THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 22. 
82 
The white Ivy-leaf is a beautiful pillar plant in a con¬ 
servatory, oras a climber; the horseshoe Ivy-leaf Zonatmn 
is ditto, but with a purplish dower, and a teazing habit 
of seeding each flower, which, if not picked off as fast 
as they set, will hinder the growth and flowering, besides 
making the leaves turn foxy colour. The Peltatum is 
only tit for pillars aud for training in-doors, unless you 
want to cover rock-work with imitation of Ivy. It 
would be a most valuable kiud for Mr. Gunter to dress 
the wedding desserts during the winter, when good- 
looking and pliable leaves are scarce. 
The pink Ivy-leaf bedtler is the best pink flower among 
all the Geraniums, also the best pink bed iu the garden. 
Verbenas have no flower so pinky ; but the plain leaf of 
j Mangle’s Variegated is a better pink for a nosegay, 
owing to the stalks being much longer, and the flowers 
; less fleshy and brittle. The Variegated Ivy leaf is the 
best plant I know to glow in a room where the sun 
j never shines, or not till after six o’clock in the evening 
| in summer. I have seen in that way, old, large plants 
of it, which I could sell to nine gardeners out of ten as 
a splendid new seedling. It is not a particularly good 
beddcr however, unless, perhaps, in combination with 
Dandy , Oolden Chain, aud Baron Hugel, to form a 
massive, rich edging. 
Lady Plymouth , a diminutive sport from Oraveolens, 
or Rose-scented Geranium, is another which comes to 
the same uses as the last. I have seen it in a north 
window, in a pot, trained to a flat surface-trellis, when a 
half-guinea, was refused for it, over and over again, and 
that at a nursery where every leaf would be sold to the 
first bidder if he came up near the mark. 
The Golden Chain is another for a north room; but 
one would need some experience to make a hand at such 
delicate plants. There is a large edition of Lady Ply 
mouth, an excellent edging-plant, with a dwarf, spreading 
habit, yet strong enough for a bed. I never saw this 
plant till last summer, when I was taken to look at a 
whole bed of it; I, therefore, think it must be scarce; 
but, like my own seedling which I called Sir William 
Middleton, it must get into the trade till the three 
kingdoms are supplied. No one should lose the chance 
of a good bedding Geranium, and we have none in 
this style but itself; the nearest to it would be the 
Variegated Prince of Orange, which is another edging- 
| plaut. A bed of it would hardly be “ one thing or the 
other.” 
To vary the subject, and to have two strings to one’s 
! bow, I shall now introduce a new race, an entirely new 
race of variegated plants, by saying, that 1 received a 
“ carriage paid ” basket, a few days since, full of the 
most beautifully variegated plants I ever saw. I cannot 
tell how many varieties there were, but a good florist 
would make a dozen kinds out of them, at least. They 
were triple-curled and variegated descents from the 
true old 
SIBERIAN KALE OF MILLER; 
the brown Kohl and Eeder Kohl, of the Germans; the 
Chou Frise and Chou Plume, of the French ; but not 
of the section of Kales to which our old friend Ragged 
Jaclc belongs. Ragged Kale is one of the many names 
of the BudaKale; some of these were as white and crisp 
as curds, and as well fringed as our best Parsley, and 
then followed every tint to a deep purple, the middle, or 
blade part of each leaf being transparent; there was 
no letter or indication whence this had arrived, and I 
took it the whole were sent for my experimental garden. 
Variegated Geraniums would not satisfy some people so 
well; but, on the morrow, I had notice of them from one 
of the editors as “ very beautiful ornamental greens,” 
J although there was hardly a green blade among them, 
“ and a new hybrid cabbage,” of which there were four 
specimens, in four stages of growth. I was told, or 
almost half ordered, that as I was a man cook, I must 
boil each of these separate, note the time it took to 
“ do ” them, aud each of them, to partake of them on an 
empty stomach, to note the effect, under the gastric juice, 
and to give a true and particular account of them, for 
which I should be responsible as long as I was alive, 
for the use and guidance of all whom the subject 
might concern. There was no denying such a sub¬ 
ject, and nothing for it but “ Polly put the kettle on." 
The right way to boil all kinds of Greens, Sprouts, 
aud Cabbages, is to wash them first in water with 
a little salt in it, to rinse them then in clean water, 
and to have the pot on the boil when the Greens are 
put in, to use double the quantity of water that would 
nearly float them, and to put a piece of soda in it, say 
the size of a cob-nut to a gallon ; then, with an egg- 
glass, or a watch in hand, to fix on the very moment on 
which the midribs turn soft, then out with them and | 
drain the water off while yet on the boil, and Soyer him¬ 
self could not do the thing more scientifically. In six 
minutes they were done most beautifully, and each kind 
boiled with its own tint and shades. They were as mild 
to the taste as Sea-kale, and as easy of digestion ; but 
their appearance at the table was against them, not so 
much, however, as that of the purple Scotch-kale, the 
hardiest of the race. The midribs, if boiled separately, 
would be the best substitute for Sea-kale. The other 
uses are well set forth in “Melville’s” letter, the signa¬ 
ture of the person who sent them, and who, if he does not 
live “ up stairs,” is, like some more of us, well-acquainted 
with life above stairs. Then his new hybrid Cabbage is 
a most valuable addition to spring vegetables, coming 
in long before the earliest, and Quite as tender and 
delicate ns the best sugar-loaf Cabbage. This does not 
Cabbage so hard as the old kinds, but when ready for 
table is as white as Cauliflower, and has no resemblance 
in appearance to any form of Cabbage we possess. 1 
am quite ready to take the responsibility of saying that 
this is one of the most valuable additions to our stock 
of spring vegetables. The rest may be gathered from 
“ Melville’s” letter. D. Beaton 
[“ Being a Subscriber of your excellent paper, I take the \ 
liberty to send you a sample of my new new Triple-curled, I 
Variegated Garnishing Greens for your opinion. I should 
have sent them sooner, for they are past their best, and 
running to seed. They do for all sorts of garnishing, such as 
dressing the large Epergne iu winter, mixed with evergreens, 
<fec.; the small leaves do very well to put round small 
bouquets of flowers, such as Violets, Ac., in winter, when 
flowers are scarce, as the leaves are. quite transparent in the 
candle. I have frequently seen the small leaves tied on 
wire, the colours alternately mixed, and a garland formed 
to make a head-dress for a ball, &c. I am sorry to trouble 
you with two things at once; but, sending a hamper, I 
thought I would send both under one carriage. The 
Cabbage is a variety I have raised from the heading Scotch 
Green impregnated with Me. Evans' Dwarf Cabbage. The 
Borecole, or Green, is the parent, its greatest property 
being its hardiness and durability in keeping lit for use till 
spring Cabbages come in. It does not burst like Savoys, or . 
Cabbages, when headed, hut keeps without bursting longer 
than any Cabbage tribe grown. It should be sown about April, 
to keep till the spring or early end of summer Cabbages 
come in. I have sent heads in all their stages; a blanched 
head, others in different stages- of growth, to show their 
appearance. Your opinion of these enumerated in The 
Cottage Gardener will exceedingly oblige your humble 
servant— Melville.’’] 
THE AURICULA. 
Who has not admired the Dusty Millers that held such 
honourable place iu the cottage gardens of old? Few 
might possess the properties that will alone satisfy the 
florist, but they gave delight, associated with sensibility 
