October 16. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
35 
&c., a four-inch pot will grow a hyacinth admirably. 
The same size will do for three common-sized Tulips, 
and from four to half-a-dozen of the Crocuses. A large 
Narcissus, such as Grand Monarch, would require a five 
or six-inch pot. 3rd. Potting. — Drainage must be 
attended to, and that is assisted by placing a little green 
moss, or chopped straw, over the usual broken pots, &c. 
If the bulbs are afterwards, when blooming, to be 
plunged in vases, or baskets, packed in moss, then, when 
potted, they may stand so high as merely to have their 
base end covered with soil; but if designed to be bloomed 
in the pots, then the chief part of the bulb should be 
covered, alike to keep it firmer in its place, and to pre¬ 
vent the evaporation of its juices in a dry heated room. 
4. Position after Potting. —Any moderately cool, dark 
place will do, and rather damp than dry, though the 
damp must not be in such excess as to cause rottenness. 
Where only a moderate number of bulbs are grown, 
most housewives could find, or make, a suitable corner 
for them. Railing that, or where many are grown, 
choose an open place out of doors, for a bed that will 
hold the requisite number of pots; raise it higher than 
the surrounding soil with rough ashes, or any other 
matter amongst which worms and slugs have as much 
disinclination to crawl. On this place the pots, fill the 
spaces between them with similar material, and cover 
over to the depth of three or four inches, and the future 
trouble will consist in throwing some litter over the bed 
in severe frost, defending it from long-continued rains, 
keeping mice at a respectful distance either by catching 
them, or surrounding and mixing with the covering 
of the bed a fair portion of chopped furze, which 
their burrowing noses do not like at all. The raising 
of the bottom platform is to prevent water lodging, 
but this, as well as securing from heavy rains, may 
be dispensed with if you could secure a corner of 
a shed, or stable, or byre, for such a purpose. The 
great thing is to have the pots crammed with roots 
before removing them to the window, and this the course 
recommended tends to foster. The heat remaining in 
the soil causes the bottom of the pot, as a whole, to be 
warmer than its surface, and thus roots are encouraged 
downwards before there is much expansion upwards. 
The difference would still be greater if there was merely 
one inch or so of covering, and I have spoken of more 
merely because, if a slight covering was given, and 
future protection neglected in very cold weather, the 
incipient flower-stems would be injured. When first 
moving the bulbs out of darkness into light, it will be 
an advantage to shade them a little at first by paper 
funnels, with a small hole in the narrow upper end, and 
just so far different from the conical wraps the grocer 
uses for half-pounds of sugar. Sometimes the florets of 
hyacinths cannot expand freely, owing to the shortness 
of the flower-stalk; and the assistance of the funnel 
lengthens the peduncle, and thus remedies the evil, by 
giving the florets space enough to show themselves. I 
would follow the same course exactly with bulbs to be 
placed in glasses, and thus successions can he easily 
secured. When plenty of roots are in the pots, turn 
the plant topsy-turvy, and then, taking the ball in both 
hands, agitate it and squeeze it gently in a pail of water, 
and you may soon get the roots as clean as you like ; 
and all that remains is merely to drop them into the 
glass, and fill it with water, giving a fresh supply every 
few days. I have elsewhere spoken of the superior 
mode of packing them in ornamental vases. 
Cold Pits. —Those who would have their windows well 
supplied, and not purchase plants to any great extent, 
can hardly get on without one of those useful assistants, 
where plants may be removed when past their best, and 
others brought from it that are showing promise of 
future beauty. If covered with glass, any thing may 
be done with such pits in summer ; for by merely lessen¬ 
ing the air, Acliimenes and other half-stove plants may 
be brought forward for the windows, as well as if grown 
in a regular hotbed. But in winter, without artificial 
heat, their use should be to preserve, not to grow. Some¬ 
times we are the cause of misconception, because people 
will look merely at one side of a question, and not at all 
its details. For instance, some time ago we had visitors 
in April and the end of October. At both periods we 
had hundreds, I may say thousands, of plants standing 
in turf and other temporary pits, and at one of the times, 
as it had been a little frost, and a keen north wind then, 
a long pit was protected with straw hurdles, and the 
south side merely tilted up to allow the softer air, heated 
by the sun, free entrance; there being on none of these 
pits any glass whatever. The plants were looked at, 
certainly; but nothing said respecting them. A short 
time afterwards, the gardener of one of these visitors 
called, looking somewhat strange; for, instead of the 
usual pleasant smile, there was something about him 
that conjured up the idea of a man whose nose had 
come into contact with a nettle. Out it all came before 
long. He had been promised a good brick pit, I forget 
of how many four-feet sashes length; but as Mr. F. had 
so many pits, without either bricks or sashes of glass, 
why could not he do the same, &c. ? It was satisfac¬ 
torily explained—that, though there now, the plants 
had not and would not remain there without glass 
during the winter, though many of the hardier ones 
might do if waterproofed coverings were provided, and 
the walls rendered damp proof, though nothing would 
be gained, the extra labour soon eating up the expense 
of a permanent glass covering. Our friend, we believe, 
got his pit, and I rather think a medium of heating into 
the bargain. Did time and space permit, many similar 
instances might be adduced as to persons expecting to 
get blooming plants from cold pits in winter, while all 
that generally could be expected was to keep the plants 
sturdy and vigorous there, in order that they might 
blow freely in spring and summer. As connected with 
this matter, we are furnished with two questions from a 
correspondent, which I shall notice here, because likely 
to be interesting to those having limited space, and yet 
wishing to do the very most with the means within their 
reach. 
1st. Can I keep Heliotropes, Fuchsias, Geraniums, Cal¬ 
ceolarias, American groundsels, Verbenas, and Petunias, 
in a cold brick pit at the same moderate temperature ? 
Yes. 
2nd. Can I keep in a second [or screened, I hardly 
know which] portion of it (brick partition) Camellias, 
Cinerarias, Myrtles, &c., with any chance of a success¬ 
ful bloom ? Yes, as to your keeping the plants. Yes, 
as to getting a nice bloom about April and May; but 
No, as to your getting bloom in winter. This latter 
result it should be your object to prevent. A Myrtle, in¬ 
deed, if the buds are formed, will open in a low tempe¬ 
rature ; but then it would do better in your sitting-room 
than in the variable atmosphere of a cold pit. So of a 
Camellia. You may have it so forward that a few sunny j 
days would swell its buds almost to the opening; but 
then if you had a week of such weather that you neither 
could give light nor air, your fine bud would be injured 
for ever. None of the flowers you mention will open, 
and keep open, their blossoms in a healthy state, if 
the medium night-temperature ranges far below 45°, or 
with much less than 10° higher for sunshine. I should 
say, therefore, with respect to all your plants, keep them 
healthy —do not grow them. These simple queries stir 
up a number of suggestions; at present I can only 
mention the following :— 
1. Arranging the plants. You have not stated, under 
Calceolarias, whether they are shrubby or herbaceous; 
if the former, they will stand rougher treatment rather 
than the latter. The first may go anywhere; the second 
