510 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. March 0], 
Amaryllis formosissima {Meridian). —'fUis is the Hippeasfnim 
formosisshnum of the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary, and the Sprekelia 
\forniosissima of some others. Synonymes and new matter may yet be 
supplied to the above work as a supplement. 
Lists of Bulbs, Sic. {Ibid). —We try to oblige every one, but we 
meet with a vast variety of enquiries, and have many tastes to gratify. 
Your request will be kept prominently in view, but we perhaps could 
better meet your wishes if you would now and then single out a speeific 
subject. We are glad you are so far satisfied. The whole subject is in 
the hands of a master ; and every lover of imlbs, and such like flowers, 
should closely study Mr. Beaton’s articles. 
Sowing Seeds {E. Cassell ),—It is only in the case of very small or 
light seeds that it is desirable to water the soil before sowing. It is the 
best plan for Zinnias and Stocks. It is a very safe plan to lay an old 
newspaper over a lot of seed pots till the seed sprouts; it keeps the soil 
more uniformly moist, and less watering will do. As soon as the seed¬ 
lings appear give them light. 
Np.lumbium sPECiosuM {Mount Heaton). —The seeds of this classic 
plant are called beans,—the Egyptian bean of Pythagoras—and you may 
sow them just as you would so many Windsor Beans, or Long Pods, in a 
j) 0 t of very good garden mould. Plant them one inch deep, and one only 
in a four-inch ]>ot; then plunge the pot in a vessel of water, so deep that 
at least six or eight inches of water arc over the seeds ; place the whole 
in a temperature of from 80° to 90 °, and if the beans are good they will 
soon throw up the Lotus of the Nile. About the end of May, or when 
you have two leaves above water, prepare a tub for growing the plant. 
Put ten inches of good bean*soil in the bottom, transplant, and fill up 
the tub with about a foot or so of water above the soil, but less will do, 
as this is not a floating plant. At the end of the season let the water 
drain off, and let the whole remain in the store at rest all the winter; 
next spring set them off with fresh water, heat, and all, and so on every 
season. It is indeed a noble plant when in bloom, and well Nvorth 
growing, but it does not require the w'ater to be in motion, like some 
other water plant, as so7ne say. 
Evergreens (0«e Devoted to his Garden). —Our friend asks for the 
best kind of Evergreens, most effectual “ to conceal the house, &c., from 
passengers along the road, at the same time to be so planted as to see 
and not be seen.” Here is another problem in planting, like that of 
planting nineteen trees in nine straight rows, and nine trees in every row. 
We hereby engage to present a new volume of The Cottage Gardener 
to the first person who will show us how to plant, and what to plant of, 
Evergreens so as to see through them, or over them, only from one side. 
Bolton Greys (/. B. II.). —You will obtain Bolton Greys, by 
applying to “ Yorkshire" winners at any of the recent Poultry Exhibi¬ 
tions ; since this breed is more extensively kept, and better understood 
in that county than in any other part of England.—W. 
Cross between Shanguaes and Dorkings {Subscriber). 
have seen fowls of both the crosses you allude to, but without noticing 
any advantage possessed by them over the Dorking as a table fowl. But 
if you wish to try the experiment ; put a Dorking cock with a Shanghae 
hen, the greater influence of the male bird, and the comparative freedom 
of the Shanghae hen from those points which render the cock less desir¬ 
able as dead poultry, w’ould give you the best chance of success.—W. 
Shape op Eggs (J. E.//.).—It is not a new idea, that “long eggs 
produce cock birds, and round eggs hens.” It is mentioned in some of 
the very oldest works on Poultry, but we believe the statement has no 
truth in it. At all events, we never could find any such rule effectual. 
Hybridizing the Potato {C. F. P.).—lt is a totally wrong applica¬ 
tion of the term to talk of hybridizing the Potato by planting it in. contact 
with the Jerusalem Artichoke, &c., and we have already stated that we 
think Dr. I\Ialfatti’s experiments are not trustworthy. Hybridizing is 
effected by applying the pollen of one flower to the stigma of another 
species. 
