Ill 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Novembkr 11. 
Flower-garden Plans (A, P.). —We are ol)lig:cd to keep the en¬ 
gravings to the smallest compass, and to lay down our series to a uniform 
scale would be worse than useless. No. 1 is applicable to a space of onc- 
quarter-of-an-acre, and not too small for four acres, with suitable accom¬ 
paniments. You had better not be in too great a hurry, however, till 
you see a few more of these designs, which will be as various as our 
stock will afford. 
FucnsiA sTECTABiLis (.“I Suhscrilcr), —This is a strong two-year-old 
plant, and has not yet bloomed. Let it have fair greenhouse treatment, 
and you will prob.ably have bloom in two or three months or sooner. If 
you do not succeed, you may then in summer plunge the plant under a 
south wall as you propose; though we have known it fine set against a 
north wall in summer, and brought into the house in autumn. 
Torenia Asiatica Sickly {Mont Blanc). —The house dry, tem¬ 
perature rising from 65° to 70° in the hottest part of the day. The dry 
atmosphere may be partly the cause. Your frequent ammonia and liquid 
manure waterings at this seasori, another cause. A little peat would also 
bo an advantage in the soil in winter, and for winter-blooming the plants 
should not be more than twelve or eighteen months from the cutting. 
Your temperature at night should not be below 48°; .5° higher will be 
better. Jlr. Fish detailed how he kept old plants in winter, some time 
ago, but such rough treatment left the plants like skeletons. A present 
sacrifice w’as submitted to to produce a future fine effect. From what you 
state, if you have not young plants, we would lose no time in fresh 
potting the plant, getting rid of the [sour soddened soil, saving all the 
roots you can, and making rough sandy peat and charcoal a component 
of your compost. 
Aciiimenes (I6*d).— The leaves sent are just as we should expect to 
find them. They will always be so at this season, unless, indeed, you 
have started them late for winter blooming. The appearance indicates 
either tli.at the season of growth has approached its termination, or that 
you have scalded them with the sun while the foliage was wet. In either 
case, your best plan now is to keep the ])lants in an open, airy place, 
withhold water gradually, and then turn the pot on its broadside, any¬ 
where, 80 that the temperature does not fall below 45°. When you want 
to set the plant growing again, in the new year, turn out the pot, break 
the soil, and separate and plant the tubers afresli. 
(fREEMiousK AND ViNEKY (Carrifr CathoL). —We do not say any¬ 
thing about the “third time breaking the charm,” but beg to assure 
you that no previous two separate in([uiries have come in our way, as, 
sooner or later, every corrcs|)ondent and inquiry receives attention. W'e 
think that, in the present case, your own judgment and views of economy 
must decide. You have already got your 7i'feet-long sashes ; two of 
which, joined together, is to form your fixed sloping-roof of fifteen feet. 
But, as this will not enclose enough of width to suit you, you propose 
having a glass-roof at the back, so as to widen the house some three 
feet more, and ask us how long wc'would recommend such sashes to be. 
Now, if we possessed the nurse-strings, we should have both sides alike 
—in other words—a span-roof; and then we would have an opaque part 
in the centre, where all the airing at top would be given. But, waiving 
the span, and fixing on the short hip, we would recommend the sashes 
to be about four feet in length, more if you liked it; and now come 
the other difficulties. You are told that this hipped-roof would make the 
house colder. Undoubtedly so, every inch of glass will radiate so much 
heat. You are recommended, therefore, not to discard these short 
sashes, hut to place them at the top of the others, movable, so as to give 
air thereby, making thus a sloping-roof of 19 or 20 feet; but we do not 
see how this would greatly economise your heat, further than having 
more wall as a retaining power. Were vines, however, your chief object, 
tins, in the circumstances and the size of your sashes, would be the 
recommendation we would, without hesitation, give. If plants are your 
chief object, then, if you cannot have a span, then have the hipped, 
and have it movable, so as you can have abundance of air, unless, 
indeed, you have other means of giving air in the back wall. This 
will also be essential in the front wall or front sashes. As econo¬ 
mising heat is an object, your house will thus be less exposed to the 
wind than if the glass had all been of one slope. It is quite true, 
that you will economise heat and gain width by having a hipped-roof 
of slate or other opaque substance; but if you put plants iu your 
house, then this, under the opaque-roof, would be of little use, unless 
as a pathway. If plants are your chief object, would it not be best 
to compromise the whole matter, by having a hipped-roof, and covers 
made of wood, asphalte, or tarpaulin, to go over them in all cold weather, 
and even over part of the roof in front likewise. If laths are placed fir 
such covers to run upon, neither paint nor wood would be injured; and 
in all places at a distance from the coal-pit, the saving would soon pay 
for the covers, while the plants within would flourish more. 
