118 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 14. 
The Artillery plant— Pilea muscosa, as they call it, 
was there from the garden of tho Society, but nothing 
was said about how it fires away, like a park of artillery, 
when wetted, on a hot day, as Mr. Jackson and 1 
amused ourselves with it tho summer before last, as 
already noticed. 
Begonia Thwaitesi, from the same, was conspicuous by 
its large purple leaves, blotched with green and large 
blush flowers; this bolongs to the “Variegated plants.” 
Erica Cliff ordinna, with delicate white, long-tubed 
flowers; JEcheveria return, and a collection of Pmnpone 
Chrysanthemums wore from the Society’s collection. 
From Mr. Henderson, of Pine-Apple-Place, there was 
a mixed collection, the best of which was Polyspora 
axillaris, or, perhaps, more properly, Oordonia axillaris, 
and what was once Camellia axillaris. This is, certainly, 
a splendid evergreen for a conservatory, not so much 
for its large, white, single blossoms as for its habit and 
healthy looks, and the long time it holds on in flower. 
Lantana alba grandiflora, I should think a seedling 
from mutabilis, was a specimen-grown plant in the Pine- 
Apple-Place’s best style and full of bloom; an Ixora 
crocata, the best of them for coming in at different 
seasons. A large StaticeHalfordi, the best of the broad¬ 
leaved breed. Acacia oleifolia, the earliest to flower of 
this large family, and the longest time in bloom, that 
is, from September to February ;—this graceful globular- 
flowered Acacia is never out of bloom ; also, Leclien- 
aultia formosa, and a seedling Sunflower, or Ritdbeclcia, 
from Texas, which made a text for running down all \ 
Texean seeds and seedlings as no better than Scotch, or 
Sow-thistles. 
Pompone Chrysanthemums. —Nothing was ever seen 
in China, or out of it, to compare to the Pompones of 
1854. Six plants, hardly a yard high, pots and all, and 
full four feet in diameter, all covered with bloom, from 
Mr. Veitch, and yet he was only third best in the prizes, 
if 1 heard tho awards rightly. I was never One of the 
judges on this flower, and I shall never be a florist of 
any note, but 1 would put tho next two collections on 
the same footing. The one for best bloom, Mr. Robin¬ 
son ; and the other for best gardening, as exemplified in 
bona fide travelling on one leg; while those of the first 
prize only stood on two, and some on three legs; the 
meaning of which is, that two good, or best growers, 
grow their plants alike till the last shift; one of them 
then put two plants, or three plants into one pot, 
and made a greater dash with flowers; while tho other 
grower kept to the single plant specimen, and was not 
much behind with them ; but, as I said before, I am no 
judge in that line. 
Mr. Robinson had nine plants in the most exquisite 
style of growth and bloom, as follows:— Sacramento, 
tho best yellow ; Ninon, a French-white, tipped with 
purple-brown—a living beauty; Solfaterre, a fine yellow, 
flat on the face; Paulidette, shaded, light purple; An- 
tumnum, shaded Spanish-brown. This is the most 
singular colour in the vegetable kingdom; a perfect 
brown, shot-silk, and the brown very peculiar, to the 
bargain. Brine Brine, another yellow, almost as good 
as Sacramento, but a different bloom ; Surprise, a little 
deeperlhan French-white:—this is my own favourite. 
Model, another French-white, but with two shades of 
white. 
Mr. Mocket had Adonis, a flat, red shaded flower; 
Louise Melliez, two shades of yellow; Fenella, yellow, 
and ns if fringed, fine; Sacramento and Solfaterre. 
Messrs. Veitch had Lebois, shaded pink; Model; 
Cedo Nulli, largo white, tipped with rose; Lc Nain 
Bebe, a flat French-white; and Sacramento. 
Mr. Chandeler, of Vauxhall, sent Sacramento, Hen- 
dersonii, the earliest; Solfaterre, Surprise, Ninon, 
Oeraldo, a fine one, and a new colour, white, and a 
shade of lemon; Oraziella, pinkish; Ranoncoule, 
shaded red ; Lais, dark purple, and Adonis and Argen¬ 
tine, the best white sort. 
'The Horticultural Society showed President, the best 
purple; Louis Piton, a light pink; Toulousin, a fine 
French-white; Lais, dark purple; and Fionella, a 
small yellow. 
There was also a collection of these Pompones in 
32-pots, from Mr. Rosher, of St. John’s Wood. I also 
saw cut-flowers of three very good Pompones, called 
La Vogue, a fine yellow; Jonas, a bronzy-orange; and 
Mignonette, a brown, small flower. All the above are 
now considered by the London growers ns the cream of 
Pompones, and the Society have done us justice by 
holding their Meeting back, to give time for bringing 
out these very useful flowers at this dull season. I 
must leave the fruit till next week. D. Beaton. 
FAILURES IN GROWING AND BLOOMING 
PLANTS. 
{Continued from page 90.) 
Achimenes.— 4tli. “I have a large quantity of Achi- 
menes, but I cannot get them to grow and bloom, though 
I have potted them according to what is said in The 
Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary. I have not any bottom- 
heat.” 
I am rather surprised at this statement. But, perhaps, 
tho potting was the chief thing the Dictionary was 
followed in; and I feel sure our correspondent is too 
experienced to expect success from adopting merely one 
point of a system to the neglect of others quite as 
necessary. I am quite at a loss to know how the 
gardener who grows Begonias, &c., so well, cannot get 
on with growing and blooming Achimenes. Many 
amateurs, and even cottagers, manage them well, with 
nothing to help them but a greenhouse, Vinery, or a 
rough concern of a Cucumber-box, to give them a start 
in. When growing them very early, a little bottom-heat 
is useful for starting the little and early tubers, but even 
then it is not at all essential. Our own are generally 
started in a Vinery, or Peach-house, or just in such heat 
as is necessary for the preserving and growing of the 
plants our correspondent has already referred to. 
'The ripening of theso little tubers, however, and 
giving them a state of rest, are essentials to then- 
growing and blooming freely. The very name of the 
genus is intended to denote its extreme sensitiveness to 
changes of temperature. I have found, however, that 
sudden alternations from shade to sunshine, and from a 
moist atmosphere to a dry one, affect most species and 
varieties more than a slight change of temperature. 
After the plants are grown to near flowering size, and 
the month of June has come, the plauts will flourish 
extremely well in a greenhouse, slightly shaded, moist, 
and yet airy ; and in a cold pit, with air always at back, 
but the atmosphere kept rather close and moist, by pour¬ 
ing water carefully on the floor, and not giving anything 
like the quantity of air that would be necessary for 
Heaths. With a slight shade, I have had these plants 
very fine for months, in a cool glass-covered veranda, 
shaded from the midday sun, and nice little plants in 
windows, in summer, shaded with a muslin curtain. 1 
have previously mentioned how fine these plants looked 
in a cold pit at Wilderness Park, in July, but theso wero 
chiefly in small pots, for ease in moving and changing 
from place to place. The great thing is not to begin to 
start them too early, unless, in a plant stove, Vinery, 
Peachery, or forcing-pit, or frame, you can keep up an 
average temperature of from 55° to 60° at night, with a 
rise of 10° or 15° in sunny days. There is a little care 
requisite in starting them in dung-beds, as tho smallest 
