6 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
OCTOBER 2 . 
deeper at every growth they make. Like some bulbs, 
they soon get so deep in a loose bed that the effort to 
grow up to the surface is too much for them. Bomareas 
are twining plants, which, in their flowers, look so much 
like Alstroemerias that they have been mistaken for 
such. Bomarea acutifolia is the best of those in culti¬ 
vation, and should be grown by every one against posts, 
walls, or some support. Lapageria rosea is another 
plant, a new one of great beauty, with the habit and 
flowers like a Bomarea ; this is the time to plant it also. 
None of these are very good for pots, and they should 
always be planted in the free soil. 
Anemones and Ranunculuses, that is border ones, are 
to be planted from this time to next April, at intervals 
of a month or six weeks, according to the weather, or 
they may all be put in at once now, or in February. 
Seedlings of them, if in pots or boxes, must be put under 
shelter this month, and kept from the frost this winter; 
not but what they are hardy enough, but that they are 
more liable to the attacks of insects, and other injuries, 
I if they are left out to take their chance. Bulbs, of all 
the hardy kinds, to bloom next spring, should now be 
got in without loss of time. Those who contemplate a 
fine display of mixed Hyacinths and early Tulips next 
April, should see to then stock of them immediately. It 
is a great mistake to put off plantiug them till late, 
because they produce a good bloom if they are in the 
ground before Christmas, that bloom being at the 
expense of that in the following season. If the beds 
j are not ready to receive them, let them be put into small 
1 pots and be plunged somewhere till the beds are in 
readiness for them. I am asked for a list of the principal 
hardy bulbs that require to be planted this month or 
early in November — this is on the stocks, and will 
appear immediately. I am also asked if I can look over 
plans of flower-gardens, but I must put them off for one 
more month, for reasons that will be obvious by and by. 
Box-Edgings. —We are so long accustomed to have 
our box-edgings planted in the spring, that few dream 
of doing so in the autumn—but this month is certainly 
the best of the twelve to plant dwarf box. About thirty 
years ago, all, or almost all, the box-edgings in the 
largest kitchen-garden on the other side of the Gram¬ 
pians stood about a foot high, and as much across the 
top ; and one or two of the men got into the way of trim¬ 
ming the sides and top with the scythe (and I bad my 
first lessons at mowing on these very edgings), but a new 
gardener from Cullen House, in Bamffshire, condemned 
them, and had the whole trenched up that season, in 
October, renewed the soil, and planted afresh with slips, 
without a particle of roots, and the whole all round the 
garden went off as well as could be, and required to be 
j fresh clipped next June. 
Carnation Layers. —After the middle of this month it 
is much the best plan to let any layers that may yet 
remain on the old stools, remain as they are till some 
fine dry weather comes on in February next, and those 
that were planted out for the last six weeks will require 
to be looked over, to see that they are firm in the ground 
i and safe from slugs or grubs, all weeds cleared away, 
and if a little soot were scattered in between the rows, 
and then the ground loosened with a hoe, it would en¬ 
courage them much, and be the means of freeing the 
soil from grubs and other enemies. 
Cow-dung, dec. —In every good garden there is a heap 
of cow-dung, pigeon-dung, or sheep-dung, made up every 
year, and it generally takes two years to reduce such 
heaps into good working order for potting, or rather 
for mixing with potting composts. These heaps are 
now swarming with worms, and we gardeners delight 
to see them at work, as we do bees, while any of the 
dung remains green or fresh, but as soon as the heap 
\ is ready for our use, we must rid it of the worms 
! before we put the dung under cover for future use, as 
we generally do about this season. A peck or two of 
fresh soot, and a few pounds of salt mixed up with the [ 
dung, will kill all the worms in a large heap. The soot ; 
and the salt will add to the goodness of the heap, and 
the dead worms themselves will soon become the best ; 
part of the mixture. 
Soils and Composts are among the most necessary 
things to be looked to this month; fresh turf, loam, and 
peat for next year, leaf-mould, broken bones, and all 
the other necessaries of the potting-bench, should be got 
together before the winter sets in, but more especially 
that which remains on hand from last season. Part, at 
least, of all the mixtures, or simples, should be put 
under cover, to be ready for potting in a dry workable 
order. If there are any mysteries in gardening, one 
may meet with them in the compost-yard if you look for 
them at the right time. 
Rose Buds. —We often hear of people being puzzled 
about the right time to untie the matting with which 
Rose-buds are secured; but after the end of September, 
it does not matter much whether they are loosed or not 
for months to come, because the shoots will not swell, 
and so tighten the bandages after this season; but the 
top parts of the stocks above the new buds should noiv 
be cut off to within six inches or so; this is of great use 
to strengthen the buds for a vigorous start next spring. 
Dahlias. —Be sure that their colours, and their heights, 
and proper names, are all registered before the frost cuts 
them off, so that you may know how to manage them 
next season; and if you happen to be near a nursery, 
look in and see what sorts you would like to order before 
it is too late. Make choice of the more dwarf kinds, if 
they push up their flowers well, but have nothing to do 
with those sorts which have drooping flowers, let them 
be ever so pretty. Ask for Belinda first; it is the most 
useful of all the Dahlias in the country for the flower- 
garden, because it will divide any two colours which 
would not otherwise agree, being nearly a black Dahlia, 
and not more than two feet high in any soil, and it 
blooms most profusely from the beginning to the end of 
the season. Any dealer who would not mind to be 
thought singular, might drive a good trade out of this 
and one other Dahlia which I shall name presently, by 
going round the gardens where they are growing, and 
exchanging some other plants for the over-stock which 
gardeners might have to spare, increase them in the 
spring, and offer them for sale at two-pence a plant in 
The Cottage Gardener. The half-a-guinea-a-plant 
trade in Dahlias never made a fortune yet, and never 
will; but I am quite certain that the two-pence or 
three-pence trade would return five-and-twenty per cent, 
for some years. The other Dahlia I alluded”to has no 
name, but it is as dwarf as Zelinda, and of a scarlet 
colour, therefore most valuable for the flower-beds. 
Dealers might call it Scarlet Zelinda, and in a few years 
we might get an entire new race of these useful flowers, 
and call them all Zelindas, and putting the name of the 
colour before the word Zelinda—white, red, scarlet, lilac, 
striped, yellow, and even blue Zelinda, if they can get 
it—then we should know what we are about when we 
buy any. 
Planting Evergreens. — Libocedrus chilensis, “ the 
Prince’s tree,” as they call it, has gone on very well 
indeed, but the grass round it does not thrive at all, 
because every one who comes to see the garden must 
have a look at it, and so trample the grass that no 
chance of growing is left it. Who will be next in the 
field and plant Libocedrus tetragona from the same 
country? A most splendid hardy evergreen tree, which 
will grow as big as the Cedar of Lebanon. The Weeping j 
Cypress of the Yale of Tombs, lately from China, is now I 
getting cheap enough, and is a tree of great beauty, and j 
every one who has a place for it should buy one at ouce. I 
The Great-fruited Cypress from California is a wonderful 
