346 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[August 28. 
them be from three to four feet high, and put them in at from four to six 
feet apart. Portugal Laurels keep near the back, and from about eight 
to ten feet apart, and every other one of them may he removed some ten 
years hence. The common Green Holly plant in the centre between the 
Portugals, and ten feet further back; then all the open spaces may be 
filled in with the common laurels, as thickly as you can afford. Laures- 
tinus is not suitable for this work; never plant these nearer than ten feet, 
unless you want them for a low hedge. 
Pelargoniums and other things (A lover of flowers from child¬ 
hood). —There are only two kinds of Viadematum fit for beds ; the deeper 
coloured of the two is rubescens, and sometimes it is called superbum. 
There are two more of them ; bicolor, not fit for a bed, and regium, not 
in the trade. We can name them from a single leaf of each if you wish 
it. Rouge et Noir and Lady Mary Fox belong to two different sections ; 
but not at all akin to the oalc-leaf section. But why bother yourself 
about sections at all? We quite agree with you about the “candle 
plant: ” the name of it is Cacalia articulata, and the flower is a little 
ugly yellow daisy-looking thing.” 
Errors. —Page 305, col. 1, line 7 from bottom, for “ Drumlaurick,” 
read “ Drumlanrick,” and line 26 from bottom, for “efforts,” read 
“ offsets.” 
Selections of Florists’ Flowers (A Correspondent). —The fol¬ 
lowing lists are made of what we consider the best in cultivation, having 
regard at the same time to variety and contrast of colour. Dahlias.— 
King of Dahlias, Beeswing, Duke of Wellington (orange), Princess 
Radziville (white and purple), Marchioness Cornwallis (blush), Admiral 
StopfOrd (dark), Richard Cobden (shaded dark), Nonpareil (red), Admiral 
(lilac), Fearless (lilac), Toisson d'Or (buff), Barmaid (splendid rosy edge, 
and if covered, white), Duke of Cambridge (rosy lilac), Yellow Standard 
(yellow), Scarlet Gem (scarlet), George Glenny (yellow), Essex Triumph 
(black), Antagonist (white). Dr. Frampton (splendid edged flower), 
Andromeda (straw-colour tipped with pink), Sir F. Bathurst (rosy 
purple), Mr. Seldon (purple), Snonflake (white). Carnations.— Slay's 
Fulconbridge, Mansley’s Beauty of Woodhouse, Martin’s Splendid, 
Brookes’s Flora's Garland, Barringer’s Duke of Devonshire, and Hale’s 
Prince Albert. Pinks. —Wilmer’s Laura, Read’s Jenny Lind, Turner’s 
Masterpiece, Smith’s Huntsman, Bragg’s George Glenny, and Hale’s 
Queen of England. Pansies. — Duke of Cornwall (yellow ground), 
Z abdi (yellow ground), Duchess of Rutland (white ground), Ophir 
(yellow self), White Sergeant (white self), and Goliah (dark self). Petu¬ 
nias. — Crimson King, and Attraction. Calceolarias. — Baron Eden, 
Ne Plus Ultra, and Miss Charteris. Ranunculuses. — Agamemnon, 
Admitus, Edgar, Electro, Princeof Wales, and Reliance. Anemones. — 
Here we are at a loss. There is no dependance on a single name being 
correct., some are sent out under half-a-dozen names, and in other cases 
one name serves for a dozen flowers. 
Crops in Sussex. — The Rev. It. Blackburn, of Selham,near Petworth, 
writes to us as follows ;—“ The country in this immediate neighbourhood 
is of an undulating character; the soil in most cases a light sandy loam, 
the climate dry and genial. Peaches and Nectarines almost a failure; 
Apricots'entirely so. Pears have generally, also, failed, after showing a 
good bloom. My trees are mostly young. Out of twenty-four sorts, 
about twelve of which might have borne fruit; the only one which has a 
fair crop is a Winter Nelis against a south wall. This sort cannot be too 
highly recommended for a good aspect on a wall. The fruit is, I think, 
equal under these circumstances to the Marie Louise, and I have found 
it very rarely fail of a crop. Plums, also, an almost total failure; the 
only exception in my garden is Chapman's Prince of Wales. In other 
gardens there is, here and there, a tree which has escaped, but they are 
chiefly, I believe, those of the commoner and coarser character. Apples, 
an excellent yield; Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries, a good crop; 
Strawberries most abundant and fine; Figs an average quantity ; Cher¬ 
ries a tolerable muster.” 
