TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER A AD COUNTRY GEXl'LEMAN, Al'filt 2G, 1S5‘J. 
51 
pounds. Wo say success is probable, because a solution of Aloes 
is fatal to the common bed bug; and another intense bitter— 
Gentian — is fatal to the house fly. We recommend all our 
readers to try the experiment on the green fly, tlirips, and red 
spider, and we shall be obliged by their sending to us the results 
of their experiments.— Eds.] 
A IIOTBED IN A GREENHOUSE. 
Wild you allow me a corner to show how persons like myself, 
who have a greenhouse, but to whom the preparation of a hot¬ 
bed out of doors would be very inconvenient, if not impracticable, 
may obtain that advantage ? 
Following up the plan which I named in my last communica¬ 
tion, 1 have succeeded in obtaining a hotbed in. my greenhouse, 
in which I can strike cuttings, and raise seedlings, &c., most suc¬ 
cessfully. 
The plan is this:—I place a sheet of iron about the eighth of an 
inch in thickness, which may be obtained at any iron foundry for 
about 1 a the square foot. This forms the bottom of my hotbed. 
Around it I place four pieces of wood, about eighteen inches dee]), 
and knocked together so as to form a kind of box without a lid. 
This I fill about three-parts full with damp sawdust, and obtain 
from the glazier a pane of glass to fic-esactly the top of (lie box, 
which I get him to cut right down the centre, so as to be more 
manageable. The glass should be tolerably thick—say, about 
twenty-one ounces to the square foot. 
Now for the heating of my apparatus ; which is done, as I named 
in my last, by raising the box with its iron bottom sufficiently 
high to allow' a night lamp to be placed beneath it, filled with 
pale seal oil, and having a floating wick. 
The cutting-pots are whelmed in the damp sawdust almost up 
to their rims ; and the damp and heat combined produce a most 
genial atmosphere of about 77° to 80°, and which coidd be raised 
to 90° by the use of two lamps, or even by trimming them more, 
frequently, and keeping them well supplied with oil. 
The boxes can, of course, be of any dimensions; but I find 
that eighteen inches by twelve are a very convenient size, and 
will hold at least one dozen three-inch pots. 
Verbenas, Lobelias, and Calceolarias, at this time of the year, 
strike beautifully in it; and though I have not yet tried it, I fully 
believe that the heat and moisture are quite sufficient to start 
Gloxinias, Achimenes, and, in fact, everything which needs the 
heat of a propagating tank. 
I have succeeded perfectly both with Balsams and Vegetable 
Marrows, which have come up in two or three days; and I can 
fully recommend it as being very clean, very manageable, and 
very successful, not to say very cheap, and occupying scarcely any 
room.—A Subscribe!!. 
RAISING FERNS FROM THEIR SPORES OR 
SEEDS. 
Some months ago, a correspondent wrote to inquire the cause 
of the thick green slime forming upon the surface of the soil in 
which Fern seeds had been sown; 
At that time, although constantly in the habit for many years 
past of raising Ferns from the so-called “ seeds,” I had never 
met with the annoyance, and, therefore, could not render him 
any assistance. But, finding the inquiry was not answered in 
the next few numbers, I undertook some experiments, to en¬ 
deavour to solve the mystery; and if now I may not have hit 
upon the true cause, I am enabled to do that which is not less 
to the purpose—that is, to explain a method by which, to a cer¬ 
tainty, it may be avoided, and with very little extra trouble. 
The only condition under which I have found it to occur has 
been when flic soil used has not been fresh ; and I believe it to 
arise from the peat or leaf mould being very old and dry. Of 
the enclosed samples No. 1 was of this description, some very 
old and dry peat. In about a week or ten days the green began 
to make its appearance, but not a Fern, except here and there 
a single one or two. Nos. 2 and 3 are from the same old 
peat, but which has been highly dried, or almost charred. I 
take a flower-pot-stand or seed-pan, about six or eight inches 
across, filled with the soil, and put it into a moderately hot oven, 
where it is allowed to remain for several hours. It is (lien taken 
out and allowed lo cool. In this stale it is highly repellant of 
water, and requires to be worked up, or stirred into a paste with 
it. I have generally used cold boiled water in the first instance, 
alfhough I do not know that it is really necessary. 
Flower-pots half filled with crocks are recommended for raising 
Ferns in, but arc far less manageable and successful than an ordi¬ 
nary dinner plate covered with a common propagating-glass. 
Take a six or seven-inch glass and a plate, on the rim of which 
the glass will stand, and fill the bottom of the plate with sand 
saturated and made level to the rim with boiled wafer. On this 
spread a layer of the soil, and smooth it with a piece of glass, or 
the blade of a table-knife. It will (lien be ready for sowing. 
The best plan to obtain (lie spores is to select a frond, or the 
part of one, as soon as the spore-cases begin lo turn brown, fo 
fold it up closely in a half sheet of glazed note paper, faking care 
to secure all the edges well, and to let it remain for a few days 
in a warm, sunny place until quite dry, when the spore cases will 
be found to have burst, and the spores discharged. These seeds, 
or spores, being so extremely minute, adhere to the surface of the 
paper and leaves ; it is, therefore, better to rub a little of the 
dried soil on the paper, and work it about well, to get them 
thoroughly mixed. 
As a great many plants may bo raised in a small space, a plate 
of these dimensions will serve for several kinds at the same time ; 
but it is better to keep each one separate. To effect this, and 
prevent them flying about iu sowing, cut a circle of paper a little 
larger than the surface of the soil. If two kinds only are to be 
put in, double the paper in halves, and lay it across, so as to 
leave half the soil uncovered. After the mixed soil and seed have 
been sprinkled over it from between the finger and thumb, turn 
down the folded paper over the part sown, and turn up the other 
for the other half of the soil to receive its quota of seed in the 
same manner. It is better to mark the division on the edge of 
the plate in some indelible way, as a scratch or a little oil paint. 
If three or four kinds are wanted, fold the paper into three or 
four, and cut a third or a fourth of the circle out, and use it in 
the same way, shifting it round to each part in succession, till all 
arc sown ; wiping the paper at each move, and marking the 
divisions on the edge as before. 
When room is wanted for more kinds than the plate will hold, 
I twist three pieces of wire together into a tripod, forming a 
support for a saucer and a small stand under the same glass. 
The soil should be kept “glistening” with moisture ; anditshould 
bo kept in a warm and not-ovev-dark place. It is quite a mistake 
to suppose Ferns dislike sunshine: what they object to is its drying 
influence. When means are taken to counteract this—as under 
a glass or iu a Ward’s Case—they will flourish far bmer in sun- 
