IS 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
OCTOBER 9. 
To secure fine specimens of Melastomads in general, 
with broad handsome leaves and masses of brilliant 
flowers, it is necessary to give them a generous compost, 
large pots, and great heat and moisture, while they are 
in growth, and to keep them more dry, in a compara¬ 
tively cool, dry atmosphere, when they are at rest. They 
must also be closely pruned of their last growths when 
they begin to grow, or a short time previously. They 
belong to the first order of the eighth class in the system 
of Linnaeus. B. J. 
Culture. —At whatever time of the summer Osbeelcia 
stellata flowers, it should not be encouraged to make any 
growth afterwards for that season, but merely enough of 
water and heat be given as will keep the leaves green to 
the end of October; and if they fall off for want of water 
after that, no harm will come of it, provided the roots, 
or soil, are not allowed to become quite dry at any period 
of its resting time. Early in the spring it ought to be 
cut down to two joints of the young wood, or even to 
one jpint, if the shoot is very small or weak. As soon 
as leaves appear, the plant should be divested of more 
than the half of the old compost, and the roots pruned 
in after the manner with Geraniums, and then put into 
the same sized pot, in two parts turfy-loam, the rest of 
peat, sand, and leaf-mould, then plunged into bottom- 
heat of 80°. To retard the flowering of the plant, pinch 
off the top of the shoots above the second joint of new 
growth. Cuttings made of the smallest side-shoots, taken 
off with a heel, when they are two or three inches long, 
will soon root under a bell-glass, in strong bottom heat- 
April is the best time for making them. D. Beaton. 
[We hope to have this department thus improved in 
future, as now, by Mr. Beaton’s cultural notes —Ed.C.G.] 
THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 
The Raspberry. —In conformity to the wish expressed 
by some subscribers, we proceed to offer five minutes’ 
advice about Raspberry planting and culture. 
Soil and Situation .—In almost all cases that we have 
met with the Raspberry in a wild state, it has been an 
undergrowth to trees, where the latter were not too 
crowdod; thus showing its partiality to a certain amount 
of shade, and fondness for decaying vegetable matter: 
hence the propriety of applying annual surface-dressings. 
With regard to shade, however, it is probable its being 
found in such very shady situations does not arise entirely 
from an excessive partiality for deficient light, but from 
the fact, that the Raspberry loves a permanency of 
moisture, in addition to a casing of vegetable matter; 
and it is scarcely necessary to add that the evaporation of 
moisture does not proceed so rapidly in woods as on the 
open plain. Ihese things are named by the way, in 
order to show that various sites may be selected for 
them, according to the purpose of the planter, and the 
character of the soil; for it not unfrequently happens 
that one small garden possesses at least two distinct 
characters of soil. Still, it is not a matter of soil alone; 
Raspberries are very liable to depredations of various 
kinds, chiefly, perhaps, from bipeds, whether feathered 
or unfeathered. It somehow happens, that when Rasp- 
bernes are planted near walks, everybody feels disposed 
to pluck them, from the stable-boy up to my lady’s maid; 
and the gardener who should venture to protest against 
it, would be hold up to the execration of the whole house¬ 
hold as fitting to he fugleman to the illiberals. Now. 
to get up in the morning and find that the black-birds 
and throstles, in combination with other bipeds, have 
been so industrious as merely to leave you the whitened 
stumps of all your fine white Antwerps, is a most dis¬ 
heartening affair. These things should be kept in mind 
when selecting the ground ; for we will venture to assert 
that not much above half of the Raspberries grown iu 
small gardens throughout the kingdom come to then- 
end by fair means. It was a custom in former days to 
plant them in patches between the espalier or dwarf 
fruit-trees in the borders; but this we think most 
objectionable, for they are but too easy of access in the 
first place, and in the second, the suckers from their 
roots interlace through the roots of the fruit-trees, cre¬ 
ating confusion, and standing frequently in the way of 
border operations We here dismiss the case of situation 
of site for the present, merely observing that, in small 
gardens, we should prefer single rows to rows side by side. 
A permanency of moisture, it was observed, was neces¬ 
sary, but we do not mean stagnant moisture. Any good 
sound loam will grow Raspberries well, but we have gene¬ 
rally found them in the highest perfection in a rather 
dark and unctuous soil. It may be taken as a maxim, 
that where the Black Currant will do well, the Raspberry 
will do well also; and that where our ordinary Cherry- 
trees are eminently productive, neither of the former 
will be satisfactory. In the preparation of the soil, deep 
digging or trenching should, by all means, be practised ; 
for although their roots do not descend to an unusual 
depth, yet it is well to have friends deep-seated, in the 
event of very dry weather during the fruit-swelling 
period. 
The practice here is to remove the Raspberry planta¬ 
tion every fourth year; but this is done principally with 
a view to facilitate a proper rotation of crops. They are 
planted in parallel rows abou t four feet asunder. This 
allows half-a-yard on each side of the bushes for the 
extension of the branches and roots, and one foot in the 
centre, walking room to gather, &c. The parallel rows 
answer our purpose better than single rows; as in our 
rotation affairs we count on two rows being destroyed 
every year, and, of course, two rows newly planted; and 
the ground of the two broken-up rows furnishes good 
carrot or onion ground, or it may be some of the Cabbage- 
worts. Thus the Raspberries are never old altoyether; 
an infusion of fresh blood is necessary here, as in such 
crops as Strawberries, Asparagus, &c. In preparing the 
new Raspberry ground, some half-rotten manure, weeds, 
and leaves, are introduced towards the bottom of the 
trench, and, with the top spit, some more in a more 
rotten condition. The ground being now marked out 
by drawing a drill where the line is placed—for wo would 
never be hampered by a line when planting things of 
any size—stations are marked where the centre of each 
patch is to be inserted, and a hole opened, by removing 
about three spades of earth; this is scattered over the 
ground at random. The operator then replaces that 
amount in the shape of some old compost, of which we 
generally keep a huge heap for general purposes, com¬ 
posed of rotten weeds, charred rubbish, old tan, old 
linings, or any of these, or all well blended together, 
bearing here the practical title of “ priming;” and this 
we use to plant most ordinary fruit-trees in, to give them 
“ a start,” as practicals term it. 
Next, we must think about the plants, and how to 
remove them, so as to insure a respectable crop the first 
summer. Now this must not be done anyhow. We do 
not like these “ anyhow ” plans. Give us the man who 
even takes care of his cabbage plants; not, however, 
the dawdling and tedious man, who gives four or five 
pokes with the dibble where a real good planter uses 
only one. This taking care in reality involves very little, 
if any, loss of time, although a shuffling workman will 
