THE COTTAG-E GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 27, 1859. 
391 
anthers. Ovary oblong-ovate, three-valved. Style long, round. 
Stigma triangular. 
Tliis beautiful plant is rapidly becoming a great favourite with 
British cultivators of ornamental plants ; and no wonder that it 
should be so, for no admirer of fine flowers could look upon this 
with indifference. The aptest resemblance I can think of is, to 
suppose the flowers of some fine Alstromceria growing upon the 
twining stems of a Smilax. It succeeds admirably in very turfy, 
sandy peat, well drained, and in the growing season it must be 
well supplied with water. The flowering season is in August 
and September. Propagates by division.—S. G. W. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Sheet Calendar (C. H .),—We printed one for the Kitchen Garden, but 
have not a copy left. Our “ Calendar of Out-door gardening ” is the one 
of most ready reference that we know. 
Fig-tree Blossom ( F. A. II.).— The blossom is inside what is called the 
fruit, but which, really, is only a hollow common calyx, or rather re¬ 
ceptacle, lined with numerous flowers. These are seldom both barren and 
fertile in the same Fig, and as this receptacle has a very small opening at 
the summit, the seeds usually would not be perfected, if some very small 
ichneumon flies ( Cynips ) did not fly from Fig to Fig, for the purpose of 
laying their eggs within the receptacle, carrying pollen adhering to them. 
Turnip Saw Fly ( F. C., Lymington) .—The insect you sent is the female 
of the Athalia spinanim , the larva of which is called Black Palmer, 
Black Canker, Black Jack, &c. You will find a very full and interesting 
history of it in “ Curtis’s Farm Insects,” which we noticed last week. 
Keeping Plants under IIand-glasses in Winter (I. H. —None 
of the plants you mention will keep over the winter under a hand-glass, 
and there is not the slightest reason to winter blue Lobelias at all, as 
spcciosa, the best dwarf blue, comes quite true from seeds in the spring. 
The best long trailing one to hang over baskets or vases is gracilis, and 
no plant comes more true from seeds. If Tom Thumb Geranium is well 
rooted, it will plant out of anything, from a cutting-pan to a tin kettle, 
but it requires considerable care to keep old plants of it, and of Flower of 
the Day, as you propose. First strip every leaf off them, and do not let them 
get quite dry. You are quite wrong about the Fuchsias. If Fuchsias 
would flower in the winter by merely pinching them back in the autumn, 
what could hinder all greenhouse plants from blowing all the winter? 
Fruits for the South of England (A Lover of Fruits). —The follow¬ 
ing arranged in the order of their ripening, will suit you:— Apples.— 
Irish Peach, Kerry Pippin, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Margil, Nonpareil, 
Stunner Pippin. Peaks. — Williams’s Bon Chretien, Louise Bonne of 
Jersey, Marie Louise, Winter Nelis, Josephine de Malines, Beurre de 
Bonce. 
Purple Jacobjea [Annie). —The seeds of this plant do not deserve to be 
saved. There are two kinds of real double Jacohscas, dark purple and red 
purple, and these root from cuttings in the spring or autumn faster than 
the Verbenas, and the common soil of an old flower-bed, without a morsel 
of dung or leaf-mould, suits it best. Even if every seed of Jacobsen made a 
double flowering plant, such plants go all to straw, leaf, litter, and dis¬ 
appointment. 
Convolvulus major Variety. —“Miss Fletcher, 2, St.Thomas Gardens, 
Queen’s Hoad, Kentish New Town, near Haverstoek Hill,” offers to send 
some seeds of a variety having a trilobate leaf, to any one forwarding to 
her a stamped and directed envelope. 
Cement for Marine Aquarium [Dolce). —Either pumice stone, or 
clinkers from a coke oven, cemented together by Portland Cement, will 
answer for making a rockwork in your marine aquarium. 
Waltonian Case [J. It.). —The Case is registered, we believe, and, if 
so, no one has a right to make it. We have heard no more about the 
caudles for heating it. 
