THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
343 
March 28.] 
the roof, we had to obtain a stem of that length, to 
enable tbe shoots which had to produce the fruit to 
come in contact with the roof, or rather the wires on 
which the vines and the passifioras were trained. The 
plant in its own native character is what our botanists 
term suffruticose—that is to say, half shrubby—and, 
like most plants of that character, can scarcely be 
brought to blossom the year in which it is sown, for 
they come readily from seed. We may here observe, 
that they strike readily from cuttings also ; therefore, 
they are speedily multiplied. Our purpose in noticing 
these collateral matters is merely to shew, that it is 
expedient that the plants destined to fill a given situ¬ 
ation at a certain period should be raised and trained 
the. year previous—indeed, if several years before so 
much the better; for with this, as with many plants 
of similar habits, the fruitful character increases 
with age. In our own case we had to rear a stem of 
six or seven feet; and our practice was to take cut¬ 
tings or seedlings under high cultivation in the year 
preceding the fruiting year, and to train them just as 
our pot-vine growers train their vines, with the ex¬ 
ception of “ stopping,” which is not necessary with 
the passifioras until they attain the desired length of 
stem, when the oftener in the first season they are 
stopped the better they will show blossom in the suc¬ 
ceeding year. They are, however, readily raised from 
seed, and will grow much faster than from cuttings. 
We had an angle at each end of the tan-bed sepa¬ 
rated for them at the back or north side of the pit, 
and which angle would contain about a barrowful of 
compost, which was composed of equal parts strong 
loam, leaf soil, and sandy heath soil. In this they 
grew with the utmost freedom; indeed, they will grow 
freely in almost any dark soil. 
The stems were carried perpendicularly until they 
met the vine trellis, when they were trained right and 
left over that portion of the trellis which covers the 
back walk. Each succeeding winter they were cut 
back to the point where the stem first reached the 
wires, and by the end of July the whole space would 
be covered again. In annually emptying the tan-pit, 
we invariably found abundance of roots running 
close to the pit-wall revelling in the decomposed tan; 
these were, of course, annually destroyed, and with¬ 
out any material injury to the trees. 
Some attention is necessary in training them, or 
they get confused: about once a week they should 
be regulated; and when in the height of their growth 
whole shoots will have to be cut away, or “ stopped,” 
where becoming too crowded. Another point too, 
and an all important one, must have strict attention— 
the flowers must be “set” by hand as they open. 
Without this, the crop can by no means be relied on; 
with it, they are almost sure to swell off. The reason 
of this would seem to be that our ordinary summers’ 
heat is not quite high enough, or rather, perhaps, 
that too much humidity exists in the atmosphere, 
even in the day, as compared with their native habi¬ 
tat. Added to this, the anthers or pollen masses, 
curiously enough, burst on the lower side, at least 
whilst growing in the before-named position; at the 
same time the stigma, or female organ, is thrown out 
in an elevated column above them. Our worthy co¬ 
adjutor, Mr. Beaton, could doubtless throw some 
light on this curious economy, the design of which 
is not very apparent. 
In “ setting,” we used to take one of the anthers, 
when burst, about eleven o’clock in the forenoon, and 
merely rub the point of the stigma with it: the male 
dust is profuse; but it, as before observed, never 
appears so subtle or volatile as the pollen of plants 
indigenous to our clime, as the yew, or the hazel. It 
appears about the consistence of Durham flour of 
mustard, and this leads us to think that our atmo¬ 
sphere is too humid to subtilize it. From midsum¬ 
mer, or soon after, the roof will hang with scores of 
this delightful fruit, it being a free bearer; and until 
November they may be found in all stages—some 
ripe, others swelling, and fresh blossoms opening in 
all directions. 
The fruit is about the size of a pullet’s egg, finely 
formed, and of a splendid colour, about intermediate 
between a damson and claret-colour, and very rich 
and pungent. It seems to combine the flavours "of the 
pine-apple, the black currant, and the elder-berry—a 
singular union ; and the fruit, which possesses a 
thick, hard shell, is eaten with a spoon, like an egg; 
and we have heard first-rate gastronomists declare, 
that a little wine or brandy poured in, with some 
powdered loaf-sugar, was a capital addition for some 
palates. It certainly is the most splendid-looking 
dish imaginable on the table ; but we warn all those 
who would cultivate it, that intense light is necessary, 
and that it will not answer to blend it on the same 
roof with vines—both crops would prove unsatis¬ 
factory. 
The Passiflora quadrangularis is better known ; of 
this we cannot speak so fully. It is a large fruit, as 
big as a small melon, and does not ramble so much 
in its growth; it has, however, a very large and 
shading foliage, and delights in heat and light. 
R. Ekbington. 
THE ELOWER-GARDEN. 
Bedding Plants. —In order that all the plants 
available for planting in masses may be described in 
these notes, I shall, in future, arrange them accord¬ 
ing to their colours, and begin to day with the white 
flowering ones; and as soon as I have enumerated 
all that I am acquainted with under each colour, I 
shall be obliged to any of our readers who will take 
the trouble to remind me of any omissions I may 
make, or send me the names of any new or old plants 
suitable for planting in beds, but which are not 
generally used that way, so that all the best flower- 
garden plants, known up to this season, may be 
recorded in a regular series, with short notices of their 
proper culture and winter management, also with 
such incidental observations on their merits for par¬ 
ticular purposes as may suggest themselves. After 
getting through with those plants having the more 
prominent colours for massing, I shall mention those 
that I have seen used of late years for beds of different 
tints, or for mixed beds, and then wind up with a 
selection of the best border plants, or such as can 
only be used singly in patches; and it is in this class 
of ornamental plants that my own knowledge is most 
deficient; and, therefore, any contribution to this 
department will be very useful, and I shall feel grate¬ 
ful for any such aid. I hardly visit a garden, how¬ 
ever small, without learning or seeing something 
which I did not know before; and there is no doubt 
but it would surprise many of us to see what an 
accession could be made to our stock of garden infor¬ 
mation, if the great body of our amateurs with small 
means were to throw in their mite to the common 
stock. At any rate, there are but few who have 
practised for a few years in their own gardens, who 
could not furnish some little assistance to my cata¬ 
logue of ornamental plants. 
White Flowers. —To begin with the lowest of 
the white bedding plants, I take the white variety of 