Diseased Bullfinch. —“Your correspondent’s (F. L.’s) bullfinch I 
fear is past a remedy. If it he asthma, linseed is recommended to be 
given with its food, and soft bread and milk. The linseed is supposed 
tube demulcent; liquorice-root steeped in water for its drink. But I 
believe nothing will relieve it. I suspect it is infested with a small 
parisitic worm, which attaches itself to the wind-pipe or tubes of the 
lungs by means of its suckcr-like mouth, leaving its body hanging 
loosely or undulating, as it were, in the tubes; this produces excessive 
irritation, ulceration, wasting of tlie body, atrophy, and death. The 
only remedy for this, is shutting the bird in a close box, and subjecting 
it to tobacco smoke, when, it is said, the worm will be detached from 
its hold and thrown off’; hut I must tell you most of the patients die 
from the treatment, so that it is questionable whether the remedy is not 
as bad as the disease, as they die from both.” William IIavner. 
White Cineraria {\V. H. L.).—If it does not produce better blooms 
in its natural season it is worthless. The petals were thin, notched, and 
starry, in the bloom you sent. 
Rabbits {PhilO’-Leporida). —We do not know of any separate work 
relating to them. We should be very much obliged by any of our 
readers sending us the results of their experience in the breeding and 
rearing of these beautiful animals. 
House Sewage for Dahlias (A New Subscriber). —This, mixed 
1 with earth, and applied to the soil iu moderate quantities, will be 
I beneficial. 
Poultry House {N. R.). —We shall have a drawing of one published 
I before the year closes, and will give the dimensions, &c. 
What is ILe:\iony? (Hester S.). —Ulilton in his Comus has these 
lines 
“ Amongst the rest, a small unsightly root. 
But of divine effect, he cull’d me out. 
The leaf was darkish, and had prickles on it, 
But in another country, as he said, 
Bore a bright golden ffower, but not jn this soil: 
■ -More medicinal is it than that Moly, 
That Hermes once to wise Ulysses gave : 
Unknown and light esteemed, and the dull swain 
Treads on it daily with his clouted shoon: 
He called it Hw.mony^ and gave it me, 
And bade me keep it as of sovereign use 
’Gainst all enchantments.” 
Some think that Milton merely adopted the name from Ovid’s I\Ie- 
tamorpboses, lib. viii., lines 264-5, where the poet speaks of a plant 
Hwmunia, its roots, and other parts. Others think with Coleridge in 
his Stateman^s Manual^ that Milton intended to allegorise the sacra¬ 
mental wine ; deriving the name from aimUy blood, and omos, wine. 
Cuo.ss-bred Fowls (A Rooster). —It is possible, but not probable, 
that superior birds may be produced by crossing the varieties, but the 
pullets so raised must be coupled, we think, with a cock of the same 
variety as their hen-parent. Your failure in producing superior specimens 
i of a pure breed arose, probably, from your breeding in-and-in—that is, 
1 the cock and hens were from the same brood ; and then again, to insure 
further degeneracy, the old cock was coiqiled with the pullets, his own 
i progeny. The first rule in all stock-breeding is— Never couple relatives 
together, 
I Removing Smell of House Sew’age (.4 House Agent). — Mixing 
\ gypsum (sulphate of lime), with it as you propose, will partially effect 
; your purpose, which is called “deodorizing;” but a more effective 
addition would be peat-charcoal. We should recommend you to add some 
gypsum also. 
