I 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
August 7. 
310 
a large pond; it is merely thrown into the water, and in a 
few days the young come forth. When they have attained 
some size they are fed with tender vegetables chopped up 
and thrown into the water, the quantity being augmented as 
they increase in size. The growth of these iish is incredibly 
rapid. In a month, at most, they are strong and active, 
and require abundant nourishment. .Morning and evening 
the proprietors of fish-ponds ransack the fields for suitable 
plants, which they carry home in enormous quantities. 
The fish rise to the surface and throw themselves eagerly 
on their food, which they devour speedily, keeping up all 
the time a kind of murmuring noise, like a number of 
rabbits. Their voracity can only be compared to that of silk¬ 
worms just before spinning their cocoons. After being fed 
thus for about a fortnight, they generally attain a weight of 
two or three pounds, after which they grow no more. They 
are then taken out and sold alive in the towns. 
The fish-ponds of Kiang-si contain only this one kind of 
fish, which is of an exquisite flavour; if there are are any 
other sorts, at least, we never saw them, and we are also 
unaware whether the spawn undergoes any preparation 
before it is sold. 
The Chinese farmers class their various -kinds of Wheat 
under two categories, one of which invariably begins to 
flower in the night, and the other, no less invariably, in the 
day; and they maintain that a knowledge of these character¬ 
istics is indispensable to their proper cultivation.—S. P., 
Rushmere. 
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. 
Unhappily, the late incessant rain for a fortnight past, 
followed by a humid atmosphere, and a lack of sunshine at 
intervals, most essential at the verge of harvest, have caused 
no little alarm for the fate of the crops, and, we believe, not 
without a reason. The thickest and heaviest, and apparently 
the best Wheats are beaten down, and are rotting under¬ 
neath ; whilst the ears present a black appearance, called 
by some persons blight, or mildew; all, however, is occa¬ 
sioned by excessive w r et, and never getting dry. 
Potatoes, at present, are improving; but doubts are enter¬ 
tained for their safety, as some messengers have appeared 
in some localities of a diseased character, indicating more 
formidable decay, and warning us that we are “not yet safe 
out of the w-ood.” No fatal spots on the leaves or stalks, 
however, have yet appeared; nor any usual stench emit¬ 
ting from them, have come under our notice up to this time; 
and we firmly believe, that till these occurrences do re¬ 
appear, there will be no cause for alarm, and abundant crops 
may be expected; but should such symptoms shortly ap- 
i pear, our hopes will be blasted. It v 7 as fifteen days after 
j the present date before it first appeared in 1815 .—Hardy 
i and Son, Seedgrowers, Ac., Maldon, Essex. 
! July 31st, 1855. 
HARDY ANNUALS THAT WILL SURVIVE THE 
WINTER. 
Having had something to do with annuals, more or 
less, for the last three years—I mean autumn-sown an- 
1 nuals for early flowering the following spring—I am able, 
I think, to state what might be of interest to some of the 
j readers of The Cottage Gardener, namely, the kinds 
which have stood here during the last severe winter unpro- | 
i tected. Clarkia pulchella and G. pulchella alba, Iberis j 
coronaria, Nemophila atomaria, and N. maculata. These, 
after surviving the winter, have all flowered early, and, I 
might say, both plants and bloom have been equal, if not 
superior, to those of former years.—A. S., The Grange, near 
Manchester. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
PRUNING FELICITE' PERPETUELLE ROSE.— 
GREEN CENTRE IN ROSES. 
“ I have two Larch poles, nine feet high, against which 
have been planted, three years, Felicite Perpetuelle Roses, | 
one against each; the Roses already have considerably 
out-stripped the height of the poles, and thrown out 
vigorous branches, but do not flower; ought these branches 
to be stopped ? My preconceived notion is, that this Rose 
ought not to be pruned. Am I right ? 
“ My experience leads me to think that Roses on their 
own roots are equally liable to the green centre as those 
worked on the briar. The Hybrid Chinas are the class 
that suffer from that disease (if disease it be) with me ; no 
other class have shown any disposition, although I have a 
considerable quantity, and of all the varieties.—A n Old 
Subscbibeb.” 
[Three years is about the usual time fob a young Felicite 
Perpetuelle Rose to make full growth under very good 
management, and a young sapling of it never blooms sooner 
that we kilow of. We have one plant as much like yours, 
in age and growth, as possible; it produced one good cluster 
this summer, and a second cluster not so good; but now 
that it has filled the space, we expect a fair bloom from it 
next summer, and after that a most abundant bloom, arid 
never to fail. What a healthy Rose it is, and what clusters! 
Your “preconceived notions” are quite correct; after the 
first two or three years none of these climbing Roses should 
ever be pruned, as the word pruning is understood, but 
certainly they all want a great deal of thinning. The very 
strongest and the weakest shoots to be cut entirely out 
before the middle of August in each year, and any strong 
growth after that to be merely stopped. No winter pruning 
if the summer management had been right. 
Green centre in Roses is no disease, but just the contrary,— 
too much excitabilty ; and Mr. Beaton thinks Roses on their 
own roots may be supposed to be more liable to the green 
centre than worked ones; but we venture to think this opinion 
is open to some modification. Would not a Rose worked on a 
stock of more vigorous habit than itself be more liable to 
the green centre than the same Rose worked on a stock of 
less vigorous habit than itself?] 
TRITONIA AUREA, AN EXHIBITION rLANT.— 
ACHIMENES GIGANTEA CULTURE. — HEATHS 
AND OTHER TENDER PLANTS ELOWERING 
IN AUGUST. 
“ I shall be greatly obliged if Mr. Beaton will inform me 
whether the Tritonia aurea is considered sufficiently a green¬ 
house-plant to be shown in a collection of greenhouse and 
stove-plants. Last year, I had a collection disqualified by 
sending a pot containing six flowering stems; it was con¬ 
sidered to be an herbaceous plant. 
“ Will you also inform me what to do with my Aclihnencs 
gigantea, as it does not grow freely, neither does it branch ; 
but throws up a lot of stems from the old tuber, so that the 
stem, which is six inches high, does not grow any more 
since the others made their appearance ? 
“ Do you consider Liliums can be exhibited in collections ? 
“ Can you mention a few good Stove and Greenhouse 
Plants to bloom about August, Ericas, Epacrises, &c. ?— An 
Amateub.” 
[ Tritonia aurea is strictly a bulbous plant, and should 
be exhibited as a specimen plant, or along with other bulbs 
of the Ixia or Iris tribe, or with Gladioluses. 
Lilies should also be exhibited by themselves, and not 
with woody plants. 
All the suckers on Achimenes gigantea ought to be made 
into cuttings, or be rubbed off, leaving one or three of the 
strongest to flower. The old bulb is evidently expending 
itself in these suckers, instead of making strong, flowering 
shoots. 
Heaths to flower in August are sometimes earlier, and at 
other times do not flower before September; much depends 
on the management of them. The following are the surest 
to depend on, and some of them begin to bloom in July, and 
continue till after the middle of September : — 
Erica acuminata. July, August, and Sept. 
„ Aitoniana. July, August, and Sept. 
„ agregata. July, August, and Sept. 
„ ampullacea . July and August. 
