ICO 
THE COTTAGE GABDENER. 
December 2. 
very valiantly contends for tlie astonnding longevity of 
the Pine roots: why did he not say that the foliage v/as 
barely second to them in that capacity ? Those who 
desire to look further into this matter may just refer to 
pages 37, 04, and “ Address,” p. 0, of Mr. H.’s edition 
i of 1845. 
' Kinds. —There are, perhaps, some sixty varieties or 
more in this country, but the principal kinds grown are 
the Providence, Queen, Enville, Jamaica, and Cayenne, 
ilr. Hamilton’s planting-out system has been principally 
confined to the Jamaicas, Queens, and Provideuces; 
though, we think, he has not cultivated the last to the 
extent of the two former. He says, “• All the Queens, 
except the old variety, are well adapted to my system. 
The old Queen is apt to breed too many suckers.” In 
another place he says, “ 1 like the Queens best for 
quantity of fruit.” What the Cayennes may prove 
under this system is not well decided; but it must be 
kept in mind that the Jamaica is the most valuable as 
winter fruit; the Queens then become insipid. 
ImNGEviTY.—It was formerly considered that the roots 
of the Pine possessed no vitality worth consideration 
beyond a year or two; but the i'act was, gardeners gene¬ 
rally contrived to shorten the days of the roots by bad 
culture. Mr. H. says (p. C, 2nd edit.), “ It has, however, 
been established, by the results of many years practice at ; 
'Thornfield, that one Pine plant is capable of jiroducing j 
one or more fruit annually for any period of time.” Again, 
p. 49, “ I had remarked that all the largest fruit, but more 
particularly the Enville and Queens, were produced 
from those plants which had been the longest potted 
previous to fruiting.” Mr. G. Jennings, of Knowsley, 
the seat of Earl Derby, and Mr. Fleming, of Trentham, 
have, he says, adopted his ideas; Mr. J. has produced j 
splendid results, and Mr. F., it seems, has, in a public 
print, pronounced Hamilton’s system to be the best; | 
this mode of culture, as before observed, being based 
principally on the longevity of the roots. There can be 1 
no question, it appears, that those minute fibres, scarcely , 
visible, and which ramify with age in all directions, T 
penetrating drainage materials, and every lump of turf ; 
or soil, possess vast absorbing powers, and that of a j 
Continuous character, if totally undisturbed. These were ' 
despised in former times; our old cultivators could only 
recognise those lusty white roots which the Pine makes 
up the stem, and to obtain which, disrooting and other 
tricks were liad recourse to. Those who understand 
the culture of Orchids will very well understand the 
position of this question. We do not expect to find our 
friend Appleby disrooting and leaf-stripping his huge 
specimen Cattleyas every year, unless it be to make a 
five jiound plant into a ten-pounder, by cutting ten slices 
at a pound each. 
Main principles. —These, in the abstract, may be 
thus summed up:—1st. A secured air-heat adapted to 
the season: summer, 75° to 85°; winter, 00° to 70°; 
other periods about intermediate, principally ruled by 
the amount of light. 2nd. A certain and little fluctuating 
bottom-heat, bearing a close relation to the air-heat, in 
summer about 84°, winter about 75°; other periods 
principally graduated according to the demand on the 
foliage through light and heat. 3rd. Atmospheric 
moisture at gll times in proportion to the amount of 
heat. 4th. A liberal ventilation without sudden checks, 
on principle for the purification of the air, and as an 
expedient to reduce extreme heats. Lastly, undisturbed 
root action, in a proper and long-enduring medium. 
Now this is simply an epitome of all the rest, and to 
knowing pine-gi’owers may seem superfluous; but as these 
papers profess to set the matter on a plain footing to a 
rising generation of pine-men, we feel that the matter 
cannot be set in too strong a light. 
AIoistcue. —Here we have air moisture, and root 
moisture; two very different affairs. The former can 
hardly be supplied in a too liberal way by any of the ordi¬ 
nary means, provided heat and a free ventilation be 
concomitants. As to root moisture, little is needed by the 
Hamiltonian mode. ]\Ir. II. writes thus as to an inquiry 
about watering—“ I have watered at the root twice this 
summer.” It must be observed here that the plants are i 
out of pots; their' immoveable fibres seizing on and in¬ 
vesting all kinds of material in the bed, soil, turfy | 
matters, and even, no doubt, the very stones, debris, I 
&c., &()., attached to which they have a proper feeding I 
ground, an exemption from dangerous extremes, and, I 
doubtless, collect food continually from the gaseous 
matters by which they arc surrounded ; the latter 
brought into play by heat and moisture. 
Old stools. —Mr. H. is all for planting clean stools, 
if to be had, in preference to young plants, unless 
the latter are exceedingly strong. He, however, shows 
that, although Mr. Knight, of Downton, used old 
stools, that they were in error in totally disrooting 
or shaking the soil from the roots; “ by which jirac- 
tice,” ho says, “ I have discovered the plants will fre¬ 
quently make a long growth before they iruit.” Our 
readers will here see the importance of jdanting such 
stools out without disturbance. If, be adds, they cannot 
be had with roots and balls, there need be no hesitation in 
planting them without at once into the compost, where, 
if handled according to the directions in his«book, he 
will guarantee them to produce first-rate fruit the first 
year. He adds, “ They may be planted at any time.” 
Planting out. —This heading is almost a repetition of 
the former. We will, nevertheless, take this opportunity 
to suggest attention to the modes described in an earlier 
paper, viz., that twenty inches of soil is enough, and that 
the pipes be covered with broken bricks three inches, also 
three inches between; the pipes will, con.sequently, he 
fairly imbedded in bricks or rubble of some kind. And 
here, one remark. Any one about to commence might 
fancy the soil would get too dry without some provision 
for water; but such is not the case it appears; Mr. H. 
solidly affirms this. Indeed, the following extract from 
a recent letter will show how this stands : “ Ton seem 
surprised about the ‘ Chamber’ affair. I have dispensed 
with them everywhere, or nearly so. I have proved the 
beneficial effects of covering the pipes with rubble (in¬ 
stead of chambering) for twenty years, and never found 
any inconvenience from the soil getting caked or dry. 
I should be cautious of laying anything that is a non¬ 
conductor between the rubble and the soil. The rubble 
at the top may be covered with rough gravel, the fine 
sifted out.” 
In another paper we shall probably finish the Flamil- 
tonian system. R, Erringion. 
BULBS. 
(Continued from page 142.) 
Alstriimeria Hookeriana, alias rosea. —This is a beau¬ 
tiful dwarf species, and one of the hardiest of them, 
keeps its leaves the whole winter in the open border, 
unless the winter is very hard; and if the tojis get 
killed it is the first of them which is above ground in 
the spring. It will grow in the very richest kitchen- 
garden soil; but the front of a vinery, where the liorder 
is well drained, is the place it likes best. It is also a 
good pot-plant, as the leaves and flowei’-stems are more 
rigid than any of the rest—besides being dwarf, like 
pidohra. The colour is difficult to describe : ro,sea was 1 
a bad name for it, as one-half of the flower is not rose ! 
colour; the jioints of the petals are greenish, then rosy, 
the bottom of the upper or back petals are light and 
full of streaks and speckles, with a shade of yellow 
between the white and rosy parts. It will not cross 
with, peregrina, jisittacina, or aurea. 
A. peregrina (the Foreigner). — This is the oldest of 
