March 2“). 
COUNTllY GENTLEMAN’S COMTANION. 
4G3 
! 
I 
PiiAius ALBUs. — 1 place this here to meet an inquiry. 
The flowers are white, with a little purple. It generally 
blooms in summer and autumn, and on shoots of the 
current year’s growth. It wants still more o])eu material 
than Wallichii. To bo almost kept dry, and about 5U° 
after the leaves fade. After the shoots begin to move, 
the plant should be shifted if it requires it, receive ])lenty 
of beat and moisture ; if plunged in bottom-heat, all the 
better. When the flower-stems appear, and especially 
when they begin to open their blooms, a drier atmos¬ 
phere will be needed. 11. Fish. 
{To he continued.) 
Coal Tar Paint. — The following is an excellent 
recipe for preparing Coal Tar for iron rails, posts, and 
all out door work :— 
1 gallon of Coal Tar. 
1 quart of Spirits of Turpentine. 
The 'Tar to bo boiled half-an-hour, and the 'Turpentine 
added when the Tar is cooled down to lukewarm.—J. 
SEASONABLE NOTES FOR THE KI'TCHEN- 
GARDEN 
If the work recommended to be done the last few 
weeks has all been duly attended to, the jircsent will 
not he so busy a season as it sometimes is; but, if un¬ 
avoidable circumstances have prevented such work being 
done, the time has now arrived when it can no longer 
be delayed without certain loss. 'The latter end of 
March and beginning of April is a period in which so 
many descriptions of seeds must be sown and some 
things planted; and, as the progress of the young plant 
is more rapid now than in February, the work must be 
attended to at once, and a notice of some of the crops 
requiring attention at this time will, perhaps, be useful 
to young beginners. 
Potatoks. —As all experience tends to prove that the 
earlier this croj) is planted the more likely it is to escape 
the ravages of disease, it is to he hoped that the readers of 
'The Cottage Garheneu have all planted their allotted 
s[)acc with this crop long before this article roaches 
them. If not, or it may happen that in very late, cold 
districts the ground may never have been in condition 
to receive the seed until now, it is desirable to lose no 
time in putting in the whole crop; and bearing in mind 
that uncut sets are more likely to produce a crop than 
cut ones, it is advisable to plant whole ones only. The 
smallest of those sorted out for table use will do, or, 
rather, it is customary in assorting them in autumn to 
make three kinds, i.e., the large ones for table use, the 
very small and unsound ones for the pig, and the inter¬ 
mediate ones for planting. Amongst the thousand-aud- 
one preventives to disease, perhaps a dressing of lime 
and coal-ashes is as useful as any other. 
Celery. —The main crop of this must be sown, at the 
latest, by the third week in March, unless some artificial 
lieat can bo supplied, in which case, a week or two may 
be gained; but, at all times, I would recommend the 
main crop of Celery to be sown on some raised-up bed, 
as an old spent hotbed, or other place. A covering of | 
glass is not so requisite here as in some other cases; | 
and, as every inch of glass must be in use elsewhere, it > 
is not absolutely necessary except in cold situations. 
One good red and one good white variety are all that i 
are wanted. How moderately thick, cover lightly, the ! 
surface being made very line, giving water afterwards, as 
the weatlier and other circumstances render necessary, j 
'Tomatoes. —These, potted oft' now to tlie extent 
wanted, two or three |)lant3 in a four-inch pot, and 
placed in gentle heat, will speedily become useful, good 
plants. They must be gradually hardened off afterwards, 
so as to he lit to plant out for good by the 1st of May. 
There are several kinds, but the ordinary red one is 
most tised. A small yellow one is also occasionally 
sought after. i 
fiwEET MAR.JORAAr, BaSIL, AND OTHER xAxNUAI, SwEET j 
Herus, must now be sown, if not done before. Where 
but a small quantity is wanted, pans jdaced in heat will i 
do, and the seedlings being pricked out in some warm 
corner during the season, they will make a better crop 
j than when grown where sown, lutsil is more tender tlian 
Sweet Marjoram, and, unless sown in pans as above, it 
I need not bo sown until May, and then had bettor have 
the aid of glass. 
'Turnips. —'There are many things more easily pro¬ 
cured than an early crop of 'Turnips; for, though good ; 
seed will vegetate as soon as that of any thing else of 
the numerous family it belongs to, the plants seem not 
I to possess the qualification of resisting the temptation 
; to run to seed before they arrive at a useful condition, 
: when they are subjected to the least amount of frost in i 
the spring. 'There is something singular in this, for the i 
' plant docs not seem to sulfer immediately from the 
' effects of frost; but, afterwards, it is found out that the j 
, centre of the plants look a blue tint, and the whole | 
crop starts simultaneously to seed ; it is then far better j 
to cover up the young brood for a few nights at first, j 
until danger from frost is over. 'The American Stone ; 
and Snowball are as good as any for early use. 
Spinach. —'This may be sown at all seasons, from the 
1st of February until September; generally, a row of it 
between the lines of Boas answer best. Never allow it 
to remain on the ground after it is no longer useful. 
'Take care that birds and mice do not destroy the seed, 
as it is scarcely less attractive than the Peas to which it 
is often in close proximity. 
Lettuce. —Sow several kinds of this, especially a good 
White and Brown Goss and a Cabbage Lettuce. Also, 
plant out any that may have been standing over winter 
in some sheltered seed bed. This vegetable likes a rich, 
generous soil at this season, although, for standing the 
! winter, one not too much so is better. .Keep a sharp 
look out for slugs in the various crops, and occasional 
dustings with wood-ashes will both promote the health 
of the plants and tend to keep these crawling intruders 
away. 
Caulielower and Brocoi.i. —T'he former of these may 
IrC sown at various times up to the beginning of July, i 
and alter that in the third week of August and first 
week of September. 'I’lie September sown crop being 
the one to stand the winter, either under glass or in 
some way or other protected. The first spring sowing 
had better bo under glass, as jilants can hardly bo too 
early. Subsequent sowings may be in the ordinary way. 
flrocoli, of some very late sorts, may bo sown now, but 
the autumn and early winter kinds need not be sown i 
until ^lay. j 
Brussels Sprouts and the various Coleworts may . 
all be sown as early as they can be; the first-named : 
being, perhaps, the most useful of all the family; but 
Curled Greens, Chou de Milan, Savoy, and other things j 
may also be sown in such quantities as are wanted, i 
not forgetting Red Cabbage, and a little of some good . 
Summer Cabbage. 'The varieties resembling the old j 
Vanauch being the most esteemed for summer use, al- ; 
though, it must he confessed, they are not the best for 
standing the winter. 
Asparagus.— Where a fresh ])lantation of this is 
wanted, let the ground bo well prepared before-hand by 
deep trenching and enriching it well with manure of 
some kind ; but it is very good practice to prepare the 
ground somewhat later in the spring, and sow the seed 
in some bed on a warm border, and when the plants are 
about six inches high let them be carefully taken up 
