May 12. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1 LI 
enough in the part getting sun until midday, you might have a Melon or 
Cucumber in summer, and the latter even in winter. There is no end to 
the plants you might forward for your neighbours at this season, but in 
winter, with the exception of the Cactus, and blooming some early bulbs 
with the full amount of air on, we should give up floristry and try 
kitchen-gardening. A temperature of 60 ° would grow Mushrooms and 
Sea-kale first-rate. As there is no fire on Sunday, you must husband the 
heat in winter, by shutting up the air early on Saturday. If you give us 
the size of windows we may then revise our opinion. You must neutralise 
the dry air by moisture. 
More about Engine-House Gardening (A Raw Un ).—We had 
written the above reply before your second letter came. It would be no 
use giving you long lists of what you could keep in such a place; you 
had far better confine yourself to a few groups at first. Recollect, you 
will grow nothing well that you cannot give light and air to. The Cactus 
group would answer your purpose well. You have seen those strange 
little things, the Echinocacti Melocacti; these would all do well in a 
temperature of 60 ° in winter and from that to /5° in summer. Most 
stove plants would do so far as temperature is concerned, but then we 
rather think you would not find more than room for two or three plants 
close to the window, and the floor will be of no use for growing tender 
plants, while it will be too hot for preserving greenhouse plants—it would 
regularly wire-draw them. Your additional room, mentioned to-day, 
communicating with the engine-house by a window, and having a sky¬ 
light five feet by three feet, affords you more hope for growing Fuchsias, 
Geraniums, &c., but only then if your skylight opens, and you can place 
the plants on a table near it, so as to enjoy the light. The small steam- 
pipe passing through this room will keep it warm enough in winter, and 
j on a Sunday the opening of the window between the engine-house and 
[ room w'ould give plenty of heat in winter. On other days, to prevent too 
much heat, a board cover should be placed over the window, and the 
skylight elevated for air. Aim at 45° to 50° in winter, and from 55° to 
65° in summer. If this room was roofed with skylights you would have 
a nice greenhouse. The light you get from the partition window will be 
I of little or no benefit for your plants. For most things the light must 
be direct, not diffused. When you please yourself with Fuchsias and 
Geraniums, it will be time enough to begin with Heaths. You are mis¬ 
taken about the Cactus ; they like damp heat only when growing. You 
would see an article lately by Mr. Fish on their management, and they 
will be glanced at presently. Your cuttings may have the tops kept a 
little moist, but the soil in which the lower part is should be dryish, or 
you may rot them. When we used to grow Cacti largely, we used to 
put them down rather carelessly among a lot of sandy gravel, rather dry > 
and kept the tops rather moist; by this process they very soon rooted. We 
forgot to mention that, in addition to Mushrooms, Sea-kale, &c., you 
might supply (from the stove-floor of your engine-house) the whole 
neighbourhood with Mustard and Cress. 
Rose-Scented Geraniums (R. S. B . and S . S .).— They will only 
make green beds, as their flowers are not conspicuous, unless you take to 
the new plan of mixing strong scarlet Verbenas with them, such as 
Robinson’s Defiance. Strong Verbenas, with pink or white flowers, will 
also do to plant with the Rose-scented Geranium, such as Beauty 
Supreme and Ellen , for shades of pink, and White Perfection or Mont 
Blanc. The time to plant them out is during the last half of May. The 
best apology in the w'orld that a private correspondent can offer to public 
journalists is—to write to the point at once, and in as few words as 
possible ; a single page of note paper is large enough to hold from twelve 
to twenty questions. Why, then, inflict four pages of close writing to 
convey one or two questions, and that regularly every other week ? As 
to the scarceness or dearness of this or that plant—we are not in the 
trade, and can have nothing to do or say in the matter. 
Dielytra Spectabilis (S. S .).— Pray do not allow this beautiful 
plant to be smothered with bedding plants; it is only fit for specimen 
plants in a mixed border, no matter who asserts the contrary. 
Variegated Geranium (E. E. II.). —Your Geranium is Mang/e’s 
Variegated, the best of all the bedding sort, but not the right one for the 
1 shot-silk bed. Although the flowers look now more scarlet than pink, 
i as soon as they get into the open air they will turn to the usual pale pink ; 
\ if they do not, pray tell us next July. 
Camellias ( Devoniensis ).—Next week we shall give you such an 
! instance of Camellia growing as will put “the very Paxton of North 
Devon,” and all other Paxtons and Dcvonshires to the Camellia blush. 
