THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, April 28, 1857. 
Seedlings of Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers, and 
Broccoli to be pricked out ,as soon as they are sufficiently 
large ; and Spinach, Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, and other 
such crops to be thinned out in time. Full sowings, of 
Marrow Peas and some Broad Beans , and the main sowing 
of Dwarf Kidney Beans and Scarlet Runners to be made. 
Asparagus beds to be kept free from weeds, and when the 
supply from established beds is abundant the weakest heads 
to be allowed to grow, and good soakings of liquid manure 
to be given occasionally. Successional sowings of Turnips, 
Lettuce, Radish, Spinach, Arc., to be made. Jerusalem Kale 
and the old English Coleworts sown now will come in useful 
for planting after the Potatoes are dug up. The hoe to be 
kept in frequent use amongst the growing crops to destroy 
weeds, and to loosen the surface of the soil wherever the late 
rains have hardened it. Red Beet to be thinned out to about 
nine inches apart. Cuttings of Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Rose¬ 
mary, and such things, now put into a shady border, will 
soon strike root. Liberal supplies of water or liquid manure 
to be given to Cauliflowers and the transplanted or young 
advancing crops of vegetables. 
The moderate disbudding of fruit trees, as recommended 
last month, to be continued; all the foreright shoots of the 
young wood to be removed, leaving only a few side-shoots 
that can be nailed in without crowding. All superfluous 
j wood to be early and carefully removed from Vines. Trees 
infested with green fly to be syringed with weak tobacco 
water and soapsuds, and the red spider to be banished by 
the addition of sulphur. The surface of Strawberry planta¬ 
tions to be forked over, and towards the end of the month, if 
dry, to be well soaked with water, and the surface covered 
with a mulching of short grass or straw to prevent evapora¬ 
tion, and the fruit from being splashed with dirt. 
The season of most active employment in the flower- 
garden department has now arrived, and as all apprehensions 
of danger from frost will be over by the middle of the month, 
the planting out of half-hardy plants for summer and autumn 
decoration should be then proceeded with, beginning with 
the hardier sorts, such as Calceolarias, Lobelias, Salvias; and 
after them scarlet Geraniums and the Verbenas and Petunias 
to have their shoots pegged down as soon as planted, and 
the strong plants of Phlox Drummondi recommended in a 
former notice to be planted out: it is most effective in large 
masses. Heliotropes and Dahlias, being more susceptible of 
injury from even a slight frost, to be planted out at the end 
| of the month, and then the summer climbers and tender 
j annuals. When planted, a good watering to be given early 
in. the morning to settle the soil about their roots. To 
produce pleasing effects by well-arranged contrasts the 
j different colours must be as distinct from each other as 
possible: white forms a good contrast with blue, yellow with 
purple, scarlet with orange, dark crimson with light blue, 
j and so on through all the shades of colour. Late propagated 
Stocks to be forwarded by attention to watering and shifting 
into larger pots, to be gradually exposed to the weather as 
freely as circumstances will permit, but never to such an 
; extent as to brown their foliage and dry up their tissues. 
It is an erroneous practice to allow plants to remain in 
| small pots exposed to the sun and wind, and scantily 
j supplied with water, under the impression of their being 
liai’dened off for bedding-out purposes. 
Hollyhocks and Dahlias to have the surface of the ground 
1 well mulched, and to be staked and watered when they 
require it. Old plants with five or six stems to be reduced 
to three or four. The shoots of Phloxes and other such tall- 
growing plants to be thinned out, to obtain fine heads of 
bloom and increased strength for the remaining shoots 
when the support of sticks will not be generally required. A 
good supply ot Ten-week , Brompton, and German Stocks, and 
of German Asters, to be planted out for summer and autumn 
display. 
