62 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 80, 1860. 
its walls need not be more than two feet above the soil inside at 
bach, and one foot in front, mating four feet as back altogether, 
and three in front, the half, if deemed advisable, being below the 
surrounding level, so that all may be easily seen and examined, 
provided that drainage can be easily accomplished. • If there be 
any difficulty in this drainage, we would scarcely sink the 
bottom of the pit below the surrounding level. The walls will 
be neatest if of brick, and, but for the expense, we would make 
them of fourteen inches and hollow. If the wall were only nine 
inches, that we would prefer being hollow. The wall plate all 
round would keep all firm and secure, and though it would be 
best to have rafters from back to front in the usual way, they 
would not be essential. For covering such a pit, we would use 
chiefly wooden shutters, as the cheapest in the end, though 
covers made of asphalt felt would do very well. A few glass 
sashes would be necessary (say for a third of the length of the 
pit), in order to give light to those kinds that grow in winter 
and very early in spring. The wooden covers would keep all 
those safe that rested in winter or did not appear above ground 
until the spring. Were it not for the expense of the thing, we 
would have no objection to have glass all the way, and wooden 
shutters, to be used only in extreme weather. Keeping economy 
in view, much may be done with wooden shutters almost alone. 
Of course, in planting, the period of growth should be con¬ 
sidered, so that the winter growing and summer growing should 
be kept distinct. The interest arising even from the care re¬ 
quired to manage such a pit would be very great; and the 
pleasure would be increased by having something fresh to look 
at for the greater part of the year, from a few Hyacinths early 
in spring to Gladioli and Belladonnas late in the autumn. 
Though we have spoken of a brick pit for neatness, that is not 
at all necessary; a double wall of stout boards, with four inches 
between them, stuffed with sawdust, would be equally suitable. 
In fact, a wall or paling of slates, backed with grass turf, as a 
turf-pit, would be as good as anything, so far as protection went; 
but the great drawback to all such contrivances for this purpose 
is, that they would be apt to harbour mice and other vermin, 
whieh might soon destroy the finest bulbs. On this account 
alone we prefer brick, as affording no nestling-place. A narrow 
pit of tliis kind, some twenty, sixty, or more feet in length, 
according to taste and convenience, would, except in the few 
dark months in the year, yield a pleasure second to none that a 
garden could afford ; and that pleasure will be enhanced in pro¬ 
portion to the skill, attention, and labour bestowed. The short 
cultural notes, in the body of the catalogue will help the un¬ 
initiated in the right management; and such a pit, and such a 
mode of using it, we heartily commend to all our correspondents, 
and especially to those having suburban residences, with little 
ground to spare for floral display.—( Carter's Gardener's Yade 
Mecum .) 
WINTERING CINERARIA MARITIMA. 
"What shall I do with this, still standing out ? How shall I 
propagate it, it damps off so ?— Lucy. 
[This Cineraria, so far as we know south of the midland 
counties, is hardy, and will stand uninjured in common winters. 
The height may be regulated by cutting down in spring to any 
height, or close to the ground. If you have doubts, you had 
better take up some plants and keep them under glass in a cold 
pit, or with a little protection. You will find it troublesome to 
propagate it now; but jog our memory, and we will tell you 
how to strike it as easy as Couch Grass in the spring.] 
EARLY STRAWBERRIES WITHOUT 
PREPARATION. 
My employer wishes to have Strawberries early in March; 
but I have none potted, and fear that, if I take them up out of 
the ground, however large the pots I give them, they will not 
yield a large crop. Pray tell me how to act.— Tyro. 
[You are quite right in stating what is likely to operate against 
general success. We have always stood out in preparing such 
plants—young ones, if possible—and to have them potted, and 
the pots well filled with roots before the autumn. This abun¬ 
dance of roots and the ripening of the bud we consider the great 
elements of success. We will enter on that subject ei’e long. 
Meanwhile we will tell you how we did once in similar circum¬ 
stances and obtained very fair success, though it would be wrong 
j to say that every plant should bloom and ripen fruit so early. 
