THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 27, 1860. 1S& 
delightful flower of a deep rose carmine, and lighter 
towards the centre, where the bottom of the florets are 
white, a new style of colours ; Negro Boy when first 
opening is partly in the same style. No. 73, an orange 
and red seedling in the new strain of Princess Marie, a 
large, perfect globe, or what Mr. Bird would call three- 
parts of a cricket-ball. All this shows how fast the Chry¬ 
santhemums are improving, and how close the competition 
between the London seedlings and those of Guernsey— 
Mr. Clark’s. 
The Pompone seedlings are yet too far behind time to 
judge of them properly. A fine, dwarf, shaded yellow 
kind called Jesse, and a deep rose with white bottoms—a 
great improvement on Adonis, were the only two that I 
could trust judgment upon ; for now I consider my judg¬ 
ment in the plural number, for if ever I tarnish the banner 
of the Ploral Committee they will blackball me from the 
host. Mr. Salter grows his whole stock, in summer in the 
open ground, and keeps up a botanical collection of them 
and of many other families. His collections of liliputians, 
or button Pompon es, are well worthy the attention of 
fathers and mothers, if only for their children’s gardens, 
and his is a prime list of them for that very purpose:— 
Panferluche, II Brasiero, Le Nain Bebe (a sweet thing), 
Marquis d’Alfareti, Ninette, Pompon d’Or, Queen of 
Liliput, Queen Mab, Theresita, and Zoe. These are 
cheap as Daisies; and to help out some bedding plant 
which is over by the middle of September no plant is more 
suitable than the Scarlet Gem Pompone. 
Gazania rigens. —Just like the whole season—ever 
raining, and every rain a pour. I thought, if Gazania 
rigens was alive, I should find it with Mr. Salter. To 
try me he brought two kinds without bloom. Mr. 
Snow from Wrest Park, one of our very best flower 
gardeners, was by my side. We both hit on rigens at 
once. He knew it also, and would not believe that 
any mortal could ever liken it to splendens. We both 
put it to Mr. Salter how a stock of it could be got up 
at once to send to our country cousins ; and he told 
us a secret—that rigens is of the nature of the Unique 
Geraniums; that it is not good or good policy to make 
cuttings of it, except in February, March, and as long in 
April as it did not show for bloom; that on the turn of 
the new year old plants of it should be put into heat to 
force young growth for cuttings ; and those who will may 
prove his words by ordering each a couple of his young 
rigens, for he cannot yet offer it by the dozen, nor could 
any one either of us ever heard of. A letter from Mr. 
Taylor from Shrubland Park (of course every scrap is 
true from Shrubland), was waiting my retmm, and the 
first gardener in one of the best gardens in England writes 
thus “ I see by The Cottage Gardener there is much 
cavilling about Gazania rigens and splendens. I had a 
bed of the true rigens this season. It did not bloom so 
freely as splendens. It is larger in the flower, but I do 
not think it will ever be so good a bedder as splendens.” 
When plants were grown for their botanical interest, as 
was the case with most plants when I first knew rigens, 
its flowers were not so large as those of splendens ; now 
we hear that in the hands of such a cultivator as Mr. 
Taylor, and in such a place as Shrubland Park, the 
rigens flowers are even larger than those of splendens 
itself. You may rely upon it this discussion was a most 
capital thing, thanks to the valour of our fellow workers, 
and if we do not have Gazanias enough the year round, 
and prove the difference between them and Arctotuses, 
my name is not Wamba, son of Witless. 
Mr. Salter has a second kind of Gazania uniflora about 
one-quarter the strength of uniflora, which, in the richest 
soil and out of pot, keeps to that habit without much 
difference in the flowers. I shall have a long tale of his 
variegated plants, his rare kinds, his new double and 
single Pyrethrums and others; but must conclude with 
one which has already obtained a hearing or two in The 
Cottage Gardener. The cuttings I received lately from 
“A Yorkshire Clergyman,” and which kind is again 
mentioned by “ An Amateur, Leeds,” at page 102. 