North Side op a Wall {Durham). —The best use you can apply it 
to in growing vegetables is for forcing Sea-kale and Rhubarb. 
Bee Flowers (Apiarins). —Those you name are all hardy. If you are 
a subscriber you may obtain them all through The Horticulttiral and 
Pomological Association. 
Hen Eating her Eggs. — J.E. L, G. says, “You give you cor¬ 
respondents so little hope of curing their hens of egg-eating, that I am 
induced to recommend the following treatment, which I have found com¬ 
pletely successful this year. Watch the hens, and take away the eggs as 
soon as laid, and give them plenty of chalk; let the nest eggs be made of 
wood. By persevering in this treatment, they will, in two or three 
, weeks, forget the habit, which, I think, is originated by their laying im¬ 
perfect eggs.” You will see that we have mentioned the HeW-g-Zasses in 
another page. The book you name, we think, cannot be depended upon 
for any thing not copied from some other work. 
Deformed Hyacinth {G. Anderson ).—There is little doubt, when 
any bulb produces a flower deficient in form and colour, like that you 
forwarded, but that the bulb was imperfectly ripened the previous season. 
The flowers and leaves are produced from stores laid up in the bulb 
during the previous year’s growth. 
, Heating Small Vinery {J. Amphlet). —We think that you might 
heat a vinery 18 feet by 74 feet by a gas-heated water apparatus, such as 
is described at page 433. We should have a coil of perforated gas tubing 
I under the boiler instead of a single ring, and the l)ottom of the boiler a 
foot in diameter. A copper boiler is cheapest eventually. Three-inch 
iron piping should run round the house. The consumption of gas will 
I depend upon too many circumstances for us to give an estimate. 
Peat Charcoal. — A SwAscWAcr will be obliged by the information 
1 how this is best prepared ; in other words, how is it made ? 
I Cineraria {II. Brahi), — Yours is a very ordinary purple self. It is 
only good for the border. 
’ How'lett on Rustic Work.—E. C. B. wishes to know where this 
; book can be bought. 
I Cottage Gardener’.s Dictionary {No, 11).)—This can now only 
be had in a volume. We do not think the other book you name can be 
had in parts. 
Vines in Pots {Vera.T). —We are obliged by your reminding us of 
Mr. Mearn’s work on this subject, but the most modern is that by Mr. 
Elphinstone, advertised by us last week. 
calendar for aprit.. 
ORCHARD AND FRUIT GARDEN. 
Apples, cleanse from Iiliglitj protect blossoms. Apricots, protect 
with care. Cherries, finish training. Cherants, finish dressing. 
Damsons may yet be planted; thin out the crow'ded spray in the in¬ 
terior. Figs, remove all covering; prune at the end. Geafting, see 
that the clay is safe, and rub off wild spray betimes. Goosebeeries, 
beware of the Cateipill.ar. Insects, check vigorously early. Mul- 
bekries may he planted. Nectarines, see Peaches. Ploms, finish 
pruning those which blossom on the young wood. Peaks, as Plums; 
protect blossoms. Peaches, use the cleansing mixture named in former 
calendars; still protect, and disbud at the end. Pruning of all fruit- 
trees may still he done, if neglected at proper time. Raspberries, get 
tied if not done ; top-dress. Strawberries, spring-dress if delayed. 
Staking, attend to. Training, complete in all fruits. Walnuts 
may yet he planted. Vines, train and plant. Plantintf of all kinds 
may yet be done, implying, of course, neglect or omission at the best 
period. But every winter arrear must be brought to a close forthwith. 
