October 21. 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 
43 
3rdly. Bulbs, such as Narcissus, Tulips, Hyacinths, 
Crocus, &c., to bloom in winter, or, rather, in windows 
in spring, should be potted early likewise; and when 
placed in a cellar, or in a corner of the garden, covered 
over with ashes or dry earth. The pots may he brought 
in to the window when tlie pots are filled with roots, 
and the leaves and flower-buds appearing. A slight 
shading will be wanted at first; a paper funnel, the 
broad end over tlie pot, and the small end with a hole 
in it to admit a portion of light, is useful for this pur¬ 
pose, and also for drawing up the flower-stems of Hya¬ 
cinths, so as to give the florets room to expand. 
4thly. In potting in autumn, use uniformly light, sandy 
soil, in rather a rough state. That which may be ob¬ 
tained by the sides of highways, as the accumulations 
of road-drift and scrapings, old and well aired, will 
grow nineteen-twentieths of the plants usually cultivated 
in windows. A little rotten dry leaf-mould may be 
added if come-at-able, or even a little sandy peat, or a 
little broken charcoal; but rotten dung should never he 
used at such time as a component of a compost. If 
extra vigour in particular cases is required it can always 
be given by surface-dressings, or manure-waterings. 
Many render their plants sickly by placing crude matter 
about their roots, which, when water is applied, gets 
into a sour soapy mass. They treat, in the short days 
of autumn and winter, a pot plant in a window, just as 
they would treat a cauliflower plant in summer. The 
growing and the flowering principle are just at the anti¬ 
podes of each other. Robust, rather than luxuriant, 
vigour—the greatest quantity of bloom in the smallest 
possible space—ought to be the aim of the gardener. 
Need I say that the pots should be drained so that the 
water passes easily through them. 
5thly. Water carefully. —Easier said than done. 
Water thoroughly when you do water, so as to reach 
every fibre; wait patiently till the plant is dry, and then 
repeat the operation, is the whole prmciple involved. 
And yet, how few understand it; or, if comprehending it, 
practice it. I believe that nine-tenths of the deaths of 
plants in pots are owing to the water can. The reasons 
of this have been fully explained. The dribbling 
system, in course of time, leaves the mass of roots as 
dry as an unused whistle, while at the surface there is a 
continual struggle between roots being scorched up at 
one time, and making fresh efforts for existence at 
another. To the question so very often put, “ How often 
shall I water my plants?” no more definite answer can 
be given than, “Just when they need it: let them drink 
only when they are thirsty.” Heat and light, the per¬ 
spiring processes going on, the state of the plant— 
whether growing or resting, whether in bloom or matur¬ 
ing its growth, whether succulent-stemmed or hard- 
wooded—must all be taken into considei’ation, and then 
it will be seen }iot only that there is a little philosophy 
in the growing of a plant, but that the plant that may 
require a refresher twice a-day in July, may be amply 
suj)plied with twice a-week in October, and twice a-month 
in December. As a general rule, unless when flowering or 
showing bloom, succulents will require little water from 
this time until April. On the same principle, Scarlet 
Geraniums will suffer less from dryness than florists’ 
Pelargoniums ; and these, again, will not suffer so much 
as the harder-stemmed fancy varieties. From this time 
until May the water used should be soft, well-aired, and 
not lower in temperature than from 55° to 60°, unless 
in particular cases, such as when a plant has become 
very dry; little or no water should be allowed to stand 
in the saucer, never to rise higher than half the height 
of the drainage during the dark mouths. 
Gthly. Strive to keep the plants in small pots. You v/ill 
not only thus save room, command the greatest amount 
of bloom in the space, but have the means of arranging 
your plants in fresh combinations, in vases, boxes, or 
baskets, in moss, &c., at pleasure; and thus the watering 
be reduced to a minimum of labour and care. 
7thly. Never hesitate to sacrifice a small present plea¬ 
sure to realise a high future enjoyment. Here is a 
Fuchsia, beautiful in summer, has still a few flowers at 
the points of its shoots, and for the sake of a flower then 
and now, you are to keep it in during the winter, though 
its thin and sickly foliage already gives one the blues. 
If turned out in the sun a month ago, housed any where 
from frost in winter, pruned, and fresh shifted in spring, 
you would have bad something to look at next season. 
Here is a Pelargonium, lanky and bandy-legged, having 
a few stray flowers since August. What can you do with 
it noiv t If you cut it down, it will he mid-winter before 
it breaks, and how wretched-looking before. The cuttings 
will be useless, or involving more trouble than they are 
worth. If that plant had been cut in, pruned in July 
or August, the cuttings would have been nice little plants 
now if you wanted them. The old plant would have 
broken afresh; you could then, by removing the old 
soil, have shifted into a similar or a smaller sized pot, 
have had a pretty bush to survey all the winter, and the 
hopes of a fine sight in spring and summer 
8thly. Never, if possible, give a check to roots and 
branches at the same time. Our last example of the 
Geranium will shew this. We prune back the uumuti- 
lated roots and stem, cause fresh roots to be produced, 
and wlien these are several inches in length, we slightly 
prune and disentangle the roots; and the young shoots, 
by a reciprocal action, cause fresh roots to be formed. 
Now we might prune the top, and fresh pot at the same 
time, and yet succeed; but we should lose time by the 
process, and in delicate cases lose the plant too. See, 
some time ago, some most valuable suggestions on 
transplanting, by Mr. Beaton. 
flthly, and lastly for the present. Attend to cleanliness. 
Look on the leaves of plants as performing functions 
analogous to that of your own lungs; and a covering 
from dust will be secured for them at one time,' and a 
sponging with tepid water no stranger at another. And 
the best of it all is, that the more trouble you bestow 
on your pets, the better you will like them. R. Fisii. 
JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. 
(^Continued from vol. viii., page 415.) 
OsjiASTON Manor, three milks from Ashbourne, 
Derbyshire, the residence of F. Wright, Esq. IMr. 
Lamb is gardener there.—This is quite a new place. 
We have already noticed it when writing on Couiferie, 
showing how they have planted a considerable number 
of Gedrus Libani. We have now to add a few notes on 
the new gardens. The vineries are built on the same 
plan as tliose mentioned by Mr. Fish, at Kingston, in a 
late number—that is, a rather flat ridge-and-furrow-rool. 
The vines are progressing favourably. In the centre, 
across the house, is a strong shelf; on this shelf Mr. 
Lamb had jilaced vines in pots, which produced some 
fine fruit, of a good colour, and excellent flavour. The 
vinery, for there is one finished, is made use of as a 
plant-house as well, and had in it some well-grown 
specimens of stove plants, particularly Alarnanda cathar- 
tica, Echitis sjdendens, Stephanotis fioribunda, Sehubertia 
graveolens, Raphistemma pulchellum, and several species 
of lEschynanthus, all in flower. There is also a range 
of plant-houses, one half of which only is complete. 
In a stove house we noticed a very fine spike, with 
several branches, of that difficult orchid to bloom, 
the Renanthera coccinea. The plant was healthy, and 
of a dark green. The method of causing it to bloom 
was first to grow it freely, and then give it a severe 
rest. Oncidium papilio, tlie best variety, had seven 
