359 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, SepteMbee 13, 1859. 
plants we never hesitate about-, but divide them when we want 
them ; they root freely.”] 
PROPAGATING SEEDLING PHLOXES. 
“ Having some seedling Phloxes which are now in flower, 
and a few of them very good and distinct, I shall be much 
obliged for some information if I can propagate them from the 
flower-stems when they have done flowering, and what length I 
should cut the pieces of the flower-sterns. Also, if the cuttings 
should be covered with a bell or hand glass?”—M. F. 
[Seedling Phloxes like yours will not do to be propagated 
from the flowering-stalks. In the first place, it is very difficult 
to strike them that way ; and when first-rate gardeners are so 
pushed for cuttings as to be obliged to strike from “ flowering 
wood,”, plants from such cuttings are not worth one rap the 
dozen, except for make-believe plants to sell to people who 
run after cheap plants. Cut your plants down at once ; 
and if they are in pots, half shake them out of the balls, and 
plant them in good stuff in a warm corner, and, if we have a 
mild ending to this autumn, you will have whole bunches of the 
best cuttings in the world springing up from the collar of each 
plant by New Year’s day. But on the appearance of the first 
sharp frost, mulch your row, or bed, or plot, of seedlings with 
very nice something, such as sifted leaf mould; then the young 
shoots will root in that mulching before the spring is much 
advanced ; and in April you will divide off as many suckers as 
you are wanting to make cuttings now. You will plant these in 
threes or fives ; and next August one of such patches will bloom 
six times better than six patches of puny things struck as you 
now propose, and also come sooner into bloom.] 
GROWING BULBS FOR SALE. 
“ Will you name the best sorts of Tulips, Crocuses, and other 
early-flowering bulbs suitable for growing in small pots for sale ? 
Would the Van Thols do singly in 60-pots ? Last year I had 
single Van Thols , and thought them good for nothing. Which 
are best ? ”—J. Axles'. 
[The following will answer your purpose ; but 60-pots are too 
small for any bulbs, for you ought to put three or five of the 
smaller sort, such as Crocuses, Snowdrops, and early Tulips, in 
each pot, or you will have but a poor show of flowers for market 
purposes. In the season go into Covent Garden by five o’clock 
in the morning, and you will see and learn more in half an hour 
of what is done in early-flowering bulbs, than you could read of 
in a week in any books. However, as a guide to you, we will 
state a few particulars of culture that may be useful to you, and 
probably many others of our readers. 
Pots .—-The best size of pots for forcing the smaller bulbs— 
namely, Crocuses, Jonquils, Snowdrops, Turban Ranunculuses, 
and Tulips, are what are called round London small 48’s. 
For Cyclamens (large bulbs), Hyacinths, and Narcissuses, large 
48’s, or small 32’s are necessary. 
The first lot, small bulbs, should have three or five bulbs in 
each pot. The second one, two, or at the farthest three bulbs in 
each pot. Growers for Covent Garden, and other London 
markets, use one bulb for the earliest-forced lot, and two or three 
bulbs for the second bloom. When three bulbs are put into a 
pot, the larger size 32’s are used. Some for Hyacinths and 
Narcissus have pots made on purpose. For one bulb, four inches 
wide and seven inches deep. For two or three bulbs, six inches 
diameter and nine inches deep. These pots are nearly as wide 
at the bottom as at the top. There are two advantages in using 
these pots ; the first is, there is more room for the roots to run 
down deep; the second is, the pots take up less room, and, con¬ 
sequently, a greater number can be placed in a given space—a 
matter of some moment in -forcing, especially to those who, like 
our correspondent, grow for sale. 
Soil .—The best compost for all kinds of bulbs usually forced 
consists of light sandy loam, leaf mould, and well decomposed 
cowdung, in equal parts, to which should be added about one- 
eighth of silver sand ; or good, sweet, pure river sand, well washed, 
would answer where silver sand is too expensive. Keep these 
earths in separate heaps, and mix them when required for use, 
observing to use the compost in a neither wet nor dry state. 
