April 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
45 
October, if the weather prove genial, the plants are 
placed in a frame, in a southern aspect, out of doors. 
Tliis is a very simple structure, being no more than 
a common garden frame, with glass top, and a series 
of graduated shelves inside, the upper one being fif¬ 
teen inches below the glass. This frame is mounted 
on legs, three feet long, for the purpose of avoiding 
damp and insects. 
'The importance of solar light in the cultivation of 
cacti is well understood, and, although the window 
of my parlour looks to the south, I am of opinion | 
that the light from above , which my frame affords 
during the most active period of their growth, is 
liighly beneficial to the plants. This position, also, 
facilitates an operation to which I attach much 
value, namely, the use of a syringe with a fine-rose 
nozzle; the mode of potting, as hereafter explained, 
being expressly adapted to the free use of this valu¬ 
able instrument. The best time for applying water 
in this manner, or otherwise, is in the afternoon, 
when the sun’s rays have somewhat declined in 
power, thus giving time for the plants and soil to 
become in some measure dry before night. 
Many of the globular cacti produce offsets at the 
base, or on the sides of the plant- These offsets 
frequently add much to the grotesque appearance of 
the plants, but where an increase is desired, they 
may be taken off when sufficiently large to handle, 
and planted, several together, round the edge of a 
five-inch pot, half full of drainage, in a mixture of 
silver sand and leaf-mould ; they should then be 
watered carefully, and set away in some light and 
warm situation, where they will soon emit roots, and 
make nice little plants. These are the “ miniature” 
cacti, which it has of late been the fashion to exhibit 
in tiny pots in the confectioners’ windows of the mo¬ 
dern Babylon. 
The tall cacti are propagated by cuttings, from 
two inches to a foot in length; they should be 
planted in a mixture similar to the foregoing, and 
whether the top or the bottom of the cuttings be 
inserted in the soil is quite immaterial, for they will 
form roots and grow topsyturvy whenever you please. 
I repot my plants late in March, in equal portions 
of loam, peat, and leaf-mould, or thoroughly rotten 
manure, with the addition of silver sand, according 
to the quality of the loam. The pots should be 
small, aud the mould should be well pressed down, 
especially round the collar of the plant. There 
should also be abundant drainage, consisting of pot¬ 
sherds and broken bricks. Bits of “ hearthstone,” 
from the size of a pea to that of a nut, mixed with 
the soil, are found useful, for to these, in repotting, 
the roots are found closely adhering. In repotting, 
I usually treat my plants to a new pot apiece, thereby 
complying with that neatness so essential in parlour 
culture, and avoiding the bad taste which, under the 
notion of ornament, defaces the object of its solici¬ 
tude with green or red paint. 
W. K. Wakefield, Southampton Street, 
Camberwell, 
MY FLOWERS. 
(No. 26.) 
Every preparation must now be made for the ap¬ 
proaching summer. The walks should be weeded, 
rolled often, and hoed up, if any rough or uneven 
places appear, so that the roller may level and harden 
them. Gravel walks should be as hard and smooth 
as possible; they are then more agreable to the feet, 
dry up more quickly after rain, and weeds cannot so 
easily spring up. The scrapings of well made roads’ 
when they can be procured, make delightful garden 
walks, if constantly kept rolled; hut the scraping of 
lanes, or muddy roads, will not do so -well, because 
they are not sufficiently gritty. Let the edges of the 
walks be kept neatly trimmed, if bordered by turf, or 
if passing through a grass-plot. A sharply cut walk 
looks dressy and pleasing, but if neglected it lias a 
slatternly, ragged ah 1 , and neither the lady nor the 
cottager should allow of this. The edges of beds 
and borders, too, must be neat and sharp; a small 
pair of clippers, or large scissors, will enable a lady to 
keep the straggling grass from trespassing, and the 
very improved appearance of the garden will well 
repay the trouble. Flowers look more gay and happy 
in well trimmed borders; they are almost as much 
set off by the neatness of their residence as the active 
mistress of a cleanly cottage is by lier’s. Nothing 
delights the eye of a passer-by so much as a neat 
and blooming cottage garden, and a clean and bright 
looking cottage kitchen, with its shining tables, and 
clock-case, and dresser, and tins. Whoever enters that 
cottage will be almost sure to find a sober husband, 
well clad children, and happy faces. They will also 
be almost sure to find on the well dusted shelf, the 
Book that says, “ Behold, thus shall the man be 
blessed that fearetli the Lord.” I have seldom 
entered a cottage of this description without finding 
such to be the case; and I am quite sure, that next 
to the fear of God, and love for His statutes, to which 
alone a blessing belongs, next to that holy fear and 
love, the most effectual way to keep the labourer from 
the beerhouse, the children from starvation, and her¬ 
self from wretchedness, is for the wife to have a clean 
and quiet home. Dirt, disorder, and discord always 
point to the beerhouse, and the beerhouse in return 
points back to them. ‘For her own sake, then, let the 
cottager’s wife be clean and thrifty; but let her re¬ 
member that there is a curse, and not a blessing, upon 
all who do not “ hearken unto the voice of the Lord 
their God.” 
This is a good time for laying down turf, either for 
lawns or to fill up useless borders. Let the soil be 
raked very even, and raised sufficiently high to allow 
for the sinking of the soft earth after the sods are 
laid down. They should be neatly fitted together, 
and well beaten down with the spade : roll them fre¬ 
quently, if possible, to press them into their places; 
but as many ladies may not be able to achieve this, 
they may content themselves, as I have often done, 
with treading constantly upon the surface, and press¬ 
ing the edges and uneven parts down firmly with my 
feet. The soft showers of April will soon cause the 
young grass to spring up, and the unsightly look of 
the fresh sods will fast disappear. 
The seeds of perennials and biennials should now 
be sown for next year’s bloom. Where a lady 
possesses warm sunny borders, it is very interesting 
to raise seedlings, aud watch for new varieties when 
they come into flower. Pinks, carnations, sweet- 
williams, polyanthuses, auriculas, and anemones may 
be increased by seed sown at this season. The seed 
bed should be in some retired spot, as the plants will 
not beautify the garden, and should be marked out 
into squares, to separate the different kinds. Here 
they will remain till old enough for removal in the sum¬ 
mer. All these plants may now be parted, and fresh 
planted, for blooming this year; as also heartsease, 
rose campion, double daisy, and many other beautiful 
perennials, if they have increased so much as to need 
separation. 
The brilliant anemone is now decking the garden, 
