THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
r,‘ 
May 
tlie frosts are over in May ; and when you plant them out. squeeze 
the balls a little, so as to loosen the roots, which will enable them to 
run into the bed with more freedom. 
Aristroi.ochia sir no (Ibid). —This prows perfectly easy by 
layers or cuttings. You must try again, but if you find any difficulty, 
you might buy one for ninepencc from any nurseryman. 
How Carnosa (,J. Styau). —This is anything but a greenhouse 
riant, though it will live well enough in a common window in winter 
f kept dry like a cactus. To flower it well it requires forcing like a 
vine from the end of March to July, and even a pine-stove w ould suit 
it better than a vinery while growing; therefoie, although it may 
live and look green, as you say, and even produce a few flowers in a 
low temperature, yet it is" only throwing time and space away to keep 
it otherwise than as a stove plant. 
Cinerarias nearly done Blooming (C. 11 .).—You are right; 
answers to one correspondent may be useful to hundreds, and we 
shape them, as much as the nature of the subjects permit, to render 
them generally beneficial. Cut off the flowers of the cinerarias as 
soon as they begin to fade. Keep them going as they are till the 
May frosts are over, when they are to be turned out of doors into a 
shady place; then cut them down to the surface of the pot, and plant 
in a rich light border, and regularly water through the summer. In 
August take them up, divide them, and pot the best pieces for flower¬ 
ing next spring, or perhaps earlier. Leaving them in the ground 
later than August is the cause of your losing them in winter, as they 
have not time to get well established when left later in the open air. 
Camellia Soil (Ibid). —The Birmingham nurseryman ought to 
know' better than to tell you that peat would answer for your beau¬ 
tiful white camellia; in truth the peat brought it to the verge of ruin. 
See what Mr. Beaton says of them to-day in another column. 
Begonia Fucioides (Ibid). —This is, indeed, one of the finest new 
plants we have, but will not do well for a greenhouse. It requires 
more heat while growing, say from March to July ; it will then flower 
most splendidly all the autumn, and may be kept rather dry in a 
good greenhouse. Cuttings of it struck now would flower next 
autumn twelvemonths. Every one who can command a little extra 
heat in spring ought to grow it. 
Scarlet Geranium Bed (A Subscriber, Putney). —An oval or 
circular shape would be the best form. The size is a matter of taste 
and convenience. If your garden is small, a large bed would be in 
in bad taste ; you had better have two or three small ones. Should 
your lawn be large, your bed may be large also. If you choose the 
oval shape, eight or ten feet long by five or seven feet wide] are good 
proportions. Let the centre be raised considerably ; the soil should 
be of a rather poor nature, but not strong loam or clay. This poor 
soil will cause your geraniums to grow less and flow'er more. Mit¬ 
chell’s Tom Thumb's Master is the finest scarlet for a bed we know ; 
but it is, as yet, rather dear (2s. 6 d. each). There is a sort called 
Prospect or Pre-eminent, that is excellent for bedding ; being dwarf, 
free blooming, of bright colour, and having large trusses. 
Feathered Hyacinth (.4 constant Header). —You do not say 
what kind of soil your garden consists of, neither do you state the 
aspect, both of which will affect this plant. Make a compost of leaf- 
mould, peat, and light loam, in equal parts, and as soon as y r our 
feathered hyacinths have lost their leaves by a natural decay, take up 
the bulbs and put them in pots ; three bulbs in a pot five inches wide, 
using the above compost in a rough state. Place these pots during 
summer behind a wall or low hedge having a north aspect; and in 
autumn, plunge them in coal ashes in a sheltered part of the garden 
on a south aspect. They will gain strength to flower, treated in this 
manner, for a year or two; after which, they may be planted in 
patches, or in a bed made of the above compost. The patches 
should have some of the compost put in them to grow the plants in ; 
it should be at least eight inches deep. 
