THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 3. 1857. 
light, or any particular favourite specimen Geranium; the 
back part with things that required less light, and that were 
allowed to remain in rather a dormant state in winter. The 
bottom of the room and open shelves round its sides supplied 
wintering room to Fuchsias that had lost their foliage, 
scarlet Geraniums in pots and boxes from which the foliage 
had been removed, pots of the Begonia Evansiana , pots and 
tubs of fine Hydrangeas, roots of large-growing Lobelias, as 
fulgens and St. Clair , and lots of Dahlias and Marvels of Peru 
in dry earth and sand. The rough table and its shelves, as 
well as the room, get a brush over every year in autumn 
with quicklime wash, which keeps all sweet, and helps to 
scare all kinds of mildews and damps. Air is given liberally 
by the window and door whenever the outside temperature 
averages 40°. When below 38°, or very windy, more sparingly; 
when a frosty wind, only a very little, to change the atmo¬ 
sphere of the room, and that chiefly by the doorway. The 
plants on the shelves, and also on the table, being a fair dis¬ 
tance from the glass, a degree or two of frost out of doors 
will not hurt them. When more than that is expected the 
table, with its bookcase-like shelves, is easily moved on its 
wooden wheels by a young lady at each end, who take an 
interest in the welfare of the plants. When near the middle 
of the room, and the shutters put to, it is seldom that 5° to 
8° out of doors will reach them, especially if the sun shines 
into the room during the day, when, of course, the table and 
its burden are moved again to the window. 
When the frost is continued and severe not only are the 
plants kept at a distance from the window, but a fire of coke 
and cinders is made in the little grate, and when that is 
properly lighted a damper is placed in the chimney to 
moderate the draught, allow the smoke and gases to escape, 
and yet throw most of the heat into the room. This, 
even in the muggiest frosty weather, will cause a circulation 
of air, and lest a continuance of these tiny fires should too 
much dry the atmosphere a tin vessel with a larger spout 
than a common tea-kettle is placed over the fire, and, though 
the water is seldom near the boiling point, a considerable 
quantity of vapour is thrown into the atmosphere of the 
room, cool enough before it comes in contact with the plants 
to do them any injury, whilst it mollifies the dry air that so 
often obtains in dry frosts. These may furnish hints for 
improvement, if not for imitation. 
White granulated substances on the surface soil of the 
pots.—We suspect that these are funguses in some of their 
multitudinous appearances, and liable to do harm, especially 
in winter. If the weather is dry and sunny the moving 
what you could away and then watering with lime water 
would very likely cause the warted appearances to cease; 
but at this season, and especially in dull weather, and the 
plants are not thoroughly established, the lime water may 
be too much for them. In that case remove the surface 
soil, stir up what is left with a pointed stick, and replace 
with fresh soil, holding in it a good sprinkling of charcoal 
dust and just a little floury quicklime.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Wintering Bedding Geraniums (G. R. T.).— Either your frame 
or rooms will do. If you use the frame refer to our No. 469, page 309, 
for full directions how to act. If you use your rooms refer to our No. 
372, pages 106—108, where the information is more copious than we 
could give here. See “ Our Letter Box” to-day for an answer to your 
other query. 
Acorns of the Cork Oak ( Subcr ).—Consult Messrs. Carter or 
any other London seedsman as to their value. It is unusual for the 
tree to hear acorns in this climate ; but many plants have been induced 
to flower for the first time in this country by the late glorious summer. 
Covering of Vine Border (J. S. L.). —Why not give it a thin 
covering of leaves or dung, and then put th efrigi domo over that? 
No. 381.— F. E. will give one shilling for a copy of this number of 
The Cottage Gardener. 
Culture of Amakyllids (J. Gunson). — In our 236th number, 
pages 6 and 7> you will find, under the head ” Hippeastrum,” what 
Mr. Beaton has said upon the subject. 
Concreting a Vine Border (N. S.). —At pages 41 and 42 of this 
volume are details of concreting the bottom of a border, if that is what 
you mean, and where, also, hints as to the formation of a border will be 
found. There are various articles on the subject in preceding volumes. 
About six parts of gravel free from mud and clay, but with a portion of 
sharp sand if procurable, with one part of quicklime slacked, and 
enough of water to mix into a mortar, are the ingredients. Lay it down 
quickly two or more inches thick, and it will make a firm concrete 
bottom, through which the roots will not easily penetrate. The border 
must be thoroughly drained, and care must be taken that the Vines do 
not want for water in summer. Two feet of good fresh soil will be a 
medium depth. 
Vines (J. Macmeckan). —We think your position will be against you 
unless you use glass, and especially as they have not ripened in such a 
season as this. I he high trellis to the east and the high wall to the 
west must prevent you having much sun in your twenty-four-feet space 
unless at midday. What would you say to bringing the rods of your 
Vines under the glass frames? That is practised hereabouts with great 
success, and we shall have something to say about it ere long. We have 
no objection to your wash except the aloes. Take care you do not overdo 
it with them. We have seen Vines killed to the bottom from nux 
vomica being boiled in the paint composition. They got strychnined. 
We can give no more information about the Esperione, but hope Mr. 
