62 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
early in the season, or old ones ; his price for such, at a more advanced 
part of the season, would be from 5s to 6s. per couple ; but his price is, of 
course, ruled by the London markets. 
Fruit-trees in Kitciien-Gari>en (B. Philadelphia, Norwich ).— 
The best plan to arrange fruit-trees in combination with vegetables is, 
doubtless, to make them a margin all round the plot, or nearly so. If 
you will search the earlier Numbers of The Cottage Gardener, you 
will find all these things thoroughly described in detail. Let us advise 
you to look well over those articles. Raspberry canes are frequently 
allowed to grow between the fruit-trees ; we think them best by them¬ 
selves, as they spawn or throw up suckers so. The length of stem of 
fruit-trees depends on the object. For rough dwarf standards two feet is 
amply sufficient for a dwarfing system, and no other is eligible in your 
little plot. As to kinds of fruit-trees, you cannot plant now ; and you will 
meet with abundant information in our pages before the planting season. 
Your description of your subsoil—" sand, gravel, marl, and chalk is 
most humorous; surely you have plenty of choice. Always allow a tree 
or bush a certain space, however limited, unmolested by the spade. 
Oi.d Sea-Kale Plants (T. S.). — These which have spread their 
stalks very widely may be cut within one inch of the surface of the soil; 
and when the buds start by and bye, thin them out to two or three shoots 
from a crown, or even one if you want it very strong next year. 
Gardenia Radicans (fil'd).—This may be kept in a greenhouse from 
which the frost is excluded all the year round ; but to succeed well with 
it, it should have a warm moist atmosphere to start it into bloom. See 
what Mr. Appleby said about the genus lately. 
Camellias (fil'd).—These kept in summer in such a house as that 
last-mentioned, and under vines not forced, will look greener than those 
set out of doors, and will perfect their wood and set their buds sooner j 
but then they should not be kept under the shade of the vines in the 
autumn, but rather be placed for a time in a sheltered place out of doors, 
though nothing is gained by keeping them too long exposed. If you 
prefer your plants to blow in spring instead of winter, the plants should 
be set out as soon as the buds are set. 
Vine Pruning (Ibid). —'"Why is the spur plan of pruning preferable 
to the long rod system under glass ? ” We. never said it was preferable 
in all cases. Fine crops are produced by both systems. One great ad¬ 
vantage of the spur system is, that the space is made the most of, and 
more light admitted to the ground and plants beneath. Solatium jusmi- 
mtides may be procured at most nurseries. We do not like mentioning 
names. 
Heating a Small Greenhouse (J. N.). —This you now effect by 
means of a flue round one end and the back, heated by a fire in the har¬ 
ness room, which stands at the back of the greenhouse; but the flue does 
not draw well, the front shelf is cold, and you propose having a hot water 
pipe all round the floor of the house, and also to go beneath the bark bed 
in the centre of the house, to be fed by an apparatus fixed in the harness 
room, and you ask our opinion as to recommending such a course, and we 
unhesitatingly answer yes, if you do not mind the trouble and expense. If 
properly done, it will be sure to answer; and you will be freed from the 
annoyance of cleaning flues, &c. The most economical method would be 
to have two turns of the pipe in the bark bed, on the same level as the 
rest round the house; but then you could not heat the bark bed without 
heating the house. The most complete method, therefore, would be to 
have a separate flow and return pipe for the bark bed, that you might heat 
it at pleasure, without heating the other parts of the house. In such a 
house, lift, by lift., allow and return 3-inch pipe as far as the bark bed, 
with a double set of pipes there, in a chamber with the bark bed above, 
and slides in the side of the chamber to admit heated air into the house at 
pleasure, would be amply sufficient. Your own plan, however, having the 
pipe round the house, would keep all the walls in a comfortable dry con¬ 
dition, and diffuse the heat perhaps alittle more equally. Unless you want a 
high temperature, the flue you now have ought to be sufficient for all common 
purposes, such as excluding frost, &c. We suspect the not drawing is 
owing to the flue and the furnace being too much on the same level. Be¬ 
fore commencing operations, it would be worth while to see what sinking 
the bottom of the furnace from a foot to eighteen inches below the bottom 
of the flue would do. 
Hart’s Everlasting Rose (W. Thompson). —This name is a gross 
imposition. It is merely the dry pericarp or seed-vessel of a species of 
Mesembryunthemum, which has the property of remaining closed up 
whilst dry, and of opening when wetted. “ By an extraordinary provision 
of nature (by a wise provision of God would be a phrase more truthful)^ 
in some annual species of Mesembryanthemum, natives of sandy deserts 
in Africa, the seed-vessel opens only in rainy weather; otherwise the seeds 
might, in that country, lie long exposed before they met with sufficient 
moisture to vegetate.” (Sir J. E. Smith.) 
Yarn-bleaciier’s Refuse (A. B.). —Your refuse is the same as that 
of the paper-maker (See vol iii., p. 13G). It is too powerful to put upon 
grass land unless mixed with earth ; and twenty bushels per acre put on 
early in the spring would be the best time and quantity. 
Sulphate of Ammonia (H. N,). —We have no doubt of this forming 
a good liquid manure for celery, lettuces, and other kitchen-garden plants; 
but we cannot say whether it would equal liquid manure made of guano : 
we fear that it would not. Try the experiment. 
