152 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 27 . 
mediate is more of an annual than a biennial, because, if 
sown in spring, it will flower the same year. 
The Queen Stock is a biennial, and is distinguished from 
the Bronipton by its flowers being produced on a single 
stem, that is, the stem does not branch ; hence it is botani- 
cally named Mathiola simplicicaulis (Single-stemmed). 
All Stocks are hardy enough to stand ordinary winters 
without protecting ; even the annual species, if sown in the 
autumn. It is advisable, however, to keep a few in pots, 
sheltered in a cold frame. If reriuired for a greenhouse, 
they should be potted in the autumn. They remove badly 
in the spring. Your fourth question is already partly an¬ 
swered. Annual Stocks may be sown in March, to flower the 
same year. Sow them in pans under a frame, and trans¬ 
plant where they are to flower. Biennial Stocks sow in July, 
and transplant in August, in a sheltered place, to bloom the 
June following. For the man.agement of Stocks see The 
Cottage Gardener, Yol. Xllth, page 138 and 177, where 
they are fully treated upon by ftlr. Appleby.] 
PLANTATION OF PINUSES. 
“ I am about to plant a few Firs on a rather elevated 
piece of ground (about three-quarters-of-au acre in extent), 
on a clayey soil (the clay containing a good deal of sand); 
this I intend to have deeply trenched and properly drained. 
With respect to this, I wish to ask your advice on one or two 
points. I have been thinking of planting, for the permanent 
trees, Finns Auslriaca chiefly, hut have heard doubts ex¬ 
pressed as to w’hether this will attain to a timber size in our 
climate. Is there any reason to fear this ? Secondly. I 
wish to ask what distance these permanent trees should be 
from each other. Would ten feet be too near? Thirdly. 
What would be the best tree to fill up wdth ? I iiresume 
either the Scotch Fir, or the Spruce, or both mixed. The 
aspect of my intended plantation is s.w., and I am pur¬ 
posing to plant a row of Finns cemhra along the front. I 
suppose I ought not to put my plants in till this time 
twelvemonth.—J. J. M-, Tenbury.” 
[You have been informed rightly, that Finns Austriaca I 
wall not attain a timber size in our climate so quiclcly as 
others. The best species for your purpose and soil is the 
Finns excelsa, which grows rapidly, yields a great quantity 
of turpentine, and produces excellent timber. It is besides 
that a very handsome tree, and is perfectly hardy. You 
should also plant a few of the Finns insiynis amongst your 
permanent trees. It is as hardy as the Scotch Fir, and is 
exceedingly handsome and distinct. The timber is excellent. 
Your arragement of your permanent trees, therefore, should 
be in the following proportions. 10 Finns excelsa; 2 Finns 
insiynis ; 2 Finns Austriaca (by way of tidal) ; and 2 Abies 
Donylassii. These you may mix as your fancy directs. The 
distance between each two of these permanents should not be 
less than fifteen feet, which wdll allow a circumference of 
seven-and-a-half from the bole of each tree, every way, 
which is quite space little enough for them to produce large 
timber-trees. The Finns cembra, being an upright-growing 
tree, you may plant at nine feet apart, to remain as jper- 
manent trees. Between them plant the Hemlock Spruce, 
kept well pruned in. Fill up between the other permanent 
trees, as you suggest, the common Scotch Pine, Finns syl- 
veslris, and the equally common Norway Spruce, Abies 
excelsa. 
If your plot is drained and trenched now, you might with 
perfect safety plant it in February or March, but remember 
this point, do not plant in any case, or any kind of trees, 
more than three feet high, and these such trees as have 
been frequently transplanted. 
Trees taken out of their nursery rows are very tender, 
and take two or three years to recover their removal, even if 
they all grow. You do not say whether the plot yon are 
about to plant is high or low in situation. If tlie former, 
»'and unsheltered, your new trees should not exceed two feet 
in height, and. your permanent trees sliould be securely 
staked till they are flnnly established at the root. In a low 
situation, too, the trees would succeed better, and more 
quicldy, if staked and well tied.] 
