I 
October 23. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPi\NION. 
, sort of cupola, or dome, tlie summit of which is about five 
iiiclics above the general surface of the bouquet. 
' The weather for the last fortnight has been somewhat 
I chilly and wet, but not so much so as to he disagreeable; 
' and, indeed, after having had more than two months very 
I warm and dry, most people are well satisfied with the 
' change. 
I The last accounts from tlie provinces are particularly 
! cheering. The Vine crop, as reported in dilforeut (piarters, 
j far and near, is by no means so deficient as was supposed, 
1 if, indeed, it is less abundant than usual; but all accounts 
' agi'ce as to the superior quality of tlie fruit. Potatoes, it is 
I stated, are unusually abundant and good. In the different 
departments from which reports have been received, neither 
Grapes nor Potatoes have been attacked with disease this 
year. The late occasional showers have been very beneficial 
to the country, and the field and garden operations have 
been prosecuted under the most favourable circumstances. 
Vegetables, in particular, as well as the common kinds of 
fruit, are plentiful in the markets of Paris ; and though the 
returns show a deficiency of grain, as compared with former 
years, to the extent of nearly seven millions of quarters, it is to 
be hoped that with open ports, and other resources, no great 
dearth of provisions will be felt during the winter and spring. 
October 10th. P. F. Keui. 
THE PINK IVY-LEAVED CLIMBING 
GERANIUM. 
I AM glad to see that Mr. Beaton, in his article on the 
Crystal Palace, in the October number of The Cottage 
Gardener, page 2, has explained the difference between the 
Pink Ivy-leaf Climbing Geranium, to which he has given 
the correct n&me, “ Fe/nrfjoitium lateripcs rnsevin" and the 
Bedding Pink Ivy-leaf, “ Ailon’s Fclargoninin jieltatum,'' ns I 
was very ’nearly, through ignorance, throwing away kome 
cuttings sent to me of the former ; and which, though an 
(dd plant, is now rather scarce. My cuttings were rescued 
for me by a friend who was with me, a first-rate gardener, and 
who pointed out my mistake; but although I w'as so fortu- 
naie, others may not bo equally so, and, without Mr. Beaton’s 
explanation, might be led into the same error, which I am 
sure they would greatly regret, could they see the beautiful 
clfect produced by Pelargonium Intcripes roscum in the Con¬ 
servatory at Lady Louisa Cavendish’s in Derbyshire, where it 
covers the back wall, and forms hanging wreaths across the 
roof, with a profusion of foliage and bright pink flowers; and 
was, I hear, growing so luxuriantly that it had to he greatly 
cut hack this year, to admit the sun into the conservatory. 
It .also grows in great perfection at Lady Southampton’s 
lovely place at Whittlebury, and in the beautiful garden at 
Compton Place. Nursery g.ardeners should procure a 
liberal supply of it, and ofi'er it on reasonable terms for 
greenhouse wall-climbei’s, as it is far more effective under 
glass than the white Ivy-leaved variety.— Friend. 
“THE BRITISH WORKMAN.” 
Under this title have appeared nine monthly penny 
numbers of a most excellent work, calculated to elevate the 
character and promote all the interests of the workmen in 
evei’y trade. The illustrations, of which there are eight or 
ten in each number, are very .artistically executed; and, 
altogether, it is a periodical worthy of unreserved com- 
memlation. 
The following is an extract from one of the numbers :— 
“Queen Victoria and the Scotchman. — A ple.asing 
incident recently transpired in one of the Scotch Law Courts, 
which will secure for our Queen many a hearty cheer from 
British sons of toil. It ajipears that a mason from Bal¬ 
moral was being examined as a witness before the jurj', 
when the presiding judge spoke rather sharply to the hard- 
toiling Scotchman, who, although probably very expeditious 
in dressing stones, was somewhat slow in addressing the 
court. In reply, tlie man said, ‘ Just allow me totak’ time, 
my lord, I’m no accustomed to sic’ a company.’ On leaving 
the box, the mason said to the bystandei-s, ‘ The Queen has 
59 I 
I 
been to my hut, and she speaks pleasantly, and draws pretty 
pictures for the bairns. 1 would far ratlier speak to the 
Queen than to yon chap wi’ the big wig.’ 