Pinks, Carnations, and Picotees to be carefully thinned 
staked, and tied as the stems elongate. Seedlings to be 
shaded from bright sun and kept free from weeds. Polgan- 
tbuses to bo parted and planted in a shady situation. Now 
when plants in the greenhouse are making rapid growth it 
is necessary to allow them sufficient space to develope all 
their parts; therefore such late flowering plants, and such 
as have already flowered and made a kindly growth and 
j young stock that is intended for another season, may be 
removed into a cold pit or frames, where, by attention in 
pinching them back to produce a regular and steady growth, 
they will do better than if they were left to cumber the 
greenhouse. 
A few of the choicest Cinerarias, cut down and planted out 
into some good rich soil in a cold frame, will afford an abun¬ 
dant supply of strong offsets for potting off in the autumn, j 
The Camellias, Chinese Azaleas, and Orange trees that have 
been kept growing in a moist heat until they have set their 
buds to be allowed a more free ventilation previous to re¬ 
moving them to the open air next month to ripen,their 
wood. The young stock of hard-wooded plants to be supplied 
with a moist atmosphere and a high temperature during 
sunshine, with sufficient air at other times to secure a short- 
jointed and sturdy growth. The New Holland Twiners, when 
done flowering, to have their shoots well trimmed in before 
their summer growth commences, cutting out weak shoots, 
and securing plenty of young wood towards the bottom. 
Air to be admitted freely whenever the weather will permit, 
and a slight shade is necessary on the forenoon of a bright 
sunny day; but an abundance of light is indispensable for 
healthy growth and good-coloured flowers. To avoid night 
damps water must be given in the morning, that the super¬ 
fluous moisture may be dried up before evening; but a gentle 
syringing and closing up at four or five o’clock on a bright 
afternoon will produce a genial atmosphere refreshing to 
the plants. 
Fuchsias for late blooming to be kept in a moist, cool, 
shady pit, where they will grow more kindly than in a high 
temperature. 
Young plants of the Tea, Bourbon, Hybrid, or Damask 
Perpetual Roses, placed in a cold frame, and occasionally 
supplied with pot room and manure water, and the flowers 
picked off as they appear, will make good-sized specimens 
for autumn and early winter blooming; good stocky growth 
to be secured by giving an abundance of air, exposing the 
plants to the night dews, and keeping the shoots stopped 
and tied out as may be required.— William Keane. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
PRODUCING DOUBLE FLOWERS.—STARVING 
PLANTS. 
“A subscriber would like to know the Editor’s opinion 
of the inclosed (printed) document relative to the growth of 
double Stocks. The only part referred to is underlined, and 
recommends the seedlings to be starved. How are they to 
be starved ? Is it done by degrees or all at once, both by 
day and night ? The plan is quite novel to the writer, who 
is— An Amateur Gardener of Durham.” 
[We have no faith in this, but we have had specimens of 
seeds from the same parties, and we shall soon prove the 
fallacy of their conclusion, or of our own theory of making 
double flowers. The way to starve a seedling is to give it 
poor soil to begin with, and to allow it no more water than 
will just keep it alive. We do not know your fungus by the 
name of “ Jew’s Ear.”] 
BEDDING SALVIAS. 
“ ‘ Kate ’ wishes to grow all the Salvias worthy of a place 
in a flower-bed of mixtures, but has only the Patens and Old 
Scarlet. Will you give her a list? She has seen a small- 
flowered Salvia a rose colour, and another a blue. What are 
their names ? ” 
[All the Salvias can be grown in one bed, if that is of any 
use, but some of them flower only in the spring, as does S. 
Gesneraflora, and others flower in September or October, or 
later. There are two kinds of patens, white and blue, and 
two of fulgens, the plain and variegated leaf. The old 
scarlet is splendens, and flowers only from October. Salvia 
chameedryoides, dwarf blue; coccinea, scarlet; Grab ami, or 
dulcis, purplish blue; and prunelloides, dwarf blue, are all 
that we ever bedded or thought worth bedding; but there 
are forty or fifty other kinds, the names of which would only 
puzzle you if we were to insert them. You will get no sort of 
