124 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 22 
before long, show flower-buds at their many subdivided ; 
points, when the temperature should be lowered, more , 
air and full sunshine admitted, until by the first of 
June, or earlier, the plants will be fine objects in j 
an ordinary greenhouse. During the growing period in 
spring, and also when flowering in summer, they will 
drink in manure-water most greedily, provided it is not 
given too strong. This plant is seldom annoyed with i 
insects. Young side-shoots, two or three inches in length, 
slipped off close to the older wood, dressed at the base, and 
inserted in sand under a bell-glass, will strike in a lew 
days, and make nice little plants the first summer. It 
is seldom advisable to have plants above two years of i 
age. In warm places, many of the species, or varieties, 
will do out-of-doors in summer, but 1 have always found 
the winds here too strong for them. 
STEPHAN OTIS ELORIBUNDUS. 
The various modes of treating this plant have been j 
largely dwelt upon. The chief points are these—Peat 
and loam for soil; winter temperature from 45° to 55°, j 
the less below 50° the better, and kept rather dry ; j 
prune so as to have the young shoots rather thin in 
autumn or spring; sponge off every trace of black or 
insects; increase the temperature in spring, until it 
reaches 70°, with a rise of 10° or 15° from sunshine; j 
syringe over head until the flowers appear, then dis- 1 
continue, and inure by degrees to more air and sunshine. 
When done flowering, a little close heat will do it good, 
before hardening it off for the winter. 
LYCOPODIUM BRAZILIENSE. 
This is a very pretty moss of the easiest culture, pro¬ 
vided you give it peat and loam to grow in; a shady 
place in which to secure itself from a scorching sun; 
abundance of water, curtailing it only in winter; a 
moist atmosphere, and a temperature seldom under 50°, 
and frequently reaching 00° in winter, and mounting 
up to 70° and 85° in summer. 
HOUSE WITH DIVISION. 
You will not be able to grow all these plants, even in 
summer, along with other greenhouse plants, but by 
keeping them at the time specified above by themselves, 
in one end of the house, and next the furnace, of course, 
you will obtain sufficient heat for them, unless in cold, 
stormy weather, from the first week in June, until the last ; 
week in September, without lighting a fire, and merely 
by curtailing the amount of air, and keeping a moist | 
atmosphere. In very cold, dull weather, in June, a fire, I 
though going through both houses, would do no harm, j 
as you could just give more air in the cool part. From 1 
what has been said, you will be at no loss to know i 
when any of these plants may be safely trusted in the 1 
cooler part. Nothing answers better than a cold pit for 
growing many tropical plants in summer, because, I 
merely by diminishing the quantity of air, we can give, j 
whenever there is sun, what temperature, and what 
amount of moisture in the atmosphere we like. The ! 
only drawback, in such circumstances, is a track of cold, 
dull weather in June and July, but then, had we your 
flue, there would be no difficulty. R. Fish. 
that would suit the pages of The Cottage Gardener, 
and I see my practice is followed by my good friends, 
Mr. Beaton and Mr. Fish, so that amongst us, our 
readers may rest satisfied that there will nothing escape 
that is likely to be useful or worth knowing. Many 
other contributors do the same, so that we may fairly 
say, that it is not our fault if The Cottage Gardener 
does not know every point in practice, every new fruit 
worth growing, and every new plant worth striving to 
obtain. 
It is my opinion, that a history of all the gardens in 
Great Britain, containing a report how they all are 
managed, what they contain, how hardy fruits prosper 
in different localities, what trees and shrubs are hardy, 
how hothouses are heated, with a notice of the scenery, 
and hints for improvement; in fact, the state of gardens 
and gardening in this country at present, would be a 
valuable mass of information, and would be a standard 
work that would be well reviewed by the public. Not 
a mere compilation, but an actual survey for that 
purpose. We have no srrch book in existence. The 
only approach to it is the short notices in “ Loudon’s 
Encyclopedia,” and a small volume entitled “ Beauties 
of Middlesex,” by Mr. Keane. 
THE MANGOSTEEN. 
1 very lately visited the gardens at Sion House, 
and my first inquiry of Mr. Iveson was, “ Has the 
Mangosteen ripened its fruit?” To my great satisfaction 
he answered, “ Yes! We gathered one a few days ago.” 
“Was it good?” “ Yes, excellent; but you may see one 
now on the tree nearly ripe.” To the Tropical House 
we wended our way, and there, sure enough, the fruit 
hung on the tree. It is about the size of a fair Ribston 
Pippin Apple; but quite round, and dark chocolate 
colour. Mr. Iveson said he was present when the ripe 
one was cut into. The rind is hard, and the flesh inside 
rich and melting; the flavour, that of the Pine-Apple 
and Grape combined. It keeps well, for be said he ex¬ 
pected to be able to exhibit one, or more, at some of the 
exhibitions. Probably at the Crystal Palace. 
We cannot, at present, say whether the Mangosteen 
will ever be grown so common as to be on the tables 
of even the wealthiest of our nobility. It depends 
greatly upon the next year’s produce. If this tree, now 
that it has begun to bear fruit, yields freely another year, 
then we may hope it will become more common; but 
the great age and size it appears to require, in addition 
to a lofty Tropical House, and great heat, renders the 
matter of its extended culture rather doubtful. 
MUSA CAYENDISHII. 
The house occupied with the Musa Cavendshii variety) 
alluded to in a former communication, was in good con¬ 
dition. Two or three of the Musas had produced 
enormous spikes of fruit on plants a year old, and not 
more than five feet in stem. There can be no doubt 
but this fruit can be grown successfully in even a mode¬ 
rate garden; but then it requires a house to itself, as it 
has at Sion. There is something noble in the appearance 
of the plants, for they cannot be called either trees or 
shrubs. 
VINES IN POTS. 
JOTTINGS FROM MY NOTE BOOK. 
My memorandums are becoming numerous, and if I 
allow them to remain too long in my book, I fear some 
of our readers will not reap any benefit from them, for 
the season for so doing will be passing away. I men¬ 
tioned once before, that I novel' called at any place but 
I kept my eyes and ears open too, to catch anything 
The Vines in pots that I mentioned as being very 
strong from eyes the February preceding are now in 
fruit, and had a very heavy crop upon them, with 
bunches of fruit above the average size. They are 
grown in a low house, formerly used as a pine pit, 
and completely covered tho roof, producing fruit from 
the front to the back. To cause the fruit to swell 
off well, Mr. I. has laid some of the longest into the 
adjoining pots. Into the earth in those pots they were 
