18G 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 9. 
Eartlicnware tiles or pipes, whole and in halves, have 
been recommended, and used with more or less success : 
; straw and other bandages have also been tried by some, 
! but the result here has not been satisfactory, affording 
as it does such an harbour for slugs and similar enemies, 
it has another had property also, that of beginning to rot 
just at the precise time when it ought to preserve itself 
unimpaired ; and by its decaying when the plant is less 
; able to resist its contagious inlluence, the evil produced 
is badly compensated by its former utility. Straw, moss, 
and other litter, is, therefore, to he avoided, and some- 
i thing else substituted. I have myself, after many trials, 
’ found nothing so useful as plain coal-ashes; their 
' porosity is such as allows but a small quantity of water 
j to loiter amongst them, compared with other things, 
I while they have a sort of anti-decaying influence in 
I their having so recently passed through the fire, and 
j the way I use them is this—when the celery requires 
j earthing-up, a quantity of ashes is thrown against it by 
! a person on each side of the row or trench, whilst a 
third one holds the leaves of the plant together; the 
ashes are then backed-up with earth, and the process 
repeated when necessary; by this means, no more ashes 
are used than requisite to enclose the stalk a few inches 
on all sides with this keeping substance, observing that 
it is essential that the ashes last of all should be at the 
summit:—beating the sides of the embankment so as to 
throw off the wet, is also advisable; but except in very 
severe, hard frosts, I do not recommend the use of 
straw, or any other loose covering at top:—it would, 
doubtless, be better, if the plants could he entirely pro¬ 
tected from rain; but since that cannot be, I have little 
faith in loose straw, or other litter, doing much good 
that way. Certainly it will exclude frost, and for 
that purpose it is valuable; but remove it in rainy wea¬ 
ther, or the covering up of that part of the plant which 
has maintained vitality in the wet, will be its utter 
destruction sooner than it would otherwise be. Another 
I property that coal-ashes have, is the repulsive medium 
i they present to worms and other depredators that prey 
[ on the celery when it becomes fit for use; the sharp, 
giitty feel that it has, together, no doubt, with some 
obnoxious quality imparted to it in its combustion, 
makes coal-ashes but little desired by tlie tribe of ene¬ 
mies the Celery suffers from. These qualifications, 
united together with their cheapness, and, not the least, 
their utility in stiff, heavy lands afterwards, enable me 
to recommend them to the amateur with more confi- 
i deuce than anything else in that way that I have tried. 
I J. Robson. 
DAHLIAS OF 1851. 
My remarks on the new Dahlia seem to have given plea¬ 
sure to some of your readers. I proceed, therefore, to fulfil 
my promise respecting the Dahlias wliich came under my 
notice last season. 1 shall begin alphabetically, so as not 
to appear invidious, though I dare say I shall offend some 
of the vendors. If I do, the only revenge I recommend 
to tliem, is more care in sending out, and I believe many 
of them really are desirous of doing right. Let me begin 
with noticing another fact I have proved, which is, that 
owing to ,so many plants being propagated from the roots, 
and that after being sent out by the advertizing party, the 
jdauts have again to undergo decapitation ; and after losing 
the side-shoot, so as to make three plants out of one, the 
poor amateur gets a chance of blooming his half-guinea 
plant about the ’IDth of September! To avoid all this, let 
every amateur send to a respectable grower in April, with 
orders to have his plants the first week in May, or not at all. 
That is my plan. 
-Another important matter, is to know how to grow your 
plant when you have it. 1 will give you my experience. 
