322 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 26, 1861. 
so as to regulate tlie heat. Sand is cleanest over a tank, and 
your hot-air chamber differs nothing in principle from the close 
tank system. Rut sand is most treacherous for plunging 
cuttings in ; it parts soon with moisture, and is then a non¬ 
conductor of heat. Of course you •will need a frame and glass 
over your cutting-bed in the greenhouse to get it to work pro¬ 
perly. If it were in a Calcutta or Indian Orchid-house you 
could do without a frame, with bell-glasses only for cuttings; 
as all sorts of stove and hotbed seeds vegetate better, and do 
with less trouble when sown on the open soil thus heated in a 
hothouse. In 1837,1838, and 1839 we had all the Pea and Bean- 
wort seeds of the province of Venezuela, and all the Convolvulus 
and Bindworts round the girth of the saddle of Caraccas, proved 
exactly in that way—the easiest way we know of; and Mr. 
Knight was at the same principle then in the Exotic Nursery, 
and that was the way he raised the first Ipomaea Learii in 1837. 
Our bottom heat was from a small enclosure, where a lot of hot- 
water pipes joined, and our bed we could not keep under 90°, 
though it stood near the centre of a large stove-house.] 
PINK FORCING. 
The Pink is an invaluable plant for cut flowers and for green¬ 
house decoration in the three first months in the year; and in 
order to obtain a good supply of blooms it is of the greatest 
importance to know the beet mode of cultivation with the least 
cost of labour, as many of our employers have a propensity to 
increase the labour rather than the number of labourers. 
I will very briefly state the method we have adopted, which 
has been crowned with success. Having had some tolerably 
good plants in the open ground, they were carefully taken up 
December 4th, with a good ball of soil about them, after whieh 
they were potted in 32’s or six-inch pots, care being taken not to 
injure the fibrous roots of the plants. After giving them a 
judicious watering, they were placed on a shelf in a small forcing- 
house as near the light as possible, where the temperature 
ranged from 55° to 60° by night, and allowed to get as high as 
70° by solar heat. The after treatment was confined to keeping 
them well supplied with water, an occasional sprinkling with 
the syringe, and fumigating on the appearance of green fly. 
When the flowers began to expand they were removed to a 
cooler house to prolong their duration of blooming, and about 
February lOtli they w* re opening their flowers, and perfuming 
the house with their agreeable odour. 
The number of blooms averaged about thirty-six on each 
plant; but, of course, if large flowers were required it would be 
useless to adopt this plan; but where number is considered 
rather than quality, I should think it both a cheap and good 
mode.—A Member of the Try Company. 
DUMONT’S INSECT POWDER, 
WIEEWORMS IN POTS—WALTONIAN CASE—ROOM BIRDS. 
The correspondent who mentioned Dumont’s Insect Powder 
to the Editors of The Cottage Gardener, is very happy to 
give any information that she can about its use. 
She has used from May last year to the present time about half 
one of the sixpenny balls, and this has been chiefly for Balsams, 
Roses, and Carnations—five or six dozen pots in all, also a few 
bulbs and Geraniums ; but the latter were never very much 
affected, as they were kept clean and well washed, according 
to the valuable advice in the “Window Gardening for the 
•- Many.” 
The powder should be dusted on when the foliage is quite 
dry, and it does not need to be washed off. Indeed, by re¬ 
maining about the plant, it apparently prevents any recurrence 
of the disease. Some of the plants that were exposed to rain, 
or sponging, required a second application later on, after a short 
accidental season of neglect. There is not the slightest unplea¬ 
sant smell, or any disfigurement of the foliage, and the powder 
is said to be warranted “only injurious to insect life.” The 
writer believes it is sold at all oilmens’. She saw it advertised, 
she thinks, by Hadrot & Avril, in the City, whose name is on 
her ball. 
