I 
290 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 
by which it is surrounded. The timo for a littlo vcn- 
tilatiou may bo easily determined by the sensation 
produced on entering a close room of the kind; if 
the air is oppressive to the lungs, depend upon it that 
a deal of extraneous matter in a gaseous form per¬ 
vades the atmosphere. The ventilation, however, 
need not bo permitted many hours where the object 
is to keep fruit as long as possiblo. It should, 
moreover, • not be made use of when much atmos¬ 
pheric moisture and a dull state of air prevails out 
of doors; better to wait awhile than to ventilate 
badly: to exchange foul air for any damp air is no 
great gain ; better far to wait a day or two. 
Somo persons pack their exhibition or long-keep¬ 
ing fruit in jars, and oven clean garden pots or other 
similar vessels have been called into requisition for 
the same purpose. Indeed, by such means we have 
seen Ribstone Pippins, Nonpareils, &c. &c., exhibited 
as fresh in appearance in May as in December; but 
we never could hear that they were high flavoured. 
So, then, it seems long-keeping properties, enhanced 
by artificial means, are in the main obtained at 
tbo expense] of high flavour. Like the razors, they 
will look well, but not cut. However, wc would not 
willingly cast a damper on energies directed in this 
way; fruit may, undoubtedly, be retarded a certain 
timo without sacrifice of flavour. We hope soon to be 
ablo to say something on this head—a heading which 
concerns thousands. R. Ehrington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
The Genus Dianthus. —This is a family of flowers 
that are, for the most part, very beautiful—rich in 
colours, of fine forms, and of exquisite fragrance: 
the name itself is an elegant one— clios, divine, an- 
thos, flower—divine flower. In this family is the 
much admired flower the pink, in praise of which 
we might launch out freely, but it is needless. Wo 
are sure all our readers are fully sensible of tho 
beauty and fragrance of that justly highly-valued 
flower; even the worst variety in the florist’s eye is 
in any other considered beautiful. We, therefore, 
submit to the llorist that when he discards seedlings 
as worthless it would be an act of kindness to bestow 
them upon his cottage neighbours, to ornament their 
small flower plots; indeed, not only pinks but any 
other seedlings of florists’ flowers that do not como 
up to that standard of perfection the raiser judges to 
bo necessary might bo very wisely and charitably 
given to tho cottager, to plant in his flower border. 
There are several beautiful species in this genus. 
Wo select a few of the best. Somo of them aro 
Alpine plants, and are excellent for ornamenting rock- 
worlt ; others aro little more than biennials, and re¬ 
quire to be raised either from seeds or cuttings an¬ 
nually. They all require a light soil, consisting of half 
sandy peat, half light loam, with a small portion of 
vegetable mould well decomposed. Such as are grown 
in pots should be well drained, and plunged when pot¬ 
ted either in sand or coal-ashes in an open situation, 
they are propagated in various ways: some by 
seeds, as, for instance, tho pink, sweet-william, and 
carnation; whilst others are increased by root divi¬ 
sion, and all of them by cuttings or layers. 
Dianthus aggregates flore plcno (Double-clustered pink),l foot, red. 
This is a fine variety, with immense clusters of bright red ilowers. 
suitable either for bedding or for growing in clusters in the borders, 
Division and cuttings. 
I>. alpestris (Alpine pink), a beautiful species, with white fringed 
flowers produced abundantly, y inches high; suitable for rocltwork. 
Seeds, division, and cuttings. 
D. arbusculus (Little tree pink), also pretty, with rose-coloured 
llovvers; beds and borders. Increase by seeds. l£ foot. 
D. dcltoides (Maiden pink), rose-coloured, C inches high ; rock- 
work or pots. Division or seeds. 
D. Fischeri (Fischer’s pink), pale pink, 4 inches ; a lovely little ( 
species. Borders or pots. 
D. Gamcrianus (Garner’s pink), L} foot, rose and white; very 1 
pretty. Division and seeds. Suitable for borders. J 
D. giganteus (Giant pink), rose, 3 feet. A truly magnificent spe¬ 
cies, suitable for a large bed or for pots. Increased by cuttings. j 
D. lusitanicus (Portugal pink), 2.} feet, crimson ; a handsome spe¬ 
cies, suitable for borders. Division and cuttings. . 
D. pumilus (Dwarf pink), crimson, 4 inches; very neat; suitable 
for pots. Guttings. 
D. superbus (Superb pink), white, C inches; a fine species, suitable 
for pots, to be plunged in the borders during tlic time they are in 
flower. Seeds and cuttings. 
D. hortensis (Garden pink); D. caryophyllus (Carnation); I), bar- j 
batus (Sweet-william). The three last arc so well known that it is j 
needless to remark more about them here. 
D. Hendcrsonianus (Henderson’s pink), a splendid hybrid, with j 
large flowers of the richest crimson; 1 foot. By cuttings or pipings. 
There is also the D. sinensis, or Indian pink. These 
aro great ornaments to tho flower-garden, especially 
if caro is taken in collecting tho seeds from the best 
kinds. Tho only safe way to do this is to mark the 
hest-sliaped, finest-coloured, and most double kinds, 
when in flower, and save seeds only from these, 
throwing all the others away. By following this up 
for three or four years you will have a bed of Indian 
pinks inferior to none in point of beauty. The best 
ought to be takon up in autumn and put in pots, 
throe or four in a pot. Protect them in a frame, or 
under hand-glasses, through tho winter, giving but 
little water, and planting them out in the spring in 
a bed. We have dwelt rather long upon this beau¬ 
tiful species, because, having seen some beds of it in 
flower that had been carefully selected as we have 
described, we can hear testimony confidently to tho 
rich tints and fine flowers so produced. 
Hollyhocks. —We have just seen a somewhat 
novel modo of growing these beautiful flowers, which 
we think worthy of being known and imitated. In a 
nursery, not far from tho ancient Royal Palace of 
Ilolyrood, in tho fine ancient city of Edinbugh, we 
saw a fine collection of hollyhocks nailed up against 
a wall. That wall was built with whitish stone, and 
the green leaves, and richly-coloured flowers of every 
hue, excepting blue (a colour, wo believe, that has 
never been seen on these plants), completely oovered 
the wall, and the effect was strikingly beautiful. 
The walls of many a humble cottage might he so 
ornamented. Now being tho timo to transplant 
seedling hollyhocks, our friends of that class would 
do well to plant somo against tiro hare walls of either 
their dwelling or any other building or wall they may 
have. They would last in such situations very much 
longer than in the opon border, provided thero was 
no drip from the house or other building upon them. 
Make the soil rich with good rotten dung, for tho I 
hollyhock is a coarso feeder, and loves a dee]), rich j 
soil. Hollyhocks in tho borders, now in flower, will 
require close attention to keep them securely tied to 
tho stakes. Examine tho ties, and if you observe 
them compressing tho stems, cut them off and retie 
them with fresh matting. 
Propagate your finest kinds by slips taken off from 
the bottom of tho plant; do this very carefully so as 
not to injure the old stems. Trim off the largest 
leaves, and put them in under a handglass in a 
shady place, using plenty of sand in the soil. M ark 
suoli as you may think the finest to save seed from 
with a piece of matting or worsted. It is best to do 
this early, so that there will ho no mistake when the 
seed is fit for gathering. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Tulil’. —It is a good time now to begin to prepare 
