26 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 9, 1860. 
Amy (single), bright red. Belle Quirine (single), bright pink. 
# Norma (single), waxy pink. # Robert Steiger (single), bright 
crimson. *Elfrida (single), creamy blush. Victoria Regina 
(single), pure white. Argus (single), bright blue, with a distinct 
clear white eye. Grand Vidette (single), pale blue. Prince Albert 
(single), black. # Heroine (single), canary yellow. Honing Van 
Holland (single), orange yellow. 
Those marked thus * are almost indispensable in any collection 
on account of colour. The price of the dozen, for water, 10s. Qd.; 
the first half dozen, 5s. 6d. The dozen for pots about 12s. 6d .; 
including the other six marked thus *, for 18s.— James Cutbush, 
Highgate Nurseries. 
[The above will serve as an answer to “ A Subscriber,” 
“Etonensis, and other inquirers.— Eds. C. G.] 
LIST OF ORNAMENTAL FERNS — PLANTING 
A CIRCULAR BED WITH VERBENAS. 
“ M. G. ” would feel very much obliged to any correspondent 
who would give him a list of eight or ten stove Ferns of good 
and beautiful kinds. He has—Pteris tricolor: P. argyrea; 
P. tremula (a. H.) ; P. serrulata (a. H.) ; Acliantum curvatum; 
A. formosum (a. H.) ; A. pedatum (hardy) ; Gymnogramma 
ochracea; G. tartarea; Cyrtomium falcatmn (hardy); Phle- 
bodium aureum ; Myriopteris ( i.e ., Cheilanthes) elegans. 
“ M. G.” has also a round bed on grass about six feet across, 
he wishes to fill this with Verbenas next year. He proposes 
making a small round in the middle of the bed of Mrs. Holford, 
then a ring of Geant des Batailles, then Invincible, and would 
be glad to know what colour to put next. 
[“ M. G.” should add to his collection, which contains some 
greenhouse and hardy kinds, the following, which are all highly 
ornamental stove species:—Anemia collina, Adiantmn con- 
cinum, Asplenium Belangeri, Cheilanthes farinosa, Davallia 
dissecta, D. polyantha, Gymnogramma peruviana argyrophylla, 
Goniophlebium appendiculatum, G. subauriculatum, Neploro- 
lepis davallioides, Polypodiiun plumula, Phlebodium sporado- 
carpum, Pteris scaberula (greenhouse). Or if any of these are too 
expensive, there is Pteris longifolia, Pleopeltis pustulata, Pla- 
tyloma rotundifolia, and falcata, Onychium japonicmn, Ne- 
phrolepis exaltata, Hypolepis tenuifolia, Blechnum polypo- 
dioides, Asplenium fragrans, and A. bulbiferum, all of which 
are pretty low-priced Ferns, and most of which will succeed in 
a greenhouse temperature. 
Verbena Mrs. Holford in the centre, and Geant des Batailles 
round it, will need Purple Ring on the outside to make a nice 
arrangement; but the bed is two feet too narrow across to show 
the three to advantage.] 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S MEETING. 
The September Meeting of the Entomological Society was held 
on the 3rd of that month, the chair being occupied by H. T. 
Stainton, Esq., the Vice-President. 
Mr. Waterhouse exhibited living examples of Tricodes his- 
pidius, in the larva, pupa, and perfect states, forwarded to him 
by Mr. Plant, of Leicester, and Dorcatoma chrysomelina, of 
Sturm, bred from rotten wood brought from Richmond Pa’rk, 
the species not having been previously known as a native of 
this country. 
Mr. Stevens exhibited two specimens of the very rare and 
handsome Beetle, Diachromus germanus, recently found alive in 
the town of Deal. 
Mr. Pelerin exhibited some very fine Coleoptera, including t 
beautiful variety of the rare Staphylinus csesareus, having th< 
pubescence entirely fulvous. 
Mr. King exhibited a fine series of Crambus paludellus, anc 
other Lepidoptera, from Horning Fen, Norfolk. 
Mr. Stainton exhibited the living larvse of Nemotois scabio 
sellus, received from Herr Hofmann, of Ratisbonne. 
Mr. Ian son exhibited specimens of Doriacia comari, taken ii 
Perthshire, and pointed out the distinguishing characters of thi 
species, which had. hitherto been only found in Germany. 
, ?P e exhibited a specimen of Aleschara ruficornis, fount 
i Mr-Soiom™ m Compsee Glen, near Glasgow, and a Bagous 
which he beueved to be distinct from all the previously describee 
species of that genus. 
The Secretary read a communication from Walter Elliott, 
Esq., of Wolfelee, Keswick, N.B., on the injury done to Larch 
and Spruce Firs by Hylobus abietis, a large species of Weevil. 
The writer considering the ravages of this Beetle to be chief cause 
of the increasing mortality in plantations of those trees. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Geraniums and other Bkdders in Winter (E. JD. S.). —For bedding- 
plants in general, young plants from cuttings are Dy far the best. We can. | 
offer no easy ready mode for preserving other Geraniums without potting 
and good treatment. For ScarletFork them up, shorten the roots if ; 
long, remove fully one-half the spongy part of their heads and all the- ! 
leaves, dust the cut part with lime and charred dust, and pack the roots 
and an inch or so of the stem into soil neither wet nor dry, give a little 
water at first, and before frost place them anywhere where the frost will 
not reach them, and where they will not be too damp. 
