THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 27, 1850. 
feet in circumference, ami in height from sixteen to eighteen 
inches ; branches beautifully ; the bloom a pure white ; the 
stems and leaves are green. My chief reason for giving you 
this detail for public inspection is to know if any one else 
lias such, for I think it will be a very great acquisition to our 
hardy annuals. The Collinsia sent out this year is synony¬ 
mously named by many Bicolor alba, when it is only the 
Ilartisitcfolia alba, a very diminutive variety, and not so easy 
and free of growth as the bicolor variety. I have the 
Bartisieefvlia alba now only coming up, the seed of which 
speaks for itself—it is nearly as small as thyme seed. I 
intend to show on the 21th instant, at the Caledonian 
Horticultural Society’s Show, two pots or so of the Bicolor 
alba. —Wm. Melville, Dalmeny Park Gardens. 
PACKING PLANTS. 
I consider the next important operation, after learning 
how to grow plants, is the best way to pack them, par- 
1 ticularly in these moveable times, when every branch of 
human knowledge is in action. I will, therefore, with your 
permission, lay the following system before your readers, 
considering that when thousands, aye, hundreds of thou- 
I sands of plants are now exchanging hands, it is a subject 
deserving notice at this season of the year in your pages. 
My plan is to prepare all soft-wooded plants, such as 
I Geraniums, Verbenas, Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, (fee., in the 
following manner : — Place a little moss flat on the left hand, 
a small portion of leaf or light mould on the top of the j 
moss, then place the roots of the plant and double up the 
moss, and tie the whole together. Place the plants after¬ 
wards in a little gentle bottom-heat, and shade them for a 
few days, giving them afterwards all the air you can. If the 
above is followed up, the plants will bo in good condition to 
send oft’ at the end of the third week. 
I find oval baskets the best and cheapest for small quan¬ 
tities, and square ones for large quantities, as they arc more 
suitable for packing inside the railway carriages. I begin 
packing by placing a small quantity, on the bottom of the 1 
basket, of clean, dry, wheat straw, cut about one inch in 
length by a ehaft' cutter; thou I place a layer of the most 
hardy plants that are intended for the basket, taking care, as 
I proceed with the packing of the others, that I mix enough 
of the cut straw with the plants to allow of air passing 
through and through the whole. If the basket is large, I 
introduce, here and there, dry yew branches with the leaves 
adhering, which prevents any danger of the plants heating 
on the way. 
When the plants arrive at their destination, their roots, 
along with the moss, ought to be placed in a mixture of 
earth and water, or water only, say to remain about fifteen 
minutes, and when planted out, they ought to be slightly 
shaded with branches of yew, or otherwise, for a few days. 
Now, though 1 have practised this several years, with the 
exception of some of my neighbours, I believe few have 
adopted it. It is possible that I may he over-sanguine as 
to the merits of my bantling, however, I am in the full 
belief, if generally practised, it would not only take oft' a 
grievous tax from the public lovers of plants, but us nur¬ 
serymen also. 
For instance, I had a few plants arrive some time since, 
that with pots, boxes, &e., weighed upwards of 0 owt., the j 
package and carriage costing upwards of T1 5s. Now, I 
fearlessly state, that had the above been treated on my 
system, they would have reached me, per passenger train, 
for the small cost of one shilling, and a ninepenny basket 
would have held them nicely. As to the packing on my sys¬ 
tem, it is so little trouble that no charge ought to be made. 
Besides, my system gives light employment to women, no 
little matter in its favour, if generally practised, as they are not 
j over-burdened in agricultural districts with work at all suit- 
i able for them. To show further that I have reason to up¬ 
hold the above, I will give two examples out of many, that 
have occurred in my practice. The first is, that a lady pur¬ 
chased of me sixteen dozen plants, and made it one of the 
conditions that I was to send them half way. The day was 
fixed, and the place of meeting somewhat fourteen miles 
from here. About the appointed hour and place, a team 
and three horses were standing a little way from the house, 
a respectably-dressed person along with the carter was seen 
leaving the house every few minutes and looking anxiously 
for something they expected. A man that had arrived pre¬ 
viously to them, was silting in the house enjoying himself, 
apparently not the least fatigued; two baskets were laying j 
under the bench he was resting on, without attracting the j 
least notice. At last he also began to get restless, and had 
a look in a contrary direction to the two former. Still the J 
old ami the new could not recognise each other, and it was 1 
not till both got out of all patience, and were about to return . 
home, they found out they were the interested parties ; and ! 
I may add here, the lady afterwards told me that she was 
highly pleased with her plants. 
The other case, I fancy, is also new in its way. Thirty- 
dozen plants were sent to a lady, and which arrived at her . 
place in the country while absent in London, and though, I 1 
believe, her gardener had (lie charge of the house when the 
family was absent, and also expected the plants, when the ' 
basket arrived it was carefully placed in the cellar, being 
supposed to he an addition to the wine. And there it re¬ 
mained, true enough, till the lady arrived, about the end of 
July, when she found, to her annoyauce, the plants in the 
basket instead of in her flower garden.—D. Feeouson, 
Stowe, Blickinyham. 
CHILDREN’S GARDENS. 
NO. V. 
Having, in my late remarks, chiefly endeavoured to show 
the good effects produced by the mere expression of interest, 
I now purpose mentioning some modes in which the exer¬ 
tion of a more active influence may be made conducive to 
the end in view. To co-operute actively to any beneficial 
extent, requires time and opportunities which none but im¬ 
mediate connexions possess;—the visitor here is powerless. 
It is needless to urge upon parents the consideration of my 
views; their hearts are as earnestly bent on the object as my 
own; but there may be among my readers some instructors, 
who, though loving flowers themselves, have not hitherto at¬ 
tempted to spread that love among their pupils. If any such 
there be, I venture to appeal to them on the ground of their 
position,hi loco parentis, for a trial of my suggestions; or, at 
least, for some practical application of their own ideas on the 
subject. 
First, I would advise that a watchful eye be kept on the 
proceedings of the young beginner. Do not let him fail 
through ignorance; but if he is disinclined to follow your 
advice (boys will be self-willed sometimes) propose the trial 
of botli plans, or let the point pass good-humouredly. Ex¬ 
perience will soon teach him to value the recommendations 
at present rejected. At first he will require assistance, or 
information, on nearly every point. By degrees, this trouble 
will diminish, and will be amply repaid if it procures him 
success;—thenceforth, he will of his own accord gather 
knowledge from what is passing around him; his garden, 
with all things relating to it, will be a pleasing topic of con¬ 
versation, and next season lie will attempt still greater 
things. 
By assistance, however, I do not mean such an amount 
of help as would relieve a boy of any material portion of 
labour; this would be an error in the opposite direction. I 
once knew a young rogue who used to amuse himself with 
kite-flying, while his father was busy in his (the son’s) j 
garden. The one did all the work, the other took all the 
credit. I have had a similar trick attempted on myself by a ; 
youngster, who proposed playing a game at ball, with some 
companions whilst I was working for him. 1 consented, on 
condition that he came to me whenever I wanted his opinion, 
and took care to want it so often as to make him understand, 
that my object in working for him, was to show him how to | 
work for himself;—that object is my rule; whatever goes ; 
beyond it is unnecessary, often injurious. 
The strong principle of imitation implanted in youth may , 
also be taken advantage of. If you are sowing seeds, re¬ 
potting plants, or striking cuttings, your son will desire to 
do the same, and be more interested at that particular time 
than at any other. It is well to indulge him with the means 
of gratifying his wish, as thereby you seize the very moment 
in which instruction is most likely to make a lasting impres¬ 
sion on his mind. j 
