THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 19. 
310 
those of the spruce; the fronds of fern, too, have been 
in use for many years; about London, and the southern 
1 portions of this kingdom, what is termed “bunting” 
has been most in vogue for 40 years; here, in the north¬ 
west, a kind of canvass, resembling what is known as 
! cheese cloth, is very much in use, this is simply a coarse 
unbleached canvass, somewhat open in the mesh, suffi¬ 
ciently so to admit constantly flickering rays of solar light. 
Now we know of nothing better, in the present position 
of our manufactures, than the latter article, which we 
have used almost constantly during the last 22 years. 
Whatever material is used, we consider it absolutely 
essential that the meshes be not too close ; it is really 
[ necessary that some solar light, and, what is of still 
more importance, a free circulation of air, be permitted 
to pass through its texture. Without this, the buds 
become coddled and “drawn;” and this, indeed, which 
constitutes the abuse of covering, is the very thing, 
doubtless, which has led to so much prejudice against 
covering. The fact is, an article perfectly eligible, and 
J as economical as the state of the times will warrant us 
to expect, has yet to be produced; and if some ingenious 
tradesman would turn his attention to the subject, we 
have no doubt that an advance would be made, and the 
party well repaid by an extensive sale. 
But to return ; we alluded to the abuse of the bud by 
“ drawing,” &c. Now, where coverings are applied in a 
timely way, on the retarding principle alone, say in the 
second week of January, the bud will be found so back¬ 
ward, that there will be little occasion for the exercise 
of caution as to “ drawing” the bud, until the early part 
of March, when the advanced temperature, alone, of the 
period, will, perforce, compel the buds to unfold; and we 
are prepai-ed to admit, nay to suggest, that a daily course 
of airing becomes absolutely necessary. Now, where 
spruce or other branches are used, and they are not 
stuck in too thickly, the buds will enjoy the flickering 
solar rays, together with a thorough circulation of air. 
This latter point is an advantage that boughs actually 
possess over canvass; they are self-actiug, but canvass 
must be waited on when the bud advances. There is a 
greater accumulation of heat beneath the canvass than 
some people are aware of; for on many sunny days in 
March, and even April, there is a lively breeze, and if 
the canvass is neglected, the trees are deprived of this 
necessary airing, or, in other words, heat dispersion, for 
this is one prime character of the breeze. 
We foresee that some who read these arguments will 
feel surprised at our talking of lieat-dispersion; they 
will be ready to exclaim, what do people build walls for? 
what do they cover for? what does the new suggestion 
of double glass walls mean ? As for the latter, we leave 
them to their fate and a discerning public; but we do 
know that high temperatures, with a partial deprivation 
of light, will not answer ; this tends to the evil termed 
“ drawing,” and the latter is only a technical way of ex¬ 
pressing vegetable weakness, leading, in fruit trees, to 
abortion and barrenness. 
Let all those then who would fully understand this 
ticklish question, nicely distinguish amongst these 
; apparently conflicting matters; when once mastered, 
they will look back astonished at the narrowness and 
simplicity of a question which at first appeared so 
broad and intricate. 
It may nowbe observed, that the season is too far 
advanced to offer advice of an efficient character as to 
retarding practice; this was offered, if we remember 
right, last year. The retarding principle at this period 
gradually merges into protective proceedings; in fact, 
until the blossom is fairly expanded the two have to go 
hand-in-hand; at least, after the hitherto latent bud has 
burst its wintry bonds. When, however, the blossom 
becomes developed, what the gardener terms “ setting,” 
that is to say, the impregnation of the blossom ac¬ 
cording to nature’s ordination, must have every atten¬ 
tion ; nature’s mandates are here of an imperious 
character, and no collateral shift or expedient may be 
allowed to fetter the great end in view. 
A free circulation of air during the daily period of 
solar light, a free admission of the latter, dryness in 
the blossom, as to the exclusion of rains or storms, and 
a careful staving off the baneful influences of frost, 
are thenceforward the maxims on which to proceed. 
And now, be the covering what it may, attention should 
be given day and night to secure these points. The 
stigma, or female portion of the flower, is peculiarly 
susceptible of injury, and until the corolla or blossom- 
leaves are cast, it is a most critical period. 
The next in importance is when the infant fruit is 
throwing aside its swaddling clothes, heedless of those 
trickish freaks of a shyly departing winter; and here 
we cannot forbear quoting an old proverb—Spanish we 
believe—be that as it may, the point is good, thus:— 
“ Mishap comes up in spur and boot 
And always slinks away on foot.” 
And thus very commonly comes Mr. John Frost in 
early autumn. 
We must now leave the subject for a little while, pro¬ 
mising a few pertinent remarks before the dangerous 
period is entirely past. R. Errington. 
BEDDING GERANIUMS. 
(Continued from page 305.) 
For the last few years some of our nurserymen, and 
a few private growers, have been collecting as many of 
the wild species of Geraniums as could be had in the 
botanic gardens and in collections of botanical curiosi¬ 
ties, and this desire for old, cast-off plants, was soon 
aided by the London Horticultural Society, when they 
began to offer prizes for small collections of the wild¬ 
ings. But after seeing all that have been exhibited, 
and the collections at the Ivew Gardens, and in the 
garden of the Horticultural Society, and also in some 
of the nurseries, I cannot say how many species are 
procurable now, because, among all the collections that 
I have seen, there was a mixture of crosses which 
passed as genuine species. I have even known the 
Horticultural Society deceived by exhibitors passing off 
crosses in their collections of wild species, but, of 
course, not intentionally, but for want of knowing better. 
I cannot now, however, bring the names of these crosses 
to mind, except flexuosum, of which I have a memoran¬ 
dum, made in 1848. In almost every private collection 
that I have examined, ardens, and ardens major, flexuo * 
sum, ignescens, and quinquevulnerum were called wild 
species, but none of them are so in reality, they are 
crosses, of which figures and full descriptions are given 
in “ Sweet’s Geraniaceee,” a six guinea work, which is 
now very scarce. No one has taken up the geraniums 
scientifically since Mr. Sweet died, hence our present 
confusion when we want to learn the best kinds, and 
select from them for the purpose of crossing, with all 
those bedders that are known to yield seed. I shall 
here offer the best selection of breeders that I have been 
able to make, and I have been at it since the summer 
of 1843, and such of our readers as wish to procure 
them must take their chance of what they can find in 
the nurseries under the names and descriptions I sub¬ 
join. I saw a good many of the sorts with Mr. Appleby, 
and all true to the names except sanguineum, and that I 
could never find true in any nursery, yet it is the second 
best on my list. But I shall begin with 
Ardens and Ardens major, both crosses according to 
Sweet, the best authority. They are tuberous rooted, 
with large-lobed leaves, and jointed flower-stalks, and 
the flowers are nearly black, with red markings, Major 