Dianthus IIeddewigii [Amateur and others). —Messrs. E. G. Hender¬ 
son and Son inform us, that the best time to sow it for strong early plants, 
is as soon as possible after the seed is matured in August, which will 
admit of the seedlings being potted off separately, or otherwise, at discre¬ 
tion. If sowing be deferred until late in the autumn, sow, but in part, and 
the remainder in early spring, and in each case the seed-pans to be placed 
in a warm greenhouse, or ventilated pit, with good exposure to light, and 
attention to watering as required, they never being allowed to remain dry 
over night, if needing moisture. To quicken the progress of the autumn 
sowing in the pit, it should he closed up each afternoon with a genial warm 
temperature. In height, the species is from twelve to sixteen inches, and 
in duration, the plants are of biennial growth ; but, in vigorous health, 
blooming profusely the first season, and partially the second, if the upper 
flower-stems are cut off as early as practicable in autumn. The blossoms 
of this highly ornamental-flowering plant are from two to three inches in 
diameter, usually of exceedingly rich crimson colours, with broad rose 
belts, and brilliant dark centres, but others are richly mottled and streaked 
with white, and uniformly fringed on the margin. 
Reviving old Hotbeds [II. M.). —We cannot give you more informa¬ 
tion than was contained in the extract we published from the American 
Journal. We published it for the purpose of rousing attention to the 
subject, and inducing experiments. If you try any we shall he much 
obliged by a report of the results, favourable or unfavourable. 
Pruning Apple Trees [A. M. S.). —Not knowing whether your trees are 
against a wall, or are espaliers, or standards, we are quite unable to advise 
you how they “ should be trimmed.” Buy our “ Fruit Garden for the 
Many.” 
Seedling Geranium ( The Glen).—Die petals are of the brightest scarlet 
we ever saw. If the trusses are abundant, in good succession, and well up 
above the foliage, and if the plant is of dwarfish habit, it will he an ac¬ 
quisition and might be called “Flower of the Glen.” 
Grapes for the Open Air (A Constant Subscriber from the Beginning). 
—The best for out-doors against the south-west wall of a house are Early 
Black Muscat, Muscat St. Laurent, Black July, Early Malingre, Miller’s 
Burgundy, and Royal Muscadine. In a month hence you can obtain all 
the above, in pots, and plant them immediately. 
Sorgho [Agricultor Ignoramus).—The plant you mean is, doubtless, 
the Sorgho (not Shargo), or Andropogon Sorghum, called in this country 
Indian Millet or Guinea Corn. It is quite a distinct plant from Sorghum 
saccharatum. 
Crystal Palace Horticultural Show.— “In No. 572, Sept. 13, page 
348 of The Cottage Gardener, Crystal Palace Exhibition, Sept. 7, there 
is the following paragraph—‘There were five pots of Black Hamburghs, 
and one of them (No. 16) from Mr. Burnell, gardener to H. F. Williams, 
Esq., Lower Norwood.’ As I am the person intended, I should feel much 
obliged if you could find a spare comer in the next number of your valuable 
publication to correct it as under—‘ Mr. Bennett, gardener to H. J. L. 
Williams, Esq., South Norwood.’ I obtained the prize for Gourds, which 
is not noticed.” 
“You say of variegated plants, ‘First prize to Mr. Young; second, 
Mr. Bunney.’ Now Mr. Young shows in the amateur class, and Mr. 
Bunney is a nurseryman. Mr. Yoimg was first in the amateur class; 
hut as Mr. Bunney did not show against him, he can scarcely he said 
to he second to Mr. Young. In the class in which Mr. Bunney showed 
we were awarded the first prize; and also in the open class of ten fine- 
foliaged plants we were awarded first prize.”— Thos. Jackson & Son, 
Nurseries, Kingston-on-Thames. 