Time of Planting .—For very early-blooming, no time should 
be lost now in procuring the bulbs and potting them. For 
later blooming, they may be potted any time between this, the 
1st of September, to the end of November. But a general rule 
is, to pot all as soon as the bulbs can be procured, and bring 
them in batches into heat as the season advances, and the time 
the blooms may be required for a succession. As soon as the 
potting is finished, choose a square plot of ground in an open 
situation that will contain the stock of potted bulbs. Make it 
level, and scatter a thin layer of sharp ashes on it. Roll these 
firm, and then place a line on each side of a bed on this platform 
of ashes. If as many loose bricks are handy, place a row flat 
and lengthwise close to the lines on each side of the bed. Then 
commence at one end, placing the pots of bulbs in a row across 
the bed, and then another row, and so on till all are placed, 
taking care to keep each kind together, and place a tall label at 
the end, and facing that kind. Then cover the bed and pots 
with coal ashes, rotten tan or sand, making it rather higher in the 
centre; and here let them remain till taken in for forcing. The 
grand object of this arrangement is to give time for the bulbs to 
make roots previous to shoots of leaves and flowers. To have 
blooms at Christmas it will be necessary to remove a few pots 
into heat by the end of this month (September). By heat I 
mean a gentle temperature at first of from 45° to 50°, and after¬ 
wards to a heat of from 55° to 60°, and this gradual increase of 
heat is desirable to attend to the last batch of bulbs intended for 
forcing, either for sale or ornamentation. 
List of bulbs for forcing in pots for sale or ornament:— 
Crocuses. —Yellow, Blue, White, Purple, and Variegated. 
Snowdrops.' —Single and Double. 
Hyacinths. — Double : red Waterloo ; blue A-la-Mode; 
white Anna Maria. Single : red l’Ami du Cceur ; blue Emilius; 
white Grand Vainqueur. 
NaecissuS. — White, with citron cup, Grand Monarque ; 
yellow, with orange cup, Soliel d ’ Or. 
Tulips. — Single: scarlet Due Van Thol; yellow Due Van 
Thols Pottebakker, white; Prince, yellow; Waterloo, scarlet. 
Double ; Buonaparte , dark crimson; La Candeur, white Tour- 
nesoil, red and yellow. 
Tueban Ranunculuses.— Dark Crimson, Scarlet, Seraphique 
citron. 
Cyclamen. — Coum, Persicum, and Europozum. 
Jonquils. —Double, Single, and Sweet-scented. 
I have just received a most excellent catalogue of bulbs from 
Messrs. James Carter and Co., and am much indebted to it for 
the foregoing information. Our correspondent, and, indeed, any 
of our readers who wish to grow bulbs, would find much infor¬ 
mation as to classing, names, culture, price, &c., if they would 
send to that firm for their catalogue, which is sent free to all 
parts.]—T. Appleby. 
CARR HEAD: 
THE SEAT OF W. B. WAINMAN, ESQ. 
This beautiful but retired place is situated in the romantic 
district of Yorkshire, yclept Craven, not far from the ancient 
town of Skipton, near the upper part of Airedale. The nearest 
station on the Midland line of railway is the pretty village of 
Kildwick, distant from Carr Head about three miles. 
On the 17th of August last I attended, as Judge, the Airedale 
Horticultural Exhibition—a Show that, I may remark, was a 
good one—above the average of provincial exhibitions in excellent 
productions of plants, fruit, cut flowers (the Dahlias, Roses, and 
Hollyhocks were most excellent), and vegetables. Amongst the 
plants I was particularly struck with some extraordinary Ferns 
from Carr Head. I was introduced to Mr. Ledger, the head- 
gardener, and he gave me a kind invitation to visit him and see 
the place the following day. 
Accordingly I, in company with Mr. W. Dean, a nurseryman 
at Shipley, near Bradford, formerly a fellow-servant with me at 
Pine Apple Place, took a place on the above railway, and travelled 
to Kildwick Station. The line runs through Airedale, and the 
views from the carriage-windows were beautiful indeed ; right 
and left we had the lofty Yorkshire hills, with broad dales inter¬ 
vening—the river Aire here being but a brook in comparison. 
Many of the hills are covered with wood ; and as many are but 
naked moors, clothed only with the purple heather then in full 
flower. In the dale I observed the reapers hard at work cutting 
down the golden harvest, which appeared to be but a middling 
crop, on account of the dry weather that has so long prevailed 
in this as well as other districts. I observed many large fields of 
Potatoes, chiefly of the kind known as Flukes, easily recognised 
by its dark foliage and white blossom. I made inquiries, and 
