4i 
THE COTTAGE GAilHENEE. 
OCTOBEB 21. 
blooms expanded, and was a large, bealtliy plant. The 
collection of orchids, however, is but small as yet; but 
it is intended to increase them much as soon as the 
entire range of plant-houses is liuishcd. lu the green¬ 
house the Mundevilla suaveolens was finely in bloom, 
also a good specimen of Solanum jasmimides, and Ken- 
nahja Manjatiii. There was also several standards of 
that find old plant, the Glumthus puniceus, which is a 
novel but very striking mode of growing this plant, 
worthy of imitation, lu an old greenhouse near the 
mansion, there was a fine standard, in full bloom, of 
Biijnonia yiandijluni, with its large, trumpet-shaped 
ilowers. The stem was more than si.x feet high, and 
the branches droo])ed round it in the umbrella form. 
It was a striking and ornamental object. In the centre I 
of the garden is a very remarkable object—a lofty stone I 
tower, with a winding staircase, which leads to the top. ^ 
From this elevation splendid views of the surrounding 
country are seen. The use of this lofty tower is to 
convey away all the smoke, not only from every lire in 
the garden, but also from the dwelling-house, or man¬ 
sion ; so that there are no chimneys to be seen on the 
premises; yet, though cooking was going on in the 
kitchen, very little smoke a})pcared to issue from the 
tower. We had the privilege of seeing through the 
house, and were much ])leased therewith. Everything 
is on the largest scale to save labour. Ascending and 
descending iilatforins convey coals, and every other 
needful thing, to the level of each tier of rooms. Water, 
too, is conveyed by machinery, and every possible 
convenience is managed on the most approved modern 
practice that science and skill can bring into jday. 
Indeed, the description of this jdace, from the number 
of interesting and useful objects in it, would fill a rather 
formidable volume, especially when everything now in 
contemplation is linisbed. 
To return to the garden. The garden walls are hollow, 
and near the ground have hot-water pipe inside the 
hollow to heat them. These answ'er well. Though the 
peach-trees have only been jjlantcd throe or lour years, 
they were bearing some excellent fruit, and were very 
healthy and vigorous. The walls are covered at the top 
with a projecting iron coping, with contrivances for hang¬ 
ing protecting material; canvass, for instance, from them 
down to the ground. An excellent plan. The trees are 
trained to iron-wire-rails, stretched out against them, 
and about eight inches apart. There did not seem 
any difficulty about training them, and they are certainly 
neater than the old method of nails and shreds. 
The next ])lace we visited wms Rollcstun Park, the 
seat of Sir Oswald Mosely, Bart. Mr. Atkinson is the 
gardener. This jjlace we have often referred to, on 
account of a remarkably line Abies Douglassii, and 
Pinus Sahiniana. Both these line specimens continue 
healthy, and are progressing quickly. The Abies is 
now nearly forty feet high, and twenty feet through, very 
densely clothed with branches. The Pinus is quite as 
high, but is not so dense; the stem is full three feet 
round. There is also a good specimen of Abies Men- 
ziesii, lifteen feet high, and many others very interesting, 
which our space forbids us to dilate upon. We must, 
however, mention, that on the walls in the kitchen- 
garden was a largo crop of excellent peaches and nec¬ 
tarines, and a great crop of melons in the pits. 
On the front of the vineries is a large square of ground 
planted as a botanic garden, according to the natural 
system of Jussieu and Hecandolle. Sir Oswald Mosely 
is passionately devoted to his garden, and is a fine old 
English gentleman, even of the present day. The place 
is well worthy of a visit. The gardener, J\lr. Atkinson, 
has been there about twenty years, and is a man of 
science and unassuming manners, lie lias a very re¬ 
spectable collection ol stuffed birds, all cured and set 
up by himselt during his leisure hours. It would be 
most beneficial if every gardener was encouraged to do j 
so likewise. T. Ai'PLKuy. | 
(To he continued.) ' 
THE TALL LOBELIAS. 
'J’hat these are florists’ flowers, in the sense that term 
is used, there can be no doidit. Mr. Glenny’s rules, by 
which we may distinguish this class of plants, arc—1st, 
The jiower to be peiqietuiitcd and increased by slips, 
and other inodes, indcjiendont of its seed; 2ndiy. The 
1 Jiower to jiroduco new varieties from seed, capable, like 
their parent, of being perpetuated ; and .'Irdly, it must 
possess sufficient interest and variety to be grown in i 
collections. That these rules are just and correct, we | 
need only glance at such jilauts as Calceolarias, Cinera¬ 
rias, Carnations, Hahlias, and the like. ' ] 
Though the Tall Lobelias have never, that we know of, | 
been shown in collections, or bad prizes ofi'ered for them, j 
yet there is no reason why they should not. in respect i 
to brightness, and variety of colours, they are sui'iiassed 
by few, especially in that always-admired and far-off’-to- , 
be-secn colour, scarlet or crimson. That they may be i 
greatly improved is certain, from the progress already | 
made; witness the variety named Queen Ficturia, com- j 
jiared either with the original species when introduced 
from Me.xico, and named Lobelia fulgens, or with the old 
L. cardinalis. With regard to diversity of colours, we 
have already a goodly assortment, ranging from jmre 
white to pale blue, dark blue, purple, scarlet, and 
crimson. There is variety enough even at present; 
and if our indefatigable friend in such matters, Mr. 
Beaton, would try his jiractised hand at them, wo have 
not the shadow of a doubt but he would, in a few 
generations, produce all the colours of the rainbow. 
When I have got over the hurry-scurry of establishing 
myself in my new occupation, 1 shall try my unskilful 
hand at them, and trust many of our florist friends, ■ 
with their usual perseverance, wdll also work in the same 
hold, and I am sure then we shall have a very superior 
race of tall Lobelias. 
To forward so desirable an end, I shall write a few 
brief papers on this fine race of really showy plants, 
whether cultivated in ])ots to be exhibited in collections, 
or as ornaments for the flower-gardens, grown in masses 
in, as it is called, the bedding-out system ; and for this 
j latter purpose Mr. Beaton will wish every success. 
I There is no doubt that the hai’dy species from North 
1 America will hybridise with the more tender ones from 
! Mexico; and thus we shall attain, in a great degree, 
; another desirable object—the acquisition of a more 
hardy race. Botanists rejoice when their specific dis- 
! tinctions can be preserved intact, aird in the case of 
1 orchidaceous plants they are quite safe; but there is 
scarcely any other tribe of plants with which the hy- 
bridiser does not make sad havoc (as they think) with 
pre-conceived notions; so that at this day there arc thous¬ 
ands of so-called species that may be changed, and, 
as far as beauty of colour, form, and substance are con¬ 
cerned, be imjiroved, by cultivation and cross-breeding. 
Tliis improvement has been, and will continue to be, a 
source of never-failing, innocent, healthful, and amusing 
occupation to hundreds of human beings. Premising 
thus far, wo shall return to our object—the cultivation 
and improvement of the Lobelia. 
As there is nothing like order in every proceeding, I 
propose to arrange our subjects under the following 
heads:—1st, Propagation, by seed, by cuttings, and by 
division; 2ud, Soil; ord. Cultivation in pots for exhi¬ 
bition; 4tb, Hybridising; Oth, Preserving through the 
winter. 
Propngation by Seed. —As these Ijobelias flower late 
in the year (that is in August), by the time the seed 
