204 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 11, 1857. 
shoots; house in a stable, or anywhere where host will 
not harm lire root in winter. In spring, when the buds 
begin to break, move the pot into the light, that the young 
shoots may come strong; pick out the surface of the soil, and 
replace with rich loam and rotten dung ; water as required, 
which will he freely when growing and flowering, and thin 
out the shoots to three or four, according to the strength of 
the stool and roots. With the exception of ripening the 
shoots in autumn before pruning hack, and keeping dryish 
and protected from frost in winter, treat the plant as you 
would a Willow stool. Sandy loam and rotten dung will 
grow it well. The young shoots when three inches long 
from the stool are the best for propagating under a bellglass. 
Fuchsia. —What shall I say, in a few words, of this queen 
of window plants, of all the outs and ins of which a little 
volume might he filled ? Here is a nice plant, thirty inches 
high, in a six-inch pot, and large enough for a window 
in general. How beautiful it looks ! How brightly sparkled 
your eyes when, after her admirings, you could present a j 
smaller plant of the real Simon Pure, raised by yourself this i 
spring, to your sweet cousin Alice—all the sweeter because 
she enters so sympathisingly into all your doings, doubts, 
and disappointments, as well as successes ! Ah! we know 
all about it; but we never tell such secrets. Well, treat the 
plant kindly; give it water just as fast as it drinks it, and 
says by its appearance, I want a little more.” Give all the 
air you can, that the sweet thing may breathe the pure 
breezes that Heaven in mercy wafts to every living thing. 
By and by the flowers will fall, and fail to be succeeded by 
others. A few of the leaves will droop, and others will 
obtain a yellow tinge; then gradually lessen waterings, and 
before long, as the beauty declines, place the plant out of 
doors, at first slightly protected, and then full in the sun. 
The more sun-browned the shoots are the better for your 
prospects next year. Take means to throw off the heavy 
autumn rains, so that the roots shall not be soaked whilst 
most of the leaves have fallen. By the first week in No¬ 
vember or the last in October, at any rate before the plant 
has tasted more than a degree or two of frost, prune back a 
little the straggling branches, and remove the pots to their 
winter quarters. Anywhere will do where the soil is kept 
dryish, but not dust dry, where frost is excluded, and where 
coolness is so far secured that fresh growth will not take 
place. No situation is better than the floor of a cool cellar, 
for there the roots will absorb a sufficiency of moisture 
without any necessity of watering. In March they will begin 
to bud, and may then want a more regular pruning. Young 
shoots then and in April two or three inches in length, taken 
oft' close to the older wood, will strike freely under a bell- 
glass, and if potted off will make nice little plants for autumn 
flowering. The older plants may be shifted a little before 
the shoots are that length, merely shaking most of the old 
soil away, plunging the roots in a pail of water of about G0 U , 
repotting in a clean similar-sized pot in fresh fibry loam 
and leaf mould, syringing the tops, shading to prevent 
excess of evaporation, and giving but little water at the 
roots until they are working in the new soil, which, when 
used, ought to be in a medium state, neither wet nor 
dry. The sorts best suited for windows are dark flowers— 
Globosa, Vanguard, VoUigeur, Diadem; light flowers —Pearl 
of England, Prince Arthur, Duchess of Lancaster, Clio. 
R. Fish. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS 
DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. 
Antirrhinum. — Saving Seed .'—The plants of last 
year’s propagating will now be in flower. Should any 
seedlings prove superior to the old varieties they should 
be numbered, and opposite a corresponding number in 
the garden book a full description given of the size, 
form, and colours. Then from these superior flowers 
save seeds, choosing the most perfect blooms for that 
purpose. I am confident there is much improvement 
yet to be made in this class of flowers. Seedlings should 
now be transplanted into beds in an open part of the 
garden. The bed should be slightly enriched with dung, 
and raised in the centre to throw off the wet in winter. 
Remember this plant is one that lives longest on a dry 
wall. Hence the ground should, if possible, be of a dry 
nature. 
Cuttings of choice varieties may yet be put in; short 
cuttings are the surest to strike. They may either be ; 
put in the open ground under handglasses, or planted 1 
in pots in sand under a glass frame. Plants going out j 
of bloom, and where seed is not required, will bloom 1 
again late in the autumn if the old spikes are cut off as 
soon as the major part of the flowers lias fallen. 
/ ' _ I 
TWELVE SELECT VARIETIES THAT ARE WORTH GROWING. 1 
Alina. —Yellow, with large red stripes. 
Anacreon. —Deep carmine, spotted with white. 
Blood Royal. —Tube pure white, sepals rich crimson, j 
Conqueror. —Rich yellow, with crimson flakes, carna- | 
tion-like. 
Innoccnza.- —Pure white; suitable for a bed. 
John Edwards. —Tube and mouth white; sepals rosy * 
crimson, blotched with white; distinct and showy. 
Meteor. —Dark fiery crimson self. 
Primrose Perfection. —Very distinct, a free bloomer, 
colour a pleasing clear primrose; good for bedding. 
Princess Alice. —Pure white, very large and fine. 
Sir Edmund Lyons. —Tube pure white, sepals deep 
purple crimson ; a fine variety. 
Sulphureum. —White tube, with sulphur-coloured se¬ 
pals ; lower lip veined with purplish crimson; large 
flowers and good habit. 
Village Maid. —Tube and mouth pure white, petals j 
rosy lilac; beautifully distinct. 
Auriculas.— These lovely spring flowers are not half 
so much grown as they were when I was a boy forty 
years ago, and what is the reason it is somewhat difficult 
to clearly prove. My idea is that since then there have j 
come into culture many other beautiful flowers that rank 
under that convenient title, “ florists’ flowers ;’’ such, for 
instance, as Calceolarias, Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Pe¬ 
largoniums, Hollyhocks, Pansies, Petunias, Verbenas, ! 
and some others. And I do not find fault with this | 
state of things. The greater the number of florists’ 
flowers, the greater the pleasure of the cultivator. Every 
month from April to October brings his favourites into 
bloom to gratify his senses, draw him from debasing 
pursuits, and gradually implant in his mind discriminat¬ 
ing power and a love of the beautiful—ideas that must 
have a tendency to render him a kinder and a better 
man in all the relations of life. 
At this season of the year Auriculas should be repotted 
if not already done. Old, full-grown plants should have j 
all the old earth carefully shaken out from amongst the 1 
roots ; then examine the main, thick, long root, and if the ! 
lower end is decayed or diseased cut it back to where it j 
is perfectly sound, and close to some healthy fibres; rub 
a little gum over the wound, and then repot the plant in 
fresh compost. As some of our readers may not know 
the best compost for the Auricula I will describe it:— 
Good turfy loam from an upland pasture, two barrow- ' 
loads; leaf mould, half a barrow-load; and two-year- j 
old, thoroughly decomposed cowdung, half a barrow- ; 
load. Mix the whole well together, and then add a 
peck of sharp river sand. Smaller quantities to be 
mixed in the same proportions. Some florists use nau¬ 
seous mixtures of blood, night soil, sugar-bakers scum, ! 
&c., but I have no faith in them; and, besides that, they j 
recommend such a long course of preparation and so 
many turnings over that the enriching qualities of these 
extra rich manures are evaporated. 
Supposing the amateur to be in possession of the j 
materials I have recommended, he need not fear that ; 
his plants will not grow strongly, and produce good stout 
flower-stems and well-formed blooms next year. Use j 
clean pots, and drain well with broken potsherds; then 