Buii.dino Three-light Pits (J. C. C.). —For Melons and Cucumbers- I 
it would be best to have two pipes in the middle for bottom heat, and two- 
for top heat, the latter may run along the front, or one in front and one at 
the back, for this purpose. The pipes for bottom heat should be three feet or j 
three feet six i' ches below the front wall-plate. This will allow for six 
inches of clinkers and gravel above the pipes, and eighteen inches of soil, 
and from fifteen inches from that to the glass. The others may be used for 
Pines, French Beans, Strawberries, stove plants, or young plants that it is 
desired to force onwards. Trap or poison rats. There are many modes 
of doing so. Perhaps we read it wrong, it may be ants. Use strong guano 
water, or even gas water. You will find full information as to general ] 
management of Melons, Cucumbers, &c., in recent volumes. 
Capsicum Culture (M. JR.).— Sow the Capsicum seed in a hotbed in the 
beginning of March. Prick off the young plants four in a small pot as soon 1 
as one inch and a half in height. Keep them still in the hotbed, in a heat 
averaging 65°. As soon as the plants are filling the pots, give each plant of 
the four a pot to itself. When that is filled with roots, repot into a size 
larger, and then again into a 32-pot. This will be done by July. They 
will do after this on the shelf of a house averaging from 50° to 65°. 
During all that time the plants should be watered according to the weather 
pretty freely. As the fruit begins to ripen in autumn, less water and more 
sunlight, if possible, should be given. If the plants are to be kept over the- 
winter, which Chili Capsicums frequently are, the heat must range from. 
50° to 65°, and enough of water, but not so much as to soak them. They / 
may want fumigating for green fly. The best compost is two parts sandy j 
loam, and one of rotten leaf mould. 
Ventilating a Fruit Room (A Subscriber, Croydon).—A. trap-door at 1 
each end in the top angle of the roof, just below the thatch, will give you ' 
the most effective ventilation. The four-inch pipe in the side of the thatch I 
will be useless. 
Ether Residuum. —“ B. T.” wishes to know where this can be obtained, i 
Vines for Early Forcing (An Inquirer ).— White .—Dutch Sweetwater, 
Buckland Sweetwater, Golden Hamburgh, Royal Muscadine, White Fron- 
tignan, and Bo-wood Muscat. Black.— Black’ Hamburgh, Muscat Ham¬ 
burgh, Mill Hill Hambufgh, Victoria Hamburgh, Trentham Black, and , 
Black Champion. As you request, we have mentioned twelve sorts, but 1 
most likely it would suit you better to take one of each of the four whites 
first named, and have Black Hamburghs for the rest. We hope that water 
will drain through the limestone, and that the flue goes at the front as 
well as the back of the house, or you may want heat for early forcing. 
Sowing Hardy Annuals (S. Smith ).—You may still sow in the open I 
grown Virginian Stock, Venus’ Looking Glass, White Alyssum, Collinsias, 
Nemophilas, and Candytufts, and if slightly covered with sandy earth, the 
small plants will generally stand better in winter than if they were larger. 
Sowing in pots will be a disadvantage, unless you can keep them under 
glass, and give plenty of air. With such glass we would 60 w in rows and 
transplant early in spring. To make doubly sure, we would now fork a 
border a couple or three inches deep, make it fine, sow all the above, and | 
CEnotheras, Eschscholtzias, and early-flowering annuals, in rows four inches 
apart, merely covering the seeds with a little sand, and if the weather was 
clear, shading before the seedlings appear, and then exposing them. A 
few evergreen branches stuck among them in frosty weather would keep 
them. Lift these in patches and place them where you like in March. 
Grates not Setting (JR. W., Muswell mil) .—The roots of your Vines 
have descended into soil they do not like. After the leaves have fallen and 
the Vines have gone tc rest, uncover the roots carefully, and see whether or 
not such is the case. If they have spread beyond the border, vou must cut 
off the whole of that part w hich has reached the stiff clay, or gravel, - 
whichever it may be ; renew the soil of your border, or give it a good top 
dressing, and no doubt you will find your Vines recover. 1 
Wintering Bedding Plants (Ashton).— Asrespeets Scarlet Geraniums*- 
you will see what is said to several other correspondents to-day. The most 
economical mode as respects space is to lift, shorten the roots, and lessen 
the tops by one-half, pull off all the leaves, and pack roots and an inch or 
two of the stems in soil neither wet nor dry. If you can give them room, 
in your greenhouse, you may pot them separately and leave the most of the 
leaves on. This last would be the best plan with other Geraniums of 
the bedding fancy kinds. They may be pruned in a little and the larger 
leaves removed but they will not stand the rough treatment of Scarlets. 
Without enough light they will soon get sickly. Scarlets having plenty of 
juice in their stems will manage very well with little light until the fresh 
shoots come over them. Calceolarias may be denuded of all their flower- 
stalks, pruned in considerably, and taken up and planted thickly in the soil 
of your Cucumber-frame, and here with a little protection from frost they 
will thrive well all the winter. Did you, however, remove some of the soil 
of your Cucumber-bed from the surface, so as to have it some twenty inches 
from the glass, mix some sand with it for three inches deep, and cover i 
with a sprinkling of sand patted firm, you might go to your Calceolaria- 
bed, slip off side-cuttings two inches (less rather than more) in length- 
take the lower leaves away, and shorten the others considerably, and plant 
these cuttings firmly over the bed in rows one inch apart and one inch and 
