April i5. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
49 
will in dry weather attack the leaves ; the only way to 
get rid of them is by frequent spongings of the leaves, the 
sponge to be dipped in water strongly impregnated with 
sulphur. All these applications for the destruction of 
insects should be used whilst the plants are growing in 
summer. 
6. Winter Treatment. —This season I consider be¬ 
gins as soon as the leaves of the plants turn yellow, 
which generally happens towards the middle of Sep- 
! tember. Cut down all the dead stems and leaves, and 
clean the surface of the soil in the pots, being careful 
not to touch the crown of the plants. Draw the lights 
off every fair day, and stir up the surface of the ashes, 
adding a thin coat of dry ones. These dry ashes will 
absorb tbe damp air, and thus protect the plants from 
its evil effects. When the plants are quite at rest, cover 
up the pots with ashes and also the plants; they will 
then be completely at rest. In very severe weather, it 
will be of advantage to cover up the glass with mats, or 
a mat and straw. In long-continued frost they may be 
kept covered up constantly, day and night. In North 
America, it is well known the ground is covered with 
snow for many months, and that protects the plants in 
the earth from the evil effects of frost; therefore the 
covered up plants in frames and pits are in a similar 
state, as to the absence of light aud heat, and are thus 
in as complete a state of rest as in their native wilds. 
When the spring time arrives the frame may be un¬ 
covered, and air given, but no wator till after the potting 
time has arrived, when the annual sujiply, as described 
above, may be given. 
7. Propagation. —Whoever possesses rare plants is 
naturally desirous of increasing the stock for fear of 
losing one or more. Cypripediums are not difficult to 
increase, but the plants must be pretty strong before 
attempting it. The time for increasing them is at the 
time they are being potted, when the soil is all shook 
off the roots ; then observe the buds, and pass the small 
blade of a knife between one and the next, observing 
that there are some roots to each division, and, at least, 
oue bud. Pull the divided part carefully away from the 
parent plant, and pot it in a smaller pot, and place it in 
tho frame along with the rest, cultivating it in the same 
manner in every particular. It will not require re¬ 
potting till tbe following season. In some cases, it may 
be desirable to split a largo plant into two, thus making 
two comparatively good plants at once. This is, I be¬ 
lieve, tbe best plan for an amateur. A nurseryman would 
act differently. He would split a good plant into as 
many as it would make, with a singlo bud to each. The 
amateur may do so, if ho pleases, blithe must then wait 
many years bofore his plants will be of any size, or able 
to bloom. I have been particular, perhaps even to 
tediousness, in giving instructions how to cultivate 
these beautiful plants, but they are, as I said before, 
worthy of every attention, and will, undoubtedly, reward 
an assiduous cultivator for his pains. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued .) 
HOW TO GET ON AS A GARDENER, 
When Mr. Beaton was writing about standard and pyra¬ 
midal Geraniums, I, like many more, was fired with the 
idea, and on taking them up, I got several good specimens 
to begin with, and potted them oft’ singly, in 32-pots, and 
taking advantage of a hint about that time in The Cottage 
Gardener, I gave them a little bottom-heat for a short 
time. Then, again, that idea of striking Rose-cuttings in 
the double pot. The very same morning that I read that 
article, I nearly pruned a Laurel hedge, in making or getting 
my hand in to mailing cuttings, and before I sat down to my 
dinner, I bad a twelve-inch pot filled with various sorts of 
Itose-cuttings. The Doctor came by just as I was surveying 
my morning’s work, and pointing to my tall companions, the 
Geraniums, also to the pot of Rose-cuttings, asked the 
meaning of them. I told him what I was aiming at; also 
that I was determined to cut out our neighbours the next 
summer, in a display of flowers, and I was then laying the j 
foundation, in part. The Doctor looked at me very seriously 
and said—“ l'eter! I would rather be without a Rose or Gera¬ 
nium in my garden, than have the best specimen that could 
be produced by such unworthy motives." I was wrong; and ; 
I saw it; so, 1 went over to my neighbour that same evening, 
and lent him the paper witli the article on Rose-striking. 
