IOC 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
November 7. 
or any ware stand, for the centre of the table, all that is 
wanting is a soup-plate- shaped dish to suit the stand, and 
one made of pewter is the best, hut one of zinc would he 
nearly as good, as the company cannot sec it; this plate 
may he from six inches to two feet across ; it is to he filled 
quite full to the very edges with damp sand, and tho sand is 
to be made up in the centre as high as the diameter will 
allow of; it is then in the shape of a sugar-loaf, and the 
sand being quite damp it will hold this form for ever so long, 
and you can water it just like the moss one. The bottom 
fringe is then the first part to begin with, and of all flowers, 
Fuchsias make the best fringe; take one kind, or three 
kinds, for the whole fringe; take the foot stalks with the 
flowers, stick the end of the stalks into tho sand, all round 
the edge of the plate, and let the flowers hang down in their 
natural way,—a white one with a crimson inside, then a 
refloxed scarlet, with a purple inside, and the third, a plain 
red one, like yracilis, make a charming fringe, if the flowers 
stand exactly at equal distances below the edge of the plate, 
and one flower touch another, and no more, all round; then, 
for a bottom row, take white Hoses, for instance ; the next row 
Scarlet Geraniums; higher up, a white and a yellow flower 
alternately in the row, and so on to the top; hut any arrange¬ 
ment of the flowers which pleases oneself will do, once the 
system is understood; but Fuchsias make the host fringe, 
and the flowers of the Scarlet Runner Bean tho next best. 
For*a wedding nosegay, use as many white flowers as you 
can get, and some Orange-flowers, of course. The common 
white and crimson China Roses, in buds half open, and in 
circular rows, or mixed with a few leaves, make a nice 
bouquet at this season; if the outside petals are wild with 
damp, strip them off, and if they are hard and close, hold 
the bottom between the thumb and forefinger of the left 
hand, and with the forefinger of the right hand press down 
the point of the bud, and that will open it sufficiently for the 
work in hand. For a nosegay for the Christmas dinner- 
table, use little brauches of Holly, with the berries, and 
put in sufficient leaves to hide the sand; you might 
fringe it round the bottom with Lanrestinus flowers, and 
yellow-berried Holly would be a greater contrast. I have 
seen beautiful nosegays all of Fuchsia branches, from six 
inches to eighteen inches long, rising all round, and spread¬ 
ing outwards from a cover of sand, not more than four inches 
high, and six inches across the plate, with leaves enough put 
into the sand to hide it from view. For the dinner of the 
Caledonian Society, endeavour to imitate the Highland 
tartans, by putting the flowers in rows and squares;—all 
manner of devices may be made with flowers on this plan, 
close on the surface, by flowers only, or branchy, in imitation 
of plants, with slender branches in bloom. Most of the 
large bouquets for the royal table, and for tho tables of our 
high nobility arc made on this principle; damp sand pressed 
hard together being the only foundation ; but the sand 
must always be out of sight with leaves, if the flowers do not 
cover it. Large nosegays for the hand, and as flat on the 
top as the crown of a hat, are just as easily made when one 
knows the way; but, first of all, let us hear of the exact 
attempts that have been made, and failed, or succeeded but 
partially, and with a good deal of trouble, before we return 
to the subject again. D. Beaton. 
MANGOLD WURTZEL AS POULTRY FOOD. 
As Mangold Wurtzelis now abundant, I am desirous of 
directing the attention of poultry keepers to its use as food 
for fowls, as I have found it a cheap and much-relished 
variation in the poultry dietary, and one that is prepared 
with very little trouble. 
Lhe Mangolds should be taken up without much cutting 
or trimming, which would permit the escape of the sweet, 
nutritious juice, and boiled or steamed until soft throughout, 
which may he readily ascertained by thrusting a fork into 
them. In this state, they are easily cut or crushed up, and 
may be readily mixed with meal or middlings, and tho 
whole reduced to a proper consistence by the addition of 
enough boiling water to scald the meal. 
