July 14. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
281 
j desirable to introduce standards—or bloom above and 
j bloom below—as was lately adverted to by Mr. Beaton, 
i when speaking of the pretty standards of Deutsia gracilis. 
' And yet, with all our admiration of this spendid and 
J singular Lily, and that was by no means small, I could 
not but feel that when the interest of novelty was gone, 
it could hardly bear comparison, as an object of beauty, 
with a well-grown plant of that old Campanula with 
which I have headed this article ; but for the seeing of 
which in perfection now-a-days, we must in general quit 
the gardens of the wealthy, and seek for it, in all its 
glory, in the window of the mechanic or the cottager. 
Some time ago, I was taken up a back street to sec a fine 
specimen; the stem was little less in thickness at the 
base than that of the gigantic Lily. It was a perfect cone 
of flowers, branched slightly at the base, and move than 
eight feet in height; so high, that it had to betaken 
from the window, and placed on a low stool a little 
behind it. It was growing in a ten-inch pot, and set in 
a large saucer, where about half an inch of water was 
then constantly kept, and when the sun shone upon it 
very strong a thin window-curtain was drawn before it 
to shade it. The owner had kept it for two years, re 
ceiving only a small bit at first, and potting it on as it 
required it. No merit was assumed by the owner; all 
the credit was very delicately given to the plant that 
would grow so. I confess the sight of that plant, and 
the Idly combined, pretty well confirmed me to take 
back that old Bellwort again as one of my especial 
favourites; and, that our small greenhouse and window 
friends may have an equal start, I will here detail a few 
of the points essential to its successful pot culture. 
Some of my friends have spoken enthusiastically of 
specimens from ten to fourteen feet in height; but I 
suspect these must have been plants of several years 
standing. With the best part of two years’ manage¬ 
ment, my general success rarely mounted higher than 
from six to eight feet; but even at that height, and 
well clothed to the base, whether they were the blue or 
1 ho wiiite varieties, they constituted objects that few 
things would rival, either in greenhouse, window, ve¬ 
randa, or entrance-hall. As they cannot be bloomed 
well under more than a twelvemonth’s care, and as, 
after blooming, the old plant is of no more use than 
for furnishing a new set of young ones, an answer is at 
once supplied to the query, why such line old things 
seldom appear at exhibition tables? the exhibitors very 
wisely running with the stream, and adopting as their 
•proteges those plants which, with the necessary routine 
of attention, will for a number of years be getting 
better and better every year, without subjecting them to 
the trouble of ever and anon commencing their plants 
from a seed or a cutting. 
As the time for sowing or making cuttings is now 
past; and as July will be here before this will see the 
light; and as the purchasing of a few plants will not 
hurt those the most economically disposed; and as 
tradesmen will soon let us know where they are to be 
found, if we raise a regular hue and cry for them; I 
would advise the securing a few nice young plants, 
either in pots, or raised carefully from the nursery-beds, 
so that, by careful attention, bloom may be obtained 
from them in spring and early summer. 
Supposing, then, that you obtain a plant in a four 
or five-inch pot, or a plant which you put into such a 
sized pot, though the first would be the best, the first 
thing is to encourage growth with plenty of water, &c. 
By-and-by, by the end of the mouth, if the roots have 
reached the side of the pot, give another shift, using a 
pot three inches wider, if the plant is strong, and two 
inches wider if the plant is not so robust. It is bad 
policy to shift or pot after the middle or towards the 
end of August, because the autumn sun is wanted to 
mature the juices of the plant, and it will pass the 
winter more easily with a pot well crammed with roots. 
After shifting, keep close for a few days, either by 
putting the plant in a cold pit or frame, or under a 
handlight. The latter utensil is very useful for all such 
purposes in a corner of the greenhouse, when no other 
structure is come-at-able. By the end of September, 
water must be discontinued by degrees, giving no more 
than will .just keep the plant from flagging, and ex¬ 
posing it to as much sunlight as possible. By the end 
of October, the plant should be housed for the winter. 
It will do well plunged in a dryish cold pit, and, with 
the exception of air-giving in fine days to dispel damp, 
&e., and securing from severe frost, it will want no 
more attention until fresh leaves break round the 
crown, as the sun gains strength in March. It in a 
cool greenhouse, the plant will keep better if the pot 
containing it is plunged in another, and the space 
between filled with moss. In such a position, the plant 
must not get so dry as it may be permitted to be in a 
cold pit; but the second pot will prevent the necessity 
of much watering, and the less it will do with in winter 
the better it will thrive in the following season. As the 
fresh growth thus proceeds, w r ater gently several times, 
until the whole ball is moistened with water at the tem¬ 
perature of from 65° to 70°. • Then, if growth proceeds 
nicely, and your plant is in a six or seven-inch pot, 
make up your mind to give it a shift into one several 
inches wider. Give it a. fair portion of drainage. When 
the ball is turned out of the pot, pick over the sides of 
the ball gently with a fine pointed stick, so that the fibres 
may run at once into the rough, rich, sandy loam. 
Equal portions of old dung, and rough loam, a year old, 
and then one portion more of sand, charcoal, and lime 
rubbish, will grow this plant admirably; but it does 
well in such soils as is got by the highway in loamy 
districts, mixed with a little sand, and then mulched 
with rotten dung. After potting, keep the plant close 
for a few days, and with limited air, until the flow r er- 
stem is showing itself. Water carefully, and rather in a 
niggardly w'ay, until the roots are taking hold of the 
new soil, then give liberally, and, if alternately with 
various kinds of manure-water, not strong, all the better. 
If, while the stem is rising for the first foot or so, the 
plant is kept slightly shaded from bright sun, and with 
not too much air, the stem will rise more rapidly; but 
this must not be carried to excess; for if air and light 
are long withheld you will have length of stem at the 
expense of compactness and robustness. The plant 
now becomes a regular toper, and, in a sunny day, 
drinks amazingly. To avoid any sudden extreme, place 
the plant in a saucer, and let it thus so far be treated as 
a half-aquatic. The water, however, should not stand 
high up in the saucer. When in full bloom, it will be 
preserved longer under a slight shade; but the least 
extreme will cause the blue variety to lose its rich, 
glossy colour. When done flowering, you may let the 
plant ripen its seed, or cut it down and set it aside, for 
the sake of dividing its roots, which may be done any 
time in summer, but best of all in the spring. 
Having thus described the culture necessary to be 
followed with a young plant, I will now state shortly 
how these young plants are to be obtained by those 
who would raise and manage them from first to last for 
themselves; and 
First: From Seed, —If you can command a slight 
hotbed, or a place in a cucumber box, sow in light 
sandy soil early in March. If you must depend on 
a greenhouse, sow there under a bell-glass at the end 
of the month. The seed is very small, and must be 
very slightly covered. After being watered, the bell- 
glass, especially if shaded, will help to keep it so. As 
soon as they arc fairly up a little air must be given, 
or they will damp off. When they have got three or 
four small leaves, prick them off separately, a couple 
