346 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 26. 
bicolor, there was a good crimson or ldood coloured one, 
superior to the dingy dull red we often see planted. This, 
too, has evidently been lost, as I do not remember seeing it 
since 1843. The pale one I had a year or two later, but 
having lost them both, I have never been able to set my eyes 
on them again. Now we all know what a valuable plant the 
blue anagallis is—no other plant combining the many 
qualifications of bright colour, good habit, &c., which it 
does; I am, therefore, surprised so little has been done in 
the way of improvement; on the contrary, unless the kinds 
mentioned above be in cultivation, we have certainly retro¬ 
graded. Perhaps some reader will, through these columns, 
let me know if they yet exist. 
I beg to thank the many kind friends who in reply to my 
inquiries concerning the geranium Moore's Victory, pointed 
out where it could be obtained, hoping also they, or some 
others, will be able to throw light on the queries above, as I 
shall be glad to hear of this plant’s restoration ; besides, I 
think it is capable of vast improvement in many points, and 
would beg to request some of those ardent admirers of flora, 
who seem determined to swell our list of verbenas to the 
bursting-point, to try their hands at anagallis. A new field 
exists there for them, and one assuredly of great promise.— 
S. N. V. 
LEAVING POTATOES IN THE GROUND. 
On the 14th of February, 1851, I commenced planting 
the “ Pink-eye,” a variety much and justly esteemed in this 
country; and on the 80th of July 1 lifted the first of the 
crop, which I found most productive, very free from disease, 
and some of the tubers of so large a size, that I kept a few 
to exhibit to friends. On the 9th of August I stopped dig¬ 
ging, leaving the remainder in the ground, intending to keep 
them for seed. On the 6th of November I raised these, and 
instead of finding them of the size T expected, 1 was much 
disappointed at seeing that all the large potatoes had melted 
away, being thoroughly rotten, while those which I had taken 
np in the early season, to exhibit, remained in the house as good, 
as they were on the day I dug them. This, I think, clearly 
proves that the plan adopted in this country, of leaving the 
seed in the ground to harden, is not judicious.—B, 
VINE BLEEDING. 
Seeing a remark about the stopping of the bleeding of 
vines in one of your late numbers, I beg to state that collo¬ 
dion is a most effectual remedy for the bleeding of green¬ 
house plants generally, and I have no doubt would prove 
equally so for vines, but, not growing them, I cannot speak 
from experience. Your lady subscribers will find it a much 
more elegant remedy than any other. It merely requires 
to be rubbed on the dry surface with the linger, when it 
forms an impervious film. 
I was induced to try it from having used it to check bleed¬ 
ing from small wounds, &c., in the human subject. You 
may take advantage of this hint, also, if you happen to cut 
yourself in shaving, or have an abraded surface. Collodion 
is cheap, and can bo procured at any chemist’s.—T. H. N. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
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, 
Zinc Churn. —7. R, L. says—“We have one cow, and have used a 
zinc churn for some time, and my experience of it is this—that it is no 
better than any other. In hot summer weather the butter certainly was 
made in twenty minutes. The printed directions say the temperature of 
the cream must be Go 0 , and in cold weather this must be attained by the 
application of boiling water. This, however, we found, upon two or 
three trials, to produce so rancid and disagreeable a flavour, that we 
preferred patiently churning for two or even three hours, in order to have 
our butter sweet. I think we have used one churn for seven months, twice 
a week, and it has become quite leaky; I suppose it requires repairing. It 
has one great advantage—viz., it may be placed on a table, and churned 
with no trouble at all, beyond steady perseverance.” 
Heavenly or Celestial Tree.—O ur friend Queen Mub says, 
referring to our No. 142, that an enquiry is made by a correspondent 
(17. P.) as to the Heavenly or Celestial tree, and replies that “ the Ailan- 
thus glandulosa is commonly called the ‘ Ileaven-seeking tree.’ Its 
German name is ‘ Drfisiger Gotterbaum,’ or ‘ Tree of the Gods ; ’ and in 
Italian ‘Albero di Paridiso.’ This, therefore, must surely be the 
Heavenly or Celestial tree enquired for by 17. P.” 
Removing Large Trees (-).—'Your idea that, “because a 
large tree has not been transplanted in the same position as regards the 
wind and sun” is the main cause of failure, may he true near the sea j 
coast, but that has nothing to do with failure or success in inland situa- I 
tions. We have invariably, for more than twenty years, turned the worst i 
side of a tree or shrub to the sun when transplanting it, knowing that 
that would bring the head to a bette.r form, after a few seasons. The 
real cause of failure we take to be cutting the roots too much, and 
planting at unseasonable times. 
Sidonia Geranium ( Constant Reader). —Many thanks foryonr com¬ 
munication. Mr. Beaton would be delighted to get the North of 
England variety which caused Sidonia to seed with you, and also a 
morsel of the very Sidonia that seeded. Next May would be time 
enough. Please to repeat the experiment by hand next summer, and 
use the pollen of Sidonia, as well as that of the other variety, and prove 
how practice agrees with your theory, in which, by the way, we also 
concur. 
