THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Mav -29. 
150 
one morning, to find the poor cat lying dead in the middle 
of a walk, without any apparent cause of death ; but on 
looking closer, I found near her a large toad, which had 
evidently been killed by the cat, and bitten. Is it possible 
that the old notion of the toad being poisonous, which we 
have been accustomed to treat as an old woman's, fable 
(although we have Shakspere’s authority for the. opinion) 
is really true ? The coincidence, at all events, is singular— 
cats, when dying from disease, usually select some hidden 
nook, and not the most open part of a garden, as in this 
instance, and I am quite sure that neither “ Accidental 
death,” or “ Wilful murder” could have been returned as 
verdict by any jury of grimalkins, for there were no grounds 
of suspicion for either.—S. -, Wolverhampton. 
TREE MIGNONETTE. 
Allow' me to correct a mistake which appeared in the 
report of the Northampton Flower Show in your publi¬ 
cation. The Tree Mignonette is not a different species 
from the common variety. I think you will find this to be 
so on examination. Any plant of it will do, only choose a 
strong one, and as it grows, pick off all the side-shoots and 
flowers. 
I have very lately seen three or four great plants of it, 
one of a considerable size, which were made from little 
plants taken from the borders. The only care is in the 
manufacture; for it is not, I should think, the nature of the 
plant to be stretched up a stick and only allowed to flower 
at the top. I do not know how they came to be sent out as 
a different species. The Tree Violet, on the contrary, is a 
different kind from the common Violet.—L. S. C. 
MIS-SPELLING THE NAMES OF PLANTS. 
You will do a great service to horticulture, as well as the 
puzzled eyes and heads of gardeners, professional and 
amateur, if you will remonstrate with seedsmen and sellers 
of seeds generally, on the grossly careless, inaccurate, and 
illegible way in which they affix names to the seeds they 
send out. Some people may think an approximation to a 
Latin name quite as good as the real name, because the 
true and the false are equally unintelligible to them; hut 
these names are not given at random, or without reason ; 
and as Messrs. Jones or Brown would justly resent the 
change of their names into such nicknames as Bones or 
Crown, it is very hard on the poor flowers, that equal, and 
sometimes greater, liberties are taken with them. 
I have now before me a seedsman’s list, in which are the 
following transmogrifications:—Genera for Gaura, Cum- 
punula for Campanula, and now this word, which I can only 
copy—funtugonin—for I am fairly puzzled, either to read 
or to make it out. 
A few words of rebuke may correct or check the growing 
inconvenience.—F illinguam. 
[The carelessness which once prevailed in spelling the 
names in nurserymen’s lists was so great as to become pro¬ 
verbial ; and we perfectly well remember a man of science 
observing upon his gardener’s spelling, that “ he must have 
learned botany out of the trade lists.” 
Such mistakes are to be deprecated on many accounts, 
and so much so, that some of our leading Societies stipulate 
that prizes shall not he awarded to plants improperly 
named even in spelling. 
AVe do not know to whose list our correspondent alludes, 
and we must exonerate from the charge the lists of our 
leading nurserymen and seedsmen. We have often re¬ 
marked upon their correctness, as an evidence of the pro¬ 
gress of education, and to have such correct lists is an 
evidence of great carefulness, for it is no light labour to 
correct the errors made by printers in such long arrays of 
unusual names. 
We are glad our correspondent (a clergyman and an 
amateur gardener) has pointedly remarked upon this 
subject, for we are quite sure it will be a hint to any who 
have been inattentive to the correctness of their lists, to 
consult their own interests by amending them. The .pur¬ 
chaser will always think, that a man who does not spell the 
name of a plant correctly, knows less about it Jhan the 
man who does spell it as it should be spelt.] 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
CRASSULA CULTRATA AND MAIDEN HAIR FERN 
CULTURE. 
“ I should feel exceedingly obliged if you will tell me the 
name and proper treatment of the plant of which I enclose 
a small slip. Although kept in a warm room, with a fire at 
night, it was much nipped by the late winter frosts. As 
soon as possible, I removed it to the greenhouse, but when 
the fire was lighted I fancied it was too hot, as the leaves 
withered at the ends, and the stems became so veiy buttle. 
I had placed it on the flue, and just in the front of the 
south glass. Had I better keep it in the greenhouse [Ies] 
(where there must he a fire for some weeks to come foi the 
Vines), or in a room with a south aspect ? 
‘ Will you also inform me whether the growth of a 
common Maiden Hair Fern will be improved by cutting 
down the stems that have remained all the winter? and, 
further, if not too much trouble, the best steps to prevent 
my plants (I have no very tender or choice ones) from 
suffering from the fire had for the l ines ? The house is 
rather apt to ho damp, if I water very freely, and yet the 
heat seems to try them, and make them long and straggling. 
—A Great Admirer.” 
[Your specimen is from one of those odd-looking, thick- 
leaved, succulent plants called Crassula, and, from the dimi¬ 
nutive bit sent, we believe it to be the Crassula cult-rat a , a 
suitable oddity to stand upon a dry shelf in the greenhouse, 
in the most sunny place. It should he potted in poor, 
rubbishy soil, or a sandy loam mixed with pounded bnck- 
dust, or old mortar, or a little of both, with the pots well 
drained. Any bit of a cutting, planted in the same kind ot 
soil, and placed upon the same shelf, to receive only as 
much water as will prevent its shrivelling, will root and 
flourish. „ ... x, i 
Such succulents as these do best kept in the dry, any 
greenhouse all the year round, hut during the hot summer 
months more water is required to them, and m the dull 
days of winter scarcely any should he given. . 
The Maiden Hair Fern will be improved by removing all 
the old, dead fronds, and repotting it, if required. Use peat 
earth for it, and place it in the most shaded part of your 
greenhouse. As you are keeping your house a little the 
warmer to forward your Vines, the pots of Maiden Hair 
Fern would be better placed in a pan to contain water at 
most times, as this plant delights in shade, heat, and moistiue, 
and no class of plants do so well as the Ferns and Lycopods 
do during the summer months, under the shade of a V inery, 
particularly in such a case as yours appears to he. Many ot 
the Begonias do pretty well under this shade of \ ines. 
Gesneria zehrinu, and the Achimenes, after being brought 
forward in the pit or hotbed, flower and do well under the 
partial shade of the Vines; whilst the Geraniums, and 
many other greenhouse plants, would soon draw up very 
slender, and fail. Now, some suitable spot or other should 
be found for all these, or with some slight protection pro¬ 
vided for them, where they could enjoy the benefit oi the 
open air over head on all favourable occasions.] 
MEDINILLA MAGNIFICA AND CYPRIPEDIUM 
INSIGNIS CULTURE. 
“ An Old Subscriber to the Cottage Gardener will 
be much obliged by information respecting the best method 
of culture and propagation of Medinilla magnifica, and 
especially of the propagation. Also of the best method ol 
blooming Cypripedium insignis abundantly. 
[You will see that Mr. Appleby has fully answered your 
query relative to the Medinilla in this number. In order to 
