THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 18, 1850. 113 
spotted with purple; fine form and good habit; extra 
fine. 
10. Purpureum album (Turner).—Rich purple, edged 
with white; centre pure white; good form and habit. 
11. Queen of Roses (Turner).—Beautiful warm rose, 
suffused with lilac, margined with a light colour; white 
centre, good form, and a profuse bloomer. A fine 
variety for exhibition. 
18. Vivid (Turner). — A very striking flower with 
bright carmine spots, light edges and centre. A very 
smooth flower, and a free bloomer. 
From 7s. 0d. to 21s. each. 
Twelve Older Selected Varieties. 
with 
1. Adonis (Turner). — Violet - maroon, edged 
white; under petals white, spotted with purple. 
2. Bellinzona (Trimmer). — White ground, with a 
bright rose spot on each petal; very distinct and fine. 
3. Beauty of Blaclilieath (Ayres).—Top petals bright 
crimson, margined with white; lower petals white, with 
a blotch of rose on each. A fine variety. 
4. Compactum (Halley).—Upper petals crimson, mar¬ 
gined with white; under petals white, spotted with 
crimson ; fine form and good substance. 
5. Dandy (Ambrose).—Upper petals rich crimson, 
suffused with carmine, broadly margined with white; 
lower petals white, with a large blotch of carmine on ■ 
each; fine form and good habit. 
(i. Enchantress (Halley).—Upper petals rose, mar- j 
gined with white; lower petals clear white, distinctly 
spotted with rich rose; form and habit excellent. 
7. Fornarina (Henderson). — Upper petals a rich 
dark puce colour, margined with pure white; lower 
petals white, with large spots of puce on each ; form 
and substance excellent. A most distinct and good 
variety, of fine habit. 
8. Lady Hume Campbell (Henderson).—Upper petals 
very bright crimson, margined with white ; lower petals 
white, spotted with crimson; centre a good white; re¬ 
markable free bloomer, good habit, form, and substance. 
One of the best exhibition flowers yet raised. 
9. Othello (Henderson).—Upper petals dark maroon, 
almost black, margined with lilac ; blush lower petals, 
with a belt of rich crimson in the centre of each petal. 
A remarkable dark, rich-coloured variety ; very distinct 
and good. 
10. Roland Cashel (Gaines). — Upper petals flesh- 
colour, with a distinct spot of crimson; lower petals 
also spotted with crimson, on a ground-colour of rose. 
i A distinct, good variety, very conspicuous on a stage, 
i either iu the greenhouse or at an exhibition. 
11. Rosa Mundi (Turner).—Upper petals pale rosy- 
: lilac, edged with white ; lower petals light blush, spotted 
I with rose ; good form and habit. Very free bloomer. 
12. Sultan (Ambrose). — Rich, dark upper petals 
margined with blush; lower petals blush, banded and 
veined with purple; distinct and good. 
From 2s. Cd. to 7s. 6d. each. 
There has been introduced lately, from France, another 
class of Pelargoniums, which may be described as in¬ 
termediate between the English two classes. They 
are, however, deficient as yet iu form, but very distinct 
| in colour. If any of our readers would like to grow a 
few, the following six are the best that I have seen :— 
i A dele Odier, Dion, Etoile des Jardins, General Eugene 
Cavaignac, James Odier, and 
From 5s. to 7s. (id. each. 
Madame Lamoriciere. 
T. Appleby. 
PROTECTING AND SP1ADING. 
Notwithstanding the proverbial vigour and robust 
character of most of the occupants of the kitchen-garden, 
there are many of the most useful and popular things 
grown there that are as delicate as most flowers culti¬ 
vated out of-doors; and, certainly, there are no fruits 
grown outside which are more susceptible of cold 
than the most common of vegetables —the Potato. 
Though there is no doubt but that the plant has under¬ 
gone considerable changes since it was introduced to 
this country, there is every reason to believe that the 
structure of the foliage and stems of the plant is as 
delicate as it was in the days of Sir Walter Raleigh ; 
the alterations that have taken place being more with 
a view to render the plant more prolific in useful 
tuberous roots of good quality. Now, whatever, may 
be said of acclimatizing plants in various ways, all pre¬ 
vious history of the Potato seems to prove that the 
plant is likely to remain as susceptible to frost as ever ; 
and, consequently, our efforts ought rather to be directed 
to the sheltering and protecting the young plants from 
severe weather than in attempting any schemes for the 
hardening of its constitution; and, as “ early Potatoes” 
are too great a favourite with every one to be neglected 
by those who have the smallest of gardens, it is well 
here to explain how that can be accomplished. 
To have Potatoes early, three conditions are necessary, 
viz., a dry soil, good variety, and an untiring watch¬ 
fulness in seeing to, and attending upon, the plants at 
all times when wanted; and, where any great quantity 
is grown, perhaps there is no better way of protecting 
them from late spring frosts than covering them up with 
straw at night. A very little is sufficient for this purpose, 
as it rarely happens to be more than two or three de¬ 
grees of frost in the last week of April or first of May; and 
a slight covering answers the double purpose of keep¬ 
ing off frost and early sunshine, for it is often the latter 
that is fatal as the former. Untidy as straw is, it is not 
easily superseded by anything cheaper, where, perhaps, 
half'-an-acre has to be done. Fern will answer as well, 
and looks better, but it is only to be had in certain 
places; but the amateur who has ample means at his 
disposal, and who wants to do things neatly and well, 
may form some small ridge-looking frames of lath wood, 
the bottoms being about a foot wide, and the top, or 
ridge, about the same height; any length that will be 
portable will do; and the skeleton frame is a convenient 
size for a width of ordinary calico covering it—and if it 
is oiled, it will not only turn rain better, but will also be 
more transparent, and may remain on in the day time 
when the weather is very cold; in fact, this kind of pro 
tection is useful many ways, for early crops of Kidney 
Beans are very susceptible of cold, and may, with ad¬ 
vantage, be covered in this way. The ridge-and-furrow 
appearance which a plot of ground thus covered pre¬ 
sents is rather interesting; the only draw back is the 
house-room the covers require when not in use, and to 
leavo them to the inclemency of the weather is next to 
total destruction to them. 
Many other modes of converting this useful pro¬ 
tecting material into other shapes may be adopted by 
those having different plants to cover up. However, 
it must not be lost sight of, that although plants 
may be preserved from the severities of frost by this 
means, it does not hasten them so well as a glass- 
case, the ground not being allowed to be heated by 
this covering, and, consequently, the growth made by 
the plants inside (being more artificial than natural), 
it does not always happen that that part is elongated 
which is most wanted. Nevertheless, rows of Peas are 
sometimes saved by this means in hard weather, where 
they otherwise would have been destroyed, as also are 
Cauliflower plants, and in spring, Kidney Beans, Potatoes, 
Tomatoes, and several other things are saved from the 
frosts we then have; and later on they may be used 
advantageously with Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows ; 
and to those who are anxious of making the most of 
every thing, some little alteration of them will enable 
