36 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
muscle—and laid upon the stages, or even upon the pots 
and baskets, and then there would not be so much 
danger of the poison being accidentally thrown upon 
the leaves, in moving the plants, as when it was placed 
upon the sticks. We think this idea a good one, and 
shall try it if we ever resort to such a mode of getting 
rid of cockroaches. We use here in the orcliid-liouse, at 
Pine-apple Place, a liquid poison, which has cleared the 
house of numbers of these nightly marauders. It is 
made up for us by a druggist in the neighbourhood, but 
we do not know of what it is composed. All that we can 
say of it is, that it is a dark-coloured liquid in pint or 
quart bottles as we require it. It is rather sweet, and 
of a pleasant small. We put it into bell-glasses, about 
half full, and plunge them up to the rim either in sand 
or moss. The insects plunge headlong into it by scores, 
and for months afterwards we see no more of them. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Mild, genial weather has at last breathed its bene¬ 
ficial influence over the atmosphere of our beloved 
country; and the vegetable world, in gratitude for such 
a great blessing, is breaking forth its treasures and 
beauties to reward the cultivator, and do honour to the 
Giver of all good. 
Now is the time for the florist to render all assistance 
to his much prized flowers. All the plants under glass 
will require more water and air, to encourage them to 
grow vigorously and send up strongly their flower stems, 
we allude particularly to Auriculas and Polyanthuses , 
which will, now that warmer weather has como in good 
earnest, be coming into flower very last. Carnations 
and Picotees, in their blooming pots, will require water 
occasionally, if the weather is dry ; they may be allowed 
with great advantage to have the benefit of gentle 
showers, for natural showers are far more beneficial than 
artificial ones, inasmuch as by falling from clouds the 
particles of water become more suitable food for all 
plants than water applied with either the water-pot or 
the syringe. Dahlias. —It is very pirobable that by the 
time these remarks are in the hands of our readers, it 
will be time entirely to cease taking off cuttings of 
dahlias from their old roots. Such as have produced 
shoots in such a way as to allow the roots to be divided, 
now is the time to perform that operation: take a strong 
• knife and pass the blade through the crown of the roots, 
and divide them so as to leave a bulb or two to each 
division; these make excellent strong plants if well 
managed afterwards. Place each division in pots, put 
them in a frame, shade and water them, and by the time 
the planting season arrives they will be strong, excellent 
plants. Dried roots that have not been forced may now 
be planted quite safely in the open air, either in beds 
or amongst American plants, or amongst shrubs; when 
they will flower well if a shovelful of dung is put into 
the holes at the time of planting. 
We must now finish our list of picotees; the classes 
that remain yet to be given are the red, rose, and scarlet 
edged. 
Red Edged Picotees. per pair. 
s. d. 
Duchess of Cambridge (Brooke's), an extra fine flower 2 6 
Richard Cobden (Ely’s), a fine, firm, beautiful variety 5 0 
Isabella (Kirtland’s), extra fine. 5 0 
Privateer (Lee’s), ditto . 3 0 
Ne Plus Ultra (Matthews’). 2 0 
Isabella (Wildman’s), very good . 3 6 
Rose axd Scarlet Edged Picotees. 
Lady Alice Peel (Burroughes'), a light edged, beautiful, 
firm flower. 3 0 
Mrs. Traliar (Dickson’s), also a light edge, the white 
very clear, petals evenly set, and a good form .... 5 0 
Queen Victoria (Green’s), extra. .. 2 6 
Proconsul (UatfifTs), a heavy edged, fine variety, strong 
[April 18. 
per pair- 
s. d. 
grower. 3 ® 
Venus (Headley's), a heavy edge, pod firm, never burst¬ 
ing, ground colour very pure ... 0 
Eliza (Sykes's), also with a heavy edge ; this, though 
old and low priced, is a variety of first-rate quali¬ 
ties ... 3 0 
T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Asparagus. —The time is now arrived for making 
young plantations, or, at least, it is time so soon as the 
young plants in the seed bed have made shoots two or 
three inches in length. In planting them, draw drills 
as previously directed, and place the plants regularly. 
Apply to the old asparagus beds, as the growing season 
has commenced, thin sowings of salt, taking advantage 
of showery weather, or just previously to rain, to apply 
it. A little and often is much better than applying 
large quantities, and throughout the growing season it 
may advantageously be applied. 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —Where planted on ridge- 
trenched ground, should now have the ridges well iorked 
or scarified over. 
Angelica. —The surface of the earth about this plant 
should be kept loose; and, being a gross feeding plant, 
it should he liberally supplied throughout this month 
with liquid manure. A few plants if well attended to, 
will produce a large quantity of fine stalks. 
Kidney Beans may now he planted on warm dry 
borders; and those which have been sown under hand¬ 
glasses, or under other shelters, to make early plants, 
should be planted on a good rich, healthy soil, either 
in shallow narrow trenches, or in deeply drawn drills; 
to he protected with evergreen boughs, haulm, furze, 
boards, canvas, or some other easily comeatable mate¬ 
rial, at night. The same arrangements may he adopted 
with advantage with the Scarlet runners. 
Early Broad Beans now coming into bloom, to faci¬ 
litate their early podding, should have their tops pinched 
out. Another succession may be planted of the Windsor 
and Lony-potl beans. 
Onions, parsnips, carrots, turnips, and other spring- 
drilled crops should, as soon as they can be seen, have 
a short-toothed rake passed across the drills to break 
the surface of the earth. A fine dry day- should ol course 
be chosen, and immediately hoe, slightly, the whole ol 
the surface between the rows, to keep an open healthy j 
surface, preventing the progress of weeds and destroying : 
the nursery for the larvae of obnoxious vermin. 
Rtdoe Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows should 
be sown in full crop, in order to have sturdy plants for 
ridging out the beginning of May. Sow, also, the best 
varieties of Frame Cucumbers and Melons, that good 
plants may be always at command, for succeeding early | 
potatoes, French beaus, &c. 
Mushroom Beds should at this season he made in the 
coldest situations that can be found, but away from 
draughts, as the mushroom will not succeed at any sea- 
son in a draught, or a windy situation. Slightly-made | 
beds, with more loam than in the winter season inter- i 
mixed, will answer very well at this season. Under- J 
ground cellars, or caves, are famous for summer mush- j 
room culture : keeping the beds without any external j 
covering, and the floor often damped. Occasionally it | 
should he damped with manure-water—in a tepid state, | 
and clear—made from sheep, deer, or cow-dung; beds, 
which have some time been in bearing, should be as- | 
sisted by liberal soakings of clear tepid manure-water, as j 
above recommended. 
[Feather-stemmed Savoy. —This excellent and pro¬ 
lific variety was raised by Mr. Barnes, being a hybrid 
