THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 13, 1856. 123 
the enclosed rustic wood basket, so as to have a brilliant 
appearance during June, July, August, and September. 
Last year he planted it with Geraniums, Verbenas, Nastur¬ 
tiums, &e., which failed, owing to exhaustion of soil. This 
year the bottom of the basket has been knocked out, and 
the soil now goes to the very bottom of the pedestal. A few 
hints on the construction and management of rustic baskets, 
especially if accompanied with sketches of various kinds, 
would bo a great boon to the subscribers of The Cottage 
Gardener." 
[Your rustic basket is of the very best design for a flower- 
garden ; and if people would but countenance such artistic 
designs, instead of the present race of hideous mongrels 
which ofl'end the eye at almost every turn round London, if 
would be really worth while to write about how to fill them 
with the most appropriate flowers. Some people have run 
away with the foolish notion that we are opposed to the 
whole ait of rustic work. Nothing can be more from the | 
truth, however. It is only such rustic work as sets all 
the rules of art out of the ipiestion at which we are so much 
offended, and for which we hope never to have any sympathy 1 
whatever. There is nothing in stone or marble, or in all 
| Italy, which may not be copied in rustic work, if public taste 
would lean that way; but to speak within real bounds, have 
we not already more than enough of outrageous designs in 
flower-beds ? Stars, triangles, and angles of all degrees, 
kidney-potato shapes, hearts that never “ feel for another,” 
goats, pelicans, and Arabian ponies, and goodness knows 
how many more deformities besides ! But go to the Crystal 
Palace, Shrubland Park, or to Trentham, or any other such 
places, and study what classical forms and figures they 
patronise there in the gardens. Copy a few of the designs 
in each place, and send them to our office, and we shall j 
select, and engrave, and plant, and manage as many kinds I 
as will satisfy the whole country. Rut never can wo applaud 
the bull-frog and lobster’s-daws of the common run of 
rustic baskets. 
“ W. W.’s ” rustic basket should not have more than 
twelve inches depth of mould in it. On no account leave 
the pedestal full of mould, at least, not more than this 
season. All baskets and vases should have more-holding 
soil than flower-beds for the same plants; a stronger 
kind of loam — In a country place, sheep's droppings, 
gathered a month before, make the best manure, and 
give the best mechanical texture to the loam. Three 
inches at the top should be mixed with leaf-mould and 
some sand, so as to make a light, rich, mellow soil of 
it. They plant and manage the vases very well indeed at 
the Crystal Palace. Rut you may make your rustic basket 
more gay and telling than any of their vases, if, after at¬ 
tending to the compost just indicated, you keep the planting ' 
strictly to three kinds of plants; two of them to be of most 
distinct colours—scarlet and yellow; and the third a half 
distinct colour—a pale blue ; and plant them on this wise : 
Take, first, a pale blue running Lobelia of the Erimts breed; 
they are in all the nurseries, but avoid Ramosoidcs, it is too 
upright, and too dark a blue next the wood-work. Nothing 
suits so well here as a pale blue. The plants are in GO-pots, 
turn one out. and flatten the ball gently between your hands 
till it is nearly as flat as a pan cake, but do not hurt a root. 
Open the side at the very edge of your basket, and lay down 
the flattened ball with the root end of the plant as near the 
rim as possible ; the herb part of the plant will then point 
out horizontally over the edge of the basket, and so on all 
round, making nearly a continuous hedge all round. Smooth 
the surface of the basket now, and plant a row of young 
Tom Thumbs, with the heads slanting. After the Lobelias, 
then another row of old Tom Thumbs, quite upright, and till 
the middle with yellow bedding Calceolarias, quite full; and 
the plants must be old ones, and higher than the last row 
of Geraniums. Water well through a rose, and the thing is 
done for this season.—D. Beaton.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Notes by Young Gardeners (W . Canning ).—We are obliged by 
your praise, as well as by your notes. They are nut “ trashy,” but they 
are not practical enough for publication. Try again, and send us 
“ notes ” of some culture you have adopted, such as may teach any 
reader to do the same. 
Salt for Potatoes ( Rev. Mr. 7?.). —'The best saline mixture for 
Potatoes ever tried by us was formed of equal proportions of common 
salt and Epsom salt. Two pounds of each, thoroughly mixed, are enough 
for thirty square yards. It should be applied before the Potato-leaves 
appear above ground; and it is best to apply it broadcast in showery 
weather. 
Payne’s Cottage Hives (An Old Subscribe?-).— Write to Mr.Wighton, 
Cossey Hall, near Norwich, enclosing a stamped envelope with your ad¬ 
dress. He will be ablo to learn from the late Mr. Payne’s son the in¬ 
formation you require. 
