172 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[June 20. 
Midsummer Growth. —Very many beautiful half- 
hardy shrubs, roses, Sc., have been sadly cut by the last 
spring frosts; and the best way to treat such is to look 
them over after the turn of midsummer, and have all 
those parts which do not show a strong second or mid¬ 
summer growth cut back to a healthy shoot, otherwise 
we shall have a had foundation for the growth of future 
seasons. I have a capital thermometer here, which I 
keep out on purpose for the stokers to regulate their 
fires according to the weather; and for the last ten 
years I have checked this glass with those used in the 
London Horticultural Society’s Garden, and during that 
time there has not been more than three degrees between 
them. When the air is very still and frosty, their 
glasses show three degrees more cold than mine, but with 
a brisk easterly wind in winter my glass is the lowest. 
Now, this glass of mine stood as low as six degrees 
above zero, indicating twenty-six degrees of frost on the 
morning of the 27tli of last March, with nearly two 
inches of snow on the ground, and the damage done here 
was more than in the hard winters of 1838, 1840, and 
1841. So that here, at any rate, we have plenty of mid¬ 
summer pruning, and some lessons to the bargain. The 
Plumbago larpentce stood out uninjured with no pro¬ 
tection, and so did Clematis tubulosa —a recent intro¬ 
duction from China, for which prizes were given last 
year at some of our provincial meetings as a greenhouse 
plant. It seems as hardy as Fuchsia gracilis, and 
Zauchsneria Californica ; the frost only killing the 
tops. The beautiful Mandevilla suaveolens seems to be 
of about the same hardiness as the old Fccremocarpus 
scaber, and may, therefore, he trusted against a south 
wall, and covered with some thatch from frost. I had 
many of the little wild Cape Pelargoniums on a protected 
border, not one of which was hurt last winter; and 
mixed with them were many sorts of our fashionable 
florists' ones, every one of which was dead before 
Christmas. So that improving the breeds of ge¬ 
raniums does not harden their constitution, but the 
reverse. 
Speaking of geraniums in this the height of the 
crossing season, let me urge on cross-breeders to try to 
get us a set of good bedding sorts, with very small 
leaves, and distinct colours. Pure whites and lilacs we 
are very much in want of, and the large loppy leaves of 
the fancy sorts are altogether unsuitable for bedding 
ones. Between one thing and another, I shall not he 
able to cross much this season, hut from what I have 
done I am quite satisfied of the possibility of originating 
a section for bedding with very small leaves, and large 
clear-coloured flowers. The best new seedling of this 
season which I have seen, has clear white flowers about 
the size of those of Queen Victoria, and much after the 
same shape, but the largest of the leaves could be hid 
under a shilling; but I did not learn if the plant is a 
perpetual summer bloomer like the Queen, but I believe 
it is. I have seen another seedling from the fancy sorts, 
which takes after the habits of the florists’ Pelargonium, 
of great beauty; the flower is quite round, the hack 
petals of that deep shade peculiar to Ibrahim Pasha, a 
clear white eye, and the front petals light salmon. It 
is, therefore, beyond a doubt that the Pasha and Anais 
are capable of imparting their shades to the better forms 
of the old sorts, although at first every breeder thought 
this cross would be worthless, seeing the clouded and 
speckled seedlings which the first two or three crosses 
brought to light. I would recommend breeders to 
discard Anais altogether, and employ Ibrahim Pasha 
instead, and always as the mother plant; for there is not 
much truth in the idea, that “ breeding in and in ” will 
deteriorate the offspring—not at least the flowers; and if 
the leaves could be rendered smaller that way, it would 
rather he an advantage; hut I have little faith in that 
either. D. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Begonias. —An amateur “having a little greenhouse 
in which vines are cultivated, together with a mis¬ 
cellaneous collection of plants, will be glad to know what 
Begonias may safely and successfully be introduced.” 
To meet his case, and that of many more who wish to 
have as much variety as possible in their little green¬ 
houses, we shall make this inquiry the handle on which 
to suspend a few remarks upon the treatment this beau¬ 
tiful family requires in such circumstances, merely pre¬ 
mising that such was the treatment successfully pro¬ 
secuted by ourselves, when destitute of a stove or a hot¬ 
house for plants, in which structures the Begonias may 
be more easily cultivated, and be rendered very orna¬ 
mental during the winter months; while in the green¬ 
house and vinery they can only he expected to show off 
their attractions in the summer and autumn. 
The genus was named in compliment to a French 
botanist. It consists chiefly of herbaceous and tuberous- 
rooted plants, and succulent stemmed under-shrubs, with a 
few that have aclimbing character; Mr. Hartweghaving 
found some that thus mounted the stems of trees from 
twenty to thirty feet. The leaves are curious and unique, 
showing almost at a glance the family to which they 
belong ; being obliquely cordate, owing to one side of the 
leaf at the base extending much farther than the other. 
In some, however, such as the liydrocotylifolia, this ob¬ 
liquity is nearly lost, and the succulent foliage covering 
the surface of the pot looks nearly as round as the leaf 
of the common nasturtium. The flowers are produced 
in cyme-like spikelets, and are frequently very beautiful. 
The male and female organs are in different flowers just 
similar to what is seen in the cucumber and melon. 
The whole family is chiefly found in the West Indies, 
East Indies, and South America. Few of them, there¬ 
fore, will flourish in a cool greenhouse, if kept there all 
the season. A temperature as low as 35° for any length 
of time in winter, would kill them altogether; more 
especially if great care is not taken to keep them dry. 
The increased temperature in such houses, from the 
advance of the season, would not come sufficiently early 
to start them into growth, so as to make fine flowering 
plants during the summer. If kept in a temperature of 
45° during winter, and then started in a hotbed in March, 
similar to Achimenes, fine plants will be obtained for 
blooming in such houses dining summer. Hence, in the 
absence of a stove, a vinery, or a greenhouse, used as 
such is much better suited for their cultivation than 
a greenhouse. In the warmest end of such a house, if 
even under a stage, hut near where the fire enters, and 
with the pots on their sides, or if standing protected 
from drip, a medium temperature of 45°, and from 
that to 50°, can easily he maintained, without detriment 
to such plants as Geraniums, Calceolarias, Epacrises, 
&c., the medium temperature for which would be some¬ 
what lower. In such a temperature there will he no 
danger of starting the vines, and the tuberous-rooted 
and succulent stemmed Begonia will he safe. Many 
kinds that have permanent, though not very succulent 
stems will even retain their leaves; though that is not a 
matter of much consequence. When a little extra heat 
is given to break the vines, and again to set the fruit 
when in bloom, the Begonias will show signs of vitality ; 
and then should he watered, receiving as much formerly 
as would he sufficient to prevent them being thoroughly 
dried; and that is best done by surrounding the plants 
with a damp substance, such as moss, instead of applying 
the water directly to the soil. Shortly after growth has 
commenced the plants should receive what pruning they 
require; and then, before long, he repotted, getting rid oi 
as much of the old soil as possible, and replacing it with 
new; and as soon as the plants will stand the sun giving 
