December 18. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
177 
might be made one of the best plants to train against 
the south front of a house. South-east or south-west 
would also be equally eligible for it. I have often 
wished to recommend it to those of our correspondents 
who ask for lit subjects to train under a south veranda, 
but without a full description of what has been already 
done with it. I knew too well that if our friends were 
to ask for it in the out-lying nurseries, and say what 
• they intended to do witli it, they would be pooh- 
! poohed out of countenance, because the plant has 
seldom been done justice to; but now that it has 
received the weight of The Cottage Gardener in its 
favour, I should not be surprised to hear that every 
saleable plant of it was cleared out of the nurseries 
next spring, for I have had ample opportunities to learn 
that every good thing which the different writers in these 
i pages recommend on their own responsibility, finds a 
ready sale. Look at the stimulus which Mr. Appleby’s 
papers on priced Orchids have already done to that 
delightful family. Look also at our lists of florist’s 
llowers, and say if there is one buyer in a hundred who 
ventures to go to market without first taking a leaf out 
of our book? Well! but look also at the responsibility 
which all this entails on every one of us, and then say if 
it be such an easy matter, after all, to run up a long list 
of names on the spur of the moment—and think of this 
next time you write. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
cape heaths. —(Continued from page 106 J 
Propagation bv Cuttings. —I have previously thrown 
out a warning to those who have only one small house, 
and who wish to have Heaths among their general col¬ 
lection, not because such culture cannot be combined, 
but because the trouble and attention are considerably 
increased; matters too often apt to be forgotten, until 
the crash of a failure comes, tio, again, with respect to 
the propagating these plants from cuttings; 1 must 
candidly state, that those who can give no more con¬ 
tinued attention to them, than they find it suitable to 
render to their soft-wooded plants, such as Fuchsias and 
Geraniums , would act wisely in getting young plants 
from the nurserymen, instead of attempting to raise 
them. In fact, m most cases, where the conveniences 
arc not ample, and time and opportunities available— 
upon the mere principle of the division of labour—most 
of our readers could purchase nice little healthy plants 
cheaper than what they could rear them. The only 
drawback I can conceive is, that a man could not look 
upon a plant with exactly the same interest as he 
regards one that he has raised, as well as grown. It 
would not be right that that element of pleasure should 
be denied to one reader, who duly counting the cost, 
resolves to share in it. And for encouragement, I can 
i safely say there is no manipulation connected with gar¬ 
dening that is more delightful. 
Let us advert then, first, to the materials and compost, 
Ac., necessary to be prepared for the reception of the 
cuttings. Eor the very free-growing kinds, such as Well- 
moreii, Hyemails, &c., pots prepared as directed last 
week for seed sowing, will answer very well, only there 
must be at least half-an-inch of pure sand on the sur¬ 
face, and a pot prepared, of a size suitable for your 
bell-glass, as in almost every circumstance it will be 
advisable to have one of these glasses over every pot 
containing cuttings. But in the case of slower-growing 
kinds, such as Hartwelli, Tricolor, Ampullacea, &c., the 
same mode, unless with persons very experienced, will 
not answer so well, just because they take longer time 
to form roots, and there is a little difficulty in keeping 
them in a nice medium, as respects moisture, &c.; small 
pots, unless plunged, being apt to become dry too soon; 
and in a larger pot, the centre cuttings are apt to damp 
off. To remedy these defects, it is found advisable to 
use a larger and lesser pot, the former supplied with 
drainage, so that the latter, when placed in it, will have 
its rim upon the same level as the larger one, while 
between the two rims there will be a space ranging from 
one-half to one inch. Both inner and outer pot are 
then filled witli drainage, to within two inches, or two- 
iuches-and-a-half of the surface, the drainage becoming 
smaller as it nears the surface; on this a little half- 
decayed moss is placed, and then from one to one-and-a- 
half inch of very sandy peat, the roughest at bottom, 
the finest at top, and then from one-lialf to one inch of 
sand. Here it is intended to place the cuttings chiefly 
round the inside of the inner pot, and to have the 
edges of the bell-glass set in the space between the 
inner and outer pot, which space is filled up similar to 
the pot inside, and terminated with the layer of sand, 
because it is the most cleanly-looking, and the glass is 
more easily raised and put down again, so as to be 
air tight, than upon any other substance I know. 
In very particular cases, and where success is a matter 
of great importance, we would use a third pot. namely, 
a small one turned topsy-turvy in the inside of the 
smaller one, the space between being filled up as 
detailed above. Whether, then, one or two rows of 
cuttings were inserted, neither of them could be far 
from the side of a pot—the best position for encouraging 
roots, as was mentioned some time ago. Now our 
friends will at once see, that in raising a number of 
kinds and using a number of pots, this double and 
triple pot system, so successful in solitary cases, would 
not be so essential, did the practicability exist of 
plunging these pots in a medium, that would be a 
security against the extremes of moisture and dryness, 
such as broken potsherds and charcoal, and a sprinkling 
of silver sand. Here, again, just as in the case of sow¬ 
ing seeds, the cuttings of different kinds, requiring as 
much difference in time in striking, some rooting in six 
weeks, and others scarcely doing so in six months, 
young beginners should keep each sort, or sorts very 
nearly allied to each other, separately, for which small 
pots will be in demand, and small glasses in conse¬ 
quence ; but these latter will constitute no great diffi¬ 
culty to those households, especially, where the temper¬ 
ance movement has got a step even on the threshold, as 
plenty of narrow-mouthed, long tapering glasses may be 
found, that will answer the purpose better than the flat- 
headed bell-glasses, until lately so commonly used. 
Every glass, at least, that has had the misfortune to lose 
foot and leg, should be kept for this purpose—and a far 
better one than that to whicli, in days of yore, they were 
often applied in gardeners’ lodges, when the friendly 
visitor used to have one of these footless glasses brim¬ 
ming full with fire-water. But, supposing that some 
have not any small glasses, but have bell-glasses rang¬ 
ing from six to eight inches in diameter, then the 
best plan is to obtain a pot, inside of which one of 
these glasses will stand; fill that pot as near to the top 
with drainage as will enable several small pots, such as 
small 00’s or thumbs, to stand inside, their rims on a 
level with the large containing-pot, drain and fill them 
as if they were larger, and also the spaces between, but 
these latter chiefly with drainage, and fill each little jiot 
with the same or similar species. When the pots are 
thus filled, let them be well-watered, or set in a tub, and 
in both cases allowed to drain thoroughly, and the 
surface to get a little dry before using them. I regret 
the space these small particulars take up; but small 
particulars here are most important, so much so, that 
before going further I must add a few words on sand 
and glasses, which will be of importance to beginners 
and purchasers. And 