We found that by the 1st of November we had a lot of half- 
decayed dung, not so exhausted but it would yield a little heat; 
and that mixed with some leaves and rubbish from the pleasure- 
ground, we threw together in a heap, and put an old three-light, 
box over it. Ere long the bed produced a general heat of about 
80°. This done, we went to the Strawberry-borders with a large 
trowel and a little fork in our hands, and carefully selected a 
number of plants that were compact rather than large, and which 
had one or two good prominent buds instead of several weaker or 
insignificant ones. According as was most convenient wc used 
the trowel or the fork, or both, to get up as good a portion of 
the roots as possible, and a lump of soil nearly as big as our fist 
near the collar of the plant; and then the plant and the soil were 
squeezed into the smallest sized pot we could get them in—a 
four, five, or six-inch, according to the size of the plant and the 
ball, and some fresh mellow loam was packed firmly round it. 
The pots were then plunged in the rough hotbed up to the rim, 
and even above it, whilst air was left on night and day, back and 
front; the object being to fill the pot with fresh roots without 
doing much to excite the bud into action. In a fortnight a good 
many fresh roots were covering the outsides of the ball; and in 
three weeks the pots were lifted up and set on the surface of the 
bed, now getting cold; and on the day after Christmas the plants 
were placed in a vinery where the fires had just been lighted to 
commence forcing. The change from moist to dry heat at once 
was counterbalanced by setting the pots at first on damp moss. 
Hardly any water was given to the plants whilst in the bed, and 
but little in the house until the bloom-trusses appeared, and 
then manure water was used. A few fruit were gathered in the 
first week in March, and a good supply by the middle of the 
month. We hope you will be equally successful; but such plans, 
though allowable in an extremity, should never be depended on 
for general application.] 
THE APPROACHING EXHIBITION OF 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS at the CRYSTAL PALACE. 
We have perused this schedule of prizes with great interest. 
It is composed for three classes of exhibitors nominally, and 
literally for two classes only—that is to say, amateurs and 
nurserymen are to compete in two distinct classes, and the third 
class is open to all. But the great test of improvement is this, 
all the best prizes are reserved for the best gardening, for those 
who can and will exhibit the Chrysanthemum, be it Pompone 
or a large-flow r ered kind, as we have always maintained there 
should be, and that is on single stems. But for nurserymen who 
must do them for all tastes, and for bad tastes, a class is re¬ 
served for single specimens, and “ no restriction as to size of 
pots or number of stems” (open to all). In the first class 
amateurs are offered £5, £3, £2, and £1, for the first, second, 
tiiird, and fourth best collection of six large Chrysanthemums 
grown on single stems ; and £3, £2, and £1, for the best three 
such collections to nurserymen. Then single specimens on single 
stems open to all, and for all these the pots not to exceed eleven 
inches in diameter. 
Another class for single" plants w-liich may be made on the old 
model of six plants in one pot, and sixty sticks to a plant, no 
restrictions here for ever so many stems, or for the size of the 
pot, and all may contend. 
Pompones just in the same way, and value of the prize money, 
with this addition—one more class for that elegant way of training 
them, called pyramidal, on one stem, in eight-inch pots, and open 
to all. Three golden sovereigns are here open to the best, and 
open to all. There is encouragement for good and careful gar¬ 
dening ! Classes for cut blooms in twenty-four, twelve, and six 
kinds of both strains, are also set specially apart for amateurs, 
for nurserymen, and for all comers. 
Oiling Leather.— The Scientific American says, that 
oils should not be applied to dry leather, as they woidd invariably 
injure it. If you wish to oil a harness, wet it over night, cover 
it with a blanket, and in the morning it will be dry and supple ; 
then apply neat’s foot oil in small quantities and with so much 
elbow grease as will insure its disseminating itself throughout 
the leather. A soft, pliant harness is easy to handle, and lasts 
longer than a neglected one. Never use vegetable oils on leather, 
and among animal oils neat’s foot is the best. 