Repot yoim plant as soon as you receive it, and keep it 
growing, not in much heat, but with plenty of air. A ncarhj- 
spciif, dung frame, giving only a Utile hoUom-hcat, is best, | 
just to swell the plant, and not let it spindle up. Riant out, | 
the 1st of June, six feet apart. Never cut off any branches, I 
but tie out the shoots ; and if they are many, remove them i 
when very young, but never cut off branches. I saw some [ 
plants this year which appeared like stalks of cabbages, ' 
with a few blooms on the top. My plan is to top the young 
plant, and then the shoots will bloom well by being thinned J 
out, and the centre bloom is generally semi-double. Jly i 
plants, this year, almost met together, and none above four t 
feet in height, except John Edward and Fearless, which arc ! 
very tall growers. This I consider was derived from water- ■ 
ing every night over-head, not round the root. Just try this, | 
and see the effects. 
I begin my remarks with 
Alice (Drummond’s); fine colour; in almost every case 
semi-double, and did not have a good bloom all the season.— 
Discarded. 
Alert (Barnes’); long petal; very thin; dull colour; 
good eye.— Discarded. 
Ariel (Turner’s); white; not one good bloom all the 
season ; good colour.— Discarded. 
Aurora (Keyne’s); dull colour; sometimes very fine; 
hard eye; requires much water. I think I shall try it again. 
Annie Salter (Salter’s); peach, like wax; one of the 
best flowers I ever saw ; requires no cutting out; very free 
bloomer, and eveiy bloom on the plant I grew fit for show; 
first-class show, flower; rather late ; and a good large plant. 
Should be put out. 
Absalom (Spary’s) ; amber; pretty colour; rather thin; 
and Tate in the season. I had a bloom or tw'o pretty good ; 
shall try it again. 
Cloth of Gold (Hooper’s); dull colour; very bad.— 
Discarded. 
CoMi’ACTA (Gaines’); buff-scarlet; very small; dull 
colour. — Discarded. 
Dr. Framtton (Rawlings’) ; very pretty, and fine form; 
I never had a bloom large enough to show, but I had some 
very perfect flowers. It must be very much thinned. Shall 
grow it again, and try hard to get it large enough. Small¬ 
ness is its only fault. 
Duchess of Sutheeiand (Turner’s); fancy purple and 
white; too thin and uncertain.— Discarded. 
Douglas Jeeeold (Keyne’s); this I have seen very fine. 
I fear it is uncertain; but when caught, it is quite a gem. 
Gwing to its tip, the form is not good and not bearable, 
except when it has the tip. I shall try it again. Colour 
buff, with scarlet tip. I remember seeing some blooms good 
at Surrey Gardens. Cut out the plants by thinning. 
Kdhund Foster (’Tinner’s); crimson; very full; coarse. 
I do not like it. Flower round, but not symmetrical.— 
Discarded. 
Evening Star (Salter’s); goodcoloin; thin; poor.— Dis¬ 
carded. 
Flora Me Ivor (Keyne’s); purple, tipped with white. 
'This flower was a gift, and pu’oved a good one. It is very 
fine, and first-class; fancy flower; not cut out; grows strong. 
Gloeie De Kaine ; lilac, black and white striped; a very 
beautiful flower; good form, and first-class; very certain; 
grows well. 
Globe (’Turner’s) ; bronzy-brown; new colour; good 
form; uncertain, but sometimes good. I shall grow it again. 
Requires cutting out, and good growth. 
(iRAiN D’Or ; orange; dull colour; not symmetrical.— 
Discarded. 
George Vir, liars (Union) ; rather thin; good smooth 
petal. I shall try it again. Aly plant was very poor, and 
had no chance of seeing it vmtil late. 
.Iaun De Rassy ; pale yellow; beautiful colour; very full, 
but not ([uite right at the finish ; a good flower for the 
garden, but not for show.— Discarded. 
John Davies (Cook’s) ; not so good as Cobden; too rough, 
and not shaded.— 'Discarded. 
Kossuth (Drummond’s); fancy; not good enough.— 
Discarded. 
Louisa Glenny (Rawlings’); yellow; one of the finest 
for form and colour. I grew two plants, one of which gave 
me all show flowers, the other not one. Requires cutting 
out. Shall try it again, for, when right, I have seen no 
yellow e(iual to it for form. 