Gravellv Soil on Clay Subsoil (P. W.). —There is little chance 
of improving your garden without draining; but if you could get up some 
of the wet clay on which the garden rests and burn it, then apply it as a top 
[April 25. 
dressing of the surface soil from time to time, it would much improve it for 
vegetable crops; but fruit-trees cannot long live on such wet bottom. 
Mr. Rivers’ dwarf trees on the quince and paradise stocks are the most 
likely to survive the longest. We should also mix a heavy dressing of the 
clay (unburnt) with the surface soil. 
Wintering Verbenas (Ibid). —Your verbena cuttings, with “scarcely 
any water all winter,” died from drought. The soil about their roots 
should not have been quite dry all the time. All cuttings made in the 
autumn require more or less water through the winter. It is only when 
strong old plants are kept that it is safe to let their roots become dry; 
but even old verbenas and petunias must have some water. 
Seeds of Arundo Donax (G. H.). —Can any of our readers state 
where seeds of this water reed can be obtained, and the best time for 
sending them to New Zealand ? It is a native of France and Italy, where 
it is used for ornamental fencing, fishing-rods, &c. 
Rough Plate Glass (R. W.). —We have no hesitation in saying that 
it is far preferable to sheet glass for glazing your greenhouse. See what we 
have said on the subject at p. 262 of our second volume. 
Smoky Back Greens ( Margaret Harvey). —Even these inauspicious 
places in “ Auld Reekie ” may be induced to grow some flowers (see p. 
24 of the present volume); but, even if yours is obdurate, it may grow 
pot-herbs ; and, at all events, our pages will contain the other subjects 
you allude to. Thanks for the critiques. 
Salt for Asparagus (C. J. P.). —In a previous answer we think we 
have almost replied to your question. You cannot grow very fine aspa¬ 
ragus unless you do manure the beds frequently with salt throughout the 
growing season. You may give liquid manure to asparagus beds all May 
and June with the greatest advantage. The drainings from stables, with 
an ounce of salt dissolved in every gallon, is excellent. You must not 
fork in manure now ; you would destroy many of the shoots. 
Nitrate of Soda Ibid). —This has been found beneficial as a manure 
to carrots, cabbages, lawns, lettuces, and celery. One pound to a square 
rod or perch is a good proportion. In solution, half an ounce to a 
gallon. It is a good application to chrysanthemums and fuchsias the 
evening before the day of exhibition. 
Moss on the Surface of Pot-soil (Ibid). —We approve of this, 
not only because it looks neat and refreshing, but because it helps to keep 
the soil moist. 
Local Shows. —We cannot announce these except as advertisements. 
Covers (F. Taylor). —You can obtain these for any one, or all, of our 
volumes by applying to Mr. Ashley, bookseller, Newbury. 
Goat’s Dung (A Beginner in Floriculture). —This answers as well as 
the dung of the sheep for making liquid manure. One peck of the dung 
to thirty gallons of water will be a good proportion. Tie the dung up in 
an old cloth before putting it into the water, and then the liquid will be 
quite clear. 
Bees ()V. A. E.). —Hive a swarm of bees into your hive full of comb. 
Never mind the old bee-bread and mites in it, for the bees will do what 
is necessary with both. Your seeing drones so early as the 13th of March 
and beginning of April, if they are last year’s drones, is not a good sign for 
the hives, but they have in all probability been hatched this spring. Upon 
Neighbour’s Improved Cottage Hive put the five glasses immediately, 
and if possible fix a small piece of guide comb in each glass; but the 
glasses will not be certain to prevent swarming. A hive the size they arc 
now in will be too large to put under the glasses, and cover the parent 
hive ; one-half the depth will be much better to prevent brood being 
put there. 
Carnations (Verax). —You may propagate these, as you state, viz., 
by slipping off their shoots and planting these shoots just in the con¬ 
dition they come off from the parent root, but these shoots do not root so 
easily as either layers or pipings. 
Wintering Geraniums (Ibid). —When done blooming in July or 
August, shake off all the cartli from their roots, cut them down, and repot 
them in smaller pots. 
Vase in Centre of Grass-plot ( A . R.). —Scarlet geraniums are the 
most likely to suit your rustic vase, or the Double purple American 
groundsel, one of the very best vase plants we have. There ought to be 
a hole at the bottom to let the w T ater escape, and to be drained just like a 
large pot; and in all vases the soil ought to be good light loam, and should 
be enriched with small doses of liquid-manure, as all plants in vases re¬ 
quire to be regularly watered in some way. 
Coronilla Cuttings (A Lenny). —These cuttings, made from the 
young shoots, will root freely, if put in now on a gentle bottom-heat, or 
even under a hand-glass in the open border later in the season. We arc 
very much gratified to hear of your success with your verbena cuttings ; 
whenever you meet with any difficulties with any plant, or method of cul¬ 
ture, or with new experiments of your own, pray let us hear, and we shall 
do the best we can for you. 
Insect Destroyer of Verbena Cuttings (J. J .).—We have never 
seen any of the worms (grubs?) you thus describe, and we shall be 
obliged by your sending us specimens. Have any other of our readers 
been similarly injured ? “I have lost many hundreds of verbena cuttings 
from their being quite eaten through at the point where the stem enters 
the mould, by a very small white insect, hardly thicker than a hair, and 
about half the length of a cress seed. I have found it destroy entirely, the 
more delicate verbenas, even when planted in the borders, but its great 
delight seems to be cuttings. Pot after pot have been laid prostrate by it, 
in spite of trying covering the top of the pot with sand, different kinds of 
