March 13. THE COTTAGE GABDENEB. 453 
gracilis, speciosa, rainosa, lieterophilla —all blue; the live 
first trailers ; the two last upright, and from one foot in 
height; a b, make beautiful beds, edgings, &c.; as the 
seed is small, should be placed in pots, covered with a 
dusting of silver-sand, and get a little more heat than a. 
Lupinus, nanus, white and blue, and Hartwegii, 
mutabilis, Gruickshankii, &c., will all answer to a b, 
if seeds are removed. Nanus is about one foot, and 
the others from two to five feet; the annual blues, roses, 
and yellows, will also bloom long, if the seed is removed 
as soon as the pod forms. 
Malope, trifida, grandiflora —good for large, tall beds, 
either treated as a, or sown in the ground. 
Marigolds of sorts —a b. 
Mignonette. 
Mimulus—a b, good for early summer and autumn. 
Nemophila — many varieties a, or in the open air; 
none of them stand the heat of the end of July well, 
though few things are more splendid in early summer. 
Nolana—a b, from six inches, bluish, and should be 
sown in pots, if not sown where to grow at once, as they 
do not transplant well. 
(Enothera Lindleyana —red and white, and Rosea 
alba, rose and white, two feet, a, or in the open ground. 
Penstemon— perennial kinds, treated as a, will bloom 
after midsummer. 
Petunia— white and purple, a b. —These can always be 
procured, and white and purple beds are thus often 
better procured from seeds than from cuttings of the 
best kinds, as they are so apt to go off in some grounds. 
Prince’s Feather— though not continuous, a small 
bed of this would have no bad effect. 
Phlox Drummondii— a b. —Many varieties of this are 
oasily procurable by seed, and a bed will generally stand 
the whole season ; while a bed procured from cuttings of 
the best kinds will generally bid you good-bye after the 
dog-days. 
Portulacca— a b, would only be worth trying in very 
dry and warm positions. 
Bhodanthe Manglesii —the same as the last. 
Salpiglossis—a b. Saw some fine beds of these last 
season ; had rather more heat than a to start them. 
Salvia patens— this never does better than when 
treated as an annual. It would be well to sow the seeds 
by the beginning of March, and in a hotbed, taking 
them out into a cooler place as soon as they were up. 
Sanvittalia procumbens — a b, orange and black ; 
trailer; has often been recommended. 
Saponaria calabrica —a b, pink; this has often been 
recommended; was fine last year until the middle of 
October. 
Silene, pcndula, compacta, schafta —low plants, with 
pink and rose flowers. 
Sultan— purple and yellow ; a, or open air ; nearly b. 
Sweet Alyssum, open air, or a b, white and sweet ; 
one foot in height; always in flower. 
Sphenogyne speciosa —a, and nearly e, neat, compact, 
yellow-orange; one foot. 
Stocks of kinds — a. 
Tagetes signata, a b, yellow; one to two feet; rather 
new. 
Vise aria oculata and oculata alba, —rose and white; 
from one to one-and-a-half feet: a, and nearly b ; if the 
seeds are removed will keep on well to the end of the 
season. 
Witlania grandiflora — a dwarf annual, introduced 
by Messrs. Veitch; something like the Eutocas, a ; but 
cannot yet speak of the length of time in which it flowers. 
Tropceolum canariense, yellow; magus minus; atro- 
rubens, orange and crimson — make showy bods, when the 
loaves are to a great extent removed to show the flowers. 
Virginian Stock.— This pretty little annual may be 
had all the summer by sowing in September, the middle 
of March, and the end of May. 
Verbena, venosa, purple; and Aubletia, bluish-purple, 
—will make good beds in summer and autumn if the 
seed is sown in a slight hotbed ; and so will any of the 
Verbenas, though you will not be able to depend upon 
the colour, a b. 
Xeranthemum lucidum .—There are yellow, white, 
and rose varieties, and from two to three feet in height. 
Many admire them for the hardness of the flowers, which 
makes them long-enduring when gathered, a b. 
Zinnia of varieties, a b., but either more heat 
should be secured, or the seeds should not be sown until 
the middle of April, under glass. The goodness of beds 
of these beautiful flowers greatly depends on the plants 
never receiving a check; and, therefore, the middle of 
April will generally be early enough for sowing, as it 
will not be safe to plant out before the beginning of 
June, or after the first week is past. 
All those alluded to as blooming early will make fine 
pot-plants for greenhouses. Few things will rival Ne- 
mophilas, Gollinsias, Schizanthus, &c., when thus grown. 
This article may enable several readers to pick out 
what will suit them ; and for more definite information 
other inquiries had better be made. E. Fish. 
FOUNDING AN EXPFBIMENTAL FOBEST. 
In this country we have a very largo extent of land 
belonging to the nation devoted to the growth of timber. 
The people, through their representatives in Parliament, 
have placed the management of their woods and forests 
in the hands of some gentlemen who, through their 
office, are called the Commissioners of Woods and 
Forests. These gentlemen appoint deputy-surveyors, 
and these, again, appoint foremen and labourers, who 
plant, thin, prune, bark, and fell the trees under their 
direction. These are facts well known. My object in 
mentioning these matters is to point out what a grand 
opportunity these deputy-surveyors have of proving, by 
experience, the best situations and soils for the different 
kinds of timber trees, and the best and cheapest modes 
of planting, pruning, and thinning the woods under 
their supervision. 
Whether the deputy-surveyors at present employed 
have the requisite amount of practical experience to do 
such duty to its full extent, is another question. So 
much depends upon their acquired knowledge of the 
business previous to the entering upon such a weighty, 
responsible office, that it is a matter of grave doubt 
whether the choice of the Commissioners is always a 
wise one. It is a true, yet melancholy fact, that men 
sometimes obtain situations of great responsibility, 
requiring, to fill them well, and do justice to the office, 
such a previous training as they have never undergone. 
We have, in various parts of the empire, experimental 
farms and experimental gardens; we have periodical 
papers, magazines, &c., expressly devoted to advance 
the tide of knowledge in such matters. There are 
Agricultural Societies, Horticultural Societies, Pomo- 
logical Societies, and various other societies instituted 
by wise and good men, to extend and improve these 
several arts and sciences; and by so doing, to chase 
away the mists of prejudice and ignorance, and thus 
render the present and future generations of men wiser 
and, consequently, happier. This is all very praise¬ 
worthy, and a matter of rejoicing to every true patriot 
and lover of his country. But let me ask, have we 
made any progress in woodcraft ? Have we an Arbori- 
cultural Society ? Have we an experimental forest ? 
The answer is, No ! and yet the abundant supply of 
timber for ship-building, for domestic purposes, is 
scarcely inferior in importance to tho supply of any 
other of the necessaries of life. We have, in a great 
