February 13. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
377 
selves; while many greenhouse-plants ripening their 
seed out-of-doors, and such seeds lying in the ground all 
winter, will vegetate the ensuing season in great numbers. 
In this respect, the Scarlet Geranium is very remarkable, 
while the Salvia , Verbena, and Celsia, arc all equally 
prolific, and the Cupihea strigulosa has become a perfect 
weed, growing in gravel walks and open places with an 
avidity that would go far to condemn it, were its merits 
as an excellent autumn flower not a sufficient recom¬ 
pense for its audacity ; but it is proper to observe, that, 
with the exception of this Cupliea, most of the other 
seedlings would perish with us if left to propagate 
themselves by seed, as above, for such seedlings rarely 
flower and ripen seed again the same season in time for 
the like operation going on, and hard weather setting 
in, they aro cut ofl'. In fact, some of them, as the 
Scarlet Geranium, rarely flower until the second year, 
that the seed which is produced and self-sown is that 
from plants saved over the winter, and planted out at 
the proper time in May. However, we may loarn much 
from the above in our treatment of seeds, which is cer¬ 
tainly not always the best adapted to their welfare; hut, 
on the other hand, the wants we have for their produce 
render it necessary that we should waive our ideas of 
what is merely essential to the seed’s germination, and 
see what can bo done towards making the produce 
available at the time we want it, which, in a great 
measure, depends on the time we sow the seed. 
Considering, then, that certain garden products are 
from milder climates, wo must give them all the en¬ 
couragement that our care can afford. Tomatoes, Ridge 
Cucumbers, Dwarf and Scarlet Runner Beans, and other 
things, must not, then, be expected to vegetate and grow 
under the same circumstances as weeds do, although, in 
speaking of that, I may mention that I have had plants 
of Tomatoes come up on a border where they had fruited 
the preceding year, and some fruit had been left on the 
ground and remained there all winter, or rather was 
buried in the digging; but then, such plants were too 
late to he of any service; proving, as in the caso of the 
Geranium, that plants from the tropics, though they will 
live and flourish with us during tho summer months, 
aro not possessed of sufficient power to reproduce them¬ 
selves when not assisted by the care and skill of the 
cultivator. Seeds, therefore, from these districts, ought 
only to be sown after the season is so far advanced that 
the sun has had time to warm the earth, and evaporate 
the cold deluging rains of winter; but in order to ex¬ 
pedite that matter, or rather to make what use of it we 
can when it is ready, we prepare the tender plants before¬ 
hand, by rearing them under glass, or in such a medium 
as best suits their infant state; thus, seed of Cucumbers 
or Tomatoes that would not easily vegetate in the open 
ground in March, do so with avidity in the hotbed, and, 
by being carefully tended then, are fit to plant out early 
in May. Their transition from the warmth of the hot¬ 
bed to the open air being so gradual as not to occasion 
the loss of health to the plant operated upon, while, by so 
doing, they are advanced several weeks in their growth, 
more than they would have been had they been left to 
unassisted Nature for their well-being. 
The ground on which such seeds as Carrots, Onions, 
and other seeds are sown, ought to be good, in order 
that it may produce a vigorous crop; but as this has 
doubtless been all arranged beforehand, and the manuring, 
&c., having been all done at the most suitable time, little 
remains but to sow the seed at the most fitting oppor¬ 
tunity, which is when the ground is sufficiently dry to 
allow of its being trampled upon without its becoming 
so consolidated as to become almost impervious to the 
atmosphere ; when such is the case, which it often is in 
wet seasons, and on cold, clayey lands, it is prudent to 
defer the sowing a little lator; or to alter tho mode of 
sowing it, so as to avoid that trampling on the ground 
so detrimental to everything growing on it Small seeds, 
as Onions, Carrots, and other roots, might be sown in 
beds four feet wide, and the wholo process being per¬ 
formed by the operator standing in the alley, the harm 
and loss will be very trifling, for the space occupied by 
the alley is not entirely lost, the plants nearest to it 
deriving considerable benefit from their tops being 
allowed to hang over it in the latter part of the season. 
And as the season is fast approaching for sowing Onion 
seed, wo advise all who have a chance to do it to embrace 
the first opportunity. Carrots need not be sown before 
April, unless the weather should be very tempting and 
threaten to continue dry. 
Besides committing the seeds to the ground when 
that is in good order, it is also advisable to take such 
means as will preserve the young plants from the evils 
they are exposed to when they make their appearauco. 
Onions arc, perhaps, more exempt from such evils than 
many other crops, but Carrots suffer severoly in some soils 
and seasons, and nothing but great care and persever¬ 
ance will ensure a good plant of these, the slug playing 
such havoc amongst them. Now, in order to prevent 
this as much as possible, recourse must be had to fre¬ 
quent digging and preparing the ground in winter, for, 
depend upon it, these gentry do not like to be turned out 
of their comfortable winter quarters on a frosty morning, 
which is the best of all times for doing it. One thing, 
however, must always be kept in view, the top soil 
ought to be open and friable, so that at the proper time 
it may receive the seed, and allow of being carefully 
raked over ; some soils, certainly, hardly require the use 
of a rake at seed time; but what is meant here, is to 
have the ground in such a condition as to receive the 
seed amongst such fine soil as would, with very little 
trouble,;go through a sieve, stones excepted. Now, where 
a soil has derived the full benefit of the winter’s frost, a 
portion of the top, at least, ought to be so fine as to do 
that. 
The direction that seeds, in a general way, ought to 
bo covered with soil as thick as four or five times their 
bulk, may bo regarded as a fair criterion; but certain 
seeds on which the birds prey very much may be covered 
deeper, as, for instance, the whole of the Cabbage tribe ; 
but as these suffer most in summer, when the ground 
is dry and light, an extra depth at that time is useful 
in other respects. No means must bo spared to render 
the ground fit for its reception; and, excepting such 
crops as have to brave the whole or great part of the 
winter, which may, perhaps, be benefited by having the 
ground rough around them, all others would seem 
better if indulged with a few inches of fine mellow soil, 
while that beneath ought not to bo too rough or obsti¬ 
nate; but us it is not always possible to get it so fine as 
the top portion ought to be, it is right here to say, that 
it had better be rough and coarse than in the soddened 
condition consequent on its being trampled upon iu w r et 
weather, or, what amounts to the same thing, dug in 
that state. J. Robson. 
NOTES FROM PARIS.—No, 7. 
CHINESE YAM.--VINE MILDEW. — TREE-PLANT¬ 
ING.—POT PROTECTORS. 
At the Meeting of the Academic' des Sciences, which took 
place in the early part of January, a notice of what have 
been familiarly called “ Chinese Potatoes,” was delivered 
by Prof. Decaisne. The following is a summary of tire 
report which has just appeared:— 
Tho plant in question is the Dioscorca Baltatas, the 
tubercles of which aro considered to be analogous to 
Potatoes; they have, therefore, been mentioned and re¬ 
commended as a substitute for that esteemed esculent. 
These tubercles, it is stated, in the notice read to the 
