THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 18.] 
are again divided may give additional beauty to the figure, 
otherwise I cannot say it is at all pleasing. I am sorry the 
subdivisions were not added, as they would have made the 
| plan more complete; however, by the subsequent remarks, 
I I conclude those divisions to be figures all intersected by 
straight lines, with more or less of angular points. Now, 
what I find fault with is the monotonous feature which the 
whole presents; a number of beds all radiating from the 
centre may be excusable, perhaps, where the boundary 
presents a circle, but even the other figures might be found 
i more pleasing. How much the figure of X. l r . Z. may be 
improved by judicious planting of flowers I know not, but I 
cannot bring myself to the belief that its appearance will be 
at all inviting in winter or spring, when nothing but the 
shapes of the beds are left to attract the attention. 
As I consider this subject of much more vital importance 
1 than the assumed science (which I suspect ere long some 
j will be giving a long name to) of harmonizing colours in 
a garden, in the latter case an error of one season can be 
rectified in the next, while the laying out of a piece of ground 
is expected to be. a permanent feature. Now, as there are a 
great many suburban houses and others where it is desirable 
to make the most that can be made out of a small piece of 
ground, I think nothing can be really more useful than giving 
a series of plans or designs for doing so to the best advan¬ 
tage. I know the matter is beset with difficulties ; and the 
great diversity there is in the public taste may deter some 
from staking their reputation on what, they may be afraid, 
another may assume ; but I give Mr. Beaton credit for pos¬ 
sessing sufficient moral courage to face it all; and he may 
rest assured that his labours will not fail to be appreciated 
by the thinking part of j’our readers, more so by giving us a 
few examples than if he established a code of artistieal laws 
bearing on the subject. 
Having vented my disapproval of the design of X. Y. Z., 
without, I hope, offending Mr. B., I by no means disagree 
with the style which it represents; on the contrary, for a 
small plot of ground adjoining a house, I think nothing can 
exceed the Dutch or embroidered beds of flower-gardening— 
not only for the display of floral beauties when hi their prime, 
but, also, for their interesting and pleasing appearance when 
unadorned by such attractions—that I sincerely hope the 
matter will be followed out, either by Mr. B., or some one 
well versed in such matters; and I trust my hasty censure 
of the design of X. Y. Z., will not prevent any one venturing 
another, in that or some other way. Should no one reply to 
the invitation, I will, with your permission, send you a sketch 
of a gai'den of that description, applicable to a plot of ground 
containing 20 or more poles ; but, should the subject not fall 
in with your wishes, I trust what I have hitherto said may 
not be taken amiss by any one. S. N. V. 
[We shall be glad to have the plan, but we cannot give 
many such, for the engraving them is expensive. Tastes differ 
so much on these points that variety is desirable.—E d. C. G.] 
Potatoes from Seed. — The practicability of obtaining 
full and fine crops of potatoes from this source, the first 
season after sowing, may now be considered as beyond all 
doubt; and the chief care indispensable to insure success is, 
combining precosity with the cultivation of selected early 
lands. From a single packet of our own selected seeds— 
value lid—we have obtained seven bushels of fine-sized sound 
tubers, most of them fit for table. 
On the impracticability of this object, with all due deference, 
we are prepared to confute all prejudiced minds; and, as the 
practice is only in its infancy, a wide field for improvement, i 
no doubt, is still open ; and we shall feel pleasure in hearing 
from any competitors who may favour us with their eorres - ' 
pondence for the public good. Hardy and Son, | 
Seed Growers, Maldon, Essex. \ 
[Now is a good time for sowing potato seed.— Ed. G. G.] 
Double Anemones (See The Cottage Gardener, Feb¬ 
ruary 28, 1850, page 303).—I was not aware they had seed ; 
perhaps sent /-double are meant. What occasions the ane¬ 
mone plant to run to leaf without producing any flowers ? 
The leaves have a peculiar appearance, being much more 
fleshy, and with little spots on the. underside, something like 
the blossom (I think it is) of the fern ; and, if I mistake not, 
they have a peculiar smell. I am not sure of this latter 
though, for as I now pull them up whenever I see them, it 
may, therefore, be occasioned by my bruising those leaves, j 
and that the others would smell the same if I treated them 
as roughly. I have given some of these plants to other 
persons, thinking that change of soil might benefit them, but 
they came up the same. I have lost many double auemones 
by their degenerating in this way, and I find the single ones 
do the same; but then I must say I have often neglected 
them, and allowed them to grow for several years without 
taking them up. W. H. M. 
[The really double anemones do not produce seeds we 
believe. It is very difficult to say what causes these to “ run 
to leaf,” and not flower. We have seen them with the blis¬ 
tered leaves and no flowers under various conditions ; we 
should be glad to hear the opinions of some of our readers 
about this disease.—E d. C. G.] 
Reviving Bees. —I have no doubt what I am going to 
state must be well known to many, if not all, of your readers, 
but if a repetition of it draw attention from one to whom it 
was previously unknown, and so a handful of bee-hives may 
be happily saved, I, and you, will not regret the trouble. My 
hives stand south-west; and during the recent sunny days 
(with cold north and east winds strongly blowing) my bees 
were tempted forth; and I found one morning, to my dismay, 
the ground strewn with them in an apparently lifeless state. 
I picked them up, placed them under a glass shade before 
the fire, and, to my great satisfaction, I perceived first a leg 
move and then a wing quiver, until the whole mass was in 
motion. I then gave them some beer and sugar, and had 
very quickly the happiness of restoring many, in a perfectly 
strong and lively state, to their hive again.—T yro. 
Tanner’s Bark for Plunging. —Experience of many years 
has taught me that nothing can well be worse. It constantly 
generates a degree of heat and steam, which, in the winter, j 
tends to mildew all cuttings, and even old plants. If used 
for plunging, it should be thoroughly spent and rotten, 
otherwise the pits are always damp, and the glasses require 
constant wiping.—TV. G. C. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
V * We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense ; and we also request our coadjutors under no circumstances 
to reply to such private communications. 
Hock Plants (J - . T .).—You may select from the list given in The 
Cottage Gardener as many as you think you would want; or, send 
the extent of your pond and rockwork to Mr. Appleby, and he has con¬ 
sented to return you a proper list, and the prices of both kinds of plants. 
Cucumber House (Dr. L., Bath).—We give a plan and description 
this week. 
