30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 
them freely. You should have mixed it with ashes, and then sprinkled 
it over the surface of the soil; not in a larger quantity than is di¬ 
rected at p. 62 of Vol. I. 
Pruning Pear-trees (W. H. G .).—Your pear-trees, planted in 
the February of this year, intended to be grown as dwarfs, and which 
are just beginning to vegetate, do not prune by any means. They 
will, perhaps, shoot weakly at first; never mind that. Take care, 
however, to apply a coating of half rotten dung, according to our 
advices under the head “ Mulcting.” Be sure to water them also, if 
dry weather occurs : not too much at once. As your wall is only 
seven feet high, you may train your shoots the first year nearly up¬ 
right. Next winter you must lower most of them into nearly hori¬ 
zontal lines, when, if they possess a good root, they will in the ensu¬ 
ing spring produce nice shoots from the centre ; these will, in due 
tune, fill the wall. 
Heaths, &c. (A Young Florist). —You will find, from our columns 
to-day, that to cultivate heaths as window plants is a hopeless effort. 
If you determine to persist, you will read, in the same columns, how 
they ought to be treated. You will see, in Vol. I , at p. 79 , how you 
ought to water them ; and, at p. 311, the soil in which they best 
succeed. Upon camellia and azalea culture you will see more here¬ 
after from Mr. Beaton. 
Border Flowers (Nemo, MildenhaU) .—We are much gratified 
by your letter. If you will refer to pp. 34—35, of our first volume, 
you will find a list of flowers which will keep your border gay from 
early spring to late in the autumn. A still more copious list of early 
border flowers is given at p. 244. We should prefer a succession of 
flowers to those you mention, for these bloom for a season, and then 
your border would be dreary. If you require more particulars, write 
to us again. 
Hardy Melon (J. Godfrey). —The small melon “ about the size 
of an orange, and requiring but little more heat than the vegetable 
marrow” is the “Queen Anne’s;” and is sometimes called the 
“ Early Queen,” and the “ Queen’s Pocket Melon.” We dare say 
you could obtain it of any of the seedsmen who advertise in The 
Cottage Gardener. We will answer your other question next 
week. 
Tabooed (Dianthus). —In the islands of the Pacific, when any 
place is declared by the priests to be unholy, and not to be ap¬ 
proached, it was said, in their language, to be tabooed. 
Bees (G. W. Pretty ).—You will find your case is met by Mr. 
Payne’s “ Bee-keeper’s Calendar ” for May, which we shall publish 
next week ; but your letter, probably, will appear also, with a special 
comment, as your misfortunes in bee-keeping have been experienced 
by others. 
Spade Husbandry (IF. C. G .).— O 11 this subject read Rham’s 
Flemish Husbandry , in the Library of Useful Knowledge, and Dr. 
Yellowly’s Essay, in No. 4 of the British Farmer’s Magazine, New 
Series. We do not know, from experience, either Dr. Newington’s 
“ patent dibble,” or his “hand-row cultivator.” We shall be glad 
to have the report of your trials. 
Historical Flowers (Margaret). —This book is published by 
McGlashan, Dublin ; but may be had of Orr and Co., London. 
Dressing for Peach-trees (Rev. P. IF.).—You will find the 
exact proportions for this at p. 15/ of No. 15—viz., four ounces soft- 
soap, one pound flowers of sulphur, and one gallon of water. 
Chalk versus Lime (Ibid). —If you merely require to add a little 
calcareous matter to your soil as a food for the plants it bears, a 
dressing of lime is to be preferred. But if you wish to improve the 
staple of your soil, then you will require so large a quantity that 
chalk must be employed, if only on the score of economy. 
Dictionaries (Tyro). —“The Modern Gardener’s Dictionary” 
is devoted to gardening; “ Paxton’s Dictionary ” is botanical. The 
first may be had for five shillings, the latter is priced fifteen shillings. 
Ants (A. A.). —We have never had occasion to wage war against 
these insects. The only colony we ever had to depopulate was small; 
and we fairly drove them away by digging it up twice a day. They 
persevered against these daily earthquakes for about a week, and 
then emigrated. Try spreading gas-lime over their haunt 3 . 
Flower Seeds (IF. J.). —Messrs. Henderson, Pine-apple-plaee, 
Edgeware-road, will supply those you refer to. 
Weavfr’s Cottage Architecture (S .).—We cannot tell why 
your bookseller could not obtain this. It is published by H. Pope, 
Budge-row, London. The “ Labourers’ Friend Society,” Exeter 
Hall, London, has published some plans such as you name, but they 
do not come within our sphere. 
Cupiiea Platycentra (P. S.). —You have given this, perhaps, 
too much water, and your “ good mould ” most likely has not enough 
sand mixed with it. You are quite right to keep it under a bell-glass 
whilst it looks languishing; if it improves whilst so covered it will 
intimate that it is not sufficiently established to bear exposure to the 
dry air of your sitting-room. Your seeds marked Alonsoa irisos are 
those, perhaps, of Alonsoa incisifolia. There was no insect in the 
packet when it reached us. We shall publish an extract from your 
letter, and shall be glad to hear more of what you are pleased to call 
“chatter.” 
Gentianella (Marianne E. S.).~' The reason why this (Gentiana 
acaulis) does not bloom in your garden is probably that the soil is too 
light and too poor. The finest we know are grown in a damp soil, in 
patches; they are manured every year, early in March, with a mix¬ 
ture of equal parts strong loam and leaf-mould. Do not, on any 
account, dig or fork near the roots of your Gentianella, but merely 
put the mixture on as a top-dressing, sprinkling it thickly but care¬ 
fully between and around the plants. 
