THIS COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— August 0, 1856. 
will give time for them to become well established before 
winter sets in. In the spring look them over, and press 
them down into the soil, for it will be found that the 
frost, if severe, will have left them loose, and risen up 
| considerably. Stick early, and shade the blooms when 
they begin to expand. Many even good kinds are apt 
to open unequally, or, as florists term it, burst at one 
side. To prevent this use the same material and place 
as recommended for the Carnation and Picotee, that is, 
tie a ligature of bass mat round the best buds, or else 
place round them rings of Indian rubber, small enough 
to keep them from bursting. There are some excellent 
varieties that are thin of petals ; such may be greatly 
improved by severe thinning, leaving only one, or at 
most two, blooms on each stem, and only one stem to 
each plant. 
i With these few cultural remarks I shall now proceed 
j to give a list of twelve of the best new, and twelve of 
| the best older varieties. If orders are given now desire 
the dealer to send the plants as soon as possible, and 
1 let the amateurs havo their beds ready to receive them 
j as soon as they arrive. 
Twelve Selected New Varieties. 
1. Adonis (Maclean).—Rosy-purple ; fine form ; good 
substance; well laced. A fine variety. 
2. Brunette (Maclean).—Dark edged. An excellent 
variety. 
3. Criterion (Maclean). — Purple edge. Fine form 
and beautifully laced, but rather thin. Requires severe 
thinning. 
4. Edwards's No. 9.—A new, fine variety. 
5. Field Marshal (Hale).—Rose edged. Constant 
and well formed. 
6. Great Criterion (Macleau). — Rosy-purple edge. 
Very large petals; smooth edge. Requires thinning. 
7. James Hogg ( Bragg).—Dark edge. Full, smooth, 
and constant. 
8. Lady Grenville (Turner).—Red edge. Fine petals, 
well laced. Extra fine. 
9. Mrs. Norman (Norman).—Purple edge. A very 
fine variety. 
10. Mrs. Stevens (Looker).—Purple edge. Distinct 
and fine. 
11. Mrs. Lewis (Keyne’s).—Dark edge, well laced. 
Extra fine. 
12. Star (Westbrook).—Red edge. Very bright, and 
with, fine properties. 
'Twelve Older Select Varieties. 
I. Duke of Devonshire (Turner). — Large and full, 
! with a clear rose edge. 
I 2. Fanny (Hardstone).—Red edge. Clear and bright. 
3. Goliah (Bragg).—Red edge. Fine. 
4. Jupiter (Bragg). —Purple edge. Good. 
5. Mrs. Maclean (Maclean).—Lilac, rose edge. 
0. Optiiwi (Turner).—Dark edge, deeply laced. A 
large flower. Good. 
7. Richard Andrews (Turner). — Rosy-purple edge. 
Fine. 
8. Ruby (Bragg).—Rosy-purple edge. 
9. Sarah (Turner).—Dark edge. Very full. 
10. Sappho (Calcutt’s).—Purple edge. Good. 
II. Sir Joseph Paxton (Bragg). — Rosy-purple edge. 
; Fine form and substance. 
| 12. Titus (Edwards).—Purple edge. Full and constant. 
T. Appleby. 
(To he continued.) 
•j _ 
LETTUCES RUNNING TO SEED.—RADISHES 
IN HOT WEATHER.—ROUTINE WORK. 
A correspondent, living in the neighbourhood of 
Loudon, complains of his Lettuce and Radish crops 
329 
failing him this season. The former, he says, run to 
seed before attaining any size; and the latter, we sup¬ 
pose, fail to germinate ; or, what is equally unfortunate, 
disappear before they arrive at a useful sizo. Some 
further inquiries he also makes on other subjects, but 
the above, being cases of common occurrence, may bo 
dealt with first; and, commencing with Lettuce , our 
correspondent may derive some consolation by the fact 
that many others are in the same plight as himself; but 
a few hints may be of service to him another year, and 
he may then, perhaps, be more successful. 
In the first place I may mention, that Lettuce running 
to seed in a dry, hot season is not by any means uncom¬ 
mon, and more especially on a dry soil; but a cool, moist 
one will not always prevent them, if' the variety that is 
sown have a tendency to “ bolt;” and the way to prevent ; 
this is only to sow the best varieties that are in cultiva¬ 
tion; and as the intention of those who havo, from time 
to time, supplied us with new varieties, has been to 
lessen the tendency the plant has to run to seed, it may ( 
fairly be inferred, when seed of those good sorts only are 
sown, the crop is likely to be a much better one; and 
doubtless it is so ; only, as has been remarked elsewhere, 
spurious or degenerate varieties will find their way into 
the market, and consequently the failure our cone- 1 
spondent complains of. Now, though 1 am far from 
being an advocate for patronising many kinds of any vege¬ 
table, still, in such as Lettuce, where there is an uncer¬ 
tainty hanging over them, it is better not to trust 
to one kind alone, but fo sow two or three kinds; and 
the chances are that one or more amongst them may j 
resist the temptation to run to seed; but, to be more j 
plain, I will mention the names of a few kinds generally 
well known, and all more or less good, or fitted for their | 
respective uses in affording a good wholesome salad. 
Perhaps the kind best adapted for summer work in 
very dry places is a good Cabbage variety, of which the 
Drumhead, Tennis ball, and Malta have, at times, all 
proved good. The only difficulty is to get these good ; ' 
but they are more likely to be so than the finer kinds of 
Cos Lettuce, which are generally more esteemed for 
saladirig; but these latter are never so white as the best 
Cabbage kinds, where colour and appearance are requi¬ 
site; but, if the amateur sows a batch of a good Cab¬ 
baging variety, in rows about a foot or fifteen inches 
apart, and takes care to thin them early, he will be likely 
to succeed in securing some at all times, ns no planting is 
wanted. A good Brown Cos is also requisite, and like- j 
wise an intermediate one between the Brown and White 
Cos, which was, at one time, represented by the old 
Brighton Cos. Others have since succeeded it in the I 
same way ; but, in general, the Hooded White and Green 
Cos varieties do not endure dry weather well, although 
they are very good at other times; and as the Brown 
Cos requires tying up betimes, it would be well to see 
to that when wanted. 
Perhaps the best way to secure good Lettuces, and, in 
fact, everything else good, on dry, hot soils, is to trench 
and fertilise the ground to the depth of eighteen inches 
or two feet; but this work must be done carefully, and 
not an indiscriminate disturbing of the soil and subsoil 
to that depth just before planting, as there is often a 
very pernicious substratum just underneath the surface 
soil, which requires some time to fertilize and prepare 
to support vegetation. This work, therefore, ought 
to be done early in autumn, when there is a long period 
to mature its sweetening capabilities ere it be wanted ; 
in the mean time the amateur may do much by giving 
liberal waterings with liquid-manure, and if he add such 
stimulating substances as guano now and then, he will 
be amply rewarded for his trouble. 
Radishes are rarely produced good in hot, dry soils, 
except in moist seasons, when such soils are, perhaps, 
best; but a very little dry weather makes them hot and 
