August 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
379 ' 
ARETIA* 
A genus of plants allied to Priinulu. They are 
beautiful little plants, but rather difficult to keep. The 
soil must be very saudy, and quite dry. The best way 
is to place a few small stones on the surface, filling up 
the space inclosed with a mixture of sand, peat, and 
loam, and then placo the plant in the centre. 
A. Alpina (Alpine); from Switzerland; beautiful pink 
colour; flowers late in May; growing only four inches 
high ; increased by Cuttings and division. 
A. Helvetica (Swiss); pure white; late in May; four 
inches high ; increased by division. 
A. Vitaliana (Vital’s); from the Pyrenees; yellow, 
with pink spots; very lovely; increased by division. 
ASTER. 
In this genus of Starworts are the plants which our 
cottagers call Michaelmas Daisies, because of their 
resemblance to a Daisy, and flowering about St. 
Michael’s day. There are, however, a few that flower 
in early spring. 
A. Alpinus (Alpine); the flowers grow nine inches 
high, are large, and a good purple colour. It is a native 
of Europe, and easily increased by divison. There is a 
variety with white flowers. Both are very handsome 
when in bloom. 
A. Altaicus (Altaic); from Siberia; flowers blue; 
height, nine inches ; increased by division. 
A. Alicartensis (Alwart); the colour of these flowers 
is red, growing a foot high. It is a native of the 
Caucasian mountains, and is yet rare; increased by 
division. 
A. lusttlanicus (Portugal); flowers blue; one foot 
high ; late in May; increased by division. 
These perennial Asters will thrive in any soil not 
actually wet or boggy. 
AUBRIETIA. 
A genus of dwarf, trailing plants, named in honour of 
M. Aubriet, a French botanist. They have all purple 
flowers, and the flowers appear almost the earliest in 
the spring. I have seen them in flower in February. 
Increase readily both by cuttings and division, and 
will grow in any dry soil, but dislike shade. 
A. deltoulea (Three-sided); from the Levant; growing 
only four inches high. 
A. Hesperidijlora (Hesperis - flowered); south of 
Europe; a tiny, pretty species. 
A.purpurea (Purple); a native of Greece; four inches 
high ; introduced in 1820. 
I find these plauts are very useful for small vases in 
open situations. They trail over the sides, and hang 
down very gracefully. 
CAMPANULA. 
A very appropriate name, meaning literally a little 
bell. These are the bell-flowers familiarly illustrated by 
the common biennial Canterbury Bell. Though the 
greatest part of the genus are summer flowers, yet there 
are a few that bloom early enough to bo introduced in 
this catalogue. 
C. glomerata (Clustered); though this grows wild in 
the chalk districts of Britain, it is cultivated in gardens, 
and is one of the handsomest of our wild plants. Culti¬ 
vators have succeeded in producing several varieties. 
The original species grows a foot-aud-a-half high, has 
violet-blue flowers appearing in May. The varieties 
are wliite-flowored, double purple-flowered, and double 
white-flowered; all desirable border flowers, and easily 
increased by division. 
C. Uliifolia (Lily-leaved); from Siberia; flowers in 
May, and growing two feet high with deep blue flowers; 
j increased by division. 
G. pulla (Russet); a pretty Austrian plant; very 
dwarf and very pretty; increased by division. 
C. saxatilis (ltock); Isle of Candia; one foot high ; 
with blue flowers appearing iir May; increased by 
division. 
G. velutina (Velvety); south of Europe ; flowering in 
May; colour dark blue; increased by seed and division. 
A scarce plant. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
MUCH MANURING NOT ALWAYS BENEFICIAL. 
There cannot be a more erroneous idea than the 
one which is so often given utterance to by many cul- i 
tivators of high standing in the world—“ That ground ; 
cannot be too rich for all kinds of vegetable crops.” I 
This assertion certainly requires some qualification, for 
there are crops to which a too generous soil is an evil j 
that ought to be avoided, not but that most of the 
products of the kitchen - garden luxuriate and grow J 
fastest in such soils, but then there are other con¬ 
siderations besides quick growth which require attention. 
We all know that the most luxuriant plants are most 
affected by frost if they should happen to be subjected 
to that ordeal; while other changes of weather are 
likewise more or less hurtful to all vegetation which has 
undergone a previous rapid change which a fast growth 
implied. CauUJhnver plants, for instance, are much 
more hardy when allowed the full action of the autumn 
breeze, than when coddled up in some glass structure, 
perhaps supplied with artificial warmth; while the same 
remark holds good to all kinds of flowering-plants, 
which, if even natives with us, are, nevertheless, rendered 
more tender by the shelter they have received, or the 
heat supplied, and, to a certain extent, they are also 
rendered less able to endure hardship by having been 
indulged with a richer soil than nature intended them 
to have. 
There are other crops to which a soil too rich may be 
an evil; thus there are some plants absolutely not so 
good when so cultivated, for, independent of the luxu¬ 
riance extending itself to those parts of a plant not 
I cared for, nor wanted, some productions are deteriorated 
' thereby. So that, although a rich plot or border will, 
! and may, undoubtedly, be in the best possible condition 
j lor the major part of vegetables, there are some to 
which a humbler abode will be more beneficial. This 
remark is no less applicable to climates than to soils; 
for while the cold, chilly atmosphere of the northern i 
part of our island produces better Gooseberries than 
the sunny climes of France and Italy, or even of the 
southern districts of England; in like manner, a piece 
of rough clayey ground, which has had but little artificial 
assistance for years, produces a sweeter, firmer, and 
better winter Turnip than the profusely-manured < 
quarter of the kitchen-garden ; this, at flrst sight, may 
appear strange, but such is the case; ground that is 
highly manured being induced to enlarge the fibrous or 
stringy part of the root, without furnishing the more | 
solid or useful portion ; hence the complaints ol Turnips 
grown on such ground being spungy, fuzzy, or woolly, 
aud deficient of that pulpy matter which forms all that 
is cared for in the vegetable for table purposes. Now, \ 
in order to obtain good, useful Turnips for winter, a 
piece of ground of the above description ought to be 
selected and sown immediately ; for the north of England, 
somewhat sooner would have” been better. The situation 
ought to bo an open one, for a long, straggling top is 
not wanted to a Turnip, which would, assuredly, be the 
case if placed under the shade of trees. Should such a 
piece of ground not be available, one of a lighter des¬ 
cription would do, only it must not be rich, or the 
purpose is defeated. If, however, there is no alter- 
