76 
the COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 10, 1859. 
best for the last shift, so as to keep the plants stubby. 
A cool airy position for the pots is desirable. When the 
pots are filled with roots, the tops of the plants will find 
no fault with the sun, but the roots close to a hot pot 
will do so, and more especially if at all dry. The least 
want of water will soon cause them to suffer ; and so will 
stagnant water. The plants intended for beds should 
either go out at once, or, if in pots, be plunged to keep 
the roots cool. It is not now worth while to plant out 
young plants in intermediate beds, to be protected when 
necessary. When that is done in March, the plants are 
generally very healthy and stand well during the season. 
If the plants stand about in small pots, and get frequently 
dried and flagged in the sun in April and May before 
planting, they often go off in summer, without hardly 
assigning or showing you a reason. Half of the failures 
in Calceolaria beds I should be'finclined to ascribe to 
extra coddling, and checks by heat and dryness at the 
roots, before planting. In ordinary seasons, there is little 
chance of a bed giving way when the plants are thick 
enough to prevent the sun greatly heating and drying the 
soil. So long as the plants are thin in the bed, and the sun 
is powerful, the weather dry, and little water to give them, 
there will be a risk of some of the plants going. So long 
as the roots have fairly got hold, and there is plenty of 
moisture, within their reach, the plants will not suffer 
from a bright sun.. The black leprous-like spots which 
trouble many of us, and for which I have found no cure, 
are seldom seerf when the young plants are kept from 
frost, but otherwise cool, airy, and moist, in winter and 
spring before planting. If these show fly, they should be 
smoked; but generally syringing with soot water will 
keep them clean. 
CINERARIAS. 
The earliest crops will have been turned out. In April, 
when the plants are past their best, if placed against a 
north fence, and covered with a mat, or a piece of calico, 
at night, they will furnish sprigs for nosegays for weeks, 
and give more room to plants opening their buds. There 
is always pleasure in anticipating beauty, but little in 
watching it on the wane. The last plants for the season 
will now want as much care as the Calceolarias, as re¬ 
spects coolness, and plenty of air, and freedom from 
insects. To have fine large specimens, the chief thing is 
to shift on, and have the last pot filled with roots by the 
time the fiower-stems appear. The Cineraria is very 
manageable in this respect. Be the pot a three-inch or 
a ten, only let it be crammed with roots, and, ere long, 
up will come the flower-stems. Seeds should be saved 
from the best, and hybridisation attempted. Where time is 
precious, a good plan is to collect the best kinds together, 
and place the pots, or plunge them, so as to have a surface 
of fine soil. Under such circumstances the plants will 
liy'Uridise each other, and the seed will drop and show 
itself in great plenty. When the plants are cut down 
and planted out, plenty of plants may be obtained in the 
shape of rooted suckers. 
We spoke of the propriety of grouping plants, so as to 
enable you to give each group what little difference in 
treatment it required. How, the same might be urged as 
to general effect. There you have a score of Cinerarias 
scattered about, all in bloom in your little house, and, of 
course, they look bright and pretty. Place them all in a 
group together, nicely arranged as to colour, height, &c., 
and then decide if the sight is not more than pretty. 
CACTUSES. 
Those not started early will now require water and all 
the sunlight possible. With the exception of hardly a 
drop of water in winter, the main features of general 
treatment, as respects moisture and sun heat, are similar 
to what was mentioned for the Oleander the other week. 
The Cactus, being succulent, will stand great dryness un¬ 
injured, except when in bloom, and in the heat of summer 
when making fresh growth. 
Cytisus Atleana, raccmosus, Ac. These yellow plants 
make a house look lively. They will now want plenty of 
water; and the forced ones, and those not forced, when 
done flowering should be cleared of flowers and seeds, 
and pruned back as they require it, kept close for a little 
time, and then placed in a sheltered place out of doors, 
and have plenty of syringing all the summer. Weak 
soap and size water, now and then over the top, will do 
them good. It. Pish. 
A PEEP AT SOME OP THE LONDON 
NURSERIES. 
(Continued from VoL. XXI., page 381.) 
These metropolitan nurseries arq, at all times of the 
year, full of objects of interest and instruction to a gar¬ 
dener from the country, be he young or old. They are 
generally in the hands of men of capital, who have the 
tact, not only of obtaining new plants and all the means 
and appliances to cultivate them, but also that of employ¬ 
ing as foremen such men as possess the highest talent, 
both as propagators and growers of the multitudinous 
plants committed to their charge. Hence these nurseries 
are excellent schools for young gardeners. No one, 
indeed, should consider himself fully up to the mark in 
plant-culture till he has spent at least twelve months in 
one of these great emporiums of new and valuable plants. 
In such a school he may learn, if he has any quickness of 
perception, not only to increase plants in the best and 
quickest mode, but also how to grow a plant on to a 
perfect specimen. 
These ideas passed through my mind as I walked 
through the plant-houses at Pine Apple Place, Messrs. 
A. Henderson & Co., where I spent, very happily, nearly 
ten years as foreman and traveller; so I can speak from 
experience of the benefit of nursery tuition. 
Having indulged in the above digression, I now turn to 
my notes, which I took during tny peep at the plants in 
this celebrated nursery. The show-house was full of gay 
flowers, chiefly forced. The Hyacinths were very fine as 
usual. However, my object in calling there was not so 
much to see flowers as variegated plants ; and I was not 
disappointed, for I met with them in considerable num¬ 
bers. I, of course, took notes; and shall briefly copy 
them out and describe the plants just as I dotted them 
down, so that any one desirous of growing them may 
know what to procure. 
Maranta metallica. —This is a new species, of a compact 
low habit, with the midrib and veins beautifully silvered 
over. It is from tropical America, and well w orthy of 
culture. Increased by division. 
Aspidistra variegala. —A stove plant from Japan, with 
leaves springing from the rootstock. They have stalks a 
foot high; and are fifteen inches long and six inches wide ; 
lance-shaped, tapering to a point. Ground colour a dark 
green, striped with pure white. The variegation is very 
irregular : in some leaves one side will be all white ; on 
others, the white is regular in long lines. The variegation 
is most perfect when the plant is grown in very sandy 
soil. The flowers are very curious both in form and 
position : they only just peep out of the soil. It is a very 
useful exhibition plant, the variegation being so distinct. 
Increased by division. 
Maranta eximia. —A beautiful distinct species, regu¬ 
larly striped across each leaf with w hitish-green and dark 
green. The underside is a rich copper colour; form 
Bluntly oval, ten inches long by five inches broad. In¬ 
creased by division. 
Solarium pseudo-capsicum variegalum. —A greenhouse- 
species from Madeira. Half shrubby. Leaves a long 
oval, irregularly margined with white. It has small white 
flowers, succeeded by round yellow berries. Should be 
increased by cuttings, in order to keep the variegation. 
Though not so showy as many variegated plants, yet, on 
