104 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 
Kovembek 11. 
atmosphere, and kec)i tlie suti from them till they harden 
a little. It is now Midsummer, and time for them to 
he in an airy and light part of a greenhouse, or late 
vinery; and to guard against the scorching of the roots 
in these little pots, have all double potted, that is, to put 
the No. liil-pots inside 4S-pots. Ifelbro the middle of 
.1 uly the llowcr-spikes ought to appear ; at auy rate, keep 
them on short commons till they do “ showthen sort 
I them into fives, keeping each five, as near as possible, 
I of the same forwarduess ; water them all ihorougly, and 
I pint each five into a No. Iti-pot, one in the middle, the 
I rest equally apart near the sides. No matter how rich 
j the compost is for this move so that it is light and Inmjty, 
to let otf the large doses of very weak liquid-manure, with 
which the future waterings arc to ho made, until the 
! first dowers open; and during this interval, let them he 
I in a close, strong-growing heat, so as to e.xpand all their 
! parts, .as much as possible, before they arc fit for show¬ 
ing off. After all, this is only a new application of a 
very old rule by which little Coxcombs not much bigger 
than your thumb at the time of “ showing ” the llower, 
or crest-bud, have been made to oxpiand enormously— 
and why not Gesnera zehrina? Even with a moderate ^ 
growth, five of them in a pot will make a handsome j 
specimen ; the dowers will be just as numerous, and the 
flower-spike nearly as long as if the plants were grown 
to their last in single jiots, besides being six weeks 
earlier. The other half of the stock of roots will bo used 
to make the splendid specimens now so much admired. 
D. Eeatox. 
TENDER PLANTS THAT MAY RE KEPT 
DORMANT IN WINTER. 
A Piiii.osoi’Hic moralist would bo apt to say, that 
modern iipwanlwn was one of the plague spots of 
society. True, we may realise the blessing of content¬ 
ment, and not be backward in using legitimate means 
for improving our condition. Ambition only becomes 
an evil, when, in aspirations after the future and the un- 
attaiuahle, wo forget our present advantages and their 
attendant responsibilities. How many destroy their 
happiness, keep themselves in a perpetual worry, and 
render themselves incapable of all useful, generous 
eflbrt, merely booause they will aspire to dangle within 
the extreme bounds of a higher grade, when they might 
otherwise have been hapi)y, prosperous, and useful, as 
standing in the foremost ranks of the hardy sons of 
honourable labour. “ Then why is it that you, in your 
Cottage Gaeuener, talk so frequently of plants which 
none but the rich can possess and attain ; conjuring iqi 
envy in some, discontent in others, an aping refine¬ 
ment in more, and a straining to have plants like their 
hellers in all?” Just because, 1 believe that etivij 
belongs to no particular condition in life, and can only 
be associated with the diminutive in mind; because, I 
believe that a man may have something of philosophy 
in his head, and a great deal of the real gentleman in 
1 his manners, and be all the happier, and more faithful 
to his duties in consequence; because, I know that the 
sight of, and the acquaintance with, without the ]ios- 
session of, the beauties of vegetable nature, ever exert 
a cheering, humanising, bettcring-of-heart tendency; 
and because I am more than convinced, that the love of 
gardening, however ju’omoted, and however directed, is 
a most powerful auxiliary for securing happy homes, 
and promoting self-respect, and manly independence of 
feeling. “ Aye, that is it, they get so iqqnsh, and so 
independent; since they have had these flno cottages, 
large gardens, and allotments, they think nothing of 
charily now.” So s])akc, not long ago, a querulous old 
gentleman. I hope it is true. Gharity, rightly adminis¬ 
tered, is one of those virtues that breathes peculiarly of 
the atmosi)hcre of heaven. But I trust that the day is 
dawning, when an addition to Ihe reward of labour 
shall be no longer given in the name of charity, as an 
opiate to the conscience, which ouyht to have been given 
at once as a matter of sim])lo jai-tica. Self-respect can 
stoop to charity only as the last alternative. < iardening 
fosters that self-respect, because, in the country espe¬ 
cially, it is a safeguard against vice and idleness. Mind 
uill think; and the good must be presented as the 
opponent of the bad. Glad are we to know, that there 
are those high in rank who glance over these pages. ' 
I’leased arc wo to see Tun Cottage Gaepf.ner on the ' 
tallies of gardeners, of Dukes and Earls; but more de¬ 
lighted, more salistied would our ambition be, to know 
that this little manual circulated more among the trades¬ 
men, artisans, and lahourers of our land. Some, in their 
enthusiasm, might spend more on plants than their 
circumstances would justify, and thus develop vp- 
wardism. In all cases not very extreme, 1 am so con¬ 
vinced of the good that would follow, that 1 should be 
inclined to shut one eye at least. To suit a few with 
aspirations above their general conveniences, 1 will pen 
a few notes on the subject that heads this chapter, even 
though they bo chiefly remembrances. 
1. Scarlel Geraniums. — These have been discussed 
under almost every conceivable circumstance. iStill, i 
must not ])ass them by, as they generally constitute 1 
the first step from the democratic to the aristocratic > 
\ in gardening. 1st. There tu'e those that have been 
. growing and blooming in pots and boxes. If you have 
I not given them much water lately, they will be rather 
, Arm in their stems; and kcjvt So dry as that they do 
; not shrivel, they wilt be preserved easily in any hay-loft 
; or shod, where just a little light can be given in fine 
weather. All fading leaves should be removed, and the 
; points of the shoots, if at all succulent. In March and 
April, you must bring them more to the light, and 
moisten their stems in a sunny day. Hy-and-by, when 
the weather becomes warmer, you must water them at 
the roots; aird, if set out-of-doors, you must protect from 
wet and frost; and when the plants have broke nicely, 
you may pick olf some of the old soil, and top-dress 
with what is fresh and rich. Y'ou will thus have abund¬ 
ance of bloom. 2nd. Rut you wish to preserve those 
, growing in beds and baskets; and as the roots have 
been cut in autumn, you would like to keep the ])lauts 
green all the winter, after taking up and ]iolliiig them. 
\ Then, though the plants may be somewhat dormant, 
I you will be obliged to give them a fair portion of light, 
as vvell as keep them from frost. Any building, or an 
odd room where these conditions arc obtainable, will do. 
;ird. “ Here are a lot more that are still in tlie ground, 
and have received no preparatory process, and 1 have 
nothing but a close shed, with a window and largish 
door to preserve them, or a small bed covered with 
lights, and I should like them to do well next year. 
Will either place do?” Take up the plants carefully 
from the beds, and, as your room is scarce, cut away all 
1 the softest part of the ]ilant, and the whole, or, at least, 
all the larger leaves. Then have a pot of quick-lime, if 
there is some powdered chai'coal in it, all the better; 
di]) the top of the plant in it so as to smear all the cut 
parts ; and then pack the roots as closely as you can in 
dryish earth, leaving the tops exposed. You may place 
them in moveable boxes if you like. 1 make many out 
of any old boards, but il', in your jiit or shed, there is no 
danger of damp from helow, they will do as well, and . 
occasion less trouble by being jiacked on the floor. ' 
Light and air must bo given them at all suitable oppor- ; 
tunities. If they see neither for a week or more, in 
severe weather, they will take no harm. Erost must be i 
excluded, and any decaying part must be removed. Ry 
the end ol' Ivlarch they will have become such a thicket, i 
that you must move them to give them room, to en- 
