November 20. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COxMPANlON. 
131 
with this object in view, 1 beg to publish their names, viz., 
Houle de Neije, Skelloiiii, 3fiss IJ. Field, and TIeudersonii. 
'I’lic first engagement served to convince me that 1 should 
have to dismiss three of them. Boute dc Nci<je would 
not obey orders ; SkeUonii not up to the mark, consequently 
blushed, and retired; Aliss E. Field, I found not constituted 
for the position I designed her to occupy, but, as she ap¬ 
peared rather a fascinating person, I assigned her a i^ositiou 
in-doors, which 1 think will be more congenial to lier nature. 
The only hope I had left was centered in Ilendersonii. 1 
found some traits in his character that induced me to retain 
him ; and last year I placed him with the commander-in¬ 
chief to defend a certain position, winch he did so well, that 
1 felt necessitated to jdace him in the same again this 
year. I am happy to say he acquitted himself as honourably 
as he did the preceding one; he was always at his post, and 
he appeared vei’y ambitious to equal, if not to excel, the 
excellent qualities of the commander; but, of course, he 
kept him under his thumb. 
As I have spoken a word in bis behalf, I must also point 
out his defects, or public justice will not be satisfied. In 
this respect, I am sorry to say, he is like his neighbours, 
not w’itliout his faults. In th% first place, he is something 
of an epicure in his w'ay (if we can call this a fault). I feel 
persuaded Harry Moore has not sutticient ability to be 
cuisinier to him, nor do I think he requires the genius of a 
So 3 'er; but, in order to make him assume a bold front, he 
must be provided with good, plain food. I may also men¬ 
tion he is a temperance person (I do not mean a teetotaller). 
I certainly fancy he w’ants a new suit, as his dress, when 
closely examined, presents what the florist would term rather 
a narrow flimsy appearance; but for all that, at a little 
distance, he presents a very creditable front, and, under 
present circumstances, I cannot dismiss him.— S. Arnev, 
Suliny Grove. 
VERBENA LAYERS.—ROSE CUTTINGS. 
Having noticed, in the last volume of The Cottage 
Gardener of August 15, No. 307, Mr. Beaton's plan for 
propagating Verbenas, I beg to say, I have now tried the 
plan two years, and have succeeded quite well with those I 
laid down. Some I propagated from cuttings, to see which 
would make the best plants by the time I had them housed; 
but I find those from layers far exceed the others. I think 
it is the quickest and safest plan to adopt, because, in cuttings, 
you cammt always depend on their striking. Also, if a 
person has not much room to store a sullicient stock of 
plants away for the spring, he can lay a few dozens, or w’hat 
I he can conveniently store ; then he will have good plants to 
i take cuttings from in the spring. 
Also, in the same volume, October 3rd, No. 314, I noticed 
Mr. Beaton’s plan of striking Bose-cuttings. I set to work 
at once; I inserted some soft tiles edgeways, about three 
inches deep; I then inserted my cuttings, so that the side of 
the cutting came against the tiles. I covered them over 
with litter of straw, to protect them from the severity of the 
winter. In April, I had them uncovered, and, to my great 
satisfaction, I found them with shoots two-thirds-of-an-inch 
long. I have them now three feet high, good, bushy plants. 
I recommend those who have not tried the plan, if they 
j want to get some good training Boses, to begin at once.' 
—J. S. 
STORING SCARLET GERANIUMS. 
It is said, ladies like their own way; but let me add, gentle¬ 
men do not difl'er from them in this. I have found the 
noblest heart, and the most grovelling, I have come in con¬ 
tact Avith, each like to liave its own Avay, and gardeners, 
certainly, are no exception to the rule. But one ought 
hardly to expect such a difference of opinion amongst horti¬ 
cultural leaders, in the nineteenth century, about the treat¬ 
ment of common Scarlet Geraniums, Avhich, Avith a little 
mould and old broken dishes, hundreds of old Avomen luiA’e 
grown admirably! 