Beaton will shortly do so. We have had Sweet-water fine in London by 
merely drawing our dry hands over the bunches when in bloom, and the 
White Muscadine without that trouble. Were your bunches shaded by 
the frames and pits ? The Black Hamburgh ripens well every year under 
glass, and this year we know of some noble specimens grown by 
Mr. Weaver on a south open wall. We recommend you to grow a Black 
Hamburgh and a Black Champion. 
Berberis Darwinii. — Rustic Adornments ( Amateur, Water¬ 
ford). —Small side-shoots of B. Darwinii slipped off with a heel strike 
best any time in summer, covered with a bellglass and kept cool. 
Perhaps you kept your slips too moist, or so damp that they rotted from 
want of air at times. We shall do something one of these days about 
rustic ornaments. 
Names of Plants (H. H.) —The Fern is the Asplenium flubelliforme, 
a. very pretty greenhouse Fern, and useful for baskets. The other pretty 
little plant has often been mentioned under the name of the Artillery 
plant, and called Pilea tnuscosa or Thelygonum cynocrarnbe, a very 
interesting little plant for the stove. The Cactaceous plant is one of the 
Opuntia family, probably Opuntia ficus Indica, but we cannot be cer¬ 
tain of this from a bit so small. (E. S.). — Ipomcea quamoclit. ( D . 
McEwen). Phytolacca decandra, or Virginian Poke. (J. L.). — Cerinthe 
major, a garden annual. 
Geraniums ( Marie. Louise). —They will not endure the winter out of 
doors. Leave your Belladonna Lilies undisturbed, and if the soil is 
light, well-drained, and not manured, they will bloom next year probably. 
Conifers (G, M—x). —The best descriptive catalogue was published 
by Messrs. Knight and Perry. There is one also in the “ Journal of the 
Horticultural Society.” The Rhyncospermum will do very well in your 
cool conservatory. 
Braken, or Pteris aq.uii.ina (P. B.), — The following is extracted 
from the second edition of “The British Ferns,” just about to be 
published at our office :— 
“ If cultivated it must be grown in a deep sandy soil, and in the shade, 
or the specimens will not be fine. It should be covered over with leaf 
mould every winter, for the roots are very liable to suffer from severe 
frost. To protect them further, and, indeed, for ornament, let the dead 
fronds remain until the spring. To propagate it take up the creeping 
main root early in spring, have the ground trenched ready, draw drills 
about two inches deep, lay the roots along the drills thickly, and cover 
them with the soil.” 
Names of Fruit, &c. (A Constant Reader). — The names of the 
Pears sent you by a country nurseryman are all correctly spelt except 
Ne Plus Meuriss, which should be Ne Plus Meuris, and Bury de Es- 
perarce, which should be Bezi d’ Esperen. Your friend’s connections 
in Canada will be greatly disappointed when they see the produce of the 
seed sent them. After waiting for nearly half their lifetime they may be 
rewarded for their patience by nothing bettePthan crabs. Some Peaches 
will reproduce themselves from the stone ; but no person except those 
who try to raise new varieties ever think of obtaining fruit trees from seed. 
Grapes out of doors (J. Noble). —Your Grapes are certainly very 
fine, very large, and well coloured, with a flavour superior to many 
grown under glass, and do great credit to you, and to our excellent cor¬ 
respondent “ Upwards and Onwards,” whose instructions, as given 
in Vol. XVII., page 170 , you say you have followed. Those from the 
same Vine which were not subjected to the same treatment are small, 
and sour as crabs. 
THE POULTRY CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
November 25th and 26th. Gloucestershire, Sec., Mr. E. Trinder 
Cirencester. 
November 30th, and December 1 st, 2nd, and 3rd. Birmingham. 
Sec., Mr. John Morgan. Entries close the 2nd of November. 
December 8 th and 9 th. Crewe. Secs., S. Sheppard and D. Mar- 
getts, Esqs. Entries close November 26 th. 
December 16 th and 17th. Nottinghamshire. Entries close No¬ 
vember 18th. Hon. Sec., Mr. R. Hawksley, jun., Southwell. 
December 30th and 31st. Burnley and East Lancashire, i 
Entries close December 1st. Secs 1 ., Mr. Angus Sutherland and Mr. ! 
Ralph Landless. 
January 1st, 1858. Paisley. Poultry, Pigeons, and Fancy Birds, j 
Sec., Mr. W. Houston, 14, Barr Street, Paisley. 
January 4th, 1858. Kirkcaldy Poultry and Fancy Bird 
Show. Sec., Mr. Bonthron, jun., Thistle Street. 
January 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, 1858. Crystal Palace. Sec. j 
Mr. W. Houghton. Entries close December 12tli. 
January 13th and 14th. Dublin. Secs., T. M. Hutton and R. P. j 
Williams, Esqs., Council Rooms, 212, Great Brunswick Street. 
Entries close November 21st. 
January 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd, 1858. Nottingham Central. 
Sec., Mr. Etherington, jun., Notintone Place, Sneinton, near Notting- ) 
ham. 
February 3rd and 4th, 1858. Preston and North Lancashire. 
Secs., Mr. R. Teebay and Mr. H. Oakey, 25, Fishergate, Preston. J 
Entries close January 18th. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists, 