Tree Carnation ( Constant, Reader).— This is a very old and distinct 
variety, and there are several new ones now in cultivation, and are as 
plentiful as blackberries about London. The new ones flower very late 
m the autumn, and early in the spring, as well as through the summer; 
in fact, like hybrid perpetual roses, ami they are very easy to manage in 
pots and out-of-doors. In forcing they will not endure so much heat as 
the old clove carnation, or the Anne Boteyn pink. About 55° in winter is 
all they stand with us. 
Solanum Jast.iinoides (Ibid). —The flowers are snow-wliite, and the 
plant is much hardier than the common passion-flower, and as plentiful 
about London as any other fine creeper. Cut down the Passion-flower 
late in April to within a yavd of the ground, and you may rely on seeing 
some of its flowers next August, if not sooner, unless the plant is very 
weak indeed, and if it is, cut it as low as you see buds or eyes. W. 
Heaton, Esq., Copley Wood, Halifax, will give you probably the informa¬ 
tion you require about Cochin China fowls. All the Cineraria maritima 
is gone. 
Poland Poultry. —77 . 77., Dalston, can obtain a pure bred Black 
Poland hen, by applying, with his full address, to Sarah Cole, the Rev. 
E. S. Dixon’s, Cringleford Hall, near Norwich. There is also a cock, 
the only objection to which is, that he shows a red feather or two in the 
wing covert. A post-office order for 1 to Sarah Cole, will secure the 
pair, the hen alone being worth the money to breed from. Mr. .1. Bailey, 
113, Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, would supply Gold and Silver 
Polands. 
Flower Tubs (J. B.). —Your plan will do remarkably well. The 
three tubs, with “lugs,” or handles, to carry them about by, filled with 
Lucia Rosea, and edged with Verbenas to hang down, placed on the 1 
grass-plat, will look very gay, and pay you well for all your trouble. But, 
you ought to have a fourth to have pairs, else you must he very careful 
how you place them, otherwise the plat will look like a pig with one ear. 
If you cannot get the fourth tub, form one of the three into the shape of 
the British crown, with small rods hooped over, first from lug to lug and 
then the contrary way, and plant Nasturtiums, or Canary plants, to run 
over the rods; and place this one in the middle, and call it the Queen 
Tub; the other two keep as you propose. 
Antholyza, &c. (W. J. TV.).—There are no such plants known to 
science as Anthotyxa coccinea, purpurea, and rosea. They must be sonic 
local names, of which no trace can, of course, be found in a scientific 
catalogue, like The Cottage Gardener’s Dictionary, 
Phloxes ( Ibid).—We do not know a Phlox “of the colour of the j 
Emperor of China Verbena.” Do any of our readers happen to know of i 
such a Phlox? Seedling Phloxes are extremely numerous, but we shall 
give you the names of half a dozen of the best and most distinct colours 
shortly. 
Young Roses (Ibid).—' The young roses you planted last November j 
must be pruned, and that very closely, about the end of March or early 
in April. 
Chrysanthemums (Ibid).— Four fleet apart will be the proper dis¬ 
tance to plant chrysanthemums for training against paling or walls. We j 
cannot recommend a particular arrangement of the colours : that depends 
on individual taste. The colours of Ac best arc given in our lists of last ! 
autumn. 
Tuopieolum (Correspondents). —There is not a plant of that name 
known to science, and therefore not to be found in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener’s Dictionary . Probably some outlandish dealer manufactured that 
name for Tropaeolum spcciosnm. They manage these things cleverly in j 
some parts of the country, hut you may rest assured that no authorised 
name of any useful or ornamental plant is omitted in the dictionary. 
Removing Bees (Hopeful).— 1 These are in a Nutt’s hive, and you wish I 
them to travel by railway. Secure the sides of the centre box either with ! 
hoard, or the tin sliders ; put the box upon a floor-hoard, the exact size of 
it, and tie up the whole securely in a cloth, and convey them in your , 
hand the whole distance, thus they may he removed with safety in March. 
Removing Rees (D. Powell, junr.). —We have ourselves removed I 
two stocks of bees into a greenhouse within the last week, which green- I 
house is not more than two yards from the place they have occupied 1 
during the last year, hut even conveying them this short distance took j 
two months to effect, by removing them only a few inches at a time. By j 
this method not a bee was lost, whereas, had the stocks been removed ' 
the whole distance at once, they would in all probability have been dc- I 
stroyed, or so depopulated, as to he almost valueless. If your stocks 
have each of them ten or twelve pounds of honey in store, they will not I 
require feediug, if they do, barley-sugar may he pushed in at the on- j 
trance as you propose. We use a zinc pan for water ourselves, with 
wood float. Use either rain or spring water. 