Advice (Grumbler). —We believe that almost every one of 5 'our sug- 
i gestions have been attended to, which is the best evidence that \vc should 
I not have quarrelled with you, even if we had not anticipated your wishes. 
1 Spanish and other Poultry.— Semper Vigilans —“ Let me 
I just speak as to my own experience, this being my first year of the above 
breed. From nine eggs in April, I got seven chicks ; nine in May, eight 
chicks; cut of botli, fourteen now live, and one was killed by the motljer 
of the other hatcli; being a game hen, the cock setting up his feathers 
]).aid the piper. Wantnig chielly eggs, yet combining good fowls for 
table use, I w’as led to choose this breed from reading Richardson’s work, 
and also seeing them so highly s)>okcn of at the Birmingham and othe r 
j shows. My step was at once to get eggs of the best breed then knoun ; 
as such, half came from Mr. Hornby's stock, half Jlr. Peck’s, which I 
intend to cross, and at stated intervals ]irocuring a good cock of fresh 
blood. It is my intention to sec the show at Birmingham, to judge, from 
observation and opinions gathered, how iny birds contrast. Now, in the 
first place, they are confined to a sjjace eight yards by three yards, wired 
off, taking in the stable dunghill. My ))ullets h.ive regularly began to 
lay in November, if not October, and arc still laying; but my Spanish do 
not promise to lay before December. The cocks of May 3rd weigh 44ll)s. 
toS^lbs.; pullets, S^lbs. Although never a day’s sickness, they strike 
me as far short of what “Richardson” gives you to expect in size. 
Next: I have anxiously been looking for proof how to breed for table use ; 
as yet, my own plan strikes me as best for such result. Along with the 
Spanish hen and cock for layers, I think of putting one Cochin and one 
Dorking hen, of the best breeds, and so allow’ing them to sit their own 
eggs for killing. All three being pronounced best, must surely result 
well. [Quite the contrary; the mixtures will be generally odious]. If, 
when parties write of weight, they would also give age, and w'hen most 
suitable for table, the result might he more correctly attained. Should 
this opinion of quality not be settled before next autumn, the price of 
my birds shall not prevent me and my friends giving you our candid 
opinion.” 
Advertisements (Rector), —We are as anxious as you are to avoid 
having these bound up in the volume, but we are at the mercy of the 
advertisers in this respect. 
Mistletoe (R. i2.).— To raise this on the tree you wish it to grow 
upon, cut underneath a branch, quite down to the wood, a tongue of bark 
in this form, \; raise up the point of the tongue, and squeeze into it the 
I seeds from a ripe Mistletoe berry, and then let the tongue close down, 
i but do not press it. The best time for this sowing is February. 
Grafting Crab Stocks (Crab Stork). —It is not good practice to 
remove the stocks now which you propose grafting upon in the spring. 
Why not let them remain where they are, and remove them after they 
have been grafted ? You may graft upon them any varieties you may 
prefer. 
Rhubarb Forcing (A. B .).—Any of the varieties will do for this 
purpose, but the Victoria being the largest is preferable. Put a chimney¬ 
pot, with a piece of board upon its top, over an old-established jilant, 
and whelm over the pot fermenting stable-dung, or leaves, two or three 
feet thick; or you may make a frame of laths three feet high over a 
whole row of Rhubarb, and heap the fermenting materials upon that. 
The time to commence forcing is December. There is no permanent mode 
of driving away ivonns from a lawn. Occasional watering with lime- 
water. and sprinkling with common salt, w’ill keep them from coming 
near the surface. 
Pears (Verax). —There are three Louise Bonnes, viz., Louise Bonne, 
Louise Bonne d’Angers, and Louise Bonne of Jersey, all different. 
Yellow Calceolarias shall be attented to. 
Grey-speckled Dorkings.— The Rev. R. K. Morres, Ashcott, 
Glastonbury, Somerset, will be glad to know where he can obtain these 
true, and at what price ? 
Greenhouse with West Aspect (S. R. W.). —You may grow' both 
vines and plants in this. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christchurch, City of London.—November 11th, 1852. 
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