CULTURE OF SAXEGOTHEA CONSPICUA, LARDI- ; 
ZABULA BITERNATA AND EUGENIA UGNI. 
“ Having purchased several plants, lately, which I cannot ] 
find in The Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary, will you be j 
so good as to give me some directions as to their culture in 
the columns of your weekly journal; the plants are, Saxe- • 
gothea conspicna, Lardizabula biternata, and Eugenia ngni .— 
An Old Subscriber.” 
[From all that we know of the Lardizabula, we would 
treat it as a twining plant from South America, requiring a 
rather warm greenliouse, and to be grown in peat and loam, j 
The Eugenia ngni made more noise some time ago than it | 
has done since. It wa.s represented to be quite hardy, and 
sold for a high price, but the first severe winter cut it to the 
ground, and though many of the plants sprung again, it ' 
does not seem to do any good without the protection of a , 
greenhouse, or a glass-covered wall. Loam and peat will 
grow it well. The S'(7a;eyof/te« is a coniferous tree, introduced , 
by Messrs. Yeitch, from the Andes of Patagonia, discovered 
there by Mr. Lobb, and has stood out several seasons un- | 
injured. We forget how it stood last season. Had we a nice ; 
small plant of it, we would keep it in a cool greenhouse the | 
first winter or two, and after planting it out, give it the pro- | 
tection of some open fir boughs in winter, until it became of 
some size.] 
THINNING ASPARAGUS. 
“ T. P. M. is desirous to know how an Asparagus-bed, 
made in the winter of 18-54, and sown in that spring, ought 
to be treated. The plants are, as far as the rows are con¬ 
cerned, at a proper distance. But in the rows themselves 
the plants are almost continuous. When, how, and to what 
extent, should thinning be effected ? ” 
[We presume the bed was properly made for permanent 
Asparagus culture. In that case, with a three-pronged fork 
you may thin the plants now to a foot apart, if the plants 
you remove are not required. If they are required, then do 
not thin until next March, ivhen, having another bed or beds 
made, you can at once insert there the plants thinned out. 
If you leave the present bed until the spring, remove 
about an inch of its sui’face-soil, put on a slight dressing of 
well-decayed dung, and cover it with the surface-soil pre¬ 
viously taken up.] 
GARDENERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS. 
“Being one the same calling to whom IMr. Appleby’s 
advice is so freely given, I wish to return my best thanks for 
the same. Although I am too far gone to profit by it myself, 
I am sure it will be useful to some of the younger ones; 
but there is one great obstacle in the way of them ; that is, 
after they have worked well all their young days, and gone 
through every branch of the profession, in hopes of getting 
a head gardener’s place, eight out of every ten are dis¬ 
appointed ; because there are so few gentlemen that keep 
gardeners, now a-days, but rather sec their walks so covered 
wilh weeds that they can hardly get along them without j 
falling down, and their lawns covered with Daisies and leaves, | 
with a few miserable looking plants that have been grown I 
under the Vines, because they will not allow a little more 1 
fuel to grow them in the proper place ; therefore, I say, that ' 
it is almost useless for a young man to pay any premium to ' 
learn the gai-dening, unless be can be under-coachman as 
well, and learn to milk cows; then he may be sure to get a ' 
situation, such as ai’e advertised in your paper. No. 353— 
“Wanted, by a clergyman in the country, a thorough out-door 
servant, as groom, and gardener, and able to milk; a married 
man without family. LTnexceptionable character required.” I 
Or he may advertise till he is tired, and waste as much ! 
money as would keep him and his wile a week or two; , 
and when be cannot wait any longer, because the winter ! 
is coming, he must take a situation, where he must | 
be groom and gardener, milk cows, attend to pigs and j 
poultry, and make himself generally useful; he will have ' 
a boy under bim, and must furnish good characters from 
his last and previous situations; afterwards, if he chances , 
to hear of a place, and applies for it, he is told that ho will : 
1 not suit, because he is not in regular practice. i 
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