THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
interesting paper on the Bread Fruit, suggesting its cultiva¬ 
tion in the northern districts of the colony. 
Mr. Joseph Graham read a paper on the winter cultiva¬ 
tion of the Cucumber, and recommended the subject 
particularly to amateurs. 
The Secretary next read a very interesting paper on 
Dahlias., from Mr. G. A. Dell, of Strathallan, North Shore, 
the paper being accompanied by a series of specimens, 
showing the gradual improvement of this popular flower, 
from the original single flower to its present state of perfec¬ 
tion, being from 1817 to 1825, 1829 to 1835, and to 185C. 
Mr. Dell recommends the Dahlia to be raised extensively 
from seed, and he has no doubt but that numbers of the 
very finest varieties will easily be obtained. Mr. Boll also 
stated that he has now in his garden 2,400 seedling Dahlias. 
Mr. Milne then read a paper on the Tana, or native 
Arrow-root, of the South Sea Islands. 
Mr. S. C. Shepherd drew the attention of the meeting to 
a beautiful specimen plant of the Hoy a Australis, which was 
richly covered with white perfumed flowers, recommending 
its cultivation.— ( Sydney Morning Herald.) 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
ROOF OF VINERY, AND HEATING IT. 
“ II. M. is converting a building into a Vinery—aspect 
due south ; and wishes to know :— 
“ Firstly, Whether .a lean-to roof, or a span having the 
back rafter from 4 feet to 4-feet 0 inches long, would be the 
best? and, if the latter, whether he could have two rows of 
Vines, i.e., one in front, to train up the roof, and one against 
the back wall and short roof ? Also, if a lean-to, whether the 
width of house (which he has not fixed, and which he would 
like to be named) would be sufficient border, without an out¬ 
side one ; also, the width of outside border, if with two rows ? 
“ Secondly, Whether pipes passing under the vaulting 
would be sufficient for bottom-heat, or whether they should 
pass through an open tank ? 
“ Thirdly, What would be the best glass for the roof ? ” 
[It will make little difference whether you have a lean-to 
roof alone, or a back-hipped one to join the front light, so 
far as benefit to the Grapes are considered, as they will have 
chiefly to depend on the south light. The hipped roof will 
cost a little more ; but you will not need to have the roof so 
high at the back to enclose the same width. 
You may have the borders inside with propriety, if drainage 
is duly attended to. The having plants against the back 
wall, and trained down, will depend upon the Vines up the 
front glass—1 to C feet apart. If they arc thick, the Vines 
at the back will bo too much shaded. We have seen good 
Vines grown in a 3 or 4 feet wide border ; and we do not know 
how wide yours is proposed to be. We do not understand 
what you mean by pipes under the vaulting ; but any pipes 
below the border will be in favour of the Vines, if they do 
not heat the ground too much, or make the soil around them 
too dry. 
Hartley’s Patent will be the best glass for the roof, all 
things considered.] 
LINUM GRANDIFLORUM AS A GREENHOUSE 
PLANT. 
“ Your correspondents seem to have experienced some 
difficulty with it, at which I am surprised, as with me 
nothing seems easier of cultivation. I have a row of it now 
looking as strong and healthy as can be, some of the 
flowers measuring one inch and three quarters across. I had 
it last year splendidly in flower, and it seeded plentifully. 
My plants are now as strong as need be, and are throwing 
out branches in all directions, and I hope to get a nice 
harvest of seed. It appears to me to he a splendid green¬ 
house winter plant, as it flowered last autumn, and kept on 
growing until past Christmas. I left it out to try whether 
it would stand the winter, but it did not. I think it would 
in dry roekwork, as 1 have some fine plants this season. I 
shall try greenhouse culture during the winter with it. My 
plants now are planted out fully exposed, and when the 
sun shines nothing can be richer or more lovely crimson. 
GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.—August 12, 1850. 355 
I enclose a piece of a stalk to show you the health, and 
a flower to shotv you the size. 
“ Have you Collinsia bicolor alba ! not C. Bartsiajulia alba, 
which the London trade sent out last spring as C. bicolor 
alba. I do not exactly know which to give the palm to, they 
are both so beautiful, well-managed, for white bordering for 
ribbons. C. Bartsiarfolia alba looks well, but must be sown 
twice or thrice during the season, and transplanted.—J. 
Scott, Merriott Nurseries, Crew/ccrne." 