Slugs (J. B .).—The best traps are little heaps of fresh brewers’ 
grains, or boiled bran ; and the best mode of destroying slugs is to 
sow quick-lime over the surface of the bed of an evening, when they 
are out feeding. To prevent their approach to any crop, sprinkle coal- 
ashes, not sifted too finely, around it. 
Poultry (Ibid ).—Your hens are bad layers, or you would have 
now more than six eggs daily from 26 hens; try giving them a little 
sunflower seed. We shall make arrangements for a series of Essays 
on Domestic Poultry, so soon as we can meet with any one to be 
relied upon who practically understands their management. 
Mushroom Beds (Birch). —You will find directions for making 
these at p. 70 of vol. i., and at p. 17 of the present volume. If you 
wish for any further particulars, let us hear from you again on the 
points requiring explanation. The dung for these beds need not be 
from horses fed exclusively on corn, but the higher they have been 
kept the better, both for producing heat and spawn. 
Asparagus (A.).—' This is a native of England, being found on 
its sea-shore in many places. There are only two varieties—the 
green and the red-topped ; and the “ Giant ” is only the latter in¬ 
duced to grow to a large size by an unlimited supply of rich manure 
during its time of growing. 
Pear-tree Pruning (A. F. and R.). —You will find this given 
fully at p. 127 of vol. i. Mr. Errington will probably discuss plum 
pruning in an early number. 
Companion to Gardener’s Almanac (G. A.). —It has not 
been published this year. The other contents of your letter shall be 
published. 
Peach-trees without Blossom (I. B. Quarry). —These, only 
seven years old, on a west wall, have also only a few leaf-buds on the 
top branches, whilst the bottom shoots are dead. These must not 
be cut back, as you propose, into the old wood. We have frequently 
renovated old shoots like these by budding them in July, introducing 
plenty of buds on the upper side of the shoots. Mulch them, by all 
means ; and endeavour to get as luxuriant a growth as possible, in 
order to get the bark to rise freely. The buds had better come from 
some other very healthy tree in the neighbourhood. We have found 
nectarine-buds take best on the peach under these circumstances. 
Vines in Greenhouse.— A Subscriber will see shortly that we 
shall be enabled to take up the subject of vines in a greenhouse, and, 
indeed, where space offers, other fruits suitable to such structures. 
Camellias (A constant Subscriber). —Mr. Beaton will probably 
contribute an article on these, from which you will glean what you 
want. Give them large doses of water now while they are making 
their annual growth. It will be time enough to pot them at the end 
of summer. Guano is a good manure for roses and annuals, and all 
plants, including the camellia, if used in moderation. See the pro¬ 
portion, at p. 3, Vol. II. 
Creepers for a South Window (Margaret). — Your boxes 
are five inches wide and five inches deep, and you wish to know 
whether these, unshaded, would nourish creepers to train up strings, 
for the protection of mignonette, which they are also to contain.—The 
boxes will do well as you propose ; but better if they were 10 inches 
deep instead of five inches. The best plant to train on strings out¬ 
side of a window' is the Canary nasturtium (Tropieolum Canuriense). 
The next best is the Major convolvulus. They will do better if each 
is in a separate box. The Maurandia Barclayana will not associate 
with either; nor will it do much good unless you could plant a strong 
old plant at first. Lophospermum would also do well that way ; but 
your boxes are not deep enough for it. Use very rich soil and plenty 
of soap-water direct from your hand-basin. 
Bkugmansia Arborea (Tyro). —You say that this beautiful 
fragrant native of Peru sheds its leaves before fully developed, and 
that it has been during the winter, and is now, quite leafless. You 
watered it moderately whilst in leaf and not at all during the winter. 
—You managed it perfectly right ; it only wants fresh soil and en¬ 
couragement, for it is the greatest feeder in the vegetable kingdom. 
Prune all its last year’s shoots to two or three eyes; shake every 
particle of soil from the roots, and you may reduce some of them. 
Repot in the richest compost, and when the plant is in leaf—say by 
the end of May—plant it in a sheltered place out of doors, first making 
a pit, two feet deep and three feet over, and filling this with rich 
loam and one-third rotten dung. Stake it firmly, and as soon as it is 
in active growth give it 10 gallons of rain-water every week. This 
will answer better than liquid manure if the compost is good at first. 
Let us hear from you next September how many blossoms it has. 
About the middle of September cut its roots with a spade round half 
the circle of the pit, and within two feet of the stem, and give a large 
watering to sustain the check. In ten days afterwards cut the other 
half of the roots, and as soon as the wounds are healed the plant will 
be ready to move again, or to be taken up with a large mass of soil, and 
put into a dry shed trom which the frost is excluded, and kept nearly 
dry all winter. No pots are large enough for this plant after a few 
years. 
Hemlock Spruce (Abies Canadensis) (A Subscriber, Ehnstone 
Rectory). —This is one of the most elegant of the fir family in Eng¬ 
land ; but is of extremely slow growth in most parts of this country, 
though as hardy as the Scotch fir. Plants of it about a yard high, 
after being transplanted three or four times in a nursery, could hardly 
fail in your old garden soil. Those that have been kept any time in 
pots should not be planted ; they seldom do much good ; and that is, 
no doubt, the fault with yours which die at the points. 
Fuchsias ( Lucy Hannah E.). —The inclosed flower was a cine¬ 
raria. The fuchsias will soon outgrow the curl in the leaves as the 
weather gets warm. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, 147, Strand, in the 
Parish of Saint Mary-le-Strand ; and Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of St. Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, 147, Strand, in the Parish of 
Saint Mary-le-Strand, London.—April Ifith, 1849. 
