June THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 123 
in these parts, or in London ?" [“ Lyndon’s east steel 
spade” is made on the above principle, and can be 
bought anywhere.— Ed. C. G.~\ 
Epsom Salt to Potatoes. —So far as I am person¬ 
ally concerned, your mistake of my communication 
regarding the treatment of potatoes is of no conse¬ 
quence ; but I am afraid some may think me mad 
enough to advise the soaking potato sets in a solution 
of sulphate of magnesia. My communication had no 
reference to potatoes for planting, but a kind of 
treatment recommended by Messrs. Moberly, in their 
printed directions for diseased potatoes at digging 
time, to stop the progress of the disease, and to cause 
the decayed part to slough off after boiling or steaming. 
When potatoes are cut for planting, I drop every set 
into air-slacked quicklime, and thus cauterize the 
wound and stop the bleeding. I approve of drilling 
about 3tbs. of sulphate of magnesia per pole on the 
potato ridges before earthing up. I am quite sure 
that the moon and planets, at certain periods of 
their orbits, exert a great influence on vegetation for 
good and for harm.— Rev. Walter Sheppard, Her 
mitage, Newbury. 
[ We do not think our readers could mistake Mr. 
Sheppard’s practice, for, at p. 189 of vol. i, it is parti¬ 
cularly stated. We are sorry that our correspondent 
cuts his potato sets. There is no practice more con¬ 
ducive to a healthy crop than planting whole, middle- 
sized, potatoes; they require no cauterizing, and resist 
the attacks of slugs, wet, &c., much better.—E d, C. 
G.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Name of Plant (Z unini). — The red flower of a creeper sent by 
you is a Loasa, but whether L. Herbertii or L. lateritia we cannot 
decide from the crushed state of the specimen. If the first named it 
is a hybrid, but if lateritia it is a native of Chili. 
Fuchsia Leaves Spotted (H. I.). —The small brown spots are 
caused, probably, by your not supplying the roots sufficiently with 
water. The leaves have the pinched appearance indicating a deficient 
supply of moisture; when this deficient supply of sap occurs the 
leaves always die down to the requisite amount of surface. Decayed 
tan is better for digging into open borders than for pot-culture. Use 
guano as a liquid manure ; if you sprinkle it dry over the surface 
half its virtue (the ammonia) passes away into the air. You will find 
what you require about Campanula pyramidalis at p. 258 of our first 
volume. 
Birds’ Nests and Birds ( J. D. L.). —The publishers of this 
little 27-page book are Whittaker and Co., Ave Maria Lane. 
Payne’s Book on Bees (A Herefordshire Subscriber). —The 
title of this is “The Bee-keeper’s Guide,” and the publishers, Groom- 
bridge and Son, Paternoster Row. 
Garden with Clay Soil (I. W .).— Your ground being on the 
top of the hill, and surrounded by other allotments, is well situated 
for draining, and to do this will improve it very much. Cut a main 
drain down the slope, with side drains running into it at such depths 
and distances as you will find directed in our previous numbers. 
Your main drain will terminate, we suppose, against the boundary of 
one of your brother allotment tenants, and he will be a wise man to 
carry it on through his own plot, leading into it side drains, as we 
recommend you ; if he will not, dig a deep hole at the lowest edge of 
your plot, and let the outfall of your main drain be into it. Your 
house slops and the house droppings will form excellent liquid 
manure, but will bear mixing with much water, otherwise it will be 
too strong for your crops. By “night-soil” is meant the entire 
contents of privies. Save your ashes until the crops are off, and then 
dig them in ; coal slack, or dust of coal, would be very good to dig 
in similarly, to improve the staple of your soil. No question is 
esteemed “ simple” by us when put for the sake of gaining informa¬ 
tion useful to the inquirer. 
Woolly Oak Gall ( Cynips quirk). —The gall which you describe 
as found at Weybridge, and “ like a flock of wool, with the lustre of 
silk, and as white as snow,” is caused by one of the smallest of the 
Gall Flies, Cynips quercusramuli. This gall has been formed when¬ 
ever we have seen it, but it is rather rare, by the insect wounding the 
male blossom of the oak. You will find a description of the insect in 
Curtis’s British Entomology, pi. 688. 
Marl (W. H. G .).— The specimen you have sent is clearly a marl, 
and very rich in chalk. It effervesces like soda-water when even a 
little vinegar is poured upon it. 
Tobacco and Hemp (T. W.).— You can get the first at any 
tobacconist’s, and the second of any rope-maker. 
Semi-transparent Calico (A Somersetshire Rector). —For 50 
square feet of calico one pint and a half of pale boiled linseed oil, half 
an ounce of sugar of lead, and two ounces of white resin, are required. 
Grind the sugar of lead in a little of the oil before adding the remainder 
and the resin ; mix and simmer them in a large iron pot over a gentle 
fire, and apply to the calico whilst hot by means of a large brush. 
The calico should be dry, and tacked tightly on to the frame before 
applying the mixture, which renders it waterproof as well as semi- 
transparent. This is much more durable and transparent than the 
paper smeared over with oil noticed by T. Thorpe. 
House-Sewage ( Thomas, Boxley road). —This, with the laundry 
soap-suds, will make most excellent liquid manure for all your 
kitchen-garden crops. After much rain it will not be too strong, but 
in dry weather mix with every bucketful a similar quantity of water. 