But “ he could strike them fast enough without all that 
bother;" though I believe he has not done so yet. 
Now, about this time I was introduced to two young men, , 
gardeners; in them I found that spirit which the Doctor ; 
wished to impress on my mind. They gladly gave me any j 
information J asked for, and in the way of cuttings, they j 
gave me not what J wanted, but what they knew I ought to 
have ; and being tolerably well supplied with dung, I rum¬ 
maged up every old window-sasb that could be met with, 
and patched and mended them up, and brought them into 
immediate use, and with a good supply of pots, I followed 
the advice and instruction in The Cottage Gardener, and | 
soon got a good batch of cuttings and annuals well rooted, 
and ready to plant out as soon as the weather would allow. 
I still kept sowing and transplanting, and planting in the 
borders, as the various bulbs died down, still 1 had a great 
many more annuals than I could make use of. 
Iu beds when the first lot of annuals bloomed, viz.:— 
a Maltese Cross, and other beds after the same system, I 
bad Clarkia, white and purple, Bartonia anrea and Eutoca 
viscida. Mr. Beaton urged the necessity of growing in pots 
to refurnish these beds as they fall off. I did so, though 1 
did not see the real value of doing so till after. I cleared 
off the above bed, and put in the following:— Salvia, blue ; 
ditto, scarlet; tall Ageratum , lavender ; and Pentstemon, 
white. Not the best arrangement, you will say; but they 
kept up a good show till the frost spoiled them. I had a 
large stock of good, showy plants, in pots, which 1 had 
grown in the kitchen-garden, the pots plunged to the rim in 
pits, of which I shall speak more fully some other time. 
Also, a good bed of late-sown Asters, which were trans¬ 
planted into the border as a vacancy occurred. 
Speaking of transplanting, last August I had a vacancy 
in a long row of Dahlias, which spoiled the effect. I had a 
good many odd ones about that were not wanting iu the 
borders at the time of plan ting, so I selected three in full 
bloom, made three holes for them, put the spade under 
them, and carried them to their respective places. I gave 
them a good soaking in the manner you advise in planting 
trees, put some dry mould on the top, and tied them to a good 
stiff stake. They only flagged for a day or two, and were 
the best I bad after that time. They grew but little after, 
in comparison with the others, but threw out an abun¬ 
dance of blossom, closer and more compact, but rather 
smaller than the same sorts that were planted in the usual 
way. Now, I feel pretty well satisfied, that with growing in 
pots a certain number of plants for the autumn blooming, 
and adopting the system that Mr. Beaton recommended 
with Asters for late blooming, with all flowers that will 
bear transplanting, there is little fear of having naked 
flower-borders, until the frost creeps over them. 
I got rather warm, one day, to the Doctor, on the subject 
of growing bulbs in pots, so as to get a display in spring, on 
the beds used for Scarlet Geraniums. He said he should 
like it very much, “ but had I ever done so ? ” “ No, Sir, I 
have not.” “ Then how did I know I should succeed.” I 
replied, by reading the instruction of men who have done j 
all this themselves, and a great deal more, and are now 
giving their present, and thirty years past experience, to j 
such as myself, and who have not the ability to thank them 
through the Journal we rend and profit by; nor the com¬ 
mon gratitude to do so privately. 
Well, Sir, the Doctor bought the bulbs I wanted, and is 
now highly gratified with their appearance. They were as 
follows : — Hyacinths, four colours, for one raised bed ; 
Van Thai Tulips; and Crocuses, as recommended by Mr. 
Beaton, large yellow, Victoria, Ne Plus Ultra, and Sir 
Walter Scott. The last named was nearly a fortnight later 
in blooming than the others. They came in for the Hyacinths 