Carnations (Frederick Giles). —You have hitherto managed 
quite rightly in keeping them sheltered from rain, but you may now 
allow them to have gentle showers ; protecting them, however, from 
heavry rain, or hail and snow. 
Cactus truncata (Ibid). —This is now called Epiphyllum (epi 
upon, phyllum leaves—bearing its flowers upon leaves) truncatum. 
You may treat your grafted plants exactly the same as you did those 
on their own roots. 
Wire-worms (Herbert).— These are the toughest of all the gar¬ 
dener’s enemies. Neither salt nor lime, in such quantities as can be 
applied to a soil, has any effect upon them. Spirit of tar and gas- 
lime have both been recommended, but we do not see how you could 
apply these to your soil in which tender annuals are growing. It is 
said that they leave the place where white mustard is grown, and this 
is worth a trial. It is also said, by excellent authorities, that if you 
grow daisies they will leave all other roots for these. 
Frame for Geraniums (G. Langtry).—A three-light frame, 
heated by a flue, would do for wintering your plants in, without 
having any bottom-heat from dung or tan. You only require to 
exclude frost from them in winter, and the flue will give enough heat 
for bringing your plants on in succession. Ho not put any sand or 
other plunging material over the flue ; it would soon become quite 
dry, and would be too hot to permit being watered. The frame 
would do for camellias, when out of bloom, if a little heightened. 
Sulphate of Ammonia (A. S. If'.). — A quarter of an ounce of 
this salt to a gallon of water is quite strong enough, and should not 
be used-more than once a week. Do not put it to any seed beds, but 
only to good-sized, growing, healthy plants. It will benefit your 
crops generally, including roses, auriculas, peas, and beans, as soon 
as the flower buds are visible. Thanks for the correction. 
Cottage Gardener Advertisements (C. J.). —Your binder 
will find no difficulty in omitting these from the weekly numbers, if 
so directed. He will cut them off' close to the innor marginal line, so 
as to leave a lap over for stitching through. 
Urate of London Manure Company (Oxoniensis). — Of this, 
applied to the soil, two pounds to every thirty square yards are 
sufficient. We think it is more lasting than guano ; that is, its bene¬ 
fits extend beyond the first crop. We have never tried it. as a liquid 
manure ; and if you do, we advise you not to use more than halt an 
ounce to the gallon of water. We hope to have more lliinaiayah 
pumpkin-seeds this autumn ; at present we cannot supply your loss.- 
Removing Eulrs (W. T.). — This must not be done in any case 
until their leaves are dead. If you move your daffodils, jonquis, and 
crocuses now, they will bloom weakly, or not at all, next year. The 
leaves and roots are now employed in preparing materials for next 
year’s flowers. You may rub off the shoots of your plums, apples, 
and gooseberries, if those shoots are coming • where you do not 
require them. 
Hard Water (Ibid). —For making tea, &c., the best addition, we 
! believe, is a very minute quantity of sulphate of ammonia. 
Hand-book of Field Botany (A Dissenting Minister). —This 
is out of print. 
Brown Beurre Pear (E. Mugridge).—'Vh\s is against a wall, 
healthy, not over luxuriant, blossoms at the ends of the branches 
only, and bears no fruit. The brown Beurre Pear, although an excel¬ 
lent old kind, is one which, we fear, may be termed “ worn out,” at 
least, in many districts. A good tree of pears of this kind is now' 
seldom seen ; and yet we have none much better among the new'er 
kinds. Do not root-prune wearing-out kinds. Tie down a consider¬ 
able amount of nice short-jointed spray this summer, and try that. 
We suspect you prune on the old destructive “ spur system.” 
Pear-tree Shoots (S. T., Ipswich). —You ask, whether tying 
down the young shoots in the spring will produce blossom-buds. We 
fear not, but it will strengthen those already formed ; therefore, tie 
down some of the moderate of last year’s shoots, if not pruned away, 
by all means. Tie down, also, a few of the shoots of the current 
year, in the course of July or beginning of August. In all cases 
select close-jointed knotty wood in preference to that which is 
grosser. In the case of young shoots of this year, choose those 
which bid fair to cease growing first, and look brownish. 