Names of Plants (R. U.).—l. Tetratheca speciosa. 2. Deutzia 
grucilis . 3. No specimen came. (W. C. S.).— 1. We believe to be the 
double or hose-in-hose variety of Datura fastuosa. If you will send 
us an old lower leaf of the plant we could be more certain. 2. Nicandra 
physuloides . (Alma ).—1. Punica nanu, the dwarf Pomegranate. 2. Ken - 
nedya monophyllu. 3. Genista canurieme . (S. C.). —Anomuthecu 
cruenta. 
New Double White Petunia.— In answer to—“ Do you know any 
thing of the double white Petunia, which is called Imperialis in the 
advertisements from the Wellington Nursery, in Tiie Cottage 
Gardener?” Of course we do. It is now in full bloom in Sir William 
Middleton’s conservatory, at Shrubland Park, and is pronounced there 
to be a “ charming thing,” of which a thousand plants will be used in 
various ways this season at Shrubland Park.—13. 
Four-leaved Primroses (C. B .).—We never heard of any number I 
of leaves peculiar to Primroses. There is a well-known legend attached 
to the four-leafleted Shamrock. 
Gold Fish (A. H. Neve ).—They are best kept in clear river or stream 
water. If some water plants are grown at the bottom, they keep the 
water sweet, contribute to the health of the fish, and look ornamental. 
Cucumbers becoming Bitter. —A Constant Reader wishes to know 
the cause of this. Can any of our readers give a reply ? 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Agricultural Society (Royal). At Chelmsford, July 14th to 19th. 
Sec. J. Hudson, Esq., 12, Hanover Square, London. Entries close 
June 1st. 
Anerley . July 20tb, 30th, 31st, and August 1st. 
Bath and West of England. June 4th, 5th, and 6th. Sec. Mr. J, 
Kingsbury, 10, Hammet Street, Taunton. Entries close May 14th. 
Bristol. June 25th and 2Gth. Sec. Robert Hillhouse Bush, Litfield 
House, Clifton, Bristol. Entries close 26th of May. 
Essex. At Colchester, 8th, 9th, and 10th of January, 1857* Secs. 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. 
Exeter. At Exeter, May 29 th and 30th. Sec. Mr. T. William Gray. 
Hull and East Riding. At Hull, June 25th. Sec., B. L. Wells, 
Esq., 23, Bishop Lane, Hull. Entries close June 18tli. 
Leominster. Thursday, October 16. 
Manchester and Liverpool Agricultural Society. At Wigan, i 
Thursday, August 7th. Secs, for poultry, J. H. Peck, and J. S. 
Marshall, Esqrs. Entries close July 24th. 
Norwich. June 20th. (Norfolk Agricultural, for Subscribers only.) 
Sec. t Mr. E. C. Bailey, Little Oxford Street, Norwich. Entries close 
May 31st. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December l/th and 18th, 1856. 
Sec., Richard Hawksley, jun. Entries close November 19th. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 14th 
and 15th, 1857. Sec., John Spencer, Nottingham. 
Paris. May 23rd to June 7th. Sec., M. M. E. Rouber, Division de 
l’Agriculture, rue de Varennes, No. 7# bis, Paris. 
Prescot. July 3rd. Sec*., Mr. J. F. Ollard, Prescot. Entries close 
June 21st. 
Windsor Poultry Exhibition. At Windsor, 4th, 5th, and 6th of 
June. Secs. Thos. Chamberlain, and Henry Thompson. Entries 
will close May 10th. 
Yorkshire Agricultural Society. At Rotherham, Wednesday 
and Thursday, August 6th and 7th. Sec ., J. Hannam, Esq., Kirk 
Deighton, Wetherby. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending curly copies of their lists. 
POULTRY BREEDING. 
“ Breeders, the tale that I relate, 
Instruction seems to carry. 
Choose not alone a proper mate, 
But a proper time to marry.” 
There are two descriptions of amateurs : those who are 
determined to win at all times, and at any cost; and those 
who wish ouly to do so without any great amount of labour 
or inconvenience. These may again be divided into those 
who buy, and those who breed; and these last resolve them¬ 
selves into two classes: those who do so judiciously, and 
those who do not. 
If, then, a man will he a winner at any cost, and wishes 
to breed his own birds, he must conform to certain rules. 
Fowls, like some young people, are very anxious to begin 
housekeeping early. They see no difficulties that cannot 
be easily overcome. But older birds, like older people, take 
matters more coolly, and wait till all things are propitious. 
For June and July Shows, January chickens are requisite, if 
success is to be depended upon, Pullets are necessary for 