“Long live Queen Victoria! who, although swaying the 
sceptre over dominions in every jiart of the world, is not 
above leaving the gaiety of palace life, and, entering the 
cottage of a working man, is found drawing ^ inciiires for the 
bairns.’ " 
VERBENA BLUEBEARD. 
I OBSERVED, recently in your notices to correspondents 
in The Cottage Gardener, some allusion made (to the 
Verbena sent out under the name of Bluebeard. Allow me 
to say, that there must surely have been some mistake con¬ 
nected with the sending out of this plant, as^ it is cer¬ 
tainly not blue, although it was represented to be so. And, 
what is still more strange, it is identical with another well- 
known old variety, sent out several years since, under the 
name of Paquin, or M. Paquiii. I have now the so-called 
Bluebeard and Paquin growing quite near tq'each other, and 
no one can perceive that they differ in the slightest degree. 
—r. G. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
CARDENINC. 
WINTER TREATMENT OF GLADIOLI. 
“A tivo years’ subscriber to The Cottage Gardener 
would feel much obliged for some information regarding the 
culture of Gladioli. She had some bulbs for the first time, 
last year, which blossomed beautifully; they were left in the 
ground for the winter, well protected against frost, and came 
up again in the spring, but afterwards dwindled away, and 
never blossomed. Should tho bulbs bo taken up for the 
winter ? and if so, when ought they to be planted ? Any 
hints as to their culture will greatly oblige—C. I. S.” 
[We were in the Same condition with our own beautiful 
crosses—not a bloom this summer from many bulbs. We 
never take them up at all; it is a had phan ; tho older a 
patch of them is, the better they will grow, bloom, and drain 
themselves. Some people tinker away at their Gladioli, till 
one is weary of lieaiing their nonsensical talk. Any light, 
sandy soil that would grow good turnips and barley will do 
for Gladioli; they will also grow well in peat, or in a mixture 
of sandy peat and loam. When Gladiolus psiltacinus was 
scarce, we grew the little offsets—about the size of peas— 
in drills on a Vine border ; and sowed them in February, 
just like Sweet Reas; but most of the sorts ought to be 
planted in October ; but psittucitius, gandavensis, and the 
crop of that section, would do to bo planted in February,and 
so on till April. Psiltacinus is as hardy as the Fluke potato, 
or more so. Last winter injured our Gladioli so much as to 
kee]i them from flowering, but not enough to kill tlie roots. 
Every lady ought to grow as many Gladioli as she could 
get; also the new large Crocuses from Holland— Sir Walter 
Scott and Queen Victoria, for instance. The latter is the 
best white Crocus in the world ; Sir Walter the next best 
white, and the best of the white with lilac markings. We 
bought fifty of each last week for 2s. the hundred.] 
TREATMENT OF PLUMBAGO; AGATHECA, Ac. 
“ X. Y. Z., Oxford, has some plants of Plumbago capensis 
just potted off; what should be the treatment? when and 
where will they bloom ? Also, Agatheca arnelloides, and 
various Mesembrganthemums ? 
“ How is Plumbago Larpenlte propagated ? Wliich is the 
best time to obtain plants of Alyssum saxatile and the 
common Hepatica .* These are common things, but ‘ X. Y. Z.’ 
has never cultivated them, and would be glad to begin in 
the right way.” 
{^Plumbago capensis is a greenhouse hush, which may be 
trained against a wall like a Peach-tree, or fastened up to a 
pole, or pillar, like a Pillar Rose. It flowers in the height 
of summer, and is very handsome, but it never succeeds well 
in a pot. 
