105 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 20, 1860. 
“ I. R. P.” is, also, too rash in recommending an unlimited 
supply, or rather a dose once a-week, of manure water as thick 
as can well pass through the pipe of a common watering-pot. 
This is what few w-ould dare to practise. Well-diluted manure 
water, used once or even twice a-week, is safer and better. 
“ I. R. P.” also condemns Pears and Plums for orchard- 
houses. Here again he shows his southern origin. We in the 
north cannot grow and ripen the finest sorts of Pears and 
Plums, except by growing them against a south wall (where they 
often fail) or in an orcharddiouse; and if the trees in pots are 
removed to the open air to ripen their fruit, this will be found 
as good and eatable as any Avail fruit, and often much superior. 
VERBENAS AT PILSBY NURSERY IN THE 
PAST SUMMER—GAZANIAS. 
The past lias been the most fearful season for Verbenas I ever 
experienced, or, perhaps, than any other man has experienced 
from the day when Mr. Bevis first raised Melindris to the pre¬ 
sent. So many failures have there been, so many refusing to 
grow; others having such stunted hidebound growth that no 
■cuttings could be obtained; others would not bloom at all, as 
the following will shoAV. 
Our collection consists of about two hundred varieties, and 
they were all planted out and treated alike as to soil, aspect, &c. 
I will begin with the older varieties and general favourites. 
White’s Perfection;—this name was a misnomer; in growth and 
bloom it is condemned, and thrown away. Poor Mrs. Holford, 
what shall be said of her P Treated to a new, well-made bed, 
and everything done to coax her to put on her best dress was of 
no use; she was not well, and would not. Once we thought 
she tried, but she said (by her growth) “ it was no use, she 
could not stand the cold.” Snowflake ;—why, Messrs. Low must 
surely have gone to Mont Blanc, and found it there, or else to 
Siberia; for snow it is for whiteness, and cold it must love to 
do as it has done this season. It is the best white, without 
doubt. Grow no other for massing, if you can help it, is our 
advice. Blue Bonnet;—once put it on, and we had a look at it, 
but the cold wind blew it over, and we saw it no more this 
season. Purple King, or Matchless—for there was no perceptible 
difference between them—was truly named, it was king of all for 
general puposes; even now (November) it wears the purple 
•dress. Domvilliana would not show in the race its bluish- 
purple. Leviathan, that monster, kept in the depth beloAv; for 
we had not a sight of him. Reine Blanche;—her skin and 
constitution generally are much too delicate for out of doors; 
she is for the house only. Prima Donna said she was not at 
home, except on the stage ; her glories were not for us at pre¬ 
sent. Lady Cotton Shepherd and Miss F'owke ;—both near alike, 
very bold and strong in constitution, and not above showing 
themselves among their rivals. Lord Elgin said the climate was 
too cold, and went off Avith his suite. II Trovatore ;—whatever 
the grand opera may be, there was nothing grand about the 
Verbena. Miss Trotter;—poor little thing! was never very strong, 
and this season she is worse than ever; she is too consumptive 
for many places. Silvie Glady made a vigorous push, and 
obtained a good place with her cherry eye, looking very bright; 
but what is to be said of Defiance (Robinson’s) ? From the 
time it came hurling defiance (in 1848,1 think,) from the banks 
of the Thames he never has cut so wretched a figure as this 
season; he was small and dirty, and had no brilliancy about 
him; while Mrs. Woodroffe determined, this season at least, to 
show her charms and eclipse her rival. Nero was a good 
deep rose, and looked cheerful and warm. Striata Perfecta rose 
up boldly, as if determined that her lavender and white stripe 
•dress Should be admired; while Madame Lourdier said she 
Avould show her scarlet and rose stripes only when the sun 
shone; but Bacchus said that it was not likely he could 
cheer the eye (not the heart) when there was no sun to ripen 
the Grapes. Lord Raglan did not mind in the least: whether 
in the sunny south or cold Derbyshire he would do his duty 
and do it well. 