Hollow Pollards on a Lawn (Rev. C. W. L.). —For these, 
j which you have arranged as rustic vases in your flower beds, we 
should "select flowers of peculiar expression for the centre ; for, as 
your climbers will be festooning around somewhat rudely, prim forms 
would not look well. The following, though not particularly novel, 
would perhaps answer:—1, Humeu elegans, surrounded in the pol¬ 
lard by Love-lies-bleeding. 2, Funckia lanceafolia, a large bush ; 
this would want nothing round. 3, Group of tall Scarlet Lobelias, 
at least five, surrounded by the larger Chryseis californica. 4, 
Fuchsia, strong bush of the old Gracilis, a branchy semi-pendulous 
kind; nothing around this. 5, Persicaria, a group, surrounded by 
1 Love-lies-bleeding. 6, Rose bush, the Phccnix (Bourbon). In 
addition to your climbers, pray add the following:— Maurandya 
Barclayana, Rhodochiton volubile, Lophospermurn erubescens, Cu- 
lampelis scabra, and Tropceolum pentaphyllum. The Asplenium 
felix faemina, or lady fern, would look well in a pollard; so would 
Osmunda regulis, or royal fern. Such pollards would be well 
adapted, as vases, to receive well grown specimens in pots through 
the summer. Do not fill up too much with mere drainage. Bore an 
auger hole to let waters escape. Cover or surround the things inside 
with moss; and top-dress with six inches of half-rotten manure. 
Use a strong loamy soil also. 
Boundary Row of Standard Roses (Ibid).— Hollyhocks would 
look well between the roses in your back row. If any thing low is 
required, dwarf dahlias, or well-grown groups of China aster. 
Thinning Pear Blossoms (Ibid). —The only danger in your 
course is, that you will reduce your chances of a “ good set.” We 
1 have little faith in thinning out blossoms : why not wait till they are 
i “ set,” and then thin out ? If they set well, leave a pretty full 
crop ; in that event, you can apply liquid manure if necessary. 
Climbers in Balcony (W. II., Islington). —The canary bird 
plant, blue convolvulus, sweet peas, and lophospermurn, will succeed 
with you in an easterly aspect; use a rich light loam for them, and 
double pot them. See pp. 30 and 38. You may now put out the 
agapanthus. See p. 311, vol. i. Antirrhinums will grow with you. 
Sheltered Peaches (An Amateur Gardener). —Your peach- 
trees, sheltered with canvas, have failed to set their fruit, whilst your 
neighbour, who did not shelter liis, has a good crop. Be assured 
that your failure did not arise from your sheltering, if properly 
managed. There must be a difference in the aspect, in the time of 
blooming, or in the soil; or you left your trees uncovered at some 
time when severe cold or keen easterly winds were prevailing. 
Mushroom Spawn (An Admiring Subscriber). —One bushel of 
loose spawn is required for a bed 10 feet long and five broad. If you 
use spawn bricks break them into the portions marked upon them, 
and plant, in rows, a portion six inches apart each way. You will find 
directions given by degrees for cultivating all the flowers you name ; 
Much has been given already relative to the pansy and carnation. 
Lilium Lancifolium Album (Q., Kendal ).—Your treatment 
has been quite right. This is generally later in starting than the 
red variety. You should give it moderate waterings, so as just to 
keep the soil moist, and treat it exactly as directed for L. L. rubrutn 
at p. 248 of vol. i. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, 14/, Strand, in the 
Parish of Saint Mary-le-Strand ; and Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of St. Mary Ivalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at'the Office, 147, Strand, in tlic Parish of 
Saint Mary-le-Strand, London.—May 3rd, 1849. 
