February 26, 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
247 
Flower-beds (Violet). —You will be pleased to bear your arrange¬ 
ment is highly approved of, and the plan thought beautiful, but a little 
alteration is required in the former, and it will be noticed next week. 
Heating a Bit {R. R.). —You can heat the pit as you propose very 
easily, and you can keep plants in pots in it all the winter, or strike 
cuttings in it in the spring ; but recollect you cannot plant out anything 
to grow in it, as cucumbers or melons, because the roots would soon reach 
the flue, and get burnt. Tan would be the best thing for filling between 
the flues for cuttings. The plan has often been tried. 
Cactus or Epiphyllum Crenatiim (Highburiensis). —This we 
treat exactly as we do the others, though it seems a little more tender 
than Speciosissima. We think you would have succeeded better if you 
] had placed it against a wall in August and September, instead of keeping 
i it in your greenhouse. Your general treatment is correct. It did not 
bloom very freely with ourselves. 
Or,n Yellow Cabbage Rose (Ibid). —This does well frequently on 
an east or west wall ; encouraged to grow, stopped so as to cause it to 
throw out spurs, which spurs or shoots are slightly shortened, and from 
them the flowers are produced. Most rose dealers can supply it, if we 
are right as to the sort. We shall be glad to receive the rose notices. 
Economical Greenhouse (Learner) .—We should be glad to oblige 
you, but fear we cannot do so without a rude draught of the garden and 
buildings. We cannot see that you can have either a useful or econo¬ 
mical greenhouse constructed on a border four-and-a-half feet wide, and 
one part four feet. How are you to get into it, and walk in it, and yet 
find room for as many plants as would be worth while for you to have 
upright glass and roof glass for? You speak of having a dung-bed at 
one end, and for this width we would advise a bed or pit all the way you 
propose going. You could make a hotbed of one end for sowing seed¬ 
lings, starting dahlias, &c., and the other part would enable you to keep 
all the plants you name, and greenhouse plants in general, over the 
winter, without artificial heat, but by using covering in cold weather. 
If you have the back wall now, a low one in front would do, say two feet 
in height, and with a two-inch pipe for hot-water, you might do anything. 
As in such a pit the sashes would be moveable ; they would cost you 
more than you might manage a fixed roof for, a In Rivers. If we have 
mistaken you, write again. 
Vines (M. H.). —You have done quite right in protecting the wood of 
your forced vines ; the frost is sometimes exceedingly injurious, we have 
known them killed outright by sudden exposure. There is no necessity 
to liayband them ; they do well thrown on the ground, with a little litter 
tedded over them. 
Unthrifty Trees (Tigonica). —We have little faith in grafting trees 
the roots of which are “ ill at ease,” the correct presumption, we fear, in 
your case. Nevertheless, as a last resort, well-known hardy kinds will 
infuse fresh blood. What would replanting do, with a knowledge of the 
evil well ascertained? You cannot blame climate at any rate. As for 
your cankered ones, you have no other alternative. Two years’ wood 
will be sooner fruitful, one year’s will grow more freely. Scions are best 
cut a month before grafting, placing them with their hecl3 in cool, damp 
soil. 
Hyacinths done Flowering (71/. /).).— Your hyacinths in glasses 
may be planted in loose, light soil. Not a leaf nor root ought to be 
injured or checked, either by a want of water or cold. It would not do 
to plant them out-of-doors at present; you might grow them on in pots 
until May, and then turn them out into the borders without disturbing 
the balls. 
Early Prolific Rhubarb (J. Wilson). —We know of no one to 
whom you can apply but to the raisers, Messrs. Rendle, Nurserymen, 
Plymouth. 
Boiler (Alpha, Dublin). —Write to Mr. Pannell, sG, Fetter Lane, 
Holborn. The work you mention will, we believe, be published in a 
separate form. 
