328 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 
larias so as to increase your number of plants, but tbe roots will 
require but little pruning. In Hampshire we leave our fuchsias in 
tbe borders all the winter, not even cutting them down, but covering 
over their roots and up their stems to the depth of eight inches with 
coal ashes. 
CniNESE Dwarfing (Mulberry). —We have no experience in the 
mode of layering—for it is nothing else—practised by the Chinese, as 
described at p. 41 of our first volume. You had better examine the 
branch of your mulberry-tree to ascertain if any roots have been 
emitted. If there are any, you can cut off the branch, and plant it 
in November. We fear you will not find any roots, but we shall be 
glad to hear the result. 
How should Honey be Exhibited? (Secretary, Tattenhall.)— 
In the hive or glass, if possible; otherwise, in the combs, but cer¬ 
tainly not drained. 
Over-luxuriant Rose (H. U.). —Your Cloth-of-gold rose against 
a S. wall is three years old, has a leading shoot twenty feet high, and 
lateral shoots from every part of this four or five feet long, but it has 
never bloomed. To stop the shoots would still further defer its 
blooming, for stopping rampant climbers like your Cloth-of-gold rose 
only strengthens them. The best way to curb it, so as to get it into 
bloom, is to train the side branches horizontally, or even downwards, 
at full length, and to root prune it at the end of March. If you re¬ 
duce the roots nearly one-half it will not be amiss. We hear this 
race does well in a conservatory, planted in a narrow border. 
Rose Cuttings (Ibid).—' These are struck in phials of water any 
time in the summer: the plan is more curious than useful. All the 
tender roses root as freely as verbenas in the spring, in a gentle bot¬ 
tom heat; and the hardier sorts in the open borders, or under hand¬ 
glasses, from August to October. 
Wintering Border Plants (W. 0. R.). —Old geraniums and 
fuchsias any one can keep over the winter in a dry state if the frost 
does not reach them. It was foolish to tell you your cucumber frame 
would not winter such plants ; millions of them are saved that way 
every winter. See our directions informer Numbers: for instance, 
pp. 259 and 291 - 
Roses Planted Last March ( E. L. A.).— Your gardener was 
quite right in cutting them quite close when they were transplanted. 
You say they have not done well, but it was the late transplanting 
which injured them. Prune their shoots back to three or four buds 
early in next November, give them some thoroughly decayed dung 
over their roots, and then, if your soil suits them, they will be fine 
next year. 
Monthly Parts (R. P., Stourbridge).— What you refer to in 
these was merely an advertisement stitched in : and for the truth of 
what is there said we are in no way responsible. We advise you to 
take the weekly numbers. Thanks for your exertions. 
Poultry ( Rnsticus , hanivet). —You will find the information in 
Richardson “On Domestic Poultry,” price one shilling. It is un¬ 
justifiable cruelty, and accompanied by far more loss than profit. The 
other operation is the work of a veterinary surgeon. 
Gooseberries Shedding their Leaves (Bach). —These were 
planted too shallow with their roots only three inches below the sur¬ 
face. We should raise the earth over them forthwith three inches 
deeper. We do not think they will die. Thanks for the information 
about your potatoes, which we will publish next week. 
Moving Rhubarb (J. B., Richmond).— Though the roots are 
large you need not divide them unless you require more plants. The 
cause of your rhubarb producing smaller leaves must be that you cut 
too much from it, and gave it too little manure. Your other question 
next week. 
Ceanothus Azureus (W. E.). —The cuttings do not strike freely. 
Plant them near the side of the pot in a mixture of peat and sand; 
plunge in a good bottom heat, and under a bell-glass. Wipe the 
condensed steam off the inside every second day. You can have all 
the back numbers, and a cover for the volume (price Is), by applica- 
to our office through your bookseller. 
List of Plants (G. R., Ity).—We know of no list such as you 
require. The work which would suit you is Loudon’s “ Hortus Bri- 
tannicus,” but it is not cheaper than 35s, unless you could meet with 
a second-hand copy. 
Liquid Manure (A Cockney Gardener). —You have adopted our 
plan of sinking flower pots among your crops, as described at p. 294, 
in order to apply the liquid manure near to the roots; but you have 
no liquid manure ! You say that salts which can be purchased at the 
druggist’s will do as well, but in this you are quite mistaken: no 
combination of salts will equal in fertilizing power organic matter 
rendered soluble by decay. Your best substitute for common dungs 
appropriate for liquid manure is genuine guano, which you may ob¬ 
tain of the London Manure Company. Put an ounce to each gallon 
of water. 
The Cottage Gardener (S. F. P., of F., Cincinnatus, and A 
Real Well-wisher). —We accept your suggestions in the kind spirit 
which gave birth to them, but you will see your mistake when we 
observe that we have increased the amount of pages devoted to the 
poorer cottagers’ gardening, and have doubled our size without alter¬ 
ing our price. It was only by an increased circulation obtainable 
by the improvements we have made in the work that we can afford 
to do all this. We do all we can for improving the gardening of the 
cottager, and there is no reason why we should not enlarge our sphere 
of usefulness, as it is done without any loss but much benefit to each 
class of our readers. How impossible it is to please all is proved by 
the fact that you all disagree in what you approve and what you dislike. 
Sisyrinchium Bermudianum (W. M. H,, Corfe Castle). —Our 
correspondent says that this plant (see p. 292 ), probably, is a garden 
plant, as the place where he gathered it was once cultivated. He 
adds, “I have no doubt but that it may become indigenous in a few 
years.” 
