THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
52 
[April 24. 
perhaps a balloon-shape, with a kind of crown on the 
top, is as ornamental a form as any. However, the cul- 
! tivator must decide for himself what form of trellis he 
would like, as it is quite immaterial, so long as there is 
! plenty of room both in width and breadth. By the 
1 middle of July, or even earlier, the cultivator will be 
I rewarded liy having plants three feet across, and one 
i foot or more through. 
Gomphiiena Globosa (Globe Amarantlius); India.— 
This, also, is a beautiful stove annual. It forms neat, 
j dense hushes, each shoot bearing a head of flower 
j almost round, or globe-shaped—hence its name. Colour 
bright purple. There is also a white variety. 
Culture — Soil. —The usual compost formed of loam, 
sandy peat, and leaf-mould, with a due portion of sand 
to keep it open, answers well for these plants. 
Raising the Plants. —The seeds generally come to the 
grower in the husk, or seed vessel. It must be cleaned 
out of it, and sown in a 5-inch pot, covered with fine 
! soil the thickness of a sixpence, then give a gentle 
| watering, and place in a hot-bed, or warm stove. The 
seedlings will soon be up, and when they have made 
three or four leaves, pot them singly into 3-inch pots; 
repot as they require it till they are in 6-inch pots, which 
is large enough to flower them in. This is the last of 
the stove annuals we judge worthy of cultivation. There 
are plenty more, but either the flowers are small, or 
otherwise undesirable. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Pinks will require attention now to refresh them, by 
stirring up the surface of the soil, and adding a thin 
coat of either very much decomposed manure or decayed 
leaf-mould. This covering will prevent the soil from 
cracking, will feed the plants, by its nutritive properties 
being washed down with the rain, and protect the roots 
from the heat of the sun’s rays. 
Pansies, in beds, require the same treatment. The 
long shoots may he pegged down, and layered the same 
way as the Carnation. They will throw out roots where 
the incision is made, and from the layer making fresh 
roots, and drawing support also from the old roots, the 
finest and most perfect flowers thus will be obtained. 
T. Appleby, 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Routine Work. —Sow the various kinds of late brocolis 
in full crop, make another sowing of Walcheren cauli¬ 
flower, borecole, and other varieties of hales, Savoys, 
Coleworts, &c. Plant both liidney and dwarf beans in 
t well-prepared ground, and plant out those which have 
been forwarded in heat, or in sheltered situations, and 
j protect them by raising a low bank on each side, which 
should be covered with boughs or some other material. 
Sow Sweet Basil, Marjoram, Thyme, Savory, and Burnet, 
in full crop, if not already done. Cape brocoli should he 
sown occasionally for the next six weeks; and plantings 
should he also made of this vegetable and of cauli¬ 
flowers, for some time to come, on well-prepared ground, 
i and where they may be partially shaded by peas, scarlet 
| runners, or a northern aspect. Much is to be accomplished 
j by attending to such little matters at this season, with 
I regard to securing a succession of healthy, useful pro- 
! duce in the heat of summer, at which time we have 
frequently observed the crops too liable to failure in 
some gardens, in consequence of an injudicious selection 
j ot vegetables, and the sowing and cropping the soil too 
I fully at one time. It should always be remembered, in ar- 
; ranging for the different seasons, that in the summer cer- 
1 tain crops are required to partially shade others; whilst, 
1 in winter, the same provision is required to shelter them. 
Peas and Beans. —We practice the sowing of peas, 
&c., on the warm side of sloping banks at an early 
j season, and, as the season advances, we plant and sow 
on the shady, cold side, and nurse such crops as require 
heat and shelter on the warm side. The dwarf late , 
kinds of peas should now be sown on the cold sides of I 
sloping banks or borders; also the green-garden and 
Windsor beans. 
Spinach, turnips, lettuce, radishes, &c., should be sown | 
in succession in partially shaded cold situations, and the I 
present is, also, a good time for sowing the true Virginian 
tobacco, so as to get a good produce of large leaves for i 
smoking the pits and frames, &c. We sow in pans at I 
the end of this month, and place them in gentle humid j 
heat, pricking off the plants into pans or pots, as soon as 
they can be handled, an inch or so apart, with some rich, 
open, healthy soil, placing them close to the glass in 
frames, pits, or other place where a gentle heat is at 
command, such as the back of cucumber or melon 
beds, for a short time ; and as soon as the plants 
are established, and grown large enough to produce 
four or five leaves beside the seed leaves, they are 
pricked into small sixties, which can at that time 
he spared from the flower-garden plants, that are 
then being turned out. The growth of these tobacco [ 
plants is encouraged for a few weeks, and hardened ; 
in order to turn out by the end of May, or begin¬ 
ning of June. If we have ground well-prepared to 
spare, part of them are turned out upon that, and 
the remainder between every alternate row of early 
potatoes, three feet apart from plant to plant. By 
the time that the potatoes are ripe and taken away, the 
tobacco is well established; and the plants having be¬ 
come sturdy and strong, the ground is forked over, and, 
of course, always kept clean and open by repeated sur- ! 
face stirrings. A liberal soaking of manure-water is 
occasionally applied, or advantage is taken of showery 
weather to have the earth raked away a foot round each 
plant, and a small portion of guano sown round it, and 
the earth at once again returned over it. By such treat¬ 
ment we grow the tobacco from live to seven feet high, j 
well furnished with luxuriant foliage from the bottom to 
the top. Fine weather is taken advantage of for gather¬ 
ing the leaves from the base first, and placing them in 
proper places for gradually drying. When sufficiently 
dry, they are packed closely and firmly into dry boxes 
ready for use; and ultimately, at the end of the sea¬ 
son, stalks, roots, and all, are put together, and dried ; 
and, when made use of, are chopped up fine, and turned 
to useful account for destroying vermin, either by smoke 
or decoction. 
Framing. — Cucumbers and Melons sow in succession of 
favourite kinds. Pot off early, and stop at the first joint. 
Do not allow any vacancies to occur in pits or frames; 
but at all times have nice plants in readiness. Continue 
to keep each methodically trained, and the vine thin, j 
Fruit, too, should be regulated according to the strength | 
of the plants, and not so to impoverish them that they 1 
are unable to bring the fruit to the greatest perfection. \ 
Keep it picked off and thinned in due season, taking ; 
care, at all times, to keep those that are set on the i 
strongest vine, and of the handsomest shape. Those 
in full bearing assist with occasional application of tepid ' 
manure-water. Melons, when about half grown, require 
good attention of this kind. Lay the fruit on slate or 
glass, clear from the soil, and point the blossom-end of 
it towards the north aspect; no cracked fruit will then 
be seen, unless water is applied over them, and the 
sun is allowed to shine on the structure the next morn- | 
ing, previous to air being given. It should be carefully 
borne in mind at all times, both with cucumbers and 
melons, that air should always bo applied previous to the 
sun’s rising, or, at all events, previous to its shining 
on the structure in which they are cultivated ; for 
nothing will produce canker so soon, or to the same 
extent, as the morning air thus confined and mixed | 
with the previous night’s humidity. James Barnes. 