; Now is a very bad time to pot Camellias that arc not in the highest 
health. The end of September is the best time in the year to pot 
| Camellias, that is certain ; the end of March the next best time. Unless 
the soil is much iujured by worms, very little of it could be shaken off from 
the roots; if it fall off at potting, your plants are in a very bad state 
indeed. 
Management ok Goats (P. W. H .). —The refuse of any garden will 
furnish food for a Goat, and it will thrive and give a good quantity o^ ! 
milk when fed upon oats, clover chaff, cabbage leaves, turnip tops, and 
any garden produce; and many weeds, such as Milk Thistles, &c., they 
will eat with avidity. In order to keep a Goat in milk during the greater 
part of the year, she should produce her young twice in that period; to 
effect this, she should be put to the male about six weeks after yeaning. 
—J. B. 
Artificial Manures for Mangold and Swedes (3P. H . L .).— 
The artificial manures required to produce a full crop of Mangold-Wurt- 
zel, when the soil and culture is favourable, will be, per acre, two 
hundred-weight-and-a-half of superphosphate of lime, one quarter of 
bone dust, mixed with twenty bushels of ashes, and drilled with the 
seed; and three hundred-weight of the best Peruvian guano, sown broad¬ 
cast, and ploughed or harrowed in at the time of seeding. For Swedish 
Turnips, under the like circumstances, the same quantities of superphos¬ 
phate, bone dust, and ashes should be applied with the drill; and two 
hundred-weight of Peruvian guano, sown broadcast and harrowed in, 
will prove sufficient; but on some soils Swedes do not keep well when 
guano is applied.—J. B. 
Bantams (G. Crocker). —The Sebright is the most perfect form of the 
Laced Bantam, and, from the excellence of the birds bred by the late Sir 
John Sebright, the name has been sometimes applied to the whole class ; < 
but more correctly would the Sebright be termed a variety of the Laced 
Bantams. In the Golden Laced birds, the tail should be of the same 
clear yellow bay that forms the ground-colour of the body, the extremi¬ 
ties of its feathers being lightly tipped with black.—W. 
Rouen Ducks (Vera.v and H. H.). —Whether the Rouen Duck can 
lay claim to be considered as originally a distinct variety may be doubted; 
but, at any rate, care and selection have brought the birds now known 
under that name to such a degree of excellence, that no one can question 
the justice by which they are admitted as a separate class at our Poultry 
Exhibitions. The colour of the Rouen closely resembles that of the 
Wild Duck, and birds whose plumage show any lighter tints are always 
to be rejected. In size they greatly exceed the usual weight of farm-yard 
birds. Our own four prize birds, purchased at Birmingham in 1851, 
weighed 26 lbs. on recovering from a long journey, and we have seen 
many that would equal them in this respect. In form they are lower on 
the leg, and the fore part of the body is less raised. The eggs are laid 
abundantly, and though it is said at a later season than the Aylesbury, 
we have not found it so ; sixty or seventy eggs for the year may be about 
the average of a good layer. Our own, old and young alike, have been 
laying since last November, and have not as yet manifested any desire 
to sit. The colour of the egg is a pale bluish-green.—W. 
Bad-flavoured Butter. — Dairy-maid says:— “I shall feel much 
obliged if any one could inform me what is the cause of an annual 
annoyance which occurs in my dairy, either in the latter part of April, or 
the beginning of May, continuing about a month or five weeks. This 
year, the season being late, I have not perceived the rank and disagreeable 
taste in the butter till last Monday, the 2nd inst. My dairy, which is 
supplied with milk by Alderney and Jersey cows, is of the richest dis¬ 
cretion, making most pure and excellent butter, keeping good the 
ordinary time. Now I am obliged to have butter made daily, as every 
hour it gets more rank, and often the milk is very far from good. I am 
inclined to think this annoyance is occasioned by some weed peculiar to 
this part of Surrey, near Kingston, and should feel very much obliged by 
any of your correspondents, or readers, informing me what weed springs 
up at this time of year, lasting only a month or a little more, which is 
likely to taint the milk.” The Wild Chive gives arank, unpleasant flavour 
to milk and butter at this season. Try whether chloride of lime will cure it. 
Dissolve half-an-ounce of the chloride powder in a gallon of water, and i 
put a tcaspoonful of the solution to every gallon of milk as it is 
brought from the cow. Can any of our readers give us information 
upon this ? 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ 
Church, City of London.—May 12th, 1853. 