Thanks for your information, which shall be inserted. 
Yellow Accacia (W. H .).— This will now do better out of doors. 
If you see any seed-pods on it, preserve some of them; they are 
easiest reared from seeds; but cuttings of half-ripened wood will root 
in mild bottom heat under a glass. 
To Grow Ivy Quickly {Ibid). — Give it very rich soil and abun¬ 
dance of soft water. 
Cobcea Scandens {Ibid). —You ask how to overcome its shy flow¬ 
ering ?—By age only. This month is the time to sow them to come 
in next year. Kept over the winter in 3-inch pots, and merely secured 
from frost, and planted out next May, they would flower abundantly. 
Blue Passion-flower (Ibid). —You wish this to bloom abun¬ 
dantly. Train the young shoots at full length, and in October of 
each year cut them back to within two joints of the older branches. 
Cover them in frosty weather, and they cannot fail. They are free 
bloomers after attaining three years of age. The easiest and best way 
to increase the common passion-flower is by cuttings of the roots. If 
the cuttings are taken from an old plant in April, they will produce 
flowers the following autumn in good soil and against a south wall. 
Gladioli (Ibid). —You have managed these correctly according to 
Mr. Beaton’s directions. Yours will bloom in July. 
Salvia Patens (Ibid).~ This, and, indeed, all the sages, require 
good rich soil to bloom well. 
White Penstemon (Ibid). — This is too dull to be a fine border 
plant. 
Boiling Water to Geraniums (J. S. L.). —A lady applies this 
to them by pouring it into the saucer.—Present our compliments to 
her, and say we are surprised to hear of such bad treatment, which is 
not defensible on the plea that the plants endure the hardship. In 
answer to your other query, small cheap volumes are more available 
than large ones of high price. 
Yellow Cytisus (P. S.). —There are so many yellow flowered 
species, tl^ijt we cannot tell its name from the colour of its petals. 
The old wood should be cut out at once, and the strongest of the 
young branches be cut back a little now, in order to keep it bushy. 
They like good rich soil, and plenty of water while growing. 
Lily of the Valley after Flowering in a Pot (Ibid). — 
These should be plunged in a border with a north aspect, pots and 
all. The pots to be one inch below the surface, and so far apart that 
the leaves do not quite touch each other. Water them as long as 
they keep green, and they will bloom during many years in succession. 
Sphenogyne (Ibid). —The name is appropriate, the pistil being 
wedge-shaped. Eschscholtzia. —We never considered the meaning 
of this unpronounceable name ; it was given in honour of a Dr, Esch- 
scholtz, or, according to your translation “ in plain English,” Dr. 
Ashwood. Catananche, meaning “ strong incentive,” is closely al¬ 
lied to the chicory, and is a nice border plant. Roses do not require 
a greenhouse, but Mr. Beaton will exhaust the subject. 
Plants with White Flowers for Beds (H.W.). —Your gar¬ 
den being sheltered from the north and east, and sloping to the 
south, your idea of planting the white jessamine to cover a bed is 
perfectly feasible. Plant three of them near the centre, in rather 
poor soil, to check too great luxuriance of growth ; peg down the 
strong young branches, pruning away all the small spray. These 
shoots will break at almost every eye, and send up short shoots up¬ 
right. At the end of each of these shoots there will be produced 
clusters of flowers. For a month or six weeks your bed will be 
unique. The plants will not, however, produce a succession of 
flowers. We should prefer a bed of white fairy roses, or the new 
white clove carnation, called “ Purity.” A very pretty white bed 
might be formed with the Phlox omniflora, or the double white 
rocket. 
Yellow Banksian Rose (Ibid). —This will succeed grafted or 
budded on the common blush China, but it is, we are afraid, too 
tender to cultivate, even when so budded, against an iron trellis. It 
is, however, worth a trial; and we should be glad if you try it to 
hear with what success. In pots, as greenhouse roses, low standard 
Banksians would undoubtedly do well, and flower more freely than if 
not grafted. They require some two or three years growth before so 
desirable a free flowering state can be attained. Our editorial to-day 
will direct you to full information about village horticultural societies. 
Confined Garden in Liverpool (Pegasus). —You say the soil 
in your yard is so full of insects that nothing will grow. Are you 
quite sure that nothing will destroy them. If you had stated what 
kinds of insects infested your soil we might have told you what would 
destroy them ? Cannot you remove the soil entirely and procure some 
clear from insects ? Creepers for your walls will grow either in pots 
or long trough-like boxes, but they will not thrive nearly so well as 
in a border of good fresh earth. No kind of creeper will do so well 
as Irish ivy for your north wall. On the south and east, the latter 
being the front of your house, a variety of creepers would thrive well. 
Try the following honeysuckles of sorts; mountain clematis ( Clema¬ 
tis montana), vine-bower clematis (C. viticella) and its varieties, 
flame clematis (C . flammula) , white jessamine, Pyracantha or ever¬ 
green thorn, Chinese wistaria ( Wistaria sinensis),, and the Virginian 
creeper. All these will grow in almost any situation not facing the 
north. They will thrive moderately in large pots or square boxes, 
either of wood or slate; but clear away the insects, and they will 
thrive and flower much better in the narrowest border. 
