Mat 30.] THE COTTAGE 
being a species of daffodil, they increase like chives, and 
are excellfent for cut flowers. 
Several varieties of the Grown Imperial bulbs, backed- 
up this border in a line of patches, between which a 
good selection of Pceonies are planted. These Poeonies 
come in as the Crown imperials go out of bloom, and 
before they are quite over the Bulbous iris comesin. This 
is one of the best for cut flowers, and its long spike may 
be cut off as soon as the first bloom is bursting the bud. 
Christmas rose in patches, Snowdrop, Snow flake. Star of 
Bethlehem, but no Crocus, Poppy, and Wood anemones, 
Turban ranunculus, with Erica herbacea, make up the 
rest of this spring border; and they show, conclusively, 
that to grow large quantities of a few selected very com¬ 
mon things is the way to make a fine show, in contra¬ 
diction to the old rule of having “ a collection.” 
D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Fancy Geraniums : An additional word on Cuttings .— 
In adverting last week to the time, &c., of taking cut¬ 
tings, no notice was taken of the propriety of drying the 
base of each cutting a little before inserting them in the 
suitable soil. They do not require this so much as the 
more succulent groups of the family, but still they are 
all the better for it. There is, however, a little secret 
as to the manner of doing this. A gentleman amateur 
employed as a writer in a leading horticultural periodi¬ 
cal, gave specific directions about shading the cuttings 
of geraniums after planting them, and drying the cut 
ends before inserting them; but in the process of drying 
the poor leaves became so flagged and withered, that 
the cuttings afterwards would have got on rather better 
without them than with them, roots and leaves being 
then respectively protruded—chiefly, however, at the 
expense of the matter stored up in the cutting, just as 
is seen developed in the case of cuttings inserted in a 
border out-of-doors. This gentleman seemed much sur¬ 
prised that batches of these succulent plants were fit to 
be potted off or transplanted that were cuttings ten days 
before, and that without a paraphernalia of shading and 
unsliading ; whilst others were being inserted with then- 
bases dried to his heart’s content, and yet every leaf was 
fresh and vigorous. His cuttings had been treated 
according to his own system for a month, and were 
showing but little signs of vigour, and all, or chiefly, 
owing to the injury done to the leaves. The drying of 
the base of all succulent cuttings is useful, because it 
prevents that free absorption of moisture that would be 
apt to issue in the disagreeable process termed “ damp¬ 
ing-off.” With the fancy group this drying had better 
take place in the shade; and whilst the root ends are 
exposed the tops and leaves should be sprinkled with 
water, and covered with a leaf to prevent evaporation. 
The less succulent varieties may thus be exposed for a 
few hours, the more succulent for a longer period. Any 
absorption of moisture that will be inhaled by the 
leaves will be different in its effects from moisture 
absorbed by the base of the cutting. The more healthy 
the leaves are at first, and the more vigorous they 
are maintained afterwards, the sooner will roots be 
formed. No after-care can compensate for inattention 
to this simple matter at first. Our seeming digression 
will not be without its use, as with many this will he a 
chief time for obtaining and inserting cuttings. The hints 
as to keeping the leaves fresh will be applicable to all 
cuttings. When brought from a long distance, in what¬ 
ever way carried, unless in a close hox, they will be apt 
to suffer; and thousands of cuttings among our amateur 
friends are lost in their endeavours to restore them, as 
GARDENER. 132 j 
many for this purpose place them in a vessel of water, 
and when the leaves raise their heads they imagine that 
all is right, and success certain, though the distending 
of the stem with mere water is ever apt to produce a 
damping-off dropsical habit. The host plan is to restore 
the vigour to the leaf, by making itself, and part of the 
stem, instead of the cut end, the points of absorption; 
and this is most efficiently done hy laying the cuttings 
down in a damp place, and sprinkling their tops with 
water. 
Having adverted to the soil necessary for propagation, 
we now proceed to indicate 
3. The Soil suited for their growth. —This should be 
light and rich ; the following, with good drainage, will 
answer admirably :—Two parts light brown fibry loam ; 
one part heath soil; one part leaf-mould, well decom¬ 
posed, and dried so as to exclude all insects and worms; 
one part cowdung, two years old, and dried; one part 
silver sand ; one part small, but not dusty, charcoal. 
Cowdung is the best manure to incorporate with the 
soil, but it should be at the least two years old, and well 
dried before using it. It is not to be supposed that 
every amateur can have all these ingredients at his 
elbow; but we believe the nearer he approximates to 
them the greater will be his success. Sandy loam—such 
as that procurable from a road-side—with either a little 
leaf-mould or cowdung, will grow them very well. One 
thing, however, should be borne in mind by the unini¬ 
tiated—the change from the soil used in propagating 
and that for growing should not be sudden : the calf is 
not at once transferred from its mother’s milk to oil¬ 
cake. In vegetation, transitions likewise must be gra¬ 
dual. The first soil for potting, after propagating, 
should be light rather than rich, the richness being 
added by degrees. 
4. Temperature. —Unless when cuttings are struck in 
spring, bottom-heat will be unnecessary. During the 
first potting then, a mild bottom-heat will be an ad¬ 
vantage, as they will grow the faster. Cuttings taken off 
in the end of summer, and nearly in autumn, will require 
no bottom-heat, but merely to be kept close ; and should 
be potted off and well hardened, by standing upon boards 
before winter. Housing, or placing under glass, should 
be effected earlier than with other kinds, as they are 
very impatient of cold drenching rains. During winter 
they should be near the glass, and have plenty of air, and 
a temperature from 40° to 45°, using as little fire-heat 
as possible. Those intended to continue blooming during 
the winter, will require a temperature of from 45° to 50°; 
a few degrees more will benefit them, if joined to light 
and air. In a warm conservatory they answer well for 
winter blooming. When kept at a temperature of 40° 
the flower-huds will not open. Plants intended to bloom 
early in spring and summer, should have a temperature 
of 50° during the day, in the end of February and be¬ 
ginning of March, with 45° at night—as it is desirable 
to grow the shoots before hot sunny weather comes. 
These as they grow ought to be well trained, and then 
hardened by exposure to more air and sunlight belore 
the flower-buds appear, which will cause them to come 
more vigorous and strong. Altogether, in the matter of 
heat, they require rather more coddling than even then- 
rivals, the fine prize varieties, and a great deal more 
than the hardy scarlets. 
5. Cutting down the plants in the autumn. —This 
should be done early, that the plants may have time to 
break and ripen their short shoots before winter. Few, 
unless some of the strongest varieties, such as Nosegay, 
will bear cutting down so close as the prize geraniums; 
as if the stems are very hard they do not break fresli 
buds freely. The more weak growing kinds, such as Anais 
and lbraham Pacha, ought never to be cut down at all, 
but merely be thinned of all the blossom shoots and 
buds, and encouraged to grow instead of to bloom, by 
