u'jy 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 
February 20. 
in keeping them from suffering from dry weather. A slight 
covering of moss is also good, placed between the rows 
after the foliage is up. 
1 hope those that cannot have a bed of Ranunculuses 
this season will try to raise a few seedlings as a beginning. 
Nt)lhiiig is easier reared, and, even if they make one good 
claw, they will, with ordinary treatment, be sure to Jlow'er 
next season. This is well worth the notice of young 
gardeners in Scotland. 1 say Scotland, as young gardeners 
there generally exchange places in November, when the 
roots of the Ranunculus are out of the ground, and take but 
little room in packing tip. I can speak practically to the 
working and pleasure in carrying tliis out; for when 1 left 
home to enter on the tirst steps of a serving gardener, I 
was obliged to give up tbe whole of my other favourite 
pels. The Ranunculuses I kept, and carried from place to 
place as long as I remained iu Scotland, and, believe me, 
they gave me many an hour’s pleasure that I should not 
otherwise have had; and next to my little store of books, 
when 1 entered on a new situation, 1 never considered 
myself at home till i had looked my Ranunculuses over, 
counted their claws, and seen that they were all safe. 
Resides, rely upon it, if a head-gardener sees you anxious 
and fond of flowers, he will keep his eyes on you, and that 
if your conduct and abilities justify him, he will be sure to 
do all he can for you. 
Allow' me to add, it seems strange to me, that though 
thei’e is not a manufacturing town of any note in the 
kingdom but is distinguished for florists, how few' and far 
between they are to be found amongst the agriculturists. 
The labourer is satisfied with his Honeysuckle, Wall¬ 
flower, Hollyhocks, itc. Far otherwise the weaver, tlie 
collier, and the hammerer of iron. If they have not tbe 
carriages and horses to give, that we are told were nothing 
thought of in older times amongst the Hutch, in exchange 
for a Tulip, still, a keen florist gives, even in the present 
day, his little all, and that W'ith pleasure, for some favourite 
flower. Every favourable moment at this season is taken 
advantage of, at meal-times, to watch and take care of his 
favourites. The Tulip and the Hyacinth, now making 
their w'ay to the surface, have not been over-looked, and 
where there were doubts of their roots being all right, 
they have often been examined, and a modicum of dry 
earth substituted where they appeared sutt’ering from damp. 
Little hillocks have been raised over their heads, and an old 
tile, or piece of slate, carefully placed on the top, to keep 
them dry, for all florists are not Recks, capable of aftbrding 
Avaterproof covering. Such is the interesting, innocent life, 
and part of the occupation, of a florist in February. 
Judging by the few weeks 1 have been a re.ader of TAe 
Cottage Gardexer, and though it is said to be dangerous 
to meddle w'ith editors, still, I cannot help staling, that it 
appears to me the above class of i>lants is deserving of 
more attention than is paid to them, apparently, in its 
pages.—H. Ferguson, Stow, Biic/cinyhiim. 
[We agree with IMr. Ferguson. In our first volumes 
every Florists’ Flower was fully considered, but the time is 
come for more notes upon them.—En. C. G.j 
CETERACH OFFICINARUM . 
In a recent number of Tub Cot'tage Gardener, I see a 
description given of tlie Ctlevoch officina-nim, where it is 
stated, that “ it seems incapable of bearing the colder 
climate of Scotland.” 1 think this must be a mistake, as 1 
have had it growing on a rockw'ork here for four years, and 
it stands the Avinter perfectly hardy. 1 am also informed, 
that it grows plentifully on some hills near Hrumlanrig, in 
Dumfiieshire.— Geo. Smitu, T/u; Ilirscl, Culdstream, Ber- 
wk/cihire. 
[We are much obliged by this communication. It is the 
first information w'e have met with of the Cctcrach being a 
i native of Scotland, but we have since heard from another 
correspondent (A. R.), who states that he also found it in 
' Scotland on the ruins of Iona. — Ed. C. G.] 
