February 2. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
339 
gardeners about, Edinburgh, and in different parts of 
, the country, many of whom I know personally, and 
from all these, and from what I had heard last summer, 
it appears that Mr. MacGlashen’s machines arc in high 
repute in the north, and that thousands of trees and 
shrubs have been transplanted by them with the greatest 
success, but, somehow or other, we in England do not 
| seem to value them.half so much as they do; but I 
| have no doubt, when we have seen more of them in use 
here, we shall like them better and use them. 
D. Beaton. 
LTSYANTHUS RUSSELLIANUS. 
This splendid Gentianwort, producing its large bell- 
i like flowers in panicles at the end of the shoot, was 
| introduced by Mr. Drummond, from Texas, nearly twenty 
years ago, and yet, with the exception of a few suc¬ 
cessful growers, it is even now very seldom seen in 
collections. Like many other plants rarely met with, it 
is by no means difficult to manage when the minutiae 
of its culture arb, or can be, attended to; but whatever 
caro be given, if these miuutim are neglected failure is 
sure, to be the result. The two most successful growers 
1 have met with are Mr. Cuthill, of Camberwell, and 
Mr. W. Thompson, of Wrotham Park. From the latter 
gentleman 1 received a plant and some seeds some ten 
years ago, and I grew it with very fair success for several 
seasons, and only got out of it from two causes. The 
first was, that, from the quantity of things required, the 
plants did not roceive the necessary attention when 
young; and the second was, that at that time having 
no plant-stove, I found that although the plants bloomed 
well in a greenhouse not over airy, that yet a closer and 
warmer atmosphere was necessary for the ripening of 
the seeds. In fact, my greenhouse-saved seeds would 
not vegetate. 
When grown from seed the plant must be treated 
as a biennial. The seeds should be sown in pans, or 
pots, half-filled with drainage, then filled with equal 
portions of loam, leaf-mould, heath soil, and a portion 
of silver sand, sifting it so as to have three degrees of 
fineness—the roughest going over the drainage, the 
next in roughness over that, and the finest on the 
surface. Press that down level, and if not moderately 
moist, water, or dip the pot in a pail of water, until all 
is moistened, and allow to drain thoroughly for twenty- 
four hours in a warm place. Smooth the surface again 
! by scattering previously, if necessary, a littlo of the finer 
compost over it, so that uothing will adhere to the 
! pressing board; then sow the seeds; scatter very lightly 
a little silver sand over them, and press gently again. 
The month of March, or the beginning of April, is a 
good time for sowing, as the plants will just bo in nice 
size for standing the following winter. The previous 
soaking, and then draining of the soil, will prevent the 
necessity of watering much before the plants are fairly 
i up, and one source of disappointment will thus be 
avoided, as wet foliage they much dislike, especially 
when young. When the seeds are thus sown, cover the 
pot with a square of glass, or a bell-glass—the first is 
the best,, as extra moisture will more easily escape—and 
cover that again with a piece of paper, so as t.o shade 
the seeds until they are fairly up. The best place for 
the seeds is any shaded place commanding an average 
temperature of from 70° to 75°, such as being plunged 
in a cucumber or melon-bed will give. When the seeds 
are up substitute a thin piece of paper for a thick one ; 
but do not do away with the shade until the plants 
have got several healthy leaves, then the glass should 
be removed, and the thin paper, or other shade, con¬ 
tinued a little longer, inuring them to more light by 
degrees. In watering, let the spout of the pot rest 
against the side of the pan, so as to moisten the soil 
without wetting the plants. A better plan is to have a 
vessel of water, between 70° and 80° in temperature, 
and to hold the pot or pan in it within a quarter-of- 
an-ineh of its rim, and thus, through the hole in the 
bottom, the water will rise, until you see the first symp 
toms of moistness on the surface, when the pot should 
be set where it can drain freely. The same plan 
would prevent myriads of delicate seedlings fogging 
or damping-off, as they now frequently do. 
By Midsummer the plants will be large enough to pot 
singly in three-inch or four-inch pots, using soil similar 
to that mentioned above, with the addition of some 
small pieces of charcoal, to assist drainage; and these 
little plants should be again transferred to a close frame 
or pit; if they can be plunged in a mild bottom-heat, 
all the better. They will need shading from the sun 
for the first fortnight, and should be inured to more 
light and air by degrees, so that the young shoots be 
somewhat consolidated before autumn. If the leader 
seems to run away, it should have its point nipped out 
when four inches in length, that a sufficiency of shoots 
may be obtained, as at the end of good strong healthy 
shoots the panicles of bloom will be produced the fol¬ 
lowing year. During the latter part of September, and 
the first part of October, the plants should have all the 
light possible, and as much air as would not unduly 
depress the temperature. 
It will frequently bo found, that a few side-shoots, 
two or three inches in length, may be removed from a 
young plant, or even from one showing and coming into 
bloom. These, taken off close to the stem, a few of the 
lower leaves removed and inserted in pure sand, above 
sandy loam, covered with a bell-glass, and placed in a 
sweet bottom-heat, will strike root, and when pottod oft 
will require just the same treatment as seedlings. In a 
packet of seed there will often be various shades of 
purple, and the spot at the base of the flowers will be 
brighter on some plants than upon others, and, in this 
case, cuttings are the readiest means for securing a 
superior variety, So far as my own practice extended, 
plants from cuttings bloomed equally freely with plants 
from seed, but were less luxuriant; the shoots producing 
their panicles when half the length of the shoots from 
seedlings. 
The wintering of the young stubby plants is an im¬ 
portant affair. After being well exposed in autumn, 
they should be moved by the middle of October into a 
warm greenhouse, a cool stove, or an intermediate house. 
The position should be dry rather than moist, and the 
plants should stand pretty near the glass, as near as 
would not subject them to sudden changes of tempera¬ 
ture. The heat should hardly be long below 45°, and 
seldom for any length of time below 00°; they will 
enjoy 5° or 10° more with air. From this time in 
October, until the beginning of March, the plants must 
not flag, but they must not have more water than will 
keep them from doing so. If the bottom of the pots 
stood for an inch in damp sand or moss it would bo an | 
advantage, If water must be given above, avoid damp 
ing the stems or foliage. This will be easier guarded 
against if, in potting, the collar of the young plant is 
well elevated in the centre of the pot. During the 
whole of this period the syringe should never touch ! 
them. The drier the stem and foliage the better the ; 
plants will like it. This is just one reason why a 
person may grow a dozen or two more successfully than 
ono. In tho latter case, the spout of the pot and the j 
syringe do the mischief before it is thought about, j 
Green fly is apt to make its appearance, especially at ! 
this stage; and in fumigating with tobacco tho fumes 
should lie weal; and coal, giving two or three weak doses i 
instead of one strong one. 
If by the first of March your plants are healthy, ; 
