to consult you : I mean 
the propriety of pruning roses in October. And as I 
practised in November the directions with which he 
favoured us in January, I conclude that I acted right. 
Permit me briefly to relate the reasons on which my 
practice was founded. 
Every thoughtful person must be impressed with 
the wonderful analogy that exists between certain 
animals and plants. And taking the dormouse as my 
type—that sensible little animal, who, on the ap¬ 
proach of winter, puts himself comfortably to bed, 
and never quits his hibernaculum until spring knocks 
at his door. But before the dormouse retires to his 
rest, he provides a store of food in case an access of 
mild weather should disturb his slumbers. An in¬ 
terval of mild weather does occur, and the little 
creature awaking from sleep, partakes of the food he 
had stored up; and on the return of frost, he relapses 
into sleep. We perceive then, that during the abode 
of the dormouse in his winter quarters, that the vital 
functions are still in some degree active; not so 
vigorously indeed as when he is frisking in the sun¬ 
shine. But we see him sleeping when it is cold, 
reviving whenever the weather is mild, and again 
falling asleep on the return of cold weather. Now 
is not this the exact condition of a plant during the 
winter? On the arrival of winter, the plant goes 
to repose; but it has previously laid up a store of 
food for its future exigencies; the weather becomes 
milder, and the plant shews some increase of its 
living principle by the swelling of its buds ; there is 
a return of cold weather, audtlie circulation becomes 
more sluggish.' Thus, in the animal and the plant, 
the vital action, although at times impeded, is never 
entirely suspended; and with these partial revivals 
and checks, they both struggle through their wintry 
existence. However, this is the train of reasoning 
which convinced me that trees ought to be pruned as 
soon as they are out of leaf, to attain the purposes so 
ably stated by you last month. I append a little 
historiette of my practice. I purchased a few rose- 
trees in the autumn, but they did not come to my 
possession before the middle ot November; and being 
confident of my theory, I pruned them at once to the 
shape in which I hope to find them in the spring. 
1 had indeed some ugly visions of snags, and some 
apprehension that alter I had performed my am¬ 
putations, Mr. Frost would follow in my wake, and 
effect his mutilations, and then, thought!, what will 
be the condition of my poor trees after these two-fold 
GARDENER. [March 21. 
operations? To prevent the occurrence of snags, I 
touched the cut part of the branches with liquid India 
rubber, which formed a hard polished coating, im¬ 
pervious to cold and wet; and I am glad to say that 
my trees have passed unscathed through the sharp 
ordeal of the late frosts. (This is a good suggestion). 
May I he permitted to inquire, when your trees were 
pruned in October, whether you used any precautions 
to insure them from the injurious effects of frost and 
damp? (None whatever). Did you ever remark, or 
did you ever hear it mooted, that the teinperatuio 
being the same, the buds of trees swell more in 
windy weather than in calm? I fancy that it is so ; 
aud if there be any truth in the remark, perhaps it 
may be accounted for by the agitation of the branches 
which occasions a more brisk circulation ot the sap. 
And in this view, the March winds (among other 
purposes) may be intended to arouse the vegetable 
world from its winter’s slumber. But I write this 
hesitatingly.—T. 0. 
[This is quite possible, and is in conformity with a 
theory first suggested by Mr. Knight. He found that 
of two plants exactly alike, kept in a greenhouse, one 
quite still and the other frequently shaken, the lattei 
grew fastest and strongest. It is a common ohsei- 
vation with farmers, that turnips do not grow last 
until the leaves are large enough for “ the wind to 
get hold of them.”—E d. C. G.] 
A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF CAMELLIAS. 
(Continued from page 327.J 
STRIPED, SPOTTED, AND BLOTCHED. 
Adonidea. — Poeony-shaped ; sometimes imbricated ; 
petals rose, spotted with straw, veined with lilac, and regu¬ 
larly bordered with white, 2s 6d. 
Americana. —Same form as the O. Duchesse d Orleans*; 
delicate rose, striped or stained with crimson, 2s 6d. 
Archduchesse Augusta.— A splendid variety—all beauty. 
Form exquisite ; colour new; richly imbricated ; petals of 
a fine deep red, veined with blue, with a white stripe down 
the centre of each. As the flower fades, it changes to all 
blue, flamed with red, and bordered with white, 10s Gd. 
Baltimoreana. —Very grand; delicate white; striped with 
rose. 
Barni d'Italic. — Deep red, with a narrow stripe ot 
white down the centre of each petal; an imbricated flower, 
2s 6d. , 
Benneyii. —Imbricated crimson, finely striped with white : 
magnificent. 
Bijou de la Garza.— Form of the Duchess d’Orleans; 
ground colour deep carmine largely spotted with wnite, often 
edged with a ribbon of white ; a truly splendid variety, 
10s 6d. 
Camellia de la Reine. —Finely imbricated ; a grand 
flower; large petals, very round; ground colour pure white, 
slightly spotted with lilac, 3s Gd. 
Brozzoni .—Form of the Duchess d’Orleans; the three 
outer ranges of petals cherry colour, all the others white , 
a most extraordinary flower, 10s Gd. 
Caroline Smith. —Well imbricated ; lively rose, with a 
white stripe down the centre of each petal, 2s 6d. 
Carswelliana. —Excellent shape, form of Alba plena; rose 
slightly tinged with salmon, one white stripe from the centre 
to the outer edge of each petal, 2s Gd. 
Colletii. —Bloody-velvet ground, coloured with large 
blotches of the most pure white. 
Daniel Webster. —Carmine lined with white; some petals 
almost all white, others largely striped ; imbrication perfect, 
and the petals very round, 2s Gd. 
Donkclaarii. —Clear red, with large blotches of pure 
white; flowers large ; a beautiful variety, 2s Gd. 
Due de Bretagne. —Beautifully imbricated; colour a 
lively rose, striped and spotted with white. 
