May 8. 
96 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
vegetate quicker; but ho couhl not explain the philosophy 
of the subject. Pray, can you ? or is it only a fancy of the 
gardener ?—S.” 
[Rest assured the gardener was wrong. Repeated ex¬ 
periments have shewn that in spring seeds germinate most 
rapidly under red glass; but in summer it increases the 
heat so much as to retard the germination. Under blue 
glass the germination of the seed and growth of the plant 
goes on healthfully; but no better than under common 
untinted glass. Under green glass germination and growth 
are very slow. Plants under any coloured glass, except blue 
and yellow, are more or less blanched. 
We have no hesitation in saying that uncoloured glass 
is the best for all gardening purposes, with the exception, 
perhaps, of yellow glass for Mushroom-houses. “ I could 
not,” says Mr.Hunt,in his “ Researches on Light,”—“I could 
not, with the utmost attention, make the Agaricus muscarius 
grow behind any coloured glass but the yeliow, under which 
it grew luxuriantly. This appears to explain, in some 
measure, the popular notion that Mushrooms, and plants ol 
that kind, grow most abundantly under the influence of 
bright moonlight.”] 
PREPARING STRAWBERRY PLANTS FOR 
FORCING. 
“I have a quantity of small autumn runners of Keen's 
Seedling , Hooper's Seedling, and British Queen. Strawberries, 
and should like to know if they would not be preferable to 
this year’s runners for forcing, as I wish to have Strawberries 
early. If I was to put them in small pots soon, and shift 
them into the fruiting-pots in June, should I not get 
stronger plants against winter, as I am in a cold, late 
situation, and my summer plants do not get so strong as I 
should wish, though 1 peg them down into small pots, 
and shift them into larger ones when they are well- 
rooted ?—N. W.” 
[Your case is far from an unusual one; but there is a 
very good remedy for it, by adopting the growth of two 
years instead of one for preparing your plants for forcing; 
but as there will be an article in our paper of next week 
bearing on the subject we will say no more; but should 
your case require further directions than is there given, 
write to us again, and we have no doubt but our departmental 
writers will satisfactorily meet you views. You seem to be 
on the right side for ensuring a quantity of good plants for 
next year, and if the numbers are not sufficient, plant out a 
few of last year’s runners, if you can obtain them, picking 
off all flower buds, and keeping all runners carefully cleared 
away, as will be explained in the article alluded to.] 
CINERARIA CULTURE.—CALENDARIAL ABllE- 
VIATIONS. 
“ In your No. 341, for the 10th ult., page 21, treating of 
Cinerarias, you say—‘Every one thinks he can grow a Cine¬ 
raria; but there is not a man in a score who even knows 
how to set about it, Ac.’ Now, as they are plants that I 
am very fond of, and having got some seedlings just into 
their pots, I shall be much obliged if you will give me a few 
hints with regard to their proper management. 
“ Also, in your calendar for the months, I often observe 
a b. after some of the items in the flower-garden, thus— 
‘ Take stock of your bedding stuff, b.; and bring up arrears, 
if any, Ac.’ Does the b. signify border ?—W. O. D.” 
[If you have our 5th volume you will find abundance 
about Cineraria culture there. If you have not that volume, 
buy our 117th number, which contains an essay upon the 
subject. At the same time let us observe, that superior 
skill, first-rate materials to work with, and an indomitable 
perseverance, do not fall to the lot of one man in a score; 
therefore, there is not a man in a score who can grow Cine¬ 
rarias, or Roses, or Geraniums, or Calceolarias, Ac., in first- 
rate style; only one in 500, and hardly that—but there is 
not the smallest secret in the thing from beginning to end. 
The b. and the e. in the monthly calendars, signify the 
“ beginning ” or the “ end" of the month; orb. before the 
10th, and e. after the 20th. The rest of the things may be 
between the 10th and the 20th, or before or after, like 
old Moore’s weather.] 
PLANTING CAMPANULA CARPATICA. — CALAN- 
DRIN1A SPECIOSA.—STOCKS FROM CUTTINGS. 
“ I shall feel obliged if you will inform me at what dis¬ 
tance from each other Campanula carpalica should be, when 
planted to form a bed ? Also, whether Calandrinia speciosa 
is a perennial, as stated in the Cottage Gardeners’ Dic¬ 
tionary. The tender appearance of the plants leads me to 
think that it may be a mis-print. Under the head of 
“Stocks,” in that Dictionary, it is recommended to make 
cuttings of those that are double, to form a supply for the 
following year. Will you tell me, 
“ 1st. The best time for making the cuttings, so as to 
have nice bushy plants in the spring ? 
“ 2nd. How long the cuttings should be? 
“ 3rd. Which shoots should be selected? 
“ The difficulty which I see, is this—If the cuttings are 
made too early, the plants will make too much growth 
before winter, and look so tall and miserable in the spring. 
If, on the other hand, it is deferred too long, there is the 
risk of their not getting sufficiently established to stand the 
winter.—J. W. S.” 
[These Campanulas ought to stand only three inches 
apart every way, outside from outside. Calandrinia speciosa 
is a perennial; but the best and easiest way is to treat it as 
an annual, and save the seeds every year. Making cuttings 
of Stocks is “ love’s labour lost.” It is only to satisfy 
curiosity that one must say it can be done. Scotch Firs 
can also be raised from cuttings, but no one thinks of 
“ doing ” them in that way.” 
THE BLUE CROCUS.—CLOTH OF GOLD ROSE.— 
SCARLET PASSION FLOWER. — STAUNTONIA 
LATIFOLIA. — SOWING POMPONE CHRYSAN¬ 
THEMUMS. 
“ The questions I am about to ask may appear so stag¬ 
gering to you, that you will be utterly confounded—like I 
was, at a correspondent, a few weeks since, asking about 
growing blue Crocuses. Just allow me to say, by way ot pa¬ 
renthesis, that we have here many scores of a blue Crocus, 
and 1 may say it needs no growing; they are in patches, 
here and there, and we never meddle with them, and yet 
they flower beautifully, and I may say bountifully, too. 
Ours, as you must know, is a very clayey bottom, and they 
seem to like it well. But to my questions. We are wishful 
to grow three different plants, Chromatellc, or Cloth of Gold 
Ruses, StaunIonia latifolia, and a scarlet Passi/lora. Now, 
we are here twelve miles N. E. of Manchester, as near as 
I can say. Will you be kind enough to say whether we 
may venture or no? and say, also, whether the Slauntonia is 
a twiner or no ; because we want it to go up a house side. 
I have never seen the plant, but on the strength of your 
judgment we shall purchase one; and please say, likewise, 
where they may be got. 
“What is the price of two or three-year-old plants of 
Asparagus per 100 or 1000 ? and if a bed is planted now with 
three-year old plants will it bear next spring ? 
“ Would Pompone Chrysanthemum seed sown now produce 
plants to flower this year? 
“ Cedars, Dcodara and Lebani, and Auracaria, have stood 
this winter with nothing but a little fern over their roots. 
“ By the way, Mr. Editor, your paper is worth treble its 
value since you published the portraits in it; but, pray, when 
are we to have another? and I think it only right and just 
that our own contributors should be shown unto us face to 
face first, before nurserymen, whom the majority of us 
never saw. I should like to see Mr. Errington’s portrait 
very much indeed. 
“ Excuse this medley, and oblige—E xcelsior.” 
[Ten to one that your Crocuses are the common pale blue, 
which are just as hardy as the large yellow one, but the dark 
