February 27 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
409 
any thing in the plant way can convey an idea—can act 
as a symbol—of purity, chastity, or integrity, it is this 
charming thing. We have a plant now in full blossom, 
which is a yard round, or more, and on every side 
hang down its beauteous flowers. I really know of 
nothing more delicate and elegant in the floral world. 
It has been in blossom for nearly three weeks, and will 
continue for three weeks longer. It grows in a latticed 
Oak basket; the sides within linod with sphagnum, and 
the interior filled with huge crocks, sot edgeways, and 
lumps of very fibrous peat crammed in the interstices. 
Odontoglossum pulchellum is another chaste thing,'—a 
rival of the Lily of the Valley. This is delightfully 
scented, and might be grown extensively by our market- 
men for bouquets, for which it is peculiarly adapted. 
It requires ordinary Orchid treatment, and, like most of 
the Odontoglots , loves moisture and shade. 
Epidendrim nutans and Harrisonianum are two useful 
winter Orchids also, and agreeably scented. These grow 
a yard high. Let me also name the old Stenorynchus 
speciosns, which, although not particularly showy, is of 
importance in the Orchid-house as being of a red or 
scarlet colour. A good bush or two of this helps out 
the winter display much, and then it lasts so long in 
blossom. 
jEchmea fulgens, too, when it can be got to flower 
late in autumn, is a beautiful winter plant; and although 
the blossom, which is beautiful, does not last long, yet 
the calyx, germ, &c., being presistent, and with the foot¬ 
stalks of the flower highly-coloured, produce a beauti¬ 
ful effect for many weeks. 
Dendrobium fimbriatum is a pretty winter Dendrobe ; 
its lovely ruby-pink possesses such an exhiliarating 
freshness. This requires a basket, as it loves not con¬ 
tact with moist peat. 
Oncidium ornithorliynchum is another gem of winter. 
This is of tolerably easy culture, but not a gross feeder. 
O. Cavendishianim is a noble Oncid, and in full bloom 
with me at this time. I am not assured, however, that 
I have a right to place this amongst winter-flowering 
Orchids. 
Phaius maculatus is a most beautiful Orchid, and may 
be cultivated just as the old P. grandiflorus, or, as it used 
to be called thirty years ago, Bletia Tanleervilliat. They 
are both majestic plants, and possess a dignity of 
appearance unknown amongst the small Orchids. 
Before I close this paper, let me not forget the old 
Gondyera discolor. This, grown in masses, is a charming 
little plant. 
Now all these require but ordinary treatment. One 
thing we may observe, that if any amateur attempt 
their culture with but one greenhouse, he must en¬ 
deavour to get them into Cucumber, or other frames, 
whilst they are making their growth, and that will be 
during April, May, and part of June. About or before 
Midsummer, he may remove them to his greenhouse, 
and if he has Vines therein, the atmosphere will, of 
course, be kept rather close, warm, and moist,—this 
will just suit the Orchids. Shade will bo essential 
at that period, and as the Vines, or other plauts, 
will require liberal ventilation, the Orchids should bo 
allowed to occupy a shelf at the end, and at a point 
where the immediate action of the air can be warded off. 
In such a situation, each Orchid having a pan of water 
beneath it, they will succeed very well. 
R. Errington. 
MARCH FLOWER-GARDENING. 
After such a long winter, the very first thing that 
should be in readiness, at the beginning of March, to 
prepare for the flower-garden, is a good substantial hot¬ 
bed of some sort or another, one-light box for the very 
smallest garden, a two-light box makes a more substantial 
bed, and a three-ligbt frame the best of all this class; but 1 
a propagating pit, with a regular steady hottom-heat with 
hot-water, and a bottom temperature of from 80° to 85° 
or 90°, and with a top heat of from 65° to 77°, and a 
passage, or standing-way inside, to look to and after the 
plants is, of all others, the best for propagating all kinds 
of spring cuttings for the bods. But for one who needs, 
or who can afford to have, such a propagating pit, there 
are hundreds who would find a one-light box over a 
nice hotbed quite sufficient for all their wants; there¬ 
fore, I shall begin with a one-light box, and by sup¬ 
posing that the severe frost has made sad havoc among 
the cuttings of last autumn, if not among the whole stock 
of old plants, more or less. As for myself, I never had 
to winter a greater number of plauts with less means 
than I had this last winter, and I think I may safely j 
say that I never yet escaped so well as I am likely to do 
this winter and spring. 
My system of sowing Geranium seeds before they are 
quite ripe, to save time, the way I put the pods in 
round the side of the pots, like a row of cuttings, gives 
me three, four, or five plants in a patch instead of one, 
as would be the case if I separated the seeds from the 
pods, or beaks, and thus rendering it useless even to 
disturb the little things till the following April, is 
worth all the directions that ever were thought of or 
put in practice on the subject. I saved uo seeds after 
the middle of last October, or rather, I did not plaut 
any more Geranium seed-pods after that period, but I 
saved a good many seeds of them later in the autumn, 
which are now in seed-papers; and I will suppose that 
many of my readers have Geranium seeds of their own 
saving ready for sowing as soon as the first hotbed is 
ready; but unless the reader is a good practical gar¬ 
dener, and has a steady machinery at his command to 
force and push on the young seedlings with strong heat 
till the summer is hot enough to do the same without 
forcing, this is not at all the right time to sow the seeds 
of bedding Geraniums; it would evince little practical 1 
knowledge on the subject to think of such a thing just 
now, for this reason, that such seedlings cannot be 
proved this season; you may pot them again and again, 
or plant them out-of-doors in June, but they will not 
bloom before the frost comes. 
I have had as many conveniences, and as ardent 
hopes and wishes of seeing my crosses in bloom, as any 
man, living or dead, and I have exerted all my means, 
year after year, to force my seedlings to a proof, and 
although I have succeeded so far as to see one out of a , 
dozen, perhaps, in bloom, at the very end of the season, 
I always lost more than I gained by the practice. The 
extra room which large plants of unproved seedling 
Geraniums require next winter is a serious considera¬ 
tion; the sooner in the spring you sow the seeds the 
larger the plants will be, and the more room required ; 
and if you grow them to the size of specimen plants at 
the shows, you will not see their flowers so soon as I 
shall, if I live, those of my last October seedlings, which 
are now so small that I have them conveniently at the 
rate of three dozen in one small pot of the 48-size, just 
the smallest pot that I could winter one seedling in next 
winter if I were to sow the seeds now. 
Unless these Geranium seeds are sown the same 
season they are gathered, the right time to sow them in 
the following year is from the 10th of May till tire end 
of June; or if I must name a day, I should fix on the 
longest day in the year. I am thus particular, because 
I know many who have saved seeds from last year, from 
seeing how easily I could fill a bed from a few pots, and 
who are now waiting for the first hotbed of the seasop 
to get them sown. The next thing to a blessing is to 
get rid of a particular anxiety, and none neod be enter¬ 
tained about Geranium seeds till all the beds are planted, 
