323 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 26, 1861. 
The younger the cock, if an early bird the previous season, the 
healthier the progeny. No one pair should mate a second 
season. The cock or the hen should be exchanged for another. 
It is next to impossible to breed Goldfinches in-door when 
pure. There is no difficulty in obtaining hybrids between the 
Canary and the Goldfinch. In all such mixture of races between 
Canaries, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Green, Grey, and Red 
Linnets, &c., whenever the hen begins to lay, the cock must be 
barred off from the nest, or he will break the eggs. He will feed 
the female whilst sitting between the bars, but could he get 
inside lie would most likely pull the nest to pieces after de¬ 
stroying the eggs. Only one pair even of the same kind must 
be in a cage—unless divided, they will be sure to quarrel. In a 
room you might place a dozen pairs of Canaries with a tree in it, 
and they will pair and build contentedly—and a pretty sight it 
is, and the larger the room the better they like it, but in a cage 
they invariably quarrel. Our informant raised eighteen fine 
birds (Canaries) from one pair last season, and then destroyed 
four eggs late in the summer, as he did not wish to exhaust 
unduly the hen bird. Perhaps some other friend will assist our 
lady correspondent.] 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Cetradenia GRAND IEOXIA ( Large-leaved Cetradenia). 
Nat. Ord., Melastomacese. Linn ., Octandria Monogynia. 
It has been called, also, Plagiophy limn gran difolium. Native of 
Mexico. It is pretty, and the leaves are purplish-red under¬ 
neath.— ( Botanical Magazine, t. 5228.) 
Tillandsia pulchella ( Delicate Tillandsia). 
Nat. Ord., Bromeliacese. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. A 
common West Indian epiphyte, growing on the trunks of trees. 
Its beauty arises from bright red sheathing bracts. — (Ibid., 
t, 5229.) 
PENTAGONIA Wendlandi ( Wendland’s Pentagonia). 
Nat. Ord., Rubiacese. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. Native 
of Central America, but the especial locality unknown. Flowers 
creamy white and inconspicuous, but “even a young plant 
makes a fine appearance with its dark green and ample foliage, 
some of the leaves being a foot and a half long.” — (Ibid., 
t. 5230.) 
Chenop odium purpurascens ( Purple Goosefoot). 
Nat. Ord., Chenop odiacese. Linn., Pentandria Digynia. It 
has also been known by the specific names punctulatum and 
leucospermum. The common C. bonus-Henricus, or Good King 
Henry, is known as a substitute for Spinach, but it is much less 
known that “ its seeds are used in the manufacture of a sub¬ 
stance formerly much in demand— shagreen .” The present is 
“ a hardy annual, well worthy of a place in any flower-border, 
on account of the fine red purple colour of its stem, its inflo¬ 
rescence, and the variegated (green and purple) of the floral 
leaves.”— (Ibid., t. 5231.) 
Cuphea Jorullensis (Jorullo Cuphea). 
Nat. Ord., Lytlirariese. Linn., Dodecandria Monogynia. 
Called also C. eminens. “ The finest of all the known species.” 
Native of Mexico on the volcanic mountain of Jorullo. Its 
calyx (for there are no petals) is scarlet tipped with yellow.— 
(Ibid.,t. 5232.) 
Calopetalon RINGERS (Ringent Calopetalon). 
Nat. Ord., Pittosporacese. Linn., Pentandria Monogynia. 
Native of Swan River. A pretty greenhouse climber. Flowers 
golden red in a corymb. Blooms in November.— (Ibid., t. 5233.) 
RIBBON-BORDER. 
I HAVE a border 150 yards long and 4 feet wide. It runs 
along a wall with a south aspect. I wish to plant it with three 
distinct colours, and propose having Tom Thumb Geranium 
along the back, Alyssum variegatum in the centre, and Lobelia 
speciosa in the front. Be so kind as to pass your opinion on 
my choice of plants.—G. H. G. 
[Yours is the most sensible question we have had for many 
a day to enable us to be useful in arranging a flower garden we 
have not seen. Your plan is very good indeed, and it would 
be very difficult to plant a better arrangement of contrasts, and 
yet it will not do, nor please you, unless the Tom Thumbs are all 
very young plants—that is, from late last-autumn cuttings that 
have not been encouraged to grow much yet. The reason is, 
that strong old plants would grow too tall in the back row for 
the size of the Alyssum. It is a sure sign of the poverty of 
designing to see high steps and low steps in that style of planting.] 
RIBBON-PLANTED BEDS. 
