THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, June 2, 1857. 
the original Scarlet Intermediate. It partakes in every 
property of the above. I send it for your inspection, along 
with the scarlet and purple, which have had identically the 
same treatment. The samples sent are not perfectly in 
bloom, for those are from plants wdiich have stood out all 
this last winter and spring without any protection, although 
I have lost the greater part of the scarlet under a similar 
treatment, which speaks favourably of the superior hardiness 
of the Intermediate I send you, which has stood out under 
the treatment I adopt without losing a single plant on a wall 
border. 
Those sent were sown in a cold frame on the 5th of July, 
pricked off, whenever they could be handled, into a similar 
bed; when well established removed again to an open spot of 
ground not rich; left there for a short time only, and the 
third time planted where they were to stand for the Avinter, 
on a narrow border two rows wide. I may mention that 
previously to digging over the ground I apply a little burnt 
earth or old lime rubbish. I attribute their standing this 
severe winter and spring, in a great degree, to the frequent 
transplanting, wdiich causes them to have bushy and well- 
established roots. Another great advantage derived from 
the above system is, they can be removed and planted or 
potted either in-doors or out for embellishment, or wherever 
the operator may think fit. 
I soav about the middle of April; the plants come into bloom 
in August, and flower on till severe frost sets in. The latter 
I transplant twice, first prick off, and then plant into their 
permanent place to flower. I may mention that I this spring 
purchased a packet from Messrs. E. G. Henderson, of 
Wellington Road, represented as the White Intermediate. 
I sincerely hope it will turn out well, and have all the true 
characteristics of the Scarlet Intermediate. HoAvever, I am 
nursing it as a favourite in the meantime, in hopes that it 
will turn out true, and I shall then have three decided 
colours of that esteemed class of Stocks, which I consider 
are invaluable.—W m. Melville, Dalmeny Park. 
[Mr. Melville must be amongst the best packers of 
flowers in Scotland. His new Purple Intermediate Stock, Avith 
two others, had no soil about the roots, only wet moss; the 
bottoms were nailed down in damp moss at each end of the 
box, causing the plants to lie horizontally along the bottom ; 
the heads of the plants Avere then turned up, and were 
padded with moss to hold them in their natural position ; 
and we are sure they could go to NeAv York or Constan¬ 
tinople as fresh as they reached our office. We had col¬ 
lections of Stocks from all the best growers betAveen Erfurt 
and Kensington, but never yet did we see a clear, clean,'or 
distinct colour among the intermediate or biennial Stocks, 
except the scarlet or purple. Mr. Melville got hold of the 
true dAvarf, branching, scarlet London Stock, the best and 
most useful Stock in Europe, and his neAV purple seedling 
is exactly of the same stamp, size, and character ; therefore, 
if it comes as true from seeds as the parent, Scotland will 
bear the palm against Germany for this class of floAvers. 
All the branching Stocks, Avhicli are sown one year and 
flower the next, Avhether they be called Queens, Kings , or 
Emperors, are Intermediate Stocks ; that is, intermediate 
between Ten-Aveek and Brompton Stocks.] 
SMOKE CONSUMING. 
The way, and the only way, to consume smoke is to put 
as many quarter-inch round holes in the fire-door, all 
over it, as there are square inches in the length and breadth 
of your fire-bars. If it is not effectually consumed by this 
put a few more holes, but not larger than a quarter-inch 
in diameter each. I am acquainted with almost every smoke 
consumer, patented and others, and they are all failures. 
—John McLelland, Birmingham. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
PROPERTIES OF THE FUMEWORTS. 
‘ Is it true that the common Fumewort is a good medicine 
foi scorbutic complaints ? It groAvs abundantly in my garden, 
and if it is such a medicine I shall esteem it a God-send for 
an afflicted child.”—II. White, Lexden. 
