Ape ix 4.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
7 
to tlie warm pipes all round the house. Do this quickly, 
so as to have the greatest amount of sulphur vapour at 
once ; then have some tobacco, or good tobacco paper, 
(the latter we find the most effectual) put some red hot 
cinders into an iron trivet, or a common garden pot will 
answer moderately well, put the tobacco paper pulled in 
pieces upon the cinders, and with a pair of small bellows 
blow at the cinders so as to raise a great cloud of smoke 
without blazing, which must be continued till the house 
is full. The trivet is an instrument made of sheet iron, 
standing upon three legs, in the form of a cylindrical 
garden pot, about seven inches across and nine deep, 
with a handle to it for the convenience of carrying it 
round the house. Should there appear any tendency to 
a flame, have a line rosed watering pot handy, and 
sprinkle the tobacco slightly; this will prevent it burst¬ 
ing out into a flame, which would be very destructive to 
the leaves of the plants. These two vapours combined 
will destroy, most certainly, the tlirip; but it will be 
necessary to repeat it the third night following to de¬ 
stroy any young ones that may be hatched into life in 
the interval; it will also effectually destroy the green 
fly, which sometimes makes its appearance in the orchid 
house. There are some other insects destructive to the 
young roots and flower shoots, the remedies for which 
we must give at an early opportunity. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Dahlias. —Continue to put in cuttings of such as spring 
late; but, unless wanted for sale, by no means make too 
many plants; one or two of each variety to be kept in 
pots for next year will be very desirable, as these keep 
better than the large roots taken up out of the ground. 
The early struck cuttings should be repotted two or 
three times, so as to be stout plants to plant out as soon 
as the frosts are over. 
Pinks. —The plants of this lovely fragrant flower will 
now be growing. The soil should be frequently stirred 
between the rows to let in the spring showers, do this 
with a small, short, three-pronged fork; taking care not 
to come too near the roots. Prepare sticks in good time 
to support the flower stems, so as to be ready as soon as 
they require it. 
Pansies that have been planted out some time will 
require the same treatment as the pinks; that is, the soil 
on the surface should be frequently stirred. This opera¬ 
tion freshens the plants greatly, not only by allowing 
the rain to enter the soil freely, but also admits the air 
to the roots, which does them good to a greater extent 
than most cultivators are aware of. 
Ranunculus.— In such severe weather as we have had 
lately, and in very heavy rainy weather, it will be desir¬ 
able to shelter them with canvas covers. The soil, too, 
of the beds should be frequently stirred, or it will become 
baked and beaten on the surface, which will prevent the 
plants springing up freely. 
Tulips. —The same precautions must be used with 
these, and even to a greater degree, as they will be 
further advanced, and therefore in more danger from 
wet afternoons followed by a late spring frost. It is 
better always to be safe by constantly covering up every 
night, as yet, than to neglect one apparently fine evening 
and find them frost-bitten in the morning. 
Picotees. —Last week we promised a list of the best 
selected kinds suitable for a new beginner, and we now 
fulfil that promise. 
Red Edged. per pair 
s. d. 
Ernest (Edmonds’), light edged, extra fine. 5 0 
Isabella (Wildman’s), heavy edged, extra fine . a 0 
Mrs. Bevan (Burroughes*), middling edged, very fine . 2 (i 
Lem (Youell’s), light edge, extra fine flower . 5 0 
King James (Headly's), heavy edge, small but good .. 5 0 
Jenny Lind (Edmonds’), light edge, quite unique .... 0 0 
Purple Edged. per pair. 
s. d. 
Enchantress (Mathews’), finest purple light edge, extra ;! C! 
Duke of Newcastle (Burroughes’), light edge, extra .. 2 (i 
Juliet (May’s), heavy edge, an extra line flower. 5 (I 
Portia (May’s), heavy edge, a good strong growing kind ;! (i 
Lady Chesterfield (Brindley’s), heavy edge, extra fine 2 0 
President (Burroughes’), heavy edge, fine . 2 0 
The above 12 picotees are really fine, distinct varieties, 
which any one growing for exhibition ought to procure. 
Scarlet edged and yellow picotees next week. 
T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Cabbage. —Some varieties of the early autumn planted 
cabbages may, through the late continuance of severe 
frost and drought, have a tendency to start into flower, 
instead of turning into or forming heads. When the 
weather becomes milder, such should be cut at once for 
present use ; the stumps of them may be left, as these 
will produce a quantity of sprouts, and with some varie¬ 
ties such sprouts as form themselves into nice little cab¬ 
bages, instead of seed sprouts, which are found useful 
in succession. The early cabbages w r e cut as fast as 
they become ready, clearing the stumps and bottom 
leaves for cattle, &c.; and when cleared, let the ground 
be prepared for Ridge cucumbers, Scarlet-runners, and 
Kidney beaus, &c. 
Cauliflowers. —Those grown on some soils are in¬ 
fested, to an injurious extent, as soon as the hot weather 
sets in, with a little white grub, so numerous and de¬ 
structive, that the prospect of a fine healthy crop is 
often blighted. Chimney soot and salt incorporated 
with the manure-water, and applied at this season, is 
the best preventive we can recommend. Plant out now 
in succession; prick off and encourage the growth of 
the spring sown plants, and sow another pinch of seed. 
Cauliflowers under hand-glasses should bo well supplied 
with manure water. The glasses should be raised in 
due season; first, by forming with the spade a little 
ridge of earth all round for the. glass to stand on. which 
forms a shelter as well as a basin for watering. Although 
the weather has been extremely severe, and nearly every 
night throughout this month from 2° to 8° of frost, with 
ice an inch thick sometimes lying unmelted throughout 
the day, notwithstanding the clear and sunny state of 
the atmosphere,—and the earth has been so deeply 
frozen that the plough has been stopped, more particu¬ 
larly on the 25tli and 26th instants, on places where tur¬ 
nips bad lately been fed off, nevertheless, with us the 
hand-glass cauliflowers, sown the beginning of October, 
which were grown through the short days in pots, and 
turned out on a kindly preparation of soil the first week in 
February, are now large strong plants, such as will pro¬ 
duce good sized cauliflowers by the 20th or 25tli of April. 
The good varieties of cauliflowers are worthy of consi¬ 
derable attention, as they may be produced in good sup¬ 
ply throughout the whole year; and a handsome-shaped 
delicate white cauliflower we find as much esteemed by 
the kitchen folks as the double white camellia is by 
others. 
Autumn sown Carrots. —To push these forward they 
should be supplied with weak tepid manure-water, 
and be well surface stirred. Keep them shut up 
early if under glass, and in every way encourage them 
to make a rapid root-growth without too much top- 
growth; these are matters which may be easily managed 
by a little forethought and judgment. 
Care Brocoli should be sown in succession in small 
quantities, as old plants of this variety are worthless to 
plant out. A small sowing may now be made of the 
Malta White, Wilcove, Walcheren, Chappie's White, and 
Late Purple varieties, or of any other esteemed kinds. 
