42 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[April 17. 
i 
! 
I 
have the plants in pots plunged in the soil, and covered with moss, except 
the climbers, to run over the handle, and these should be Lophospermum, 
and Rhodochiton , opposite each other in one basket, they having the 
same kind of leaf, and mode of flowering, and the common Tropaeolum 
majus, planted round the sides, to hang down, or be carried in a wreath 
just outside the rim. The second basket handle to be covered with 
Ecremocarpus, and Maurandya, with a wreath of Convolvulus major, in 
sorts, to train round the rim ; or the Convolvulus to cover the handle, the 
other two for a wreath, which would be better. If there is not a stock of 
greenhouse plants to keep the baskets gay, use Petunias, Verbenas, 
American groundsel, Calceolarias, and scarlet and pink Geraniums. 
At any rate, mixtures are more appropriate, for you should carry out the 
idea of a basket of flowers. 
Gladiolus Seed ( H. W. B.).— It should be sown in September, in 
two-thirds sandy peat, and one-third light loam; when the seedlings are 
up, let them have free air all through the winter, whenever the weather is 
fine ; that is, greenhouse treatment till the leaves die off early in summer. 
February is the next best time, and you may sow now, and keep the seed- ! 
lings in a cold frame after they are up. 
Catalpa s y ring/e folia (New Subscriber). — This is propagated 
from American seeds, and from cuttings of the roots, and now is a good 
time to make them. Take roots the size of the little finger, cut them into 
six-inch lengths ; if you have command of heat, put them into a pot, and ’ 
try them in heat, or in a close frame, or merely plant them out of doors, 
burying the whole length, except half an inch. See you do not plant 
them wrong end downwards. In making root-cuttings of any plant, cut ' 
the top end square, and the bottom with a sloping cut, to guard against [ 
a mistake of that kind. The Catalpa should have free light sandy loam 
on a dry bottom. The Paulownia imperialis comes best from root- 
cuttings,' in heat, and every inch of it grows like a weed. A sunny ; 
aspect, a dry bottom, a poor sandy soil, are best for it; but after all it 
will take many, many years before it will flower well in our climate. 
Rose Cuttings ( J. D.). —You are too late to get a good strike of 
roses now, without any artificial help; but on the principle of never ven¬ 
ture never win, go to work thus :—Dig out a space on the north side of a 
wall, ten inches deep, and fill it with a compost of half sand, and half 
peat and leaf mould, or any kind of light earth, press it down with the 
back of the spade, then put a little sand on the top, and water with a rose 
pot; get as many cuttings with “ aheel” as you can, that is, slip them 
from where the shoot began to grow last year; if there are young shoots 
and leaves made this season cut them off, but not very close. Let the 
cuttings be from four to six inches long, and plant them very firm, leaving 
only an inch out of the ground ; give a gentle watering with a rose twice a 
week, or in hot dry weather every other day, and the chances are that 
you will succeed in rooting ten out of a dozen of them. All the Chinas, 
Bourbons, Teas, Noisettes, and Hybrid perpetuals, will root with this 
treatment, but you ought to begin at the end of October with all the 
strong ones, and put in the more tender at the end of February, and to 
shelter this lot with boughs of evergreens stuck in the ground all round 
them. You are quite right; our new Rose articles are good, and most 
useful, and we shall continue them. 
Peaches not Setting (E. F. M.). —It is by no means improbable 
that your peaches, forced early last year, have missed the impulse of heat 
at the usual time. Peaches seldom do so well against a back wall, and, 
perhaps, they have been much shaded by vines or other things. Peaches 
cannot endure shade in the growing season. About your prepared 
stations, we say go on and prosper; we wish many would do this. One 
thing observe : try and apply some nice mulching after a nice May rain. 
Mulching is part and parcel of the shallow border plan. 
Names of Plants (Viola). —The blooms sent are of a pale variety of 
the Viola odorata, or Common Violet. Of this species there are varieties 
of all shades of colour, the plants also vary much in their habits. (C. 
E.). —We should say your’s is the liver-coloured variety of the Primula 
vulgaris, or Common Primrose, but as to varieties there are no end to 
them. They vary much too, as to size, colour, and smoothness or hairiness. 