This is the very old Arabis alpina variegata of cottagers 
for an age. or two, and is a3 well known to old inhabitants 
as Gazania rigens, but, like Cerastium tomentosum of 
equal date, it has stood idle many years; but a race of 
bloomers rose since then without ever having either 
heard or seen of such a plant. D. Beaton. 
EXPOSING VINES TO FROST—A - ; PLAGUE TOF 
RED SPIDER—SHIFTING POTTED VINES. 
I HAVE a small greenhouse, which I am obliged to keep a 
fire in most of the winter, as we have the frost very severe. I 
have six Vines in it which I have always turned out of doors 
about this time, and return them in February. I wish to know 
if it is a good plan or not ? 
In a Peach-house I had a quantity of Grapes ripe. I kept 
the house a little warm and dry, with a little neglect; the con¬ 
sequence is, my trees are covered with red spider. The leaves 
are all off, but the buds are all full, and all the bunches of 
Grapes are full. What had I better do ? - 3 777T 
Which is the best time for potting or shifting Vines in 
pots ?—Sam. 
[In such a case we would never take the Vines out. What 
good could it do ? 
Do we understand rightly that the leaves of the Peaches and 
Vines are all withered off, and that the red spider is covering the 
bunches of Grapes ? In that case, if the wood of the Peaches and 
Vines is ripe and hard, not without, mind, take a quarter of a pound 
of sulphur, mix it with a pound of sawdust, and set fire to it in a 
shovel or pot, covered with a good deal of damp moss, and do 
this in a dull afternoon after shutting the house up, and open 
the first thing by daylight next morning. Mind, however, there 
must not be a green leaf in the house, if you do this. If there 
are leaves green, or the wood green, you may heat a kettle or two 
with water in them almost to boiling—say 190°, and then paint 
the outside of these with sulphur made into a thick paint with 
water, and set them in the house. This would be the safest mode 
under any circumstances. 
Shift Vines in pots about July or August, for the last time. 
Of course, when your Grapes are cut you will thoroughly wash 
the plants, house, &c.] 
WINTER TREATMENT of YOUNG GLOXINIAS. 
I have a quantity of Gloxinias grown from seed which have 
made nice little plants, but not blossomed. Others I have grown 
from leaves ; and most of these have made good tubers, and some 
of them a few leaves also. They have been kept in a Cucumber- 
frame all the year; but it is now cold, and I have removed them 
to a shelf in the greenhouse. The usual heat in this is from 40° 
to 45°, will this suit them? Should they be kept dry? and in 
the spring must I repot them before starting them in the Cucum¬ 
ber-frame ?—P. 
[Your Gloxinias should not be in a lower temperature than 
45°: therefore give them the warmest end of the greenhouse. 
When the leaves are all withered, the tubers would keep very 
well in sand in a drawer or cupboard in the kitchen. They are 
quite as safe, however, in the pots ; and if plunged in moss would 
need no watering during winter. If room cannot well be given 
them on a shelf, they would do quite as well laid down in aheap 
—the pots on their broad sides, a little hay thrown over them, 
and a mat or a cloth thrown over to keep all neat and prevent 
drip from pots getting at them. It is best to start the tubers 
into growth before potting them.] 
California Farming. —On the Mammoth farm, about 
fifteen miles from Sacramento, in Yolo county, partly owned by 
General Hutchinson, of the St. George Hotel, were produced 
this season one thousand acres of Wheat, one thousand acres of 
Barley, and eighteen hundred tons of hay. The full yield of 
Wheat averaged thirty, and Barley forty bushels to the acre; the 
produce is estimated at 60,000 bushels at 1 dollar 50 cents a 
bushel, or 80,000 dollars. The hay would foot up 20,000 dollars. 
Thus this farm will yield a total of 100,000 dollars this year. 
