December 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
240 
CULTURE OF PASSIFLORA INCARNATA, MITRARIA 
COCCINEA, AND DIELYTRA SPECTABILIS. 
“A pink Passion Flower 1ms grown luxuriantly at the back 
of my greenhouse this last summer, and flowered abundantly. 
I have had a Mitraria coccinea about the same length of 
time, which has never flowered, and scarcely grows at all. 
Perhaps you can tell me why ? It is in a pot in the green¬ 
house. Will Dielytra Spcctabilis bear the winter in an 
exposed part of the east of Norfolk?— IIortensis.” 
[It strikes us that the pink Passion Flower must be the 
incarnala; and that, from its soft habit, will require free 
pruning, unless you manage to keep it green in winter, to 
cover your wall. See what was said lately, and also last week, 
on pruning Passion Flowers. All the Mitrarias we have over 
met with have grown rather freely. We would not do much 
with your plant until the days turned, unless you suspected 
the drainage to be bad, and the soil to be sour; in that case, 
we would repot it in peat and loam, and, most likely, in a 
smaller pot. If delayed until spring, prune away all the 
hard and craggy parts a short time before potting, syringe 
frequently, but gently', over the head, in preference to much 
water at the roots, until these are filling the pols, and keep 
the plant, until the middle or end of May, in tho house, and 
a little closish at first, and you will soon have a healthy 
plant. 
We have little doubt that the Dielytra will stand, and show 
a brightness in the bloom, never seen when coddled in pits, 
or forced in houses. But, as the winters are not greatly to 
be depended on, we would advise placing a few rough ashes 
over the tops, and, perhaps, sticking a spruce fir-branch or 
two, as both these will help to keep slugs, as well as intense 
frost away; the slugs feeding on tho Dielylra with great 
gusto.] 
GRAFTING HOLLIES. —CUTTINGS OF LAURUS- 
TINUS AND PORTUGAL LAUREL.—SELECTION 
OF EYERGEENS. 
“ I should be glad to know whether the variegated Hollies 
could be grafted on the common Holly. Whether the Lau- 
rustinus will grow by cuttings and layers; also the Portugal 
Laur 1. I have been planting a lawn lately, and still have a 
large piece of ground leading to a garden to lay put. I 
thought a mixture of flowers and shrubs would be the 
prettiest. What shrubs should be used ? Holly, Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, Laurels of different kinds, and Cypresses, I have ; 
but should like something new in the evergreen line, tall 
and showy. Dahlias and Hollyhocks and Pooonies, I thought 
of as flowers, Your correspondents have never favoured us 
with sketches of rustic seats, bowers, Ac. They would be 
very acceptable to many of your readers. Will Lignnrn 
Vitre grow by cuttings ? —Cymro.” 
[Variegated Hollies are all increased by grafting and 
budding, like the Apple and Rose, but earlier in the season, 
say the end of February for grafting, and June for budding. 
They will also come from layers, but take a long while to 
root. Laurustinus comes from cuttings as easily as Scarlet 
I Geraniums, from the middle of July to the end of September, 
; and they root from layers like Weeping Willows. The 
| Portugal Laurel is a shy plant to root from cuttings or 
I layers ; they are generally grown from seeds ; but they will 
I root slowly both from cuttings in August and September, 
and from layers made any day in the year. Plant the 
ground for Evergreens so that you could ride on horseback 
round each plant without touching a single leaf on either 
side. There is nothing new that way for planting to suit 
you. If you want a hundred plants, take fifty kinds, 
and two of a kind, say, two Silver Holly, two Golden Holly, 
] two Hedgehog Holly, two Tree box, two Weeping Tree Box, 
two Minorca Box, two Canadian or Hemlock Spruce, two 
Fraser's Spruce ( allies Fraseri), two Virginian Cedar, two of 
I Horizontal ditto, two of all Cypresses, and Yews, and 
; Junipers, and as many more as you fancy yourself in a good 
nursery. After planting them all over your ground, fill up 
j to your own taste with Laurustinus and Evergreen Berberis, 
with some good Rhododendrons towards the front, with 
i Poconies and common bulbs, and with Hollyhocks, &c., as 
| you say at tho back. “ Rustic work” is, at best, but a rickety 
concern, and the most expensive about a garden. Wo never 
use rustic work nor recommend it. Lignum Vitce will grow 
from cuttings, and better under a hand-glass ; put them in 
at tho end of July.j 
STOCKS FOR DWARFING THE APRICOT. 
