150 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 4. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers ot 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London. 
Ferns for Wardian Case ( Cymro). —In a Wardian case, ferns that 
grow in the crevices of rocks do not thrive long ; they seem to want the 
j fresh air of their native habitats. Those you mention will all do well, 
except the following:— Ceterach officinarum, Allosurus crispus, and 
Asplenium septentrionale. The case may be kept on a balcony, excepting 
during the severest months of winter; then .it should be taken into a 
cool room, to shelter it from the frost. 
Ten Weeks’ Stocks (S .).—You are quite right in supposing that we 
did not know how these were grown for the London market; but after 
your flagellation we applied to a London nurseryman, and his reply is as 
follows :—“ We are surprised you do not succeed ; however we will try 
to instruct you, Sow the seeds on a warm border in August; trans¬ 
plant the seedlings, three or four together, into a four-inch pot; plunge 
the pots up to the rim in a frame within five inches of the glass ; give 
air every fine day, and water very seldom, only when the plants actually 
droop. Early in the spring—about the end of March—plant them out 
in the border, and when the flowers appear, pull away all the single 
flowers, leaving only the double ones, the difference between which may 
be easily seen: the single flower-buds are long and thin, but the double 
ones are short and thick. The roots of both single and double are 
exactly alike, and consequently there is no telling by the roots which are 
double and which are single. A second sowing in March will succeed the 
autumn sowing. It may be either on a gentle hotbed, and transplanted 
into the flower-border in April, or in patches in the border at once. The 
reason you do not succeed may be owing to the soil in your borders being 
too wet and heavy. The Stock loves a light, rather gravelly soil, well 
enriched with very rotten dung. Double Brompton Stocks can be propa¬ 
gated by slips as easily as the double wall-flowers. The shoots, or slips, 
to be used for this increase must be such as would not flower. These are 
easily known by the fact that they will not show bloom. Take them off, 
trim off the lower leaves, and place them either in pots, in sand, under a 
cold frame, or plant them in a prepared soil under a hand-glass, in a 
shady part of the garden. This way of propagating the Double Stock 
is, however, scarcely worth the trouble, as the plants never succeed so 
well, or flower so finely, as seedlings.” 
(Enothera carpatica alba, &c. — A. B. writes to us as follows : — 
“ (Enothera carpatica (white) can be purchased at Mr. H. Green’s, 
Florist, Cambridge. Mr. li. Errington says, in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, that he has no doubt but that the Geranium Quercifolium 
superbum exists somewhere. I have a few plants of it, and would send 
j Mr. R. Errington a plant of it, if he will inclose me six postage stamps, 
directed to A. B., Mrs. Bineham’s, Love-lane, Wandsworth, Surrey.” 
Vines in Pots {Leytoniensis) .—Your system of pot-vine culture is 
under full consideration. A paper will be shortly given on this subject, 
which interests many of our readers. It will be soon enough to com¬ 
mence operations this way in the new year. 
Peaches and Nectarines for Forcing ( Lucubrator ). — Of 
Peaches, Royal George, Noblesse, and Bellegarde; and if a very long 
succession is required, the Late Admirable. Of Nectarines, Elruge, 
Violet h&tive, Due de Tello. All these are named about in the order of 
their ripening. You will require about five trees. 
Hives (A Novice in Bee-Keeping ).—In reply to your query, “A Coun- 
; try Curate” says, “ I have to state that the inside diameter of the hoop, 
I at the bottom of my hive, should be about the same diameter as the 
| inside of the lower band of straw. For instance, supposing that that 
diameter were fifteen inches, such also (but rather more than less) should 
; be the inside diameter of the hoop. The “ tube,” or ring of iron, which 
my hive-maker uses, is about one-and-a-quarter inch in diameter; but one 
| inch is quite large enough, provided it be inside measure. However, the 
thicker the straw the better for the bees. A one-and-a-half inch diameter 
ring would not be at all too large. Your correspondent need not fear for 
her hive, provided the bees are well supplied with food, are sufficiently 
j strong in numbers, and have a queen-mother not too old.” 
Orange Gladiolus (J3. L.), — It is high time now to take up the 
roots of your Orange Gladiolus, which we take to be G. psittacinus; 
and the beginning of April will be time enough to plant it again. Take 
particular care of the swarm of very small bulbs which you will find 
clustered at the bottom of the large bulbs; every one of them will make a 
flowering bulb in two more years. You may set them at the same time 
with the large ones, and along with them if you like, but they will not 
' flower next summer. 
j Moving a Cedar of Lebanon (Rev. J. H. P).—We should not be 
afraid to remove your cedar, seven feet high, at once; but the safest way 
would be to cut round the roots next February, and about a yard from 
the stem, and to remove it about the middle of next September. 
Camellias (Ibid). —Large Camellias that do not flower, are either too 
luxuriant, or they are so bad at the rqpts as to be in real danger, so that 
it is difficult to know how to advise. You can do nothing for them at 
resent, however, and if you let us know their actual condition any time 
efore the end of February, our advice will be in season. You have 
found Sulphate of Ammonia an excellent stimulus for Dahliass it is 
equally so, if not better, for Hollyhocks. 
Pillar Roses (Gladiolus). —The best three roses in your list, to train 
over the three iron pillars, arc Myrianthes, Princess Louise, and Amadis. 
We suppose that you will unite the three pillars at the top. These roses 
are not strictly pillar roses, but they will cover your triangle in two years, 
and when they reach the top we propose each of them to be trained down 
the opposite pillar. Mrs. Elliott, Amenuidc, and Gloirc de Rosamene, 
arc the next best in your list, and are true pillar roses; for the height of 
your pillars (six or seven feet), it would take them about four years to 
j reach the top, and they would require no back training. Amadis is our 
| favourite; Crimson Boursault, Myrianthes, and the Princess are also 
j good to bud others on. 