Earwigs in Bee-Hives ( Apiphilus ).—If your bees are placed upon 
separate pedestals, as figured in page 239, vol. i., of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, a piece of sheepskin, with the wool outwards, fastened lightly 
round the pedestal, will prevent the ascent both of ants and earwigs ; but 
you have little to fear from either of them if your stocks are strong. 
Floor-boards will not require cleaning before October or November; the 
hive had then better be loosened from the board the day before it is 
cleaned; a hard brush cleans them quickly; do it in the middle of a 
clear day. 
Dielytra spectabilis ( A Mooredger ).—This plant, sent to England 
for the first time by Mr. Fortune in 1846, is the same species as that 
mentioned in The Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary, as first discovered in 
Siberia in 1810. It was then found in that part of Siberia which joins 
the frontier of China, It was originally called Fumaria spectabilis; it is 
the Capnorcliis spectabilis of Borckhausen, and the Corydalis spectabilis 
of Persoon. 
Carnation and Picotee ( L. R. Lucas).— The difference between 
them is that Carnations have their colours streaked upon the petals, 
whereas in Picotees the colour is confined exclusively to the edge, so as 
to form a border round the petals. We shall be glad to hear about the 
Vines in your orchard-house. Red currants covered with ivy, must be 
very acid from want of light and warmth. 
Hartley’s Rough Glass {Rev. J. T. P.). —We know this to be ex¬ 
cellent, both for roofing greenhouses and pits. It intercepts the direct 
rays of the sun, by which it diminishes the risk of scorching, without 
perceptibly diminishing either the heat or light. Avoiding scorching 
depends, however, as much upon good ventilation getting the upper sur¬ 
faces of the leaves, and the inner surface of the glass dry, very early in 
the morning. 
Rose and Dahlia ( A Subscriber).— Buy The Rose Tree, a little 
volume published at the office of The Gardeners' Chronicle; and The 
Dahlia, by Johnson and Turner, published by Bohn. Turfy loam, which 
has remained unturned in a heap for five or six years, will not have lost 
its useful properties. If you require it for potting purposes, add a little 
leaf-mould to it. 
Hardy Fruit-Trees {Latonensis). —You cannot have a better selec¬ 
tion than those at page 155 of our last volume. Trench your soil as you 
propose, and put tiles beneath each tree to keep the roots from the gravel. 
Keep your manure for mulching over the roots, and by pointing a little 
into the surface yearly you will induce the roots to keep near it. 
Eccremocarpus scabra (An Admirer of Flowers). —This, in most 
places, requires winter protection. You will see in The Cottage Gar¬ 
deners’ Dictionary that it is half-hardy, but that in some sheltered places 
it remains safe in the ground through the winter. We are glad to hear 
that you “ possess one which is now nearly five years old, and has stood 
the winter without any protection, having gathered flowers from it up to 
Christmas. When two years old, not liking its situation, you removed it 
in the spring, not a very clever trick, perhaps, as they make such long 
roots, and are rather shy of moving. The stem is three inches round, the 
aspect west, situation about 20 miles north of London, soil light, 
gravel beneath.” 
Stimulant for Flowers (L. M.N.). —You ask, “what is the white¬ 
looking powder, an ounce to a gallon of water, used by gardeners to pro¬ 
mote the growth of roses and flowers.” We know of only two such 
powders—Sulphate of Ammonia and Nitrate of Soda. The latter is 
usually applied to Chrysanthemums for a day or two before exhibiting 
them. Two good climbing evergreen Roses for your elm will be Felicite 
perpetuelle and Princess Louise ; but they will not do much if the shade 
is excessive, and they should be planted in rich soil in tubs, or the elm 
roots will starve them. 
Fixing Ammonia (S. Anderson).— Sulphuric Acid (Oil of Vitrol) will 
be best for mixing with the drainings of your cow-dung ; but if you use 
the drainings fresh and dig them into the soil at once, you need no acid. 
One gallon of such drainings to four gallons of water will be quite strong 
enough for Dahlias, Roses, and Pansies. 
Shanking in Grapes.— G. S. B. writes thus to us: “In The Cot¬ 
tage Gardener, vol. iii. p. 82, you observe that you never knew a case 
of shanking, when the vine roots were all inside. Alas, I can now give 
you a case. The vine is a Grizzly Frontignac. Being a young plant I ; 
did not allow it to bear till this year, and only left two bunches, thinned 1 
out to about twenty-four berries each. The tree is very vigorous. 