Substance in Stagnant Water [An Inquirer). —It is one of the fresh¬ 
water sponges. 
Pine Apple Pippin [C. B. S.).— This is a synonyme of Lucomlc’s Bine 
Apple. If true to name it has a yellowish-white flesh, with a sugary juice, 
having a rich Pine-Apple flavour. It is in perfection during October, 
November, and early December. It was raised by Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, 
& Co., Nurserymen, Exeter, and is a first-rate dessert Apple. 
Ice [Idem). —You will find directions for preserving this in our Nos. 114 
and 276. 
Sowing Potato Seed [M. 1.1.). —Squeeze the ripe Potato-apples in 
water, strain all through a cloth, dry the seed before the fire, and keep it 
in a dry place. In February, if you have the convenience of a hotbed or 
hothouse, let it be sown thinly in flower-pots of rich light earth, and cover 
very lightly. In a month or six weeks, or as soon as the young plants are 
an inch high, they are to be raised carefully, and planted singly in small 
pots, and placed "in a frame where they will have a very little warmth, 
and where they must have plenty of air and water as required until the 
middle of May’, when they may be turned out of the pots into the open 
ground, without breaking the ball. By this treatment the Potatoes will 
be so large the first year as to enable you to judge of their merits. If you 
cannot command artificial waimith, sow the seeds in shallow drills of light 
rich earth early in April, and transplant the young plants into rich earth 
in June; raise the Potatoes at the usual time, and treat them afterwards 
in the usual way : they will prove themselves the second year. 
Strawberry Plants [A.). —The name ofthe person you inquire about is 
George Lee. The plant is Sagina procumbcns, a very different thing from 
Spergula pilifera. 
Names of Ferns [Lichfield). —Your Ferns are, 1 , Doodia media, some¬ 
times called lanulata. 2, Phlebodium aureum, formerly Polypodium 
aureum. 3, Pteris hastata, by some called Fellica hastata. 4, Polypodium 
vulgare, var. cambricum. 
Name of Insect [Annie). —Your insect was too much damaged for us 
to he sure of its species, hut it is one of the genus Haltica, or earth-beetles, 
to which the “Turnip Fly” belongs. No remedy is known. Burning 
weeds, so that the smoke "passed over the plants might, perhaps, drive 
them away. 
Name of Plant (M. J. T.). —Your plant is the Bivina Icevis, the Smooth 
Rivina, a pretty little stove plant, being always both in flower and fruit at 
the same time. 
PQUITE.Y AND BEE-KEEPEE’S CHEONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
October oth. Weston-super-Mare. Sec., Mr. R. L. Jones, Weston-super- 
Mare. Entries close September 23rd. 
October 11th, 12th, and 13th. Worcestershire. See., Geo. Griffiths 
7, St. Swithiu Street, Worcester. Entries close September 24th. 
November 19th to 23rd. Crystal Palace. (Canaries and British and 
Foreign Cage Birds). Sec., Mr. W. Houghton. 
November 28th, 29th, and 30th, and Decf,mber 1st. Birmingham. Sec., 
Mr." J. Morgan, BingleyHall, Birmingham. 
January 7th, 1860. Bradforb. Single Cock Snow. Secs., Mr. Hardy, 
Prince of Wales Inn, Bowling Old Lane, and Mr. E. Blackbrough, 
Black Bull Inn, Ive Gate, Bradford. 
February 11th to 15th, 1860. Crystal Palace (Poultry and Pigeons). 
See., Mr. W. Houghton. Entries close Jan. 14th. 
jN.B.— Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
KEEP PUEE-BKED EOWLS. 
Tite poultry question is daily becoming better understood. It 
is no longer thought necessary to have a large estate in order to 
afford accommodation for a. few fowls ; nor is it now believed by 
those who will take some little trouble, and exercise ordinary 
care and supervision, that a small poultry-yard is an ever-craving 
and insatiate monster that will consume a small income. There, 
however, remains one more point to be insisted upon. 
