December H. THE COTTAGE 
more familiar to gardeners and amateurs generally, as 
I have practised the bed system since my apprentice¬ 
ship days, and a capital plan it is. 
Clear as the statements are, 1 have no doubt, that as 
respects the minutiae of first management, and the 
summer and winter pruning, and the double table, Mr. 
Errington will render them clearer still. If gentlemen 
will be “ taking notes,” even though they do not “ print 
them,” two things are perfectly evident: first, that there 
is no danger of gardening retrograding; and, secondly, 
that we blue-aproners must keep our ears and eyes open. 
Our friend could not visit Oulton at the time ; but the 
delay may be the cause of Mr. Errington getting pretty- 
well turned inside-out by the endless questionings of 
more pilgrims than one. Meanwhile, any light on the 
subject will be very acceptable. R- Eish. 
THE NARCISSUS. 
(Continued frum page J04.) 
Propagation: by Seed. —In my last paper on this part 
of the subject, I said that Mr. Leeds did not describe 
the method of hybridizing, so as to increase the proba¬ 
bility of improving the variety. I shall endeavour now 
to supply that information. The improvements to aim 
at are superior form, fine colour, and large size. Form 
includes not only shape, but more substance in the 
petals, and cup, or nectary. Every observer of the 
Narcissus flower must have noticed that it has two parts— 
the outer one is the petal, which is entire, and is, there¬ 
fore, called monopetalous ; inside this there is, as it were, 
another petal, or, as botanists term it, a nectary crown, 
or honey cup; within this are seated the stamens, six in 
number, alternately shorter. In the centre of these is 
the stigma, situated on the top of a filament, and thrice 
parted. On the top of the stamens are the anthers, or 
pollen cases. The reader, with a flower before him, will 
soon discern these several parts of the flower. Choose 
one, to bear seed, with the tube or petal of the best form 
and largest size. With a pair of sharp-pointed scissors 
cut off the anthers before they burst, then choose a 
variety with higher colours, or larger size, or any other 
desirable property. Just at the time the pollen cases 
open, and the pollen is seen like a fine dust within, pro 
ceed to hybridize, by emptying a few cases of the pollen 
upon a sheet of white paper, and then convey it to the 
flower prepared for it. With a fine camel-hair pencil 
brush a portion of the dust upon the stigma, taking care 
that some reaches all the three divisions of that organ. 
Then cover the impregnated flowers with some fine net 
muslin, and place the plant, if in a pot, in the green¬ 
house, or if in the open air, shelter the flowers operated 
upon from the rain. After the seed-vessels begin to 
swell they may be fully exposed. Then follow the treat¬ 
ment of the seeds as described in my last. 
By Offsets. —Many of the Narcissii propagate them¬ 
selves very freely by offsets. The class with one or two 
flowers on a stem, such as bicolor and ptoeticus, should 
remain in their place for two or three years. In old, 
neglected gardens they often are allowed to remain six, 
eight, or ten years, and these are in largo masses; but, 
as might be expected, the flowers are small. The shorter 
time is quite long enough. In August, in the third year, 
take them up and separate such as are large enough to 
flower from the small ones. The latter are the increase 
of stock. Prepare, immediately, a bed from them, in a 
retired but open part of the garden. Take the soil out 
from fifteen to eighteen inches deep, place a layer of 
rubble at the bottom, three inches thick, and upon that 
lay a stratum of good hotbed dung the same thickness. 
Then mix about one-fourth of very well-decomposed cow- 
dung and leaf-mould amongst the soil. Fill up the bed, 
and let it remain for a fortnight to settle. Then draw 
GARDENER. 18L 
drills across it with a triangular hoe four inches apart. 
Plant the offsets three inches apart in the drill, and when 
all arc planted level in the drills, edge the bed, and rake 
the walks, leaving all well finished in a workman like 
manner. These offsets may remain in this nursery bed 
for two or three years, and should never be allowed to 
flower during that time, the grand object being to in¬ 
crease the size of the bulbs, so as to enable them, when 
planted in the flower-garden, to produce them of superior 
qualities in form and colour. Offsets of the Polyanthus 
Narcissus, and its varieties, should be treated some¬ 
what similar to the above, but require to be planted 
thinner, and remain a year longer in the nursery bed. 
Section 8 . Winter Treatment. —I put this season first, 
because I consider it to include planting, which is the 
first operation in the culture of these plants. This 
treatment, or culture, lias three parts, viz., preparing 
the ground ; planting the bulbs ; and routine treatment 
through the season; to which may be added a few 
sentences on growing in pots and forcing. 
Preparing the Bed— Whoever wishes to grow fine 
flowers must duly prepare his soil for them, whether 
they are in beds, borders, or pots. I mentioned above 
the preparation of a bed for offsets and for lull-sized 
bulbs; the only additions necessary will be a few inches 
more depth of soil, and a greater depth to plant the 
bulbs, especially such large ones as Grand Monarque 
and its allied varieties. One species I have found 
always to grow liner, and flower more freely, if planted 
in five-inch pots, three bulbs in each, and the pots 
plunged two inches below the rim in the bed or border; 
this species is the Narcissus Bidbocodiitm. I can 
strongly recommend this charming little plant. It has 
numerous long, round leaves, and the flowers spring up 
amongst them, rising not more than three inches lrom 
the ground. The petal is much smaller than the crown, 
or nectary, which is quite round, almost entire at the 
edges, and of a most splendid golden-orange colour. 
Thev are produced numerously. I have had a pot with 
three bulbs in it, and six or seven flowers open at once, 
with several others coming on in succession. I defy 
any one to produce at that season (April) a more 
glorious hardy plant. 
After the bulbs are all planted, it would be advisable 
to cover the beds with somo half-rotted leaves, short 
litter, or even some spent tanner’s bark, to keep out 
severe frost; and when the milder months ot spring 
arrive this shelter should bo removed, and the soil 
gently stirred with a small three-pronged fork, to admit 
the heat of the sun and the genial showers ot spring. 
T. Appleby. 
(To he continued.) 
THE WOODS AND FORESTS. 
There is no part of the culture of the earth s surface 
so little understood on scientific or practical principles 
as that of the Wood or Forest. In many countries, nature 
has done this for man without any care or trouble from 
him ; but in thickly-populated countries, such as Great 
Britain, the forest has necessarily given way as the land 
was wanted for the growth of pulse, corn, or fodder. 
In such countries, the value of timber has greatly ad¬ 
vanced, and importation has been called into requisition 
to supply timber for dwelling-houses, and various other 
purposes in domestic economy for which it is required. 
This is become, now, a very important item in our out- j 
goings, and such countries as Russia, Sweden, Norway, 
and North America, have had large sums ot money 
remitted to them for this article alone. Yet, we have 
large tracts of land that would grow immense quantities ] 
of °timber were it properly drained, properly planted, | 
and proper care bestowed on it afterwards. We have j 
