THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— May 27, 1850. 
IDO 
BEDDING GERANIUMS. 
I am inclined to (Link that your worthy coadjutor, Mr. 
Beaton’s idea of an experimental flower-garden is the very 
thing that is wanted, and 1 trust that it will meet the ap¬ 
proval and support of amateurs and gardeners in general, 
who frequently, and with some reason, hesitate in purchasing 
bedding novelties from the advertised descriptions. Now, 
if parties intending to send out new bedding plants, Ac., 
were to entrust a specimen or two of the same the previous 
season to Mr. Beaton, “ he, of course, being distinctly under¬ 
stood to be strictly a disinterested party,” and his report 
proving favourable, intending purchasers would feel a degree 
of confidence which they cannot do under the present 
system. For, as Mr. Beaton justly observes, no one can 
judge of the merits of a bedding plant from seeing it ex¬ 
hibited in a pot. Certainly, the improvement effected in 
bedding plauts has been great within the last few years, and, 
if we are to credit reports, still further improvements will 
be, ere long, effected. In the matter of bedding Geraniums, 
Flower of the Day and Golden Chain are an host in them¬ 
selves. But we are to have Scarlet Flower of the Day, that 
is, Flower of the Day in foliage and habit, with trusses, for 
brilliancy of colour and form of petals, Ac., equal to the 
very best of the green-leaved varieties; and another with 
the foliage and habit of Golden Chain, with fine, large, scarlet 
trusses, &c. These are also about to make their debut 
Annies, Almas, Countess of Warwick, Mrs. Lenoxes, &c., 
all. of course, superior to any thing yet sent out. 
I have bedded Mountain of I,i<jht several years, and its 
only value is its fine foliage, which, certainly, constitutes it 
a fit companion for Gulden Chain. Its flowers are scarlet, 
but they do not stand the effect of sun and rain. It should 
be planted thickly, and never allowed to flower. 
Last summer, I bedded Silver King and Attraction (Lee's). 
The former proved a failure, the latter made a delightful 
bed; the crimson horse-shoe being exceedingly attractive; 
the flowers are much the same as Flower of the Day, cer¬ 
tainly not better, with the flower-stalks somewhat longer. 
I am about to plant two beds with the new double white 
Petunia Imperial, and will report to you my experience with 
it by-and by.— Zephyrus. 
POTATOES versus FROST. 
About this time six years, I was asked by a friend of 
mine—a Suffolk farmer—to dine with him. Our viands in 
chief consisted of pork and cabbage. Bo that as it may, 
in passing, I merely say that comparative justice was done 
to them by me, in an equal ratio to what we read once served 
to appease the hunger of a right Royal party, who became, 
on the spur of the moment, introduced to some “ Bubble 
and squeak.” On parting with my friend, he gave me a 
general invitation. “ Come ami dine with me,” he said, 
“whenever you like; stand on no ceremony; and I have 
always a change for dinner, viz., pork and cabbage to-day, 
cabbage and pork to-morrow!” I well remember, my friend 
was then in despair about the Potato, and our argument for 
and against that ever-to-be-desired esculent waxed long and 
rather loud. Both of us were, and are, batchelors ; therefore, 
for that, reason, the word “ Hush !” never once interfered to 
restrain our volubility. The old housekeeper never inter¬ 
fered beyond a few smiles; so we had it all our own way, 
and I expounded to my friend my system of cultivating the 
tuber, and I afterwards sent him some samples for seed. 
The result. My friend has ever since that year included 
Potatoes in his bill of fare, and he has confidence that he 
shall continue to do so for the natural term of his life. Per¬ 
sonally, as regards this my favourite vegetable, I am once 
more reposing on my laurels with so much vanity as a 
grower of Potatoes may fairly be entitled to, catching at 
men’s button-holes, requesting them to “ step in ” and judge 
for themselves, and through the genial medium of The 
Cottage Gardener I make my annual bow, pro bono, in 
order to detail a practice not generally known, and whereby 
one may set at defiance, for our young, growing Potatoes, 
the frost of spring and its evil consequences, and, I may as 
well add, the disease also, in a great measure, and certainly 
the frosts of autumn. 