House without fire-heat, but kept close and damp until the grapes 
changed colour. This they did about a week ago, w'hen more air was 
given, and the air dried. Border only about eighteen inches, on a bed 
of chalk rubbish. Upon looking at your separate volumes on the vine. 
I observe that you distinguish between shrivelling and shanking. The 
case is that the footstalks of some of the berries on each branch, some 
before colouring and others after colouring, withered into a thin black 
thread. Purple Constantia, in the same house, has not shanked, nor did 
it last year.”—We can only reply that from some cause the root action of 
the Frontignac is deficient. Have the roots been kept well watered ? 
Flower Garden (S. G.). —We should dig it up rough, if it requires 
such treatment, and reserve the manuring until the spring, when a less 
quantity will do than if put on in the autumn. But what is your object 
in breaking up your flower-garden ? There is pleasure to be derived from 
it even in winter. 
Hardy Creeper for Sea-side.—A correspondent asks, in reference 
to a query at page 296 , “ Has ‘ Osmond’s Ash’ ever tried training the 
Tamarisk against his sea-weathered house : it is a well-known fence 
plant in such localities. But I was much struck with a specimen more 
tenderly treated against a public-house near Broadstairs.” 
Balm of Gilead.— J. Toms, of Ely Davy’s Road, Croydon, says that 
this is quite hardy, though usually a potted window plant,—that it may 
be grown in any quantity, and that he finds it excellent for scenting 
ointments, &c. We shall be glad of an accurate report of the produce of 
the Wheat transplanting. 
Paralysed Ducks.— Marian writes to us as follows :—“I wonder if 
F. B. has found your remedy for his paralysed ducks efficacious. I am 
not very learned in poultry, so beg to apologise for offering an opinion; 
but we once had a brood of ducks hatched in such hot weather as this, 
which lost the use of their legs, and all, or nearly all, died. We were 
told that it was owing to the heat, and that if we had allowed them 
access to the pond from the first (contrary to our usual practice) they 
would have done well. Our soil here (near the Mendip Hills) is light 
good garden soil, yet we never can get good spinach ; it is so strong and 
acrid as to be almost unpleasant. Can you tell us why, or how to improve 
it ? ” We never met with such a case, and shall be glad to hear from 
any correspondent who has, and who discovered a remedy. Surely a 
good dressing of manure would improve the quality of the spinach; a 
soil can scarcely be too rich for this vegetable. 
Names of Plants (T. M. W .).— 1. Anchusa italica, 2. Borago 
officinalis. Both are Borageworts. ( A Constant Reader). —Yours is 
certainly a Silenc, and probably S. pendula, but your specimen was too 
small to admit of certainty. ( X. Y. Z.).—1. Asplenium adiantum-nigrurn. 
2. Asplenium trichomanes. (W. IE -, Altrincham ).—1. (Enothera 
acaulis. 2. A Salvia, species uncertain. 3. Linariapurpurea. (M —, 
Fermanagh). —Yours is Phlox ne plus ultra. We will endeavour to 
make out your Geranium. (J. G.). — Rhus cotinus, the Venetian Su¬ 
mach. (M. R.). — 1. Melissa calamintha. 2. We think Polygonum 
hydropiper, but specimen bad. 3. Inula dysenterica. 4. Euputorium 
cannabinum. (Harriet ).— The white flower is Achillea ptarmica plena, 
and the blue, Phacelia congesta. 
Cyclamen and Arum (J. S. B .).— We know of no separate treatises 
on these. 
Ranting Widow.— Fiat Justitia points out that “ Helena C. W.,” 
at page 141 of our 5th volume, first pointed out that this popular name 
belongs to Epilobium angustifolium. 
Himalayaii Pumpkin (B. S.). —It is excellent boiled like the Veget¬ 
able Marrow, or mashed as turnips, or made into soup according to the 
recipe at page 43 of our first volume. 
Pigs (IE. H. IE.).—All pigs, when five or six months old, apparently 
cease to grow quickly, but it would be found, that if thrifty, they con • 
tinued to increase in weight, if put into the balance at monthly intervals. 
Candle Plant.— N. S. H. informs us that Cacalia articulata is fre¬ 
quently called the Candle plant, and by the uninitiated, the Candle gera¬ 
nium. 
