62 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 
OcTOBEn 28 . 
out, and then giving them a good hrcathing-time out- 
of-doors. 
But, as bearing not merely on this subject, but on 
ornamental pot-gardening, however used, Mr. Fleming 
mentioned a fact which is well worthy of being more 
generally tested — namely, that he found plants to 
flourish better in zine vessels than in any other he had 
tried. He considered that, from the conjunction of the 
earth, water, and air, with the zinc, a galvanic action 
was promoted, in which the plants delighted. Now, I 
had frequently sown all manner of seeds, and inserted 
nearly all kinds of half-hardy cuttings into worn-out 
zinc evaporating pans, flat, and also with round bottoms, 
and though the things did well enough, I never noticed 
anything particular about them—in fact, I never made 
I any note on the subject at all. As “ seeing is believing,” 
j Mr. Fleming took us to see plants so growing; among 
others, he pointed out oblong boxes, with two or three 
Poinsettias growing in them, just of the size to fit into 
the ornamental boxes, with attached trellis above re¬ 
ferred to; and certainly, in contrasting them with their 
neighbours in pots—and those in pots enjoying indi¬ 
vidually rather more room and soil, and every other 
circumstance in common—if there was a shade of differ¬ 
ence where all were healthy, the zinc-potted plants had 
a deeper, blacker green in the foliage. Now, the above 
fact is one that many a man might have got gold by in 
the ancient days of exclusiveness. Whatever may be 
made of it by the trade, and we sober-sided, stand-still 
practicals, as our more theoretic.al-progressiou friends at 
times call us, it opens up a fine idea for the amateur of 
refined and artistic tastes. I cannot say how long zinc 
will last when used for such purposes, as certain waters 
are apt to corrode it; but, at any rate, it is not so liable 
to injury as either pots or china vases; it is light, tliin, 
easily moved therefore, and easily inserted inside of 
other vessels, and requires but little ingenuity in the 
workman to bend and twist it into all manner of classic 
and artistic shapes; and as it is clieap, and may be 
coloured at will, it may thus he instrumental, either as 
smaller or larger-sized vessels, for banishing the red 
earth pots from the windows of our cottage ornees. In 
opposition to the maxim, that “ prices rise with the 
demand,” I believe, in this and many other instances, 
that prices would be moderate in proportion to the 
numbers of the article wanted. A beginning here may 
soon lead to greater improvements in our utensils for 
plant culture. E. Fish. 
TALL LOBELIAS, 
{Concluded from page 45.) 
In my last paper on these plants I described the 
mode of raising them by seed. The next head is raising 
them hy slips or cuttings, and it is a fortunate circum¬ 
stance that they are easy to progagate that way, so that 
any one possessing two or three jilants may soon have 
quite a stock. 
The time for this operation is in autumn, just before 
the plants go out of flower. Frequently they will pro¬ 
duce on the flower-stems short leafy shoots—these make 
the very best cuttings. Also the flower-stem itself may 
be cut into short lengths, that is, with two buds or 
joints. The lower joint should have the leaf cut off, and 
the upper one should have the leaf belonging to it pre¬ 
served. The pots for these cuttings should be well 
drained, and filled with rich light soil, well pressed 
down, with a thin covering of fine silver-sand on the- 
surface. Whilst the cuttings are being gathered and 
made, give the pots so filled a gentle watering, which 
will settle the sand, and make it firm hy the time the 
cuttings are ready. With a smooth stick, about as thick 
as a good quill, plant the cuttings round the pots close to 
the edge, turning the leaves so that they may point in¬ 
wards ; they may then be set closer together without 
interfering with each other. Press the cuttings firmly 
to the pot side, and fill up the holes with a little more 
sand, then give a gentle watering, and place them in a 
gentle heat, or, where there is such a convenience, in 
a regular propagating house. They will root in a shady 
part of a greenhouse, but not so certainly or quickly. 
As soon as they form roots they should be potted oil' into 
three-inch pots, and be allowed to remain in heat for a 
fortnight or three weeks; then jilace them near the 
glass in the greenhouse, till they have filled the pots 
with roots, when they may be allowed to go to rest, but 
should be kept just moist enough to prevent them ! 
losing their roots through the winter. If well managed, 
about the month of March they will begin to grow again, ' 
and will form fine plants for flowering that year. | 
By Division. —Where room is scarce, and the kinds 
plentiful, this mode of increase is the least trouble. As 
soon as they have done flowering, cut down the flower- 
stems and take up out of the bed or border a number of 
plants; reduce the ball of eartli, and pot them into as 
small pots as the plants can be got into without crushing. 
Place them either in a greenhouse or a cold frame, well 
protected from frost; give water about once a month in 
case they should be vei-y dry, or if they have been grown 
in pots, as soon as the bloom is over, cut down the 
flower-stems, and place them in the same situation 
through winter. When the warm days of spring arrive, 
several shoots will be seen springing round the centre 
of the plants. As soon as that is perceived they may 
be divided at once. Take a pot in that condition, turn 
the plants out of it, and shake a large portion of the soil 
away; then with a sharp knife divide the shoots from 
each other, preserving some roots to each division, and 
one or two young shoots; pot them into as small pots 
as they can be got into without crowding the roots. 
Place them near the front glass of a good greenhouse, or 
in a frame kept close and warm till the plants begin to 
grow, tlien give plenty of air, and afresh potting as soon 
as they have filled the jiots with roots. 
This is the conclusion of my remarks on propagating 
these fine flowers. I find I have incidentally included 
under this head that of ivintering the plants, and in con¬ 
sequence need not repeat it, but commence now with 
The Soil. —To grow these plants well in pot is an 
important point in culture. When Lobelia fulgens was 
first introduced, a very clever gardener, now no more, a 
Mr. Hedges, gardener to the Earl of Mansfield, at Caen 
Wood, was very successful in growing and blooming 
them. The soil in which he cultivated them was a very 
rich one, consisting of loam, peat, and well-rotted cow 
dung. This grew the plants very strong with plenty of 
foliage, but not so much bloom as we require now-a- 
days. The soil that I have found to answer best is 
turfy-loam, peat, and leaf mould, in equal parts. This 
gives a sufficiently strong growth, and the plants flower 
more abundantly. To sustain and bring out the bloom, 
I give, as soon as the flower-stems have decidedly ap¬ 
peared, a weak solution of manure-water every third 
time they require moisture. 
General management and preparing for Exhibition .— 
The general management consists in re-potting several ; 
times during the earlier months of the year. This causes 
the plants to continue growing strong for the time, and ! 
enables them to throw up several strong flowering-stems I 
to each. ' 
Watering —The Lobelia is a water-loving plant, and j 
therefore, to grow it well water should be given liberally. 
When the plants have received their last shift into the j 
blooming-pots, nineinches in diameter, and these pots are ! 
filled with roots, it will be found advisable to place pans j 
under each pot, to catch the water that passes through j 
the pots, but it must be allowed to dry up sometimes. | 