I am sure the whole of the readers of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener who take interest either in any new, or, if as old as the 
hills, the resuscitation of a really good and useful plant from its 
quiet sleep into life and activity, must feel indebted to our 
friend Mr. Beaton for having at last settled the godfathersliip of 
the Crystal Palace Scarlet Geranium. But I must tell him we 
have had sent us here, from a clergyman lately, a Scarlet which 
he assures us surpasses all the other Scarlets. But he does not 
know whether it is identical with Crystal Palace; but it is like 
many other good things (to use the Avords of a contemporary) 
from Shrubland, for such is the name we have with it. Next 
year will tell; but if it surpasses all others, as we are assured it 
does, Avliy then Smith’s Livid will be of no use, and must fall 
into the shade. Our north-country friends over the border say 
Vivid, Vivid, and none but Vivid for our beds. Tom Thumb, 
Crystals, or Trenthams, are of no use beside it. We shall see what 
they say in 1861." 
Really, I should be sorry to lake the bread out of Mr. Beaton’s 
mouth, for the right man is, we all know, in the right place ; 
but should I live to see the Lavender fields of my native place, 
I will try and reach Surbiton and show him that I am not the 
man to eat his crust; for, I suppose, I could reach now by rail 
without going through that long coomb-warren, when I should 
see the stoves from all parts, and get from our valued friend 
some useful lessons. 
I see your correspondent “ R. F.,” at page 75, has misread 
my note at page 46 concerning Gazania splendens. I distinctly 
said, that at the nursery where I saw the bed mentioned in that 
article, they had been growing for some time G. splendens under 
the name of rigens and did not know it; and to prove that, if 
“ R. F.” Avill, through you, forward me his address, I will prove 
that G. splendens has been so growing by sending him a plant 
of each—one of Messrs. Henderson’s variety, and one of the 
variety alluded to. I will also send him one of another kind I 
obtained from a nobleman’s garden, sent for splendens from a 
provincial nursery in the north, but which is not splendens or 
rigens. I secured some of it, and purpose growing it by the 
side of splendens, and, indeed, all the varieties of Gazanias I can 
obtain under the names they are called. I will also send to the 
Editors one of each, as I have them, if they wish.—[Pray do.] 
G. rigens (true) was grown some twelve years since by Mr. 
Bevis, when gardener to S. Gurney, Esq., at Carshalton, and I 
have no doubt it might still be found there; or, perhaps, if this 
meets his eye he will take up his pen and tell us if he has it still 
in his retirement at Teddington. He could, if he would, tell us 
of many a good thing which would make good plants for 
bedding in the present day, although, like G. splendens, not known 
by young gardeners. In conclusion I will only say, I shall be 
glad to receive a plant of Gazania uniflora, or any other kind, for 
the purpose I have before mentioned.— Pilsly Nursery , near 
Clay Cross. 
GISHURST COMPOUND for ORCHARD-HOUSE 
TREES. 
That strong solution of Gishurst, so much recommended for 
orchard-house trees when put to rest, is a dangerous application. 
I tried it this time last year, and killed about half the buds (both 
wood and blossom) on Peach and Nectarine trees; the destruction 
of the buds was not apparent till the spring, when they remained 
dormant instead of expanding, and finally dropped off.—T. S. B. 
[Are you quite sure that the buds dropping was not occasioned 
by the red spider? If this sap-sucker prevailed in your bouse, 
the injury arose from them. Are you sure that the unexampled 
frost we had this time last year had not something to do with 
killing the wood ?— Eds. C. G.] 
FORCING. 
{Continued from page 90.) 
Flax refuse from Flax-mills, with but little preparation» 
yields a strong lasting heat. Sawdust from all kinds of wood, 
brought from the sawpit when rather dry and thrown into a bed 
at once, yields a mild heat for a long period, and as it decays 
may be burned or charred; and anything and everything about 
a garden—such as clearings of quarters of Beans and Peas, as 
well as all that can be got from the flower garden—when frost 
comes, if not worth taking to a charring-heap, may be used su’c- 
cessfully, for the heat they are capable of giving before they are 
thoroughly decomposed. Where there is a determined will, a 
way will not be far off. I have seen good Cucumbers in the 
middle of May that had not much else to keep them in the way 
of heat except the Nettle stems, long grass, and tree leaves, col¬ 
lected in the ditches, by the sides of roads, and lanes, and partly 
carried and partly wheeled home. 