From what hints I am about to employ, I beg to say to 
all my readers to whom the idea of “ so much extra trouble ” 
may occur, that that counts with me for nothing, so long as 
I know that a decided advantage can be obtained by it; for 
I always suppose that if a man “expects to eat, he must 
work.” 
I never allow my Potato-tops their free liberty to the 
light of night till the month of May is about to say farewell, 
when by that time my crops are nearly or entirely moulded 
up, and no more labour is required from me on their account, 
till I find it necessary to pick off their blossoms. So now 
the green tops are generally appearing over the face of the 
country, let me recommend to hand-scarify or fork the 
ground lightly between the rows; and as this is proceeded 
with, cover those young tops which show themselves com¬ 
pletely, though slightly, over head with mould, and by con¬ 
stantly attending to this earthing over-liead-and-ears, the 
mere chance of the frost pinching them is done away with; 
and another consideration, by frequently attending to this, it 
is also of immense advantage to the future of the plants in 
regard to the openness of the soil, and the circulation of air 
to their roots. The earthing-over process thus becomes, by 
degrees, completed, when, in the generality of cases, we see 
it about to be begun. Besides, the early earthing-over plan, 
as 1 will call it, offers another great advantage, by securing 
a vigorous growth in the tubers. It is as easily to be supposed 
I that roots should necessarily be formed before their leaves, 
i as should those of a Hyacinth, iu order to insure a first- 
rate flower; but when the tops are allowed to take an undue 
precocity, they are drawing too hard upon the supplies, and 
nearly ruining the prospects of a crop, in order to satisfy an 
extravagant ambition. Now, by repeatedly earthing them 
over head in their infancy this growing parade is checked 
i and smothered, and the formation of young tubers conse- 
1 quently accelerated; and by the latter end of May, when the 
! tops are allowed their full freedom, the tubers also begin to 
insist upon their share of nourishment from the roots and 
j stems combined, which checks all undue extravagance in 
the branch, and the result becomes a reciprocal action for 
both. Is it not so ? At any rate, I have never had grander 
tops since, I adopted this method, and my crops have been 
accelerated to maturity, and with a decidedly more even ap¬ 
pearance with regard to size. 
In finishing off the earthings-over, malic them to present 
broad shoulders, slightly inclining towards the stems; thus 
insuring moisture, and the largest body of soil possible for 
the tubers to form and grow in within reach of atmospherical 
warmth and its influence; for by the delectable pointed 
right angular mouldings generally seen this is rendered 
impossible. And so we will now suppose ourselves well on 
in Juue, with young Potatoes every day for dinner, which, 
between ourselves, is by no means an unpleasant idea.— 
LTrWARDS AND ONWARDS. 
NEW PLANTS. 
Saxieraga cii.iata (Fringed-leaf Saxifrage). A native of 
the Mussooree and Suen range of the Himalaya Mountains. 
It was introduced in 1843. It is doubtful whether it is dis¬ 
tinct from S. Jinyulata ; and, at all events, like it and S. 
crassifolia, it is one of the most-worth cultivating of the 
Saxifrages. “ Although considered hardy, yet, as its flowering 
season is early iu the spring, we find the protection of a frame 
or cool greenhouse necessary for the full development of 
its blossom. We made the same remark on S. Hngnlata. 
They are neither of them so hardy as S. crassifolia." —( Hot. 
Mag., t. 4015.) 
Cattreya Skinneri var. parvifotja (Small - floweffod 
Skinner’s Cattleya). “This Orchid was brought by Mr. 
Skinner from Guatemala. It is now flowering in the 
collection of J. Dillwyn Llewellyn, Esq., of Penllegare.” 
—{Ibid. I. 4010.) 
COLLINSIA BICOLOR ALBA. 
Being in possession of the genuine ColUnsia bicolor alba, 
which I saved myself from seed, I have just now coming 
into bloom thirty pot plants of it—each will measure three 