I USE OF EARWIGS. 
! Allow me to ofler you a simple remedy for tbe Green fly 
! and Thrips. When I have a plant infested with these 
! pests, I get a few Earwigs, and carefully place one or two 
j under the leaves of each plant, such as Cincrurios, or 
Gloxinias, Ac., and in a very short time the Earwigs will 
I show battle against the insects ; and iu a day or two you will 
; be agreeably surprised at their victory. This I found out 
by one getting, accidentally, upon a Cineraria which I Avas 
I going to smoke under a hand-glass, when, to my surprise, 
' not an insect Avas to be seen, but the EarAvig alone on one 
I of tlie under leaves, and quite contented.—W. Haavkins, 
' Gardener to IV. Whitneij, Esq., Thorney Ahhey. 
THE POTATO MURRAIN. 
In The Cottage Gardener of the loth of January, a 
correspondent having throAvn out the suggestion that the 
Potato Murrain is influenced by frost, has induced me to 
send you the following observations. There can be no doubt 
that the rustic fence and young shoots of the Bonrsanlt 
Rose did preserve the tAVO roAvs of Potatoes from the attack 
of frost. It is now Avell ascertained that the first appear¬ 
ance of the murrain is not like an attack of frost. 1 have 
ever found the first signs of it to be a broAvu spot upon the 
leaf, Avhich, if turned up, a yellow fungus Avill be found on 
the under side. On the appearance of this spot on the loaf, 
if the tubers are examined, they Avill be found to be already 
affected by a light blue spot upon the skin; but the leaves 
Avill not fall down for ten or tAvelve days after these appear¬ 
ances. If the Avriter of the article had examined the 
tubers on the day he first observed the frost, he Avould have 
found the disease had taken place some days previously to the 
appearance of frost. In all my observations, 1 have found 
that the Potato IMurrain is influenced by the sun. Noav, the 
rustic fence, and the young shoots of the Bonrsanlt Rose, in 
{ sliading the Iavo rows of Potatoes nearest the fence, protecteil 
I them from the bright rays of the mid-day sun, Avhen he at 
j tildes sends forth his unnatural heat, as Avhen Ave say “ the 
j sun is scalding.” I have ahvays observed, that Avhere the 
Potatoes have been shaded from the sun they have been 
safe from murrain. In gardens Avhere standard fruit-trees 
I are standing, the shade from the trees has ahvays jireserved 
the Potatoes, Avhile the crop in the other part of the garden 
Avas injured. 
I may also mention, that the Rean crop is liable to the 
same disease as Potatoes, although it is not so general. In 
the year 1847, it Avas very prevalent in this neighbourhood. 
1 had sixteen acres of Reaus in one field; in the mouth of 
August they all became broAvn, and the groAvth Avas com¬ 
pletely stopped, and the crop very much injured. The 
leaves all fell off, and their under side was covered Avith a 
yellow fungus. Now there was a plantation of trees ran 
along the south side of the field, and shaded about thirty or 
forty yards distance from it, and all along that side of the 
field the Reans kept their colour, a fine green, to the end of 
the season, and furnished a good crop, from being shaded 
from the sun. 
Query.—May not the sun have more influence on the 
Potato Murrain than the frost?— Robert Hogg, Boyaii 
Green, Coldingham, N. B. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
PEACH-TREES DECAYING.—FREELY SETTING 
MELONS. 
“ 1 have a Peach-Avall, Avhich, a few years ago, was covered 
Avith large, healthy trees, but noAV some are dying off a limb 
at a time, and some are quite dead. The border is about 
eight feet wide, and 1 plant it as folloAVs:—In the summer, 
early I’eas, Cauliflower, and early Potatoes. In winter it 
has Rrocoli and Avinter Spinach; in fact,being never bare. 
My gardener says it is cropping the border that kills the 