Rose Insect (Paul). —We sent your note to a celebrated entomologist, 
and this is his reply : — “ Your rose-leaves exhibit the tortuous dark lines 
formed by the small caterpillars of Tinea ruficapitellu feeding between 
the two surfaces of the leaves. It is not likely that the same species 
attacks the Clematis, although that plant may be infested in a similar 
manner by another allied species of the same genus. The only way to 
get rid of these mining larv* is to pinch the leaves sharply when they first 
appear. The rose-leaves sent had also several holes nibbled in them ; it 
is quite impossible to guess which of the many rose insects has done this.” 
Preserving Eggs (A Constant Reader). —One of the most successful 
preservers of eggs we ever knew, was a notable body who greased each 
new-laid egg very carefully all over with suet, and stored it in a cold 
place. They kept good from Midsummer until after Christmas. 
Transplanting Wheat (J. T. C.). — Your communications have 
been received, and shall be arranged for publication in our next double 
number. Be assured we are not offended. 
Plunging Material (H. I. 0.). —We recommend you to use sand 
in your propagating-house. It is the most cleanly, and not liable to 
harbour either fungi or insects. 
New Zealand Seeds (Bertram). —Thanks for these; but we fear 
they are too old. The cover for the volume can be had of Messrs. Orr, 
Amen Corner, Paternoster-row. 
Celery Prizes. —A correspondent (Phlox) says, “ Having exhibited 
celery, two heads, at a ‘ Practical Gardener’s Society,’ they were acknow¬ 
ledged by the judges to be the best grown, and of the greatest weight, of 
any that were exhibited ; but still they did not give me a prize, in conse¬ 
quence of the celery not being, as they said, of so fine a flavour as smaller 
grown heads. Is this a correct judgment, and if so, how is the crispness 
and flavour to be obtained ? I cultivated mine according to the directions 
laid down in The Cottage Gardener, and beat them all as to size.” 
Are there no rules acknowledged by the society by which the decision of 
the judges is to be regulated '! If there are no such rules, then we con¬ 
sider the judges right in their decision, if the celery to which they awarded 
the prize was fine in growth, though not equal to yours in size. Quality 
in anything eatable is far more desirable than excessive size. Great size, 
good flavour, and crispness, however, are all combinable in one specimen 
of celery; and your failure in obtaining the two last-named qualities, 
probably arose from a deficient supply of water and imperfect blanching. 
Gooseberry Caterpillars (C. J. B.). —It will be quite useless for 
destroying the chrysalises of those vermin to put salt thickly about your 
gooseberry bushes, and such a strong application might be fatal to these. 
In the spring spread some quick-lime round each bush, and just point it 
into the ground with a spade. This will destroy many of the marauders, j 
but still some of the moths will come forth. As soon as their progeny, 
the caterpillars, appear, dust these with White Hellebore powder. 
PofsONED Guinea Fowls (A New Subscriber ).—Our correspondent 
sent us seeds taken from the crops of three of his guinea fowls, who 
appear to have died from their effects. These seeds prove to be those of 
the Daphne Mezereum, Mezereon or Spurge Olive. This fact deserves 
the attention of all poultry keepers. 
Tares (S. E. H.). —Whether you mean the green plant or the seed, 
you do not state, but neither of them are injurious to poultry. 
Vine Borders (J. W.). —You will have seen what we say at page 140, 
relative to covering these. We consider such covering most desirable, 
for both practice and science dictate that the root and the leaves ought 
to be excited to action together. There is no doubt that an old vine- 
border is benefited by being manured. A peck of crushed bones, and a 
good barrow-load of thoroughly decayed stable manure, pointed in every 
spring, will benefit your vine-border, twenty-five feet by fourteen. 
Five Years Shift System ( L .).—As you can only use ‘‘portable 
manures,” we should manure for the oats with the urate of the London 
Manure Company; for the barley and grass seeds, with peat-charcoal, 
and super-phosphate of lime; and give a slight top-dressing with the 
urate each spring, of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th years, when you purpose to 
graze. 
Cow Cabbages (EngtMVer).—It will be useless for you to transplant , 
these from the seed-bed now, to retard them for planting out in May or 
June; they would only run up to seed next year. 
Kopros as a Manure. — Messrs. Weeks of Chelsea, state of this new 
preparation of phosphate of lime :—“ We beg to inform you that we 
have used this summer the new patent Kopros, prepared from nitrogenous 
matter, in combination with superphosphate of lime, which is very ex¬ 
cellent, causing the plants to grow rapidly, but robustly, and turning the 
foliage of a dark green colour. It is altogether well adapted for plants 
generally, but for those grown in pots, it is invaluable.” 
Porter ( Evergreen ).—Tap it; and if fine enough you may drink it. 
Six months is quite long enough after brewing. 
Storing Parsnips (J. S. G.). —Authorities differ upon this point, but 
we coincide with your gardener. Our own practice is a medium course 
between that of taking them up and storing them, and leaving them where 
grown. We take them up at this season and lay them in rows, touching 
each other, in some out-of-the-way corner of the garden. By this means 
we preserve them plump, full-flavoured, and unvegetating until late in 
spring, and we have the bed where they were grown vacant for another 
crop. For the Young Man’s Society you mention, and to give them the 
information you wish, circulate among them Richardson’s shilling vo¬ 
lumes on The Cow, The Dog, The Pig, The Horse, and Poultry; Cut- 
hill’s Market Gardening about London, and The Cottage Gardener. 
Name of Plant (Wheelbarrow Jack).— Your plant is, we believe, 
the old Verbena pulchella. This, like too many other good plants, is 
almost lost sight of now-a-days. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—December 4th, 1851. 