Worms in Pigs (Wordstry). —To prevent these, feed them when 
young upon more generous food, and always give a little salt in their 
food ; to destroy them, give the pig a pill of Venice turpentine, as large 
as a marble, mixed up with fat, so that he will eat it without trouble; 
next day give a dose of castor oil; third day, give no medicine, and then 
repeat the turpentine and oil. Continue this course until the worms are 
removed. The weed you enclosed, called in your neighbourhood Huy- 
riffe, is usually called Cleavers, Catchweed, or Goose-grass, and by 
botanists Galium aparine. It is an annual, so if you prevent its seeding 
you will extirpate it. Hariff airmeiiigh is the Irish name. 
Rendering Eggs unproductive. —More than one correspondent 
blames Mr. Punchard for rendering his eggs unproductive before he 
sends them to market. This blame is totally undeserved. That gentle¬ 
man is perfectly willing to sell fertile eggs at a price commensurate with 
the expense of getting together his valuable stock. The overplus, those 
eggs which he sells at the common market price, he renders unfertile, 
otherwise no one would give him the fair higher price. 
Strawberry Beds (Acquisitiveness). —Tanner’s bark as a thin 
covering for these was recently recommended in our pages. It keeps the 
soil moist, and the fruit clean. Cantua dependent! is a worthy rival of 
the fuchsia, and quite as hardy. Your proposed mode of constant venti¬ 
lation is good. 
Steep Bank (IF.— County Cork). —We should put the wall at the top 
of the bank, and by judicious management of the soil make the three- 
I feet-vvide border sufficient for the roots of the wall-trees. The bank 
itself, which is so steep, and which you purpose to cover with flag-stones, 
we should also trellis, and grow vines and other wall-trees upon, under 
glass, according to the plan described and drawn in our No. 21. 
! Laurestinus (Amateur). —You may readily increase it by layering 
the lower branches this spring. Its botanical name is Viburnum Units. 
Thanks for your other news, which you will see inserted in a previous 
page. 
Gooseberry-trees (L. R. /..).— No trees do well turfed over their 
roots. Why not leave round each a circle of two feet radius untouched ? 
These circles, with a low trellis of iron round them, would look very 
neat. You may bud your lemon upon the orange stock in August. 
Four Vines for Forcing (Rector ).— 1 Dutch Sweet-water, 2 Black 
Hambro’s, 1 Muscat of Alexandria. For cool house —1 Muscadine, 
2 Black Hambro’s, 1 West’s St. Peter’s. Useful pot Vines —Black 
ilambro’, Frontignans, Muscat of Alexandria, Dutch Sweet-water, Royal 
Muscadine. Note .—The Mill-bill Hambro’ is so well spoken of, that it 
might take the place of West’s St. Peter’s in late houses. The above j 
will be a safe collection on a small scale. 
Name of Plant (Queen Mab ).—Yours is some variety of the Quercus 
ilex. There are several varieties of this tree, and even the leaves vary 
much on the same specimen, as to being saw-toothed or entire. Of [ 
Fastigiate, or pyramidal-shaped plants—such as Thuja orientalis, and 
its varieties, Cupressus sempervirens, ana any of its varieties, Garrya 
elliptica, a very beautiful plant of compact habit, the Tree Boxes, and 
Euonymus japonicus, would suit you. 
CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
Aerides, and other similar Indian plants, will this month be growing 
rapidly ; give them fresh sphagnum, if in wire baskets ; if in wooden 
ones, renew them, and bring the roots within the baskets amongst the 
fresh sphagnum. Air, give more abundantly as the days lengthen, and 
the sun obtains more power. Blocks. —The plants on these must be 
syringed twice a-day at least, as they will now be growing rapidly. 
Baskets. —Dip these in the cistern twice a-weelt; if very dry, allow 
them to remain in the water an hour or so, till the hard lumps of peat are 
thoroughly wetted. Barkerias, set to work, by giving water freely. 