Supposing that every available piece of Scarlet Geranium 
that can be spared, up to the middle of August, avrs struck 
in the ground in an airy, exposed situation, and that it 
is desirable to pre.serve the old plants also ; noAv, instead of 
cutting them close in, before being placed in their Avinter 
quarters, as I have frequently seen practised iri first-rate 
])lacos, and Avhere the greater part have damped off in 
November and December, I Avould not alloAV, if possible, the 
smallest shoot to be injured. I Avould also be as particular 
in not leaving a leaf on them larger than a shilling; and, in 
jilace of potting them, I irrcfer forming temporary stages, 
shelves, or, you may call tlnun beds, the length andAvidth, of 
course, ruled by circumstances. I use wattled-hurdles for 
the bottoms ; any piece of board, four to six inches in depth, 
will do for the sides ; and by nailing a few narroAV pieces of 
Avood across Avill keep them together; I fill them with a 
mixture of leaf-moxild and burnt earth, but any light mould 
Avill do. The principal object to attend to is to guard against 
damp in November and December. I give them no Avater 
until January, and then very sparingly. If anything in the 
shape of mould appeal's on them, I dust them with a mix¬ 
ture of lime, soot, and di'y earth. On no account put a 
knife on them till the middle or end of March, Avithout you 
can give them artificial heat. You must be very sparing of 
Avater, even Avith heat, till you get them fairly started. 
I found, one year, that my engagements Avould take me 
aAvay from home in March and April, and the weather being 
very fine about the end of I’ebruai'}', I set to Avork, and had 
a large quantity cut to iiieces, and replaced in as comfortable 
quarters as I could Avish. Arvay I Avent, and did not return 
till three Aveeks afterAvards. In the meantime we had Avet, 
stormy, and snowj' weather, and, to make matters Averse, 
my man Avatered the Geraniums without giA'ing them fire- 
heat, the consequence Avas, I lost, at least, tAvo-thirds of 
them—a iiretty practical lesson for me. 
It is a good plan to tie the old Geraniums up in moss, 
AA’ith a little mould enclosed, and to hang them up anvAvhere 
you can find room, Avhere you can give them air and keep 
the frost from them. With those that have fire-heat at 
command it is a very different affair ; but, fire or no fire, I 
certainly Avould not cut them doAvn at this season. Besides, 
if treated as I recommend, they take up less room, and 
produce stronger and a much greater quantity of cuttings 
in the spring. 
The mildness of the season induces me to send you the 
above, being in the belief there is still a large quantity that 
arc standing out, Avhich, if the above treatment is practised, 
can be secured with little trouble and expense.—D. Ferguson, 
Sloive, Buckingham. 
SOWING COUVE TRONCHUDA. 
This is a most excellent vegetable. I think it the best of 
the Cabbage tribe, and deserving a place in not only every 
gentleman’s, but in every ])oor man’s, garden, if planted in 
the proper time. In all seedsmen’s lists it is said—“ Sow in 
August, and treat as CaulilloAvers ; ” but, for my OAvn part, I 
prefer soAving early in spring, and then, about the latter end 
of October or beginning of November, I get good cab¬ 
bages. As the frost gets stronger, this cabbage gets 
SAA'cetcr, and the size of the leaf-ribs )nake it stilt more 
valuable, as they do not Avaste so much as ordinary cab¬ 
bages do in boiling. 
It may be served up in tAvo Avays, boiled as a common 
cabljage, or as a good substitute for Sea kale. Cut the 
cabbage, and then, Avith a knife, remove all the leafy part, 
and leave only the largo ribs of the leaf. Boil, and serve 
I up as Sea-kale, and very feAV people Avould knoAv the dif¬ 
ference, a fter the frost has been on it. You may always have 
it three Aveeks or a month before you can Sea-kale. 
I think anything that comes in at this season of the year, 
i that is really good, is most valuable, as the general run of 
j vegetable* is getting short noAv; and this, I can safelj' say, 
is a really good vegetable, having groAvn it noAv three years. 
When I first came to Norfolk, I Avent to see several gar¬ 
deners, but they did not even knoAv Avhatit Avas like, having 
only seen the name in the seed lists. I have sent some to 
table in the early part of November, and it has been 
remarked—“ What beautiful Sea-kale ; and hoAV early, 
too! ” Upon being told it Avas not Sea-kale, the guests 
said—“ It is even better than the real Sea-kale.” 