R. Ekkington. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Air-giving, attend regularly to, avoiding cold draughts. Bottom- 
warmths renew; “5° to 80° are safe points. Cucumbers, attend closely; 
stop often ; use liquid-manure, and sustain a warm and moist air— 70 ° to 
85°. Chilies and the Capsicums, pot off and hasten. Cherries, 
avoid strong heat; keep a moist air. Fires, moderate, according to 
season ; let solar heat do its work. Figs, much as Peaches, as to tem¬ 
perature ; water frequently, and pinch young wood. Floors, wash down 
frequently. Grapes, ventilate freely where ripening; remove crowded 
laterals ; succession crops, follow up the usual routine of disbudding, 
stopping, training, and thinning. Insects, exterminate—Aphides by 
tobacco. Red Spider by sulphur. Kidney Beans, apply liquid-manure, 
and get in successions. Melons, keep thin in bine early, set blossoms, 
and stop and train weekly; provide successions. Nectarines, as 
Peaches; pinching-off waste or watery shoots remember. Peaciie.s, 
train, and stop ; thio fruit. Use the syringe freely, and a free ventilation. 
Shading use occasionally in case of need. Syringe, do not lay it by; 
use it frequently; it is a capital cleanser, and an enemy to insects. 
Strawberries, attend to daily, water liberally, and give abundance of 
air, keeping down runners. Toxiatoes, cool down ready for planting-out 
in the second week of May. Vines, attend well to in the ordinary routine 
of stopping, training, and berry-thinning; pray do not leave extra berries 
for a rulibishy tart or two. Watering must he a daily affair now; 
and every thing examined. R. Ekkington. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
•Air.—T he days arc now considerably longer, and the sun has more 
power, consequently more air will he required to keep the heat moderate. 
Baskets, continue to renew, if not finished last month ; dip them in 
tepid water once a week ; put in baskets plants to ornament the house, 
such as Mschynanthus, Achimenes, Hoya bella, Agalmyla staminea, and 
any other drooping freely-flowering plants. Blocks, syringe daily. 
Dendrobiums, and other plants in flower, remove into a cooler house ; 
they will then last much longer in flower, hut as soon as the bloom is 
over, return them into the warm house to finish their annual growth. 
Heat. —As the plants will now he growing freely, they require the maxi- 
nmm of heat; in the Indian house, 75° to 9(j° by day, 65 ° to 70° by 
night; the Mexican house should he 10° lower. Insects will now 
multiply rapidly; use every means to extirpate them, and prevent their 
increase. Potting, continue to all such as require it: the grand rule is 
to pot orchids as soon as new growths are apparent. Syringe freely in 
dull weather in the mornings only, but during sunny weather, syringe in 
the evenings also, shutting up the houses close previously to syrinpng ; 
a moist growing atmosphere will be the consequence. Water.— As the 
growths advance, increase the quantity of water at the root; dash it freely 
upon the platforms, walks, and walls daily, to keep up a large amount of 
atmospheric moisture, t. Appleby. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Achimenes, re-pot and divide, if required, the first potted batch; 
specimens may now be made, by placing several plants in a large shallow 
pot in leaf mould, chopped sphagnum, and turfy loam. -Eschynan- 
THUS, pot and train to a globular trellis; these make fine showy plants. 
Air, give freely on all favourable occasions. Amaryllises, pot and 
plunge in a bark-bed in a pit, to start them into flower and growth. 
Bark, renew, by sifting the old bark, removing the fine particles that 
pass through the sieve, keeping the rough in the pit, and adding suflicient 
fresh bark to raise it a little higher than the level; do not plunge the 
plants till the heat is moderated. Clixibers, dress, tie, and train 
neatly. Heat.— Keep up a brisk heat by day, but more moderate during 
the night. Ixoeas, attend to specimens of, and tie them out so as to form 
dense handsome bushes. Moisture, give to the air of the house by 
dashing water about upon the floors, walls, and hot-water pipes. Pot¬ 
ting, general ; finish the first early in the month. Red Spider, and all 
other insects, diligently destroy ; wash the flues or pipes with water and 
sulphur mixed together; lay it on with a whitewash brush. Water 