We have saved seed from the most choice of the Polyanthuses kept 
entirely away, as we thought, from all its allies, and even then we have 
had seedling plants of varied colours of the Common Primrose come up 
among them. 
Tiie Cottage Gardener (J. S.). —Our numbers are always in the 
hands of the trade on Tuesday, so as to be ready for delivery to the most 
distant customers on the day of publication. 
BouauETS (H. P.). —You are not the only person who has applied to 
us for information relative to the mode in which the beautiful bouquets 
in Covent Garden are made. It is a trade of itself, and those who follow 
it are very reluc'antto give information. All that we know is, that they 
tie a long thread to the stem of the flower selected for the centre, apply 
all the others, one by one, in circles round that centre, but fastening each 
flower into its place, as it is added, by a twist of the thread round it. We 
cannot refer you to the passage you require. Thanks for the offer of the 
seed. 
Loudon’s Gardeners’ Magazine ( Cornubiensis). —The reference 
in the Suburban Horticulturist should have been to the volume for 1832, 
of the above magazine, and this only contains an extract from much 
fuller information in the 4th volume of the Caledonian Horticultural 
Transactions. 
Grass for Lawn Pasture ( D■ A. B.).— For aheavy soil, Alopecurus | 
pratensis (Meadow Fox tail), 1J lb. Anthoxanthum odoratum (Sweet- 
scented Vernal), 4 lb. Dactylis glomerata (Rough Cocks-foot), 2 lbs. 
Festuca duriuscula (Hardish Fescue), 3 lbs. F. ovina (Sheep’s Fescue), 
1 lb. F. pratensis (Meadow Fescue), 3 lbs. Lolium Itulicum (Italian 
Rye Grass), 5 lbs. L. perenne (Common Rye Grass), 8 lbs, Poa 
nemoralis (Wood Meadow Grass), 1J lb. P. N. sempervirens (Evergreen 
ditto), ljlb. P. trivialis (Rough-stalked Meadow), 2£ lbs. Lotus 
major (Larger Bird’s-foot Trefoil), £ lb. Medicago lupulina (Yellow 
Clover Trefoil or Black Medic), 1 lb. Trifolium pratense perenne (Peren¬ 
nial Red Clover), 2 lbs. Trifolium repens (White Clover), 5 lbs. The above 
well mixed are sufficient for a statute acre. Lucerne will succeed well on 
light deep soil, moderately fertile, and well trenched. It is far superior 
to Italian Rye Grass, because it is a permanent crop, gives five or more 
successive cuttings annually, and is far more nutritious. Begin applying 
liquid-manure to your pasture immediately. Dilute it before application. 
Five of water to one of your house sewage will be enough. You can have 
a cover for vol. iv., of our publisher, price one shilling, to match your 
other volumes. The cover for a year’s volume docs not match that of the 
half-yearly. 
Late Peas (W. B. U.).— An answer to another correspondent in our 
last number, will have giver, our opinion as to the best varieties for late 
crops. For late beans, no variety surpasses the Early Mazagan. To 
keep the mildew from these crops is very difficult, but it may be effected 
by growing them on a south border having a rich soil; some mulch over 
the roots on each side the rows, and keeping the soil well soaked with 
water during dry weather. 
Watering (A. J. V.). —Do not water onions, peas, beans, carrots, or 
parsnips, on your clayey soil—but to cabbages and cauliflowers you 
cannot give too much in dry weather. Do not water your fruit-trees, 
except those newly planted, but it is a good plan to have some mulch 
buried an inch under the surface of the soil, in a circle, beginning about 
two feet, and ending at six feet from the stem. Water strawberries plen¬ 
tifully between the rows, from the time of blooming until beginning to 
ripen their fruit. More injury occurs to asparagus by cutting off the 
stems whilst green, than by allowing them to ripen their berries. To 
strengthen them, have the berries picked off while green. How to trap 
woodlice. See page 362, of last volume. 
Dahlia Prices ( Scattergood ).—The prices we affix to the different 
plants we mention, are the prices usually charged by the trade. We 
have no connection with any one engaged in that trade, and we know of 
no reason why you should not get good plants of the same varieties at 
lower prices. You will have seen directions for striking Rose cuttings. 