As thus prepared, Mangold is very highly appreciated by 
lowls, in iact, they eat it most greedily, evidently preferring 
it to any other cooked vegetable, except, perhaps, parsnips! 
During summer, the thinnings-out, and those Mangolds that 
show any disposition to run to seed, may be advantage¬ 
ously employed in this way, and they will be found to 
furnish a large supply of valuable, nutritious, and whole¬ 
some food at small expense. If tho boiling or stewing the 
Mangolds is regarded as too much trouble, they may be 
baked until soft in a side oven, and then cut up and mixed I 
with the baked or scalded middlings. 
Some persons have tried Mangold in a raw state, but 
there is much trouble in cutting it up into pieces sufficiently 
small to be eaten, and it is not much relished in this state. , 
W. B. Tegetmeiek. 
GROWING VINES IN POTS. 
Before a man can lay claim to the title of a good 
gardener, he must necessarily see a variety of soils, as well 
as climates, in each of which he will find opportunities for the 
display of judgment and tact. Tho more of the latter qualities 
he possesses, the sooner may he expect to find himself com¬ 
fortably settled in a good place (for to those who possess 
no influence in high quarters, but have to work their way up 
by their own exertion, this is no very easy matter), there¬ 
fore, let none who aspire to a place amongst *• the best 
gardeners of the day,” neglect Mr. Appleby’s maxims, under 
the head, ‘‘Young Gardeners.” In tho second and third- 
rate places, through which the young gardener has in general 
to wend his way, he will often ho called upon to invent 
what he may call make shifts, and to resort to make shift 
practices, in order to meet the requirements of the family 
he serves. Having prefaced my remarks so far, I will 
proceed to describe what I call a make-shift method of 
growing Vines in pots, but which, nevertheless, have with 
me (when living in Essex) quite equalled many crops I 
have seen on Vines raised from eyes on tho recognized 
scientific principle. 
Now, the raising of Vines from eyes, for fruiting in pots, 
requires not only a large extent of pit, or house-room, but 
much care and attention, in order to get them to break 
strongly and grow on without check. Tho plan I am going 
to describe is, however, very simple, and requires but little 
attention to grow the canes fit for forcing; after forcing 
commences they require the same earo as others raised 
from eyes. I had some strong Vines of the Royal Musca¬ 
dine growing against a south wall, and trained on tho 
long rod system, where, as the soil was dry, and climate good, 
they ripened their wood pretty well. My practice was to hail 
in, at the summer prunings, in addition to tlioso rods wanted 
for furnishing the wall, a quantity of strong shoots that 
sprung from the bottom of the Vine, for layering in 
November or December, in well - drained 13-inch pots 
(larger may bo used with advantage, if room can be 
afforded them when brought in for forcing), plunged a 
little over the rim of the pot, around the Vine, keeping 
them as near the wall as possible. The shoots were 
then brought down, after being tongued, as is practised 
with other things—Carnations, for instance. When firmly 
pegged down, three or four inches below the level of the 
soil in the pot, and then cut off at the eye above the soil, in 
the following summer, all tho young shoots, except the 
strongest one, from each pot, were pulled away, and as that 
one grew it was tied to a stake firmly fixed in the soil, outside 
the pot; a plentiful supply of water was given in dry weather, 
and when the cane had reached the height of eight or nine 
feet it was stopped, which tended to strengthen tho plant, lu 
July or early in August, if possible, when the weather was 
dull or showery, a knil'e was passed half through tho shoot, 
between the parent stem and the pot, and two or three weeks 
later was finally severed. The pots were then removed for 
a week to a west or east aspect, lest the Vines should droop 
from the loss of support from the parent, which they are 
likely to do if left exposed to the sun under a south wall; 
but by the end of a week or ten days they may be returned, 
and bo nailed as close as possible to the wall, and water 
vcry gradually withheld, where they will elaborate their juices 
and early goto rest. They may then be pruned back to any 
desired length, and the pots laid on their sides, and be kept 
dry and free from frost until introduced to the forcing-house, 
after which they may be treated according to the instruc¬ 
tions given in any publication on forcing Vines in pots. I 