“In your opinion, would the Sloe answer as a dwarfing 
stock for Apricots and Peaches ? I have an Apricot grafted 
on the Sloe ; it is growing vigorously, but has not yet borne 
fruit. What stocks would you recommend for these fruits, 
in the event of your not thinking the Sloe would suit ?— 
Apricot.” 
[The Sloe is the worst of all tho Plum tribe as a stock for 
any member of the family. It is as hard as cast-iron, never 
swells or increases in size sufficiently to keep an Apricot in 
health, and it spawns from the roots like couch-grass; so much 
so, that some one said that if the Sloe was let alone, it would, 
in time, cover the whole face of the country. Apples grow 
on Thorns, on the Mountain Ash, on the Pear, and on the 
Quince, on the Loquat, and on the Medlar, Cotoneaster, Ac.; 
and the Apricot will do the same on as many relatives of the 
Plum ; but our word for it, the result is only curious, not 
useful. You may grow it on any Plum in the garden, or on 
the wild native little wdiite Plum, and the same with 
Peaches and Nectarines; but with the -modern system 
of root-pruning, or better still, by removing the trees 
every second year, till they are old enough to take care of 
themselves, Apricot-trees will grow on their own roots 
better than on strangers; but the bottom-soil ought to be 
very hard and dry for them, and not deeper titan fifteen 
inches. We had them so long ago, and the secret is, not 
to let them get strong till they nro able to bear such heavy 
crops as will keep them from too much wood. An Apricot 
on its own roots, however, does not like cutting back in 
winter. All the pruning ought to be done in the summer 
and autumn.] 
POULTRY. 
IIAMBURGIIS, AS EXHIBITED AT BIRMINGHAM. 
“ It would be very interesting to me, and, I have no doubt, 
to many other of your readers, if you could state, in your 
report of the Birmingham Poultry Show, as to the Spangled 
Hamhurghs, both Silver and Gold (tho former particularly), 
which of the Prize and Highly Commended pens have hen- 
tailed cocks, which Spangle - hackled, and which Striped- 
hackled? —A Subscriber for Years.” 
[Your enquiries have, in a great measure, been answered 
in our report on the Birmingham Show ; but it may be well 
to refer to them again. 1. No lien-tailed Spangled Ham¬ 
burgh cock there received either a prize or commendation. 
2. There was no instance of a spangled-hackle in the male 
birds of either variety, and hardly any of the silver ones had 
it striped. Our remarks on this class will already have 
shown our opinion as to this clear hackle being out of plaeo 
in a Spangled Hamburgh, either gold or silver.—W.] 
IITNTS ON THE PRESERVATION OF OBJECTS 
OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
( The following is of general applicability, though addressed 
to those colonists who may be disposed to lend their aid 
in adding to the collection of specimens deposited in 
the Australian Museum,—By William Sheridan Wall, 
Curator.) 
In this age of inteUectual advancement, when all classes 
are seeking knowledge, and the very humblest are making 
giant strides in the pursuit of it—it is the duty of all who 
possess the power and the time to encourage such efforts 
to facilitate their progress. In a new country like Australia, 
with its countless natural productions and singular forms of 
animal and vegetable life, as yet but imperfectly developed, 
what a noble field of research is presented to all lovers of 
science—how many strange and beautiful objects of nature, 
each bearing testimony to the supreme skill and faultless 
design of the Great Author of the Universe, are there 
yet surrounding us, neglected and unknown, filling up the 
perfect chain of creation, watched and guided by the Power 
that formed them ; yet unheeded by man, for whose pleasure 