Vinegar Plant (Rev. E. Bannister ).—This gentleman writes to 
us as follows:—“ I have followed the directions given by Mr. Mid- 
dlemiss for the manufacture of this plant at p. 94, and find, at the 
expiration of six weeks from the commencement of the experiment, 
nothing but a coating of mould or mildew at the top of the mixture. 
This mouldy covering has embodied in it several small circles, some¬ 
what resembling the engraving given at the same page. I ask your¬ 
self, or any of your correspondents who may take the trouble to reply, 
whether either the whole coating of mould, or the small circles con¬ 
tained in it, be the vinegar plant ? The mixture which produced the 
mould has not turned into vinegar, although I have kept it in the 
warmest place I could think of, namely, my greenhouse.” — We 
have never tried Mr. Middlemiss’s recipe, having had a plant or 
fungus sent to us. Perhaps Mr. M. will be kind enough to reply to 
this. 
Aneroid Barometer. —The Rev. E. J. Howman, residing near 
Downham, Norfolk, has most obligingly sent us the following in an¬ 
swer to the query of a correspondent at p. 290 :—“The instrument I 
possess—which in justice to a most conscientious tradesman, (inas¬ 
much as he would not supply me with one with the manufacture of 
which he was not perfectly satisfied,) I feel bound to say I purchased 
of Mr. E. M. Clarke, optician, &e., Strand—has hung by the side of a 
wheel barometer, and the register has been taken between eight and 
nine a.m. To me, so far as it has gone, it appears to be perfectly 
satisfactory. So far as my observation bas enabled me to form an 
opinion at present, it strikes me that the aneroid is much more sen¬ 
sitive than the mercury, commencing its movements much sooner, 
and that it is not so much, if at all, affected by a coming gale of wind. 
Thus, on the 19th of February the mercury fell 33 tenths, while the 
aneroid fell only 28. Again, on March 1 st the mercury fell 34, the aneroid 
25 ; while on March 9 th the mercury fell 02, and the aneroid rose 05; 
and the next day, on the gale ceasing, the mercury rose 41, and the 
aneroid 37 . Of course there are variations which cannot be accounted 
for, but on the whole the fluctuations of the aneroid, as tested by 
those of the mercury, are, I think, sufficiently regular as to stamp it a 
trustworthy instrument.” We can only say in addition, that Mr. 
Howman’s register kept during the last seven months justifies his 
opinion. 
Pruning Scissors (J. Turner).—We, and many of our friends, 
have tried your improved pocket scissors, and the opinion of all are 
strongly in their favour. We recommend them particularly for lady 
gardeners. 
Low Evergreen Fence (Nemo). —The prettiest and most effec¬ 
tive we have ever seen is made of wire stretched six inches apart, 
between posts two feet high, with the stems of a row of the larger 
periwinkle (Vinca major) trained up, interlacing between the wires. 
Himalayah Pumpkin Seed (Rev. F. Pye)\ —Thanks; we shall 
be very much obliged by a supply. 
51 art in Doyle.—W e are very glad to hear that the Rev. Mr. 
Hickey, who wrote under these names, is at this time not only in the 
land of the living, but is curate of Tliatcham, near Newbury, and 
employed upon a Calendar of Monthly Gardening for the use of the 
peasantry of Ireland. He is the most capable man we know of for so 
desirable a work. 
Leeks (J. P. R .).—By cutting off the tops of the fresh leaves 
about once a month, the white neck of the leek, which is the useful 
part, becomes much thicker, the sap being concentrated there by the 
pruning. The leaves of your vegetable marrows becoming mildewed 
and yellow is only the usual consequence of autumn dews and chilly 
nights. If your edgings are of the real Sea-pink (Statice maritima) 
you may very easily destroy all the slugs in it by watering it every 
evening either with sea water or with a solution of salt in water, four 
or five oz. to the gallon. You may sow a little Brussels sprouts and 
German kale at the beginning of this month for planting out in spring. 
Heliotropium Voltaireanum (J. C., Holloway). —Do not sow 
the seeds of this until next spring. We cannot tell you the name of 
the moth which is the parent of the caterpillars on your dahlias unless 
we see them. If you send them, do so in a wooden tooth-powder 
box, or the post-office people will destroy them with their merciless 
punches. 
Fuchsia (J. Boise). —Nearly all the species are from Mexico and 
Chile, and have been introduced since 1824, except the old scarlet, 
F. coccineu, which was brought from Chile in 1/88, and F. lycioides in 
1796. Others come from Peru, Brazil, Demerara, and New Zealand. 
Soil for Gladioli (Ibid). —The best soil for them is one half 
light loam, one quarter peat, and one quarter leaf-mould. See full 
directions for their culture in our first volume, p. 100. 
Names of Plants (P. S.). —Your climber is Ipomasa qaamoclit. 
(R. Reynoldson). —Your pink flower is Penstemon glaberrimum, and 
your blue flower is Aconitum variegatum, blue and white Monkshood. 
(Verax). — 1 , Madia elegans; 2 , Penstemon glaberrimum; 3 , Pen- 
stemon gentianoides alba; 4, (Enothera Frazeri (?) ; 5, Eupatorium 
corymbosum ; 6 , Ccelestina ageratoides ; 7 , Buclmera americana ; 
8 , Phlox suaveolens; 9, Phlox tardiflora ; 10, Rudbeckia liirta ; 11, 
Rudbeekia purpurea; 12 , Cineraria amelloides ; 13, Campanula 
Trachelium, var. alba; 14, Trachelium speciosa (?) ; 15, Trachelium 
Lobelioides (?). (Busy-Body). —Your plant is Cerinthe maculutu, 
or Spotted Honeywort. 
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.—September 20th, 1849. 
