178 
-T11 E COTTAGE 0 A RP KISER ANT) COl T ] 
and whilst this counter-dressing is going on, spread a 
thin layer of dry ashes on the surface ; they serve ad¬ 
mirably to attract damp from the air when the frames 
are obliged to be kept closed. 
Dahlias. —Wherever these are kept they will now 
require a close supervision. All decaying bulbs must 
be cut in to the live, sound part. Some make long, 
small tubers, and are very apt to either rot or dry up. 
Such of highly esteemed varieties would be safer if 
they were potted at once, and put into a warmer tem¬ 
perature. In moving the tubers for inspection, be 
careful that the names or numbers are not detached. 
All decaying stems should be closely cut in. Such as 
are in store pots should be examined and seen to, that 
I no drip fall upon the soil or stems. 
Cinerarias. —In frames, these plants must be very 
securely covered, and protected from frost. In the 
greenhouse, the first stem that appears should be 
nipped, in order to givfe a good branchy head of bloom. 
In here they require rather abundant supplies of water. 
Cleanliness is, above all things, to be closely kept about 
these plants. 
Chrysanthemums will now be going out of bloom, 
, and are then anything but ornamental. Cut such down; 
| and, if not wanted for next year, remove them at once 
to the rubbish heap. The others may be kept well 
enough through the winter plunged up to the rims of 
their pots in ashes, and slightly protected from frost. 
Hollyhocks. —All good kinds should now be in 
pots, in frames, or pits. If left out, most of them will 
become so weak as hardly to be able to flower the next 
season. Any young slips, where they can be spared, 
may be slipped off, potted in small pots singly, and 
placed in genfle heat. Such, when struck, make, with 
proper nursing, excellent blooming plants next year. 
Look to your seedlings, and prick them out in boxes 
whenever they are too thick. Such seedlings will 
show whether they are good for anything, even the 
next season. Hollyhocks suffer from long-continued 
rains ; tlicir leaves rot, and decay gradually extends 
to the shoots, whilst the roots continue healthy and 
sound ; clearly proving the great advantage of putting 
them under cover to keep the leaves and shoots dry. 
Pansies in Beds. —But little can be done to these 
j plants at this season. Should winds prevail, stick 
! amongst them some branches of evergreens, and press 
the earth gently against the stems of such as appear 
loose. Hard, dry, windy frost, when the ground is 
j bare, is very injurious, frequently twisting them off, 
and blowing them away. The evergreens will be very 
useful in such weather. In pots in frames the Pansy 
thrives well, and at this season should have a good 
winter-dressing previous to the keen frost of January. 
As food for slugs is now scarce, they will crawl into the 
J frames, and in a single night may destroy a good plant. 
Wherever their slime is seen, follow it up till you find 
the skulk, and destroy it. 
Pinks.— If all have gone on well, the plants will be 
of a dark green, bushy, squat to the ground, and firm 
in it. If the soil be very light, a slight treading will 
be of great service. Some florists keep their best 
varieties, or, at least a part of them, in pots. This is 
a wise precaution; for sometimes a disease comes on 
i just at the neck ot the plant, and it perishes, and then 
the reserve stock is useful to fill up the blanks. In 
all such cases, however, the soil for six inches square 
ought to be removed to as many inches deep, and fresh 
soil brought in to the place before planting out the 
healthy plants. 
Tulips. This fine autumn will, in many cases, have 
; brought up some of the more early plants. 
; Verbenas.—T he store pots of cuttings should now 
be all m their winter quarters, either on shelves in a 
.j greenhouse, or in well-protected frames. They will . 
iTRY GENTLEMAN, December 22, 1857. 
require water when dry, especially those on shelves, | 
and occasional smokings with tobacco, to keep down 
the green fly. Keep them dwarf by cutting off the I 
spiring tops ; and should mildew appear, sprinkle them ! 
with sulphur. T. Appleby. 
NOTES ON NEW OK KAKE PLANTS. 
Camptosema rubicunda. Nat. ord., Leguminasm. 
■—A native of Brazil. A climber of moderate growth. 
Stem rather stout, with a very rough wrinkled bark, 
and almost destitute of foliage. Branches round, 
smooth, and rather leafy. Leaves alternate, on longish 
petioles; trifoliolate, with the leaflets on small pe- 
tiolulcs ; oblong refuse. Kacemes irregular in length, 
from six to ten inches long ; many-flowered; slightly 
drooping. Calyx based by two small bracts ; tubular 
four soihetimes six-lobed. Corolla pretty large, with 
the petals about equal; beautiful scarlet with a slight 
tinge of purple. 
A stove climber of easy cultivation, but producing 
foliage rather sparely; and, being somewhat shy in 
flow ering, it may never become a general favourite 
with cultivators. While in flower, it is certainly a very 
pleasing and an attractive plant; but the blooming 
season is of so short duration as scarcely to make up 
for the w ant of beauty in the plant at other times. 
It would seem to do best planted out in a compost of 
good fibrous loam and peat, the former predominating, 
and trained to the rafters or trellis near the glass. 
When cultivated in a pot, it neither grow s nor flowers 
so freely as when planted out. It may be increased 
b} r cuttings in the usual manner for stove plant 
cuttings, or by seeds, which it produces occasionally. 
Ceanothus rigidus. Nat. ord., Rhamncce .—Re¬ 
cently introduced by Mr. Hartweg, from California. 
A small, compact, evergreen shrub, with numerous 
opposite, rigid, leafy branches. Leaves very small and 
profuse, on short petioles, slightly cuneate, refuse ; 
margins distantly notched w ith short teeth; dark green, 
with the veiens finely retaliated on the under side. | 
Inflorescence somew hat corymbose; lateral flow ers | 
small but very numerous ; beautiful bright blue. 
This little shrub is quite hardy in this locality 
(Surrey); but does not bloom very freely out of doors. 
It flowers very profusely in a cool greenhouse, such 
as New Holland plants are kept in. 
For pot culture, a good, rich, fibrous loam, not too 
heavy, with a free drainage, is all it requires; and out 
of doors it should have a good soil, more dry than 
moist, a free exposure to the sun, and the shelter of a 
wall, or some other fence, from cutting winds. 
Argyreia hirsuta. Nat. ord., Convolvulacece .— 
A native of the East Indies. A rapidly growing stove 
climber. Stem and branches round; the younger 
parts densely covered with long, light-coloured hairs. 
Leaves alternate, cordate ; margins entire ; veins very j 
prominent, quite soft from hairiness. Peduncles long, 
rather hairy, bearing few flow r ers. Bracts linear, 
lanceolate, opposite. Calyx of five ovate, erect sepals. 
Corolla slightly campanutatc; tube long; limb j 
seemingly divided into live lobes ; large, purplish lilac. 
A very striking plant from its extreme hairiness in 
almost all its parts, but not particularly worthy of 
cultivation, because of the short duration of its flowers. 
They are certainly beautifully delicate in colour, but 
neither plentiful nor lasting. Peat and loam, in 
nearly equal parts, seem to suit it best, with a copious 
drainage. Strikes freely in strong bottom licat, under 
a bell glass in very sandy peat. 
Stoicesia Cyanea. Nat. ord., Composite. — A na¬ 
tive of Carolina. Herbaceous perennial, with fibrous 
roots. Lower leaves lanceolate, sinuate; becoming 