“ A Subscriber ” would be obliged for advice for planting four 
beds opposite a country house, 4f feet by 10 feet each. It is 
wished to plant them in ribbons, should the stripes go round 
the border thus or in parallel lines thus “ ? Would you 
oblige, also, by advising as to the prettiest mixtures for the 
ribbons ? Is it best to cut down the Laurustinuses which appear 
killed by the frost, or is there any hope of their living if left ? 
[Flower-beds will never make ribbon-borders, no matter what 
their size or shape, and representations of ribbons can only be 
given with flowers in long continuous rows, and each row of one 
colour, not a mixture. In planting beds all you can do in imi¬ 
tation of ribbon planting is to have three or more good-coloured 
flowers, and each kind of flower or plant to be in a separate 
part of the bed, not mixed, as in a circle, for instance, the 
middle of which to be a clump cf some Scarlet Geranium, then 
a band of some other flower round the clump, or a row or couple 
of rows of Calceolaria, another row or band round that of some 
variegated plant, and some dwarf dark or dark blue edging all 
round the whole. That is the nearest touch to ribbon planting. 
We cannot choose the plants for ribbons or beds ; we merely 
tell if those that are chosen are of the right colours, sizes, or 
suitable. Do not prune the Laurustinuses until they begin to 
vegetate in April.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Ailanthus Silkworm (if. S. C.). —Eggs of that silkworm (Cynthia 
Bombyx), may he obtained from M. Guesin Meneville, No. 4, Rue des 
Beaux Arts, Paris (postage paid). 
Sowing and Manuring Onions (T. M.). —We never manure the ground 
at the time of sowing Onions; for we sow them on plots that have borne 
Celery or some other crops that were richly manured for. We sow in 
March. We give liquid manure (house sewage), once or twice a-week. 
By this culture we have grown the Madeira Onion nearly 18 inches in 
circumference. 
Bird-Cages in Cool Greenhouse (Canary).— No injury would arise to 
the birds. The carbonic acid gas exhaled by the leaves at night is not in 
sufficient quantity to be detrimental. It mixes with the air and never 
accumulates. 
Mowing Grass Intended for Pasture—Heating Peach Wall (A 
Constant Reader). —As it has been laid down three years, and if the grass 
is mown before its blooming is over, we do not think it would injure the 
dwarf grasses to take a crop of hay from the nine acres. A tliree-inch 
pipe, with the flow along the front and the return along the wall, would 
give heat enough for your Peaches, the wall being 100 feet long and 
12 feet high, and the glass only 7 feet from the foot of the wall. 
Which is the Best Liquid Manure? (A Subscriber of Many Years ).— 
We do not expect to he able to answer this question until the era when 
some disciple of Paracelsus discovers a remedy that will cure all diseases. 
Urine diluted with five or six waters, or house sewage, which is better 
as including the drainage from sinks and waterclosets, is excellent for 
flower-beds, and especially for Roses, and may be applied all the period of 
growth from early spring to late autumn. Soot, properly diluted, may be 
similarly applied. Guano is as good for the purpose as house sewage, but 
not better. Bone dust is good pointed into the surface of the soil. Sheeps’ 
dung makes good liquid manure, but is not so powerful as either house 
sewage or guano. If the sinks and waterclosets all communicate with the . 
liquid manure well, it will need no diluting—at least, we never mix with 
it any water. In conclusion, we will add the expression of our conviction, 
that for the generality of soils and crops there is no liquid manure equal to 
house sewage. For potted plants, especially if softwooded, we use it much 
weakened with water, and not oftener than once a-week. A knowledge of 
the soil, and of the plant and its health, is needed before any one can say 
what manure will probably be the most suitable. 
Climbers for Greenhouse (Nottingliamensis). —We abide by our list. 
The Mandevilla and Rhyncospermum are sweet-scented. It is usual to 
state the heights in books which you have copied, but we have grown them 
double those heights. Dolichos lignosus is almost continually in bloom. 
If you wish for taller climbers omit it, and have Clematis ccerulea grandi- 
flora and Passiflora Colvilli. 
Vines in Pots (A Subscriber, Aberdeen). —The Vines will fruit well in 
pots from 12 to 18 inches in diameter. We would advise fully three parts 
loam to one of leaf mould. But if you wish to fruit them this summer, it 
will be bad policy to attempt repotting them ; but you can scrape an inch 
or two carefully from the surface, and replace with rich compost. 
Errata.— Page 311, line 18, for “groves” read “grooves.” Line 22, 
second column, same page, for “ inches ” read “ 2T” Page 312, third 
line, for “pieces” read “lines.” 
