20 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Apeil 12, 1859. 
the depth of a foot, to ensure drainage, and then spread thereon a 
layer of ashes, to prevent the worms in the dung from intruding. 
I have always found the soil which was used one season lor 
Melons good enough for Calceolarias. I, therefore, turn up 
some of this, adding leaf mould and sand. So that my compost 
is composed of equal parts of the three named. This should 
not be sifted, but placed four inches deep on the ashes, and 
slightly beaten with a spade ; by which the cuttings, when in¬ 
serted, may more readily take hold of it. This plan 1 prefer to 
boxes or pans, the cuttings not being so likely to suffer from any 
little inattention. 
In selecting my cuttings, I carefully avoid any plants not quite 
healthy. I proceed to prick them in in the usual manner, and 
shade them, by whitening the inside of the glass. This will 
render the light, in the hottest days of September, sufficiently 
subdued. 
A short time is required to root them in this way. As soon as 
the roots are one inch long, I pot them in 60-sized pots, and 
place them on ashes in a cold frame, where they will also require 
shading until the plants begin to grow ; which as soon as I per¬ 
ceive, I take out the head of each with a small knife, leaving but 
two joints above the surface. By this timely stopping I ensure 
a sufficient number of shoots to form the basis of a compact, 
healthy plant. This clone, nothing further will be required until 
the 1st of November but attention to watering, and the occa¬ 
sional Stopping of any plant which might not be ready at the 
first time of this operation. 
About the time stated I take out a few rows on one side of 
my frame, to give room for re-arranging ; and on a fine day go 
over the entire stock, removing any decaying foliage, weeds, or 
superfluous shoots ; and, having done so, fumigate the plants once. 
They are yet allowed to remain in frames, as I prefer them to 
any heated structure, provided frost can be kept out, and the 
situation is tolerably dry. I always find Calceolarias delight in a 
low temperature, and are not injured by slight frosts, but rather 
benefited by them—these arresting any tendency to grow. I do 
not advise a trial of this, as probably the experiment may be 
carried too far, and the stock lost. I merely say slight frosts will 
not kill Calceolarias. This winter having been mild, I have left 
them in the frames. Having endured well to this time, they now 
begin to grow—consequently requiring more frequent watering. 
T’o prevent the ravages of the aphis, fumigating once again will be 
of service. A little sulphur carefully blown through them will 
effectually stay mildew, &e. 
Stopping will again be requisite, if abundance of air be given 
at all times when the weather will permit, and a supply of water 
adequate to their demand be supplied ; ever bearing in mind that 
the coddling system must produce the very reverse of what you 
desire.— Calceolus. 
As many of your correspondents seem to despair of success in 
growing Calceolarias to perfection as in seasons gone by, I, 
perhaps, may be allowed an opinion upon them. I cannot sub¬ 
scribe to the idea that the Calceolaria is labouring under a debili¬ 
tated constitution ; but that the great heat and drought of the 
two past summers are the only cause of these outcries. I find, if 
plenty of mellow dung be dug in a foot or more in depth—but 
very little in the surface soil—it acts as a reservoir in cases like 
the last two hot summers; and in wet seasons the roots will 
remain nearer the surface. 
However hot the days may be, if the roots have within their 
reach a counteracting medium, they will never feel to any extent 
the evil influences of an English summer.—W. E., Ashby-de-la 
Zouch. 
I find by your number of the 8th of March, that “ Calceolus ” 
takes me to task about my culture of Calceolarias. Upon reading 
what I had written, I fear I expressed myself rather vaguely. 
By “ waterproof-pans,” I meant pans that would hold water, and 
not pans with holes for drainage, as seed-pans have. We call 
the pans I use “ flower-pot bottoms.” I have made use of glazed 
marmalade-pots, both for striking Verbenas and Calceolarias, and 
I found them answer well. 
The Calceolaria being a native of Chili and Peru, and being 
found growing up the sides of the Andes, is, if I am rightly in¬ 
formed, covered with snow for a considerable portion of the 
year; so that cold moisture is one of the essentials for its successful 
cultivation. I have always found that dryness and strong heat 
do not suit it. 
I do not use “ bog ” in potting Calceolarias, because they 
cannot ramble for their food when confined in pots; so I give 
them, what I consider, better food while penned up. 
I cannot see anything “novel” in the mode of striking them. 
The bog used in the beds helps to supply moisture a long time in 
summer, although I am prepared for long droughts. 
I have, at present, my plants in 32-pots, excepting some few 
that 1 put on an inside border, and a few in 60-pots. Those in 
the border are by far the best plants; those in the 32-pots next 
in superiority.—S. H. 
FETJITS AND FRUIT TREES of GREAT BRITAIN - . 
{Continued from page 6.) 
No. XVIII. —Fondante d’Automne Peak. 
Synonymes. —Belle lucrative ; Beurre lueratf; Bergamot 
lucrative; Bergamotte Fievee; Seigneur d’Fsperen; Doyenne 
d’Automne. 
Among the autumn pears, Fondante d’Automne takes rank as 
one of the first; but, unfortunately, in many collections the 
name has become associated with Fondante de Bois, a much 
inferior variety, and hence the one has frequently been taken for 
the other. The distinction between the two is, however, at once 
apparent: Fondante de Bois being a long, yellow, pyramidal fruit; 
while Fondante d’Automne is Bergamot-shaped, and always more 
or less green. 
Fruit rather large, from two inches and a half, to three inches 
wide, and two inches to two inches and a half high; Berga- 
motte-sliaped. 
Skin at first of a bright, clear, grass green, becoming yellowish 
at maturity, and entirely covered with large spots of brown rusBet, 
interspersed with russety dots. 
Fye open, with yellowisli-green downy segments placed in a 
slight depression, but sometimes altogether wanting. 
Stallc short and thick, from half an inch to three quarters long, 
frequently fleshy and wrinkled. 
Flesh white, greenish at the margin, buttery, melting, and very 
juicy. Juice sugary, very rich, and with a slight and pleasant 
musky flavour. 
A delicious autumn pear; ripe at the end of September, and 
continuing in use for about three weeks. 
The tree is of a nice, close, compact, pyramidal habit of 
growth, and well suited for garden culture, grafted on the quince 
stock, and upon which stock it succeeds well. It is a very ex¬ 
cellent bearer, even in its young state, and is not particularly 
fastidious as to the soil in which it is grown. 
This excellent pear was raised about thirty years ago by the 
late Major Esperen, of Malines, and was among the first results 
of his endeavours after the raising of new fruits. Like many 
other good varieties, it has a varied nomenclature; but its original 
name is Seigneur d ’Fsperen , and the original tree is still growing 
in the garden at Malines. 
Our figure was taken from fruit grown by Mr. Rivers, of Saw- 
bridgeworth.—H. 