Auctioneers (J. B. IV.). —Apply to Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, 
191, Piccadilly. 
Hints to Cottagers (H. D .).—We have no intention at present, to 
publish these seperately. 
Petunia (A Parson's Wife). —It is quite possible that your variety, 
which has passed through our late mild winter without protection, and 
continued blooming in the first week of this month, may be liardie r than 
Petunias usually are. We certainly recommend you to strike some 
cuttings of it. 
Geometrical Drawing (B. C.). —Loudon’s Self-Instructor will 
perhaps suit you; but there is no work exactly giving what you require. 
We cannot write private letters. 
Raisin Wine. —“ I have a recipe which I know to be good, and not 
only good, but cheap, and easy to be made. Get a clean sweet cask, 
double the size for the quantity required—that is, if you want 14 gallons 
of wine you must have a 2S-gallon cask ; take of Malaga raisins, as they 
are sold ( stalks and all), in the proportion of 8 lbs. of fruit to every 
gallon of water (spring water, cold); chop or bruise the fruit, put it in 
the cask, and pour the water on it (cold) ; leave the bung out for a 
month, stirring it frequently, then bung up close, and let it remain quite 
still in a dry cellar for eighteen months (two years will make it better), 
when you may set another cask under and draw it off; let it stand a few 
days, when it will be clear and fit for use. Do not be alarmed if it looks 
thick or colourless at first, for it will gradually improve by age ; indeed, 
we have some by us now, three years in bottle, as strong and as brown as 
some brown sherry. You may put lib. of Smyrna raisins and / lbs. of 
Malaga if you wish for colour.”— Henry. 
The Sguirrel (N. S. H.). —Can any of our readers answer this 
question:—“Some years since I had a favourite lime-tree much dis¬ 
figured by the squirrels peeling the bark off the branches early in spring. 
Can any of your readers inform me to what purpose the strips were 
applied by the animals, who rolled them up and decamped with their 
spoil ? ” 
Geraniums — not Scarlet (E. S.). —You require these cheap, and 
fit for windows and sitting-rooms. Almost all will do if well managed. 
The following are easily grown, old, and cheap, and good things besides : 
Hebe’s Lip, Isabella, Zenobia, Zunzummin, Bridegroom, Alicia, Alba 
multiflora, and Alexandrina Victoria. Sweet-scented-leaved ones— 
Prince of Orange, Citriodora, and various oak-leaved and cut-leaved 
kinds, of which the pretty leaves are the main attraction, in which group 
may be placed the beautiful purple, crimson Unique, which is always in 
bloom. Fancy kinds— Jehu, Jehu Superb, Statuiski, Nosegay, Yate- 
manium superbum. 
When to Strike Geranium Cuttings (Ibid). —From young 
shoots now, if you can command a little sweet bottom-heat; or 
from older wood in summer and autumn—see several articles bearing on 
this subject lately. Geraniums should be cut down when done flowering, 
and the wood is ripened. Sandy loam and leaf mould, or sandy loam will 
do of itself for geraniums. 
Begonia coccinea (A Florist). —We are glad you found the direc¬ 
tions, Jan. 9, page 234, suitable; and now, as the stalks are twenty 
inches long, we would stop them when done flowering; but if you have 
plenty of room, we would only take a few inches off the centre shoots, 
cutting them ail down so as to give the whole plant a conical appearance, 
Did we want a monster specimen, we would merely shorten the shoots a 
little, tie the lower tier horizontally with the rim of the pot, and the 
others in proportion. Each shoot would thus break into two or three, or 
more. Shift the plant after the new shoots begin to push : your own 
judgment must tell you whether to shift at once or several times—we in¬ 
cline to the first;—see several articles lately. A cool stove will suit it 
during the summer, and until growth has been completed; a warm 
greenhouse would then do for a time. 
Citrus Japonicus (Ibid). —This, now growing in bottom-heat., should 
at this time be inured to more air and exposure by degrees, and may be 
taken into the greenhouse in May or June. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—April l/th, 1851. 
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