[There are very good authorities for using the juice of 
the FumeAvort ( Fnmaria officinalis ) as a remedy in such 
complaints. Dr. Cullen says, “ I have found it useful in 
many cases in which bitters are prescribed; but its re¬ 
markable virtues are those of clearing the skin of many dis¬ 
orders. For this it has been much commended, and I have 
myself experienced its good effects in many instances of 
cutaneous affections, which I would call lepra. I have 
commonly used it by expressing the juice, and giving two 
ounces of it twice a day; hut I find the virtues remain in 
the dried plant, so that they may be extracted by infusion 
or boiling in water.” For information on such subjects avc 
recommend to you Mr. Hogg’s “ Natural History of the 
Vegetable Kingdom,” now publishing in twopenny numbers. 
It is the best book on the subject which has appeared in 
the English language. The following is Avhat he says about 
the Fumariaceae:— 
“ Geographical Distribution. — The Fumitories or 
Smokeworts inhabit the temperate regions of the northern 
hemisphere, chiefly far inland. They are found in North 
America and at the Cape of Good Hope, but there are none 
betAveen the tropics. 
“ Properties and Uses. —None of the plants belonging to 
this family are poisonous ; on the contrary, they appear to 
be possessed of a tonic principle, which is contained in the 
bitter juice of their stalks and leaves. They contain mucilage, 
saline substances, and a peculiar acid called Fumaric Acid. 
“ Fumarieje. —The type of the family is Fnmaria officinalis , 
Common Fumitory, or Smokewort, found groAving so very 
abundantly in almost all corn-fields and cultivated grounds. 
The Avliole plant may be used medicinally; but it is in the 
leaves that the greatest virtue resides. These are inodorous, 
have an intensely bitter, saline taste, are very succulent, 
mixed with mucilage, yielding by expression a juice which 
has the sensible and medicinal properties of the plant, and 
Avhicli, on evaporation, furnishes an extract, and throAvs out 
upon its surface a copious saline efflorescence. It is gently 
tonic,»in large doses said to be laxative and diuretic; and is 
employed in scorbutic affections, chronic eruptions on the 
skin, and as an excitant to the stomach in convalescence 
after fevers of long duration. Other species possess the 
same medicinal properties; such are F. media and spicata. 
In Picardy the plant is used to curdle milk. 
“ Corydalis bulbosa and other tuberous-rooted members of 
this family are sometimes, but rarely, used in medicine. 
They are less bitter and less active, and their bulbous root¬ 
stocks contain an acrid resin, and an alkaloid substance 
which has been called Corydaline. The tuber of C. bulbosa 
is aromatic, intensely bitter, moderately astringent and acrid, 
and Avas formerly used as a substitute for Birthwort in ex¬ 
pelling intestinal worms. All the family possess more or 
less of the properties of the preceding. 
“ Dielytra cucullaria , a native of the United States of 
America, is very aptly called The Dutchman s Breeches , from 
the two horns at the base of the flower ; and that beautiful 
plant D. spectabilis , lately introduced by Mr. Fortune from 
the north of China, has noAV become an established favourite 
as one of our gayest border flowers.”] 
TREATMENT OF A MAGNOLIA INJURED BY 
REMOVAL. 
“ I n August, 1855, in consequence of alterations and 
repairs at a house I had just bought, I was obliged to re¬ 
move a large and old Magnolia bush about nine feet in 
diameter in every Avay, and it still shows very evident 
symptoms ot its removal, although the distance Avas only a 
feAv feet; indeed, I sometimes doubt whether it will ever 
recover sufficiently to be any match to its fellow on the 
other side of the entrance doorway. Should I be doing 
wrong if I give it tAvice a Aveek the contents of a two-gallon 
can of liquid manure, as drawn from a tank supplied from a 
poultry and pig yard, two pigs only kept ? I have done so 
twice in the last fortnight, filling the can first half full with 
rain Avater; but my gardener objects to it, and Avould rather 
have none given, not even plain water, although the soil is a 
red sand, and of a very dry nature.”—W. D. Paine. 
[It is AATong in principle to give stimulating water to any 
one of the evergreens as long as it is in bad health, and of 