Pot Catasetums, Cycnociies, and other similar-habited plants; they 
will now be growing. Denduobes, see last month. Such as are in 
flower remove, if possible, to a cooler house ; they will then last much 
longer in bloom. Heat, towards the end of the month bring up to the 
maximum. Indian House, 80° to 85° by day, 70° by night. Mexican 
House, 70° to 75° by day, 60° by night. The highest heat to be when 
the sun shines. Insects, keep a watchful eye upon, and destroy the 
moment they are perceived. Moisture in tiie Air, keep up a large 
amount of, by keeping the walks, platforms, and walls frequently flooded. 
Potting, proceed with, and finish before the end of the month. Now 
is the time to increase orchids, by division or otherwise. Shading.— 
About the middle of the month place the shades upon the roof, to be 
ready for use, as the sun will soon be so powerful as to be dangerous. 
Watering at the Root must now be regularly given, but care 
taken that it does not lodge upon the leaves or in the hollow of the 
young shoots. T. Appleby. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Aciiimenes advancing in growth, give water to, but do not flood 
them in this early season ; repot such as have filled their pots with 
roots ; pot a batch to succeed the former ones. Air, give now freely in 
mild weather; take care the apertures for the admission of air are not 
directly opposite the plants, it is best to come over the pipes or flues, 
to be heated before it reaches the plants. Baskets. Place in these 
JEschynanthus, Achimenes, some Lycopodiums, and other hanging-down 
plants ; they ornament the stove greatly. There are some baskets made 
of coloured glass, that are very ornamental objects, filled with proper 
plants. Cuttings continue to put in; pot off such as have rooted. 
Ixoras, re-pot, stop, and tie out; place them in a frame heated with 
dung: here they grow rapidly and soon make fine plants. Insects, 
continue to watch for and destroy. Potting, finish the spring, by the 
end of the month. Syringe freely morning and evening, and keep the 
paths flooded in sunshine. Water will now be required in large 
quantities to fast growing plants. Let the walks be frequently washed 
out, and every yellow leaf removed, every plant neatly tied, and decaying 
flowers removed as they occur. T. Afpleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas and Polyanthuses will now be showing their flowei" 
stems. In this stage they require constant attention. Top-dressing, i* 
not done, must be finished the first week ; water regularly in pretty 
liberal quantities ; if allowed to flag now the blooms will be small. Give 
plenty of air daily, and shade from bright sun towards the end of the 
month ; cover up securely at night whenever there is the least appearance 
of frost; sow seed, and pot last year’s small seedlings to encourage 
growth. Calceolarias, re-pot, prick out seedlings, give plenty of air j 
to, and smoke frequently with tobacco. Carnations and Picotees I 
put into their blooming pots. Search the soil over minutely, to find 1 
wlreworms, and destroy them previously to using. Place them when ; 
potted upon a bed of coal-ashes, with a convenience of hoops and mats | 
to shelter them from severe weather. Shouid mildew appear, dust with 
sulphur; and destroy green fly with tobacco-water or Scotch snuff. : 
Cinerarias finish potting, b. ; smoke frequently to destroy every green 
fly as soon as it appears ; water freely, and shade from bright sun as the 
flowers open. Chrysanthemums pot off into small pots and repot, b., 
into a size larger. Dahlias, all intended to be potted should now be 
done ; pot oil' cuttings as soon as rooted, and put in more cuttings if 
required. Divide the old roots, leaving a bud or two to each division, 
place each division in a pot and allow them to grow slowly till planting 
time; a cold frame well protected from frost will be shelter enough for 
them. Fuchsias, re-pot; cuttings may yet be put in. Begin to train 
early in order to form well-shaped plants. Hyacinths, tie the flower- 
stems to sticks to prevent the winds from breaking them off; continue 
to shelter the bed by hoops and mats. Hollyhocks, plant out where 
they are to bloom ; place a mulch of short litter round each plant. 
Pinks, top-dress, b., if not done last month. Ranunculuses may 
yet be planted, b.; shelter the bed from heavy rains, frost, hail, or snow. 
