THE COTTAGE 
old and new, that are used for this purpose. One thing 
the visitor should notice, namely, that the same amount 
and quality of conveniences have not always existed at 
Shrublauds, as may yet be seen in the remains of many 
makeshifts, much, I suppose, as Mr. Beaton left them ; 
such as cold pits walled with furze and branches, and 
what in the days of dear glass would have been for cold 
pits—a cheap and make-do-as-much-as-possible mode of 
glazing, which was simply placing a board or two down 
the middle of the sash, instead of the usual row of glass. 
These simple facts may be useful to two classes, which 
either get into a very satisfied mood as to what they 
could do if they only had such nice conveniences, or 
who, because they have not got a place for everything, 
despair, fold their hands, and make no attempt at any¬ 
thing. Let it be clearly understood that fine new places, 
With every convenience formed at once, are exceptions, 
and that most gardens that have attained celebrity have 
reached it by degrees, and after the gardener had done I 
much by mere make-shifts in surmounting difficulties, j 
maturing his own ideas, and acting and being acted 
upon by the tastes of those who paid for all. 
Baskets for Forwarding Conifers, &c. —The grow¬ 
ing of such plants in baskets instead of pots is not a new 
idea, but it is a good one, as, provided the basket is some 
size, the plants can have all the advantage of house 
room in their young state, and when desired can be 
planted out, basket and all, without the roots being 
matted into a ball, or somewhat injured by disentangling 
them, so likely to be the result when plants are continued 
any time in pots. A place was pointed to us between 
the wilderness behind the panel garden and the long 
avenue beyond the garden, where a collection was 
being formed, and where a good specimen of the Wel- 
lingtonia was growing. Few of the lumpy-headed 
Conifers could be introduced into the gardens without 
interfering with the column-like effect of Cypresses, 
Junipers, &c.; but in the park, between the lodge and 
the house, groups of Pinus, Abies, &c., would present a 
pleasing and distinct feature. 
Boxes for Propagating. —The greater part of the 
cuttings necessary for the flower garden next season 
were inserted and striking. Pots of Verbenas, dhe pots 
brimful, and rather more, of soil and silver sand, were 
being placed in pits close to the glass, with a moderate 
heat beneath them, the hardening off being attended to 
as soon as struck. No doubt they would answer well. 
We must all break in on our usual practice at times; 
but, as a general rule, bedding plants are none the 
worse for being struck in a cool place in autumn, and so i 
far from the glass as to require little or no shading. A 
vast number of the Geraniums, &c., were rooting in 
wooden boxes, all, so far as I recollect, of one uniform 
size—a matter of importance as respects packing the 
boxes in houses or pits. I forget the size, but it matters 
little, provided it is such that a man may easily lift and 
move them. Good sizes may run from two feet and a half 
to three feet and a half long, from eight to twelve inches 
wide, and from three to four inches deep. I have used 
them largely for years, having obtained the first hint, 
and also the using old zinc spouting for a similar pur¬ 
pose, from Mr. Fleming, of Trentham. Mine, however, 
are of various sizes, and therefore Mr. Foggo beats me 
in his uniformity. The labourers here in bad weather 
cut up any rough boards they can get hold of into such 
lengths as will involve least waste. Suppose the board 
is eight inches wide, a piece of that width would form 
the bottom; a similar piece, ripped up the middle, 
would form the sides of the box. 
As I have thus unwittingly said so much I may add 
that we have a grand patent mode of making one of the 
ends of these boxes (and both might be done so if deemed 
necessary), which, though exceedingly simple, as all 
great discoveries are when known, wc were years in 
&i ; 
finding out, and here it is The sides being fixed to the 
bottom, across the open space at one end at least, a 
stout piece of lath is fixed by a tack in each side. The 
bit of wood for the end is made to fit in easily between 
the two sides, ffiut is not fixed. The soil inside and 
the lath across the end outside keep it in its place; but 
when you want to take the plants out lift out the end of 
the box, and you may then get your hand or a neat flat 
trowel close to the bottom, and the plants are easily 
moved, with but little injury to the roots. Wherever 
there is much moving of such great masses of bedding 
plants the economy of placing the cuttings at once 
in such boxes will be apparent, to say nothing of 
the saving of a frequent earthing of pots. Their use at 
Shrublands is just another proof that many of the 
largest places are the best schools for studying economy 
in time and labour. 
Plants for Furnishing. —Independently of flower- 
garden plants and pits full of Hollyhocks from cuttings 
and seeds, &c., a vast number of plants are turned out 
in the borders about the houses in the kitchen garden, 
chiefly for cutting for nosegays. The number of pots 
required for furnishing the entrance hall and con¬ 
servatory during the year is also very extensive, Wo 
could form some idea of their number from the quantities 
of white and blue Campanula pyramidalis, Balsams, and 
Fuchsias standing rusticating out of doors after they 
had done good service, and seeing a Fig house nearly 
full of Achimenes, &c., drying and perfecting their 
tubers, as well as from wdiat we noticed coming on, 
which I will barely specify. Among Chrysanthemums 
of various ages and heights I was chiefly struck with 
huge symmetrical old plants some three feet in height, 
and from three feet and upwards in diameter, in pots 
some thirteen inches in diameter, plunged in a raised 
border of old tan, but the roots prevented getting into 
it by the bottom of the pot being supported on two 
bricks, leaving a hollow opposite the hole in the bottom 
of the pot, and the plants, by their luxuriance and free 
setting of buds, showing that they had imbibed some¬ 
thing stronger than water. 
Carnations and Pinks in four and six-inch pots were 
out of doors and indoors in hundreds, just beginning to 
spindle up their flower-stems, Mr. Foggo being very 
anxious to have them early. For this purpose I still 
think the planting-out mode recommended in this work 
the best, as then but little forcing is necessary with these 
beautiful perpetual Carnations. Many pots were also 
filled with the various Violets to get them in early. 
Whole pits were filled with well-grown, strong plants of 
Primula Sinensis, and in one house I noticed some large 
plants of this and the double white and red kinds in 
12-incli pots that I had no doubt would be beautiful. 
Following in the same massive style as to quantity I 
found one house filled with fine healthy plants of Salvia 
splendens and its spring successor, S. Qesnerajlora, and 
large Balsams just coming into flower. Balsams are a 
striking feature here, grown chieOy in old dung and 
loam, and assisted very likely with something besides 
teetotalers’ drink, the stems being so stout, and yet the 
head dense and compact, speaking of every encourage¬ 
ment, and yet abundance of air. One house was nearly 
full of plants from which the flower-buds had all been ! 
removed to cause them to come later. In another house j 
I found some dozens of neat healthy plants of Thyrsa - j 
canthus rutilans, and in low half-span houses beds ot 
well-grown, healthy plants of such good things for warm 
conservatories and heated entrance halls as Eranthe- \ 
mum pulchelium : Justicia spcciosa and carnea, the latter 
flowering several times in the year; Pentas carnea, j 
Cofioclinium ianthemurti, Rogiera amcena, Euphorbia 
Jacquinijiora, Poinsettia pulcherrima, Cestrum aurantia- 
cum, Achimenes of the later-flowering kinds, and enough j 
to fill two ordinary houses of nice healthy plants of the 
GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 10, 1857. 
