20 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, October 13, 1857. 
Box with another of Baron Hugel Geranium, the flowers 
of both the last picked off. Two blue beds—centre mass of 
Delphinium formosum and D. Sinense mixed, banded 
round with Ageraturn; next band of Lobelia speciosa; 
and finishing, as in the purple beds, with Golden Chain 
and Baron Hugel , the flowers also of these last two 
removed. 
I shall be disappointed if, after such a long descrip¬ 
tion, the youngest gardener who sits down to read on 
an evening with an oblong table before him does not 
see the groundwork of at least the principal parts. 
Let him set off a space across the middle of the table 
for the central walk, lay off a space at each end lor the 
grass gardens, place his four beds in the space left on 
each side, seeing that the gravel is in proportion to the 
beds, form and arrange them as here described, and do 
what he can to change and improve the mode of plant¬ 
ing as good matters of exercise and study. I may just 
mention two things. First, along the sides of the walks, 
opposite the openings between the beds, were large boxes 
supplied with very fine lhwiea elegans, and with young 
plants put round the sides of the box to conceal the bare 
stem of the old plant, and the result was very effective. 
Secondly, the pleasure at finding Prince’s Feather 
and Love-lies-bleeding— thorough cottagers flowers — 
holding such a prominent place in such a princely 
garden, and losing nothing, but rather gaining, by con¬ 
trast and comparison with their more aristocratic neigh¬ 
bours, E. Fish. 
(To be continued.) 
FLOBIST FLOWEES IN OCTOBEE AND 
NOVEMBER. 
The most important work during these two months 
is the stowing away for the winter the floral stores. 
Every inch of glass and every inch of space will be 
in requisition, so that it would seem impossible to put 
by those odd things that I should like to protect and 
preserve through the winter. 
In the early part of the space of time I am alluding 
to the Auriculas must have due care. They must be 
placed under shelter from heavy rains and mizzling 
dews. But the novice must not just lift them up and 
set them down in his pit or frame. No, he must handle 
them as a careful mother does her loved little ones. He 
must first of all wash the pots clean; then dress the 
plants by . carefully clearing off all decaying leaves. 
Also give the plants a supper in the shape of a coating 
of fresh soil on the surface, stirring up previously the 
battered old soil, so that the fresh food may find its 
way down to the plant feeders, the ends of the roots, 
bee also that the holes at the bottom of the pots are not 
stopped up ; if they are, clear out the dirt with a short 
stick. Look out for worms and slugs, and destroy 
them. Then your plants will look like clean babies, 
and may be put to bed for the winter with a fair 
prospect of awaking in the spring in robust health. 
Polyanthuses require the same treatment, only add to 
the above cares that of looking out for the red spider. 
That insidious enemy is cunning enough to secrete 
himself on. the under side of the leaves in the hollows 
and sinuosities. J o him these secret hiding places are 
roomy enough to hold large families. Dislodge them, 
then, by carefully brushing the under sides and pene¬ 
trating into all the holes and corners. If you have by 
you a mixture of sulphur and water, and apply a 
coating ol it, you will find it an excellent protection 
against the sucking snouts of the red-coated pigs. Did 
yon ever see a red spider under a powerful microscope? 
if you have not take the first opportunity and look at 
lnm. He will astonish you. You will say, “ It is no 
wonder that the leaves of my plants look yellow. If I 
was sucked by an animal in proportionate size in such 
a way I should look yellow too.” As it generally 
happens that growers of Auriculas grow Polyanthuses 
also, I would advise them to be arranged thus :—There 
should be a rising stage following in form the slope 
of the glass. By placing them on a stage many evils 
are avoided, such as damp, slugs, worms, &c. The 
Auriculas, as being of the most alpine habit, should be I 
placed on the higher ranges of shelves, and the Poly- ! 
anthuses on the lower, the latter plants loving, or at | 
least being partial to, a greater degree of shade and | 
moisture. Now, all these attentions should be given to 
these two classes of plants early in October. Mind that 
far more Auriculas are destroyed by heavy autumn 
rains than by any other cause. I need scarcely say 
that they must be fully exposed in dry weather, and 
have plenty of air in wet weather. Give no more water 
than is necessary just to keep the plants from flagging. 
Carnations and Picotees. —The layers should now be 
well rooted, or at least so callused that they will root 
when taken off the old stools. Pot the layers in 
48-sized pots, which are about five inches diameter. It is 
the fashion to put a pair in each pot, which fashion is con¬ 
venient enough both for sale, carriage, and repotting in 
spring. The soil at this season should not be over rich. 
Three-fourths loam to one-fourth leaf mould and well- 
decomposed manure, with a liberal addition of sharp river 
sand, is a good compost for store pots. Drain effectually 
and pot firmly; then give a good watering, and place 
the pots in a pit or frame, giving plenty of air in wet 
weather, and full exposure when dry and favourable. 
The great enemy to these plants during autumn and 
winter is the mildew. This is brought on, or at least 
encouraged, by long-continued damp weather. The 
remedy is abundance of air and sprinklings of flowers 
of sulphur on the affected leaves. I have found very 
dry ashes spread over the surface on which the pots 
stand a good preventive. The ashes seem to absorb 
the superabundant moisture even when the frames are 
shut up. 
The Carnation and its ally are far from being tender; 
in fact, they are perfectly hardy ; but then the best 
varieties are so choice that florists universally practise 
the careful system of giving them shelter from snow 
storms and heavy, long-continued rains. Severe frost 
will not hurt them, providing the soil and the leaves 
are dry. 
Dahlias. —By the time this paper is in the hands of 
our readers most likely frost will have occurred, especially 
in low situations. In all such cases let the tops be cut 
off immediately, and then with a spade lift the roots, 
without, however, taking them clean out of the ground. 
This lifting breaks off the extreme ends of the roots, 
and thus stops the sap from rising. By leaving them in 
the ground a little longer, say a fortnight, the tubers 
become firmer, and will not be so liable to shrivel up 
and perish as they would if taken up at once. 
Saving Seed. — If this is desirable now is the time to 
look after it. I need scarcely mention that the seed 
should be saved from the very best varieties. It is a 
remarkable fact that a double Dahlia does produce seed. 
Of course it cannot be a fully double flower, where all ; 
the stamens and styles are converted into floral leaves, j 
for in that case it is a certain impossibility that seed 
should be produced. It should be borne in mind that 
the Dahlia is a composite flower; that is, each floret is 
a perfect flower of itself, standing upon a common 
receptacle or plate with its fellow florets, forming j 
altogether what we call one bloom. Now, if one or 
more of these florets lias its stamens and style perfect, 
seed will, as a matter of course, be produced. 
Gather the seed-pods with a long stem to each, tie 
them up in small bundles, and hang them up in a dry 
shed or room to more fully ripen. Then some rainy or 
