34 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 18, 1859. 
bustle which one hears along the corridors when “ the 
Queen is coming,” and all hearts are at the highest beat. 
When Mr. Arnott, of the firm of Milne, Arnott, & Co., 
came down in the spring about the exchange of Camellias, 
the Queen was home, and he had the luck of seeing the 
best looks from the drawing-room windows ; but now we 
could not get through the front-hall if it were ever so. 
The commissioner is a connoisseur in pictures, and having 
seen some in the dining-room, he scrambled over some 
heaps and got in there, and was likely to remain there 
for the night. He was much struck with the Experimental, 
and he made many observations, but they were more 
complimentary than instructive, so I shall pass on to the 
framing-ground, where we found them hard at potting 
the bedding plants, the family being not expected home 
till the Chrysanthemums are out, or in, rather. 
The Golden Chain were the first plants potted from a 
whole row in the ribbon-border. Very light and very 
rich compost they had, all the big leaves were cleanly cut 
off, and the pots set on coal ashes under a wall. They 
never put any plants from the beds under glass when 
they can pot them thus early ; and all the autumn 
cuttings they also set out on ashes as soon as they are 
fairly rooted. All the variegated plants came in lots after 
the Golden Chain; and the Variegated Ivy-leaves stood 
next the latter in the order of potting. The first green 
leaves were the HarTcaways, then the Ilarry Hieovers, a 
seedling from Ilarlcaway, named, by command, after the 
author of “ Table Talk ” and “ Stable Talk,” with whom 
Harlcaivay was a favourite horse. But, most fortunately, 
this wet autumn has proved Harry Ilieover not to be a 
sound colt for the turf. It will, therefore, neither be 
sold nor given away, but the name is retained for the very 
first best of that breed, also by command, and there 
are eight hundred already to choose from. Lord John 
Russell was the next. This is a capital new and very- 
dwarf plain-leaved scarlet which was sent to the Experi¬ 
mental by Mr. Kinghorn, of Richmond, or of East Sheen, 
next to it. The next in order was the true Trentham 
Scarlet, sent there by Mr. Fleming himself,-—a very dif¬ 
ferent thing from that by that name at Sydenham ; and 
then Baron Hugel and the Diadematums: the rest were 
in the beds. 
The new Unique seedlings which were sent there this 
season from a gentleman, the best crosser amongst us all, 
have done remarkably well, and they are great favourites, 
and the wonderful bedding Begonia has proved just what 
he said, “ equal to Tom Thumb in hardiness and as free a 
bloomer.” It is an orange scarlet and very dwarf. I 
should not wonder to see it in bloom along with Dahlias 
and Chrysanthemums next month. The new Nosegays 
are from a much more hardy breed than those from 
Inquinans. They arc, therefore, the last to be potted. 
But talk about Nosegays, the Pomological commissioner 
was struck with their numbers and extent. The first 
thing he met with at Surbiton was loads of standards of 
them being taken out by one of the Messrs. Henderson’s 
carters. Mr. Andrew Henderson, from the Wellington 
Road Nursery, was down a few days before and made a 
clean sweep out of my private garden. My “ good 
gracious! ” yellow Polyanthus struck him more than 
anything he had seen or heard of for a long time. The j 
way it roots into the Cocoa stuff surprised him, but the i 
method of propagating it by the score, the hundred, or j 
the ten thousand, was before him, and both he and the j 
commissioner owned that nothing of the sort was ever 
done so before to such purpose ; but my whole stock of it 
is gone, just as I began to learn how to do it, which is the 
same way as I have described already. Mr. Henderson is 
the father of the Cyclamens alluded to the previous week, 
and he was more struck with my White Grapes than the 
Black ones, seeing such an enormous crop of Nosegays all 
over their border ; but the Geraniums and the thorough 
thinning-out in time of the berries were the secret, the i 
border never missed a heavy watering one single day of 
this long hot summer—not intended for the Grapes, but 
for the valuable collection of Nosegays, stellates, and 
minimums. D. Beaton. 
HOW TO FARM TWO ACRES AND MAKE 
THE MOST OF THEM. 
(Continued from page 19.) 
Scarlet Runner and Dwarf Kidney Beans. 
The first sowing of these on stiff land ought not to be 
earlier than the first week in May. French Beans may 
be a fortnight earlier, but there is seldom any advantage 
in sowing these before May. Plant the Runner Beans 
four inches apart, in shallow drills at least six feet apart, 
and have poles or stakes seven feet or more high. 
French Beans may be in drills two feet and a half apart, 
and three inches from each other in the row. Be careful 
in gathering the pods of dwarf Beans, as they are easily 
broken at the neck. The Newington Wonder is a good, 
useful, dwarf Bean, and the common Scarlet Runner is 
the best of its class. These plants like a dry, warm 
summer, and are most prolific in such seasons. In very 
cold, damp soils, and dull seasons, they do not answer. The 
ground ought to be well pulverised for them, and at the 
time of sowing keep a sharp look out for slugs. Radishes 
or early Spinach might be sown between the rows of 
Scarlet Runners ; but remove them when no longer useful. 
BROAD BEANS. 
Hangdown Long Rod is the most prolific. Sow in 
drills three feet apart, and four inches from seed to seed, 
any time from November to May, as may be wanted, and 
remove the stalks when done bearing. Dig and manure 
the ground, and ’ sow Stone Turnip about the beginning 
of August to stand the winter. • Thin the Turnips to a 
foot apart, and if the autumn be fine they will produce a 
useful crop. 
ONIONS. 
Sow the Brown Spanish and Strasburgh, mixed, or apart, 
if preferred, in rows a foot apart, the beginning of 
March, if the ground be dry enough to allow of being 
trampled on at that time, shallow drills drawn with the 
hoe, and the seed dropped in by hand, the ground after¬ 
wards raked. Hoe the ground betimes, and thin the 
crop to about three inches apart, except one row which 
may be left for picklers, and may stand very thick. On a 
very stiff soil, charcoal or wood ashes are the best manure 
for Onions. Lime may be added, but it is not so good, 
but plenty of good dung is also useful, and more especi¬ 
ally if it is pretty deep in the ground. This being one 
of the most useful crops in the garden, and one which 
visitors are wont to look at, let it have the best place— 
often stirring the soil will be of great benefit to it, 
and do not neglect a timely thinning. When the bulbs 
feel loose in the ground, they are ready to be taken up ; 
but let them lie a week or two to harden in the sun before 
housing them; after which keep them cool, but dry, and 
look at them betimes. The Onion plot ought to be deeply 
dug and manured as soon as they are taken off, to be 
ready for early Cabbage for the next year. 
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS. 
It is not prudent to sow many Carrots on a stiff soil, 
but a few of the Early Horn may be useful. Parsnips 
do better, and may be sown in March. The middle of 
April will be soon enough for Carrots. Parsnips ought 
to stand a foot apart, or nearly so, each way. Horn 
Carrots may be closer. Take up the Carrots in September, 
but let the Parsnips stand till February, as it is said the 
winter improves them. 
BRUSSELS SPROUTS, SAVOYS, AND RED CABBAGE. 
Sow these in a small bed as early in the spring as the 
state of the ground will allow, and plant them out in 