Ilie writer would be very much obliged for some information 
as to the plants she may keep in a window nearly due north. A 
second south window in the room throwing across a fair amount 
of light, but no sunshine. The whole place is, however, very 
open and light. In the south window she keeps plants just 
coming into blossom; but her large heated plant-case stands in 
the north window, and she does not know what things she may 
safely bring on in an atmosphere of 60° to 70° generally, and so 
shaded. The heat, too, is very moist, and some of the cut-down 
Fuchsias, and so on, not yet started, look mouldy. Would the 
Adiantum, or Maiden-hair Fern, which has lost most of its 
fronds this winter by damp, do in that case now ? Before, it 
seemed to be both damp and cold that injured it. Is there any 
preparation—ammoniacal, or any salts, for instance, that would 
destroy wireworms and prevent them in pots without hurting 
the plants ? They have appeared in one or two cases, and it 
seemed they were in the soil. 
If these inquiries are not already far too numerous, the in¬ 
formation especially wanted about birds would be as to the 
number and kind to be put into the same cage for breeding; 
the cages being about 3 feet long by 1| foot wide and high. Of 
cocks, the writer has a beautiful crested Canary, dark Canary, 
Goldfinch, and Bullfinch, one of each; and of hen birds four 
light-coloured Canaries, one Jonque, one Goldfinch, and one 
Bullfinch, but she would be glad to get others if she knew what 
sorts would be best to be with those she already has. One set 
might be loose in the room very well, if necessary, while build¬ 
ing, in case more than one nest in a cage is likely to lead to 
broken eggs and torn nests; but, perhaps, it may be safe to 
allow two or three nests in the same cage ? and on this point 
any hints would be most valuable. 
[We feel obliged for the information as to Dumont's Powder, 
and we have no doubt such prominent mention will leave us at 
no loss where it can be obtained. 
When the plants in the south window are coming into bloom 
they will stand longer in bloom if taken to the north window, 
if the south window, in fact, is made the growing department, 
and the north the flowering department. In winter the south 
would be best for both purposes; but many plants, as Scarlet 
Geraniums, Fuchsias, &c., could be kept at the north window 
in a state of comparative rest in winter. 
• Your heated case would be chiefly useful for raising plants 
from cuttings and seeds. On the whole, the young things 
would do better at the south window than at the north, because 
in bright sunshine a little shade could be given, and when not 
sunny there would still be more direct light. The young plants 
in the case will do very well at an average of from 55° to 65°. 
You may raise plants from cuttings of Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, 
Verbenas, Calceolarias, Salvias, &c., but as soon as struck you 
should be able to put them into a cooler case to harden off for 
the open window, otherwise the little things will draw or get 
spindly sooner than if they were at the south window. All 
tender and half-hardy annuals may be raised in the same way. 
We need not particularise more, as you have studied “Window 
Gardening for the Many.” We do not know the construction 
of your case, but if the heat is too moist, you must keep the 
whole drier and prevent the steam rising. Some have a vapour- 
pipe, and that may easily be corked. Air should also be given, 
however little ; and if the top is moveable it should be turned 
topsy turvy, to prevent the condensed moisture dropping on the 
tiny plants. Moveable large squares of glass are thus the best 
tops, because you can easily turn them so as to put the lower 
side of the square uppermost. If still there is too much tendency 
to damp, leave a little air on, if only the one-sixteenth or one- 
eighth of an inch all round, and even throw a cloth over all at 
night to prevent the moisture condensing against the inside of 
the glass. From the mouldiness we presume your case has been 
too damp and close, and those remedies will do away with all 
these evils. The true British Maiden-hair Fern loses most of 
its fronds in winter. It will probably push freely in such a case, 
but before you see the young fronds appear keep the soil a little 
moistish but not soaked with water; and to prevent damp falling 
from the glass, place a bell-glass or a small paper funnel over 
the crown of the Fern. 
We have found no remedy for wireworms but closely ex¬ 
amining the soil, and sticking into the soil pieces of fresh Carrot 
or Turnip. They will burrow' in them, and by examining the 
pieces every morning you will soon clear the place of them. 
Birds. —We know little on this subject practically; but to 
show our anxiety to oblige we have consulted an humble en¬ 
thusiast and a very successful breeder, and though we could 
easily make a long article or a volume out of what he has told 
us, as he is full to overflowing on the subject, w T e must content 
ourselves with the following :— A crested cock and a crested hen 
will produce a bald-headed progeny, only one should be crested. 
