THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 11, 1857. 205 
place some of the rougher particles of the compost upon 
the drainage, a thin layer of soil upon that, and hold 
the plant in one hand in the centre of the pot, spreading 
out the lowest fibres, and throwing in gently some more 
soil; then spread out the next tier of fibres, and cover 
them, and so proceed till the pot is full. Contrive it so 
that the leaves may stand clear out of the compost when 
the pot is full; then shake down by smartly striking the 
pot upou the bench three or four times, leaving it rather 
light than hard pressed, and so proceed till all the full- 
grown plants are finished. Younger plants need not 
have all the old hall shaken off, hut if they are healthy 
and evidently want larger pots let them have larger ones, 
only observe this—not to exceed, even for the largest 
plants, pots more than from five to seven inches in 
diameter. For a fortnight or three weeks after potting 
let the plants have a slight shade from the sun, and 
clo not water heavily ; in fact, wet the leaves as little 
as possible, or the older ones will certainly damp 
off', and may even rot the main stem also. A good 
aspect for the Auricula till the end of September is one 
facing the morning sun. Put plenty of ashes under the 
pots to keep down worms, and look out diligently for 
slugs. With these attentions closely applied the Auri¬ 
cula may be grown as well as any other plant. 
Calceolarias for Pots. —The herbaceous varieties 
should always be treated as annuals; in fact, they are 
nothing else. As a proof let me ask where are the 
named varieties that were sold by nurserymen three or 
four years ago? Dead and forgotten. Let the amateur, 
then, always depend only on his seedlings. The best 
time to sow the seed is the beginning of June, but it 
maybe sown successfully to the middle of August; in 
fact, two or three sowings at different times give the 
advantage of a longer season of bloom. Seedlings now 
up should be pricked out in pans or boxes, and placed 
close to. the glass in a cool frame. In a month they will 
be fit to be transplanted into three-inch pots and replaced 
in the frame. By the end of September they should 
bo large enough to require repotting into 41-inch pots. 
In these they may remain on a shelf in the greenhouse 
all the winter. Later seedlings may be kept in the smaller 
pots through winter, and the last sowing would be as 
well in the boxes they have been transplanted into 
through the same season. 
The Calceolaria, like the Cineraria, is very subject to 
the attacks of the green fly. The plants should, in con¬ 
sequence, be frequently fumigated with tobacco ; but 
great care must be bestowed in applying this smoke, or 
the leaves will get scorched. 
Shrubby Calceolarias. —If we could by hybridising 
throw the bright colours and well-formed flowers of the 
herbaceous varieties into the shrubby ones, the former 
would never be cultivated. I see some progress towards 
this desirable consummation; but I cannot as yet re¬ 
commend any by name. I know several will be sent 
out next year greatly improved above any at present 
known. 
It is a good time now to put in cuttings of these 
shrubby varieties. They quickly strike root, and may 
either remain in the pots on a high shelf in the green¬ 
house, or may have one shift into three-inch pots. 
Where there is plenty of room I should prefer the latter 
practice. 
Carnations and Picotees.— These kindred races re¬ 
quire exactly similar treatment. They may yet be 
layered successfully. A question rises in my mind, 
Need I describe this operation? Certainly some of 
our readers may not know how to perform it. Those 
that do will, I am sure, excuse me informing the young 
tyro how to perform this sure method of increasing his 
favourites. First, then, procure a sufficient number of 
hooked pegs. The common Braken or Fern makes as 
good as any other, though small branches of hazel, birch, 
or beech made into hooks answer quite as well. Also 
make ready some finely-sifted, light soil, and sharpen a 
good knife; then take hold of one of the young shoots, 
trim off' neatly the lowest leaves till there is about an 
inch and a half of stem so denuded, and make a sloping- 
up wards incision half way through the stem. This 
must be done with a steady, firm hand, or the knife will 
go right through. As soon as the slit is made place a 
small piece of wood in it to keep it open. Proceed then 
to the next, and so on all round the plants. When all 
are done take a peg and hook down the first layer, then 
the next, and so on, placing them as nearly as possible 
at equal distances. Finish with a covering of the 
sifted soil, and then give a good watering. You ought 
to succeed in nine cases out of ten, or even ninety-nine 
out of a hundred. They will be all the better if a good 
watering is given two or three times a week to facilitate 
the rooting process. 
Perpetual Carnations to bloom in winter should now 
have a free potting, and should be well tied out to 
form bushy plants. A weak solution of manure water 
three times a week will encourage free growth. No 
flowers ought to be allowed now. The grand object is 
to reserve the strength for the winter bloom. 
(To be continued.) 
T. Appleby. 
FOOD FOR RABBITS. 
In this communication I shall dwell principally on the 
food, as it is one of the most important points in the manage¬ 
ment of Rabbits. I will detail the feeds I give mine in a 
day. I have now sixteen does, three bucks, and about 
thirty-five yourig ones. 
8.30 a.m., greens, fresh gathered, with the dew on if pos¬ 
sible, and mixed oats and bran ; 1.30 p.m., more greens and 
a little hay or clover hay; 5.30 p.m., the same as at 8.30 
a.m. Now, 1 know several amateurs, when looking at this, 
will say that I give too much greens; but not so. You will 
find that I give plenty of dry food, and I always consider 
that, so long as Rabbits havo plenty of this, the greens will 
never do them harm. 
Again, several will say that wet or damp food is bad. In 
one book on Rabbits which I have it says, “Wet or damp 
food is deadly poison to them.” Now, I have for the last 
three years fed mine on greens cut out of my garden 
with the dew on them, and consequently quite wet; yet I 
have never lost a Rabbit by disease, and my Rabbits are 
always healthy. 
"Whilst I am speaking of greens let me tell all Rabbit 
fanciers that chicory is the best food you can give them. 
The seed may be bought from nearly all seedsmen. I not 
long ago purchased 6 lbs. at Is. 4<7. per pound. It will serve 
all my Rabbits, or nearly so, this season. It grows very 
much in the leaf like the dandelion. It was recommended 
to me by a gentleman who kept Rabbits for twenty-five years, 
and he says that he found it the best green food that could 
be given them. It grows very large, and you m t ay cut it half 
a dozen times a year if you like. 
I noticed that some of the Rabbits in the Sheffield Show 
looked as though a little more green food would not do them 
much harm ; others of them were very fine. 
In my next I will say a word or two on the size, shape, 
and colour that I think Rabbits for exhibition should possess. 
—An Amateur. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
RARE BRITISH PLANTS. 
“I saw, in a late number of The Cottage Gardener, 
that the grey Primrose , or rather, Oxlip or Polyanthus, is 
now a rare plant. As I have one that I can spare I will 
willingly exchange it for a strong plant of Cornus Suecica 
(of which I am much in want), besides paying the person 
who may procure me the Cornus the price of the plant, and 
indemnifying him for any trouble or expense that he may 