[Mr. Scott’s Linnm flowers were much larger than any 
we had seen before, and were it not that they were 
attached to the shoot, we should not believe that shoot be¬ 
longed to Binum grandijloium at all, it was so much stronger 
and the leaves larger than is usual. We think his kind 
may be an improved sort in the second or third season of 
cultivation. Eucaridium concinmim turned to grandijlorum, 
and we think this is another such case. After Mr. Scott serves 
his own customers with it, Mr. Beaton would like two or 
three seeds for the Experimental. He is particularly 
thankful for the seeds of the white Collinsia : the spikes of 
flowers came quite fresh, and pleased him much.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Early Rii u barb —Gooseberries {P. T, F .).—The earliest Rhubarbs 
are Mitchell's Prince Albert and Myatl's Linneeus , both equnl in eurli- 
liess ; but Linneeus is of a deeper red colour than the other. We do not 
know of any variety of Rhubarb which ha* the Apple flavour ; but there 
is the now rare and much-sought-after old Gooseberry, which has the 
flavour of green Gooseberries. There are no two Gooseberries for pud¬ 
dings better than Warrington and Crown Bob; and for the table, 
Pitmuston Green Gage, Keen's Seedling, Golden Lion, and Irojimonger 
will suit you. 
Flower-garden Tlan (S. B. G. 7\).—The Lobelia 15 is not Bamo - 
soides, hut a lighter kind— probably Oentata. There was a Hemimeris 
flower in the letter. The planting of the beds is not satisfactory. The 
plan, in reference to the house, is very difficult to plant well. 7 and 10 
ought to be the tallest plants, and the strongest colours, as yellow and 
scarlet. If lo was Coin pactum, 9 Shrubland Ruse, 7 as it is, and .8 a 
good white Petunia , it would be nearest to what could be made of four 
beds in a line standing “across the eve.” The centre figure is well 
planted ; hut is it managed as well ? That is a difficult matter. Each 
kind ought to be kept quite separate all round. The two outside beds 
next the house do very well; but 14 and 15, light pink and light blue, 
are decidedly bad. Remove 6, 6, 6, to 14 and 15, and repeat 11 where 
the sixes arc ; and if you can get a handful of the Variegated Mint to mix 
with 6, 6, 6, you will make a rich foreground view, and a key to the rest. 
Peat {An Old Subscriber, Oxfordshire). —We do not think it is peat. 
Why, it would require grinding, it is so rocky. 
Garden {One who derives much, Sfc.)~ We will give you a full reply 
next week. The Tea Rose, Louise de Savoie , is a greenhouse variety, 
and would do in your Vinery. 
Monster Cauliflower (L.).—If it has five large heads on one stem 
it is very unusual. 
Crickets.— A Cottager inquires if crickets are destructive to linen, 
and how they may he destroyed? We shall be obliged by information. 
Covers for our Volumes—Classification of Strawberries. 
(T. Spcc/clesen).— No bookseller ought to charge more than one shilling 
for each volume’s cover. The only works which have been written on 
the classification of the Strawberry are Duchesne Histoire Nnturelle des 
praisiers, Paris, 1765, and Mr. Barnett’s paper on the subject in the 
Horticultural Society’s Transactions, vol. vi. 
Names of Plants {E. Radford). — Tetragonolobus purpureus , or 
Winged Pea; not eatable. {B. Vivian). —One of your plants is Erica 
tetrulix, the Cross-leaved Heath ; and the other called Erica vulgaris, 
now called Culluna vulgaris, or Common Ling. These two plants will 
flourish just as well in the garden as in their wild state if planted in a 
peat soil, and the plants taken up with good balls of earth with them 
in November next. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Bridlington. August 27th. Sec. Mr. T. Cape, Bridlington. 
Dorchester. Sept. 17th and 18th. Sec., G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor¬ 
chester. Entries close Sept. 1st. 
Essex. At Colchester, 8 th, 9 th, and 10th of January, 1857. Secs. 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. 
Gloucestershire. Nov. 26 th and 27 th. Sec., E. Trinder, Esq., 
Cirencester. Entries close Nov. 1 st. 
Leominster. Thursday, October 16. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December 17 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. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
ANERLEY POULTRY SHOW. 
Having, at the request of the Committee, at the eleventh 
hour, undertaken the charge of the poultry, Ac., during the 
late Anerley Show, I feel called upon to make a few remarks 
