THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 22, 1859. 
113 
its growth, seven fruits, but from tlieir lateness they were not 
more than half grown. Their united weights were 288 Ills.; two 
of them weighing 60lbs. each. Its main branches w'ere about 
twelve in number (and are reserved for inspection), measuring in 
length ten yards each, covering a circular space of twenty yards 
in diameter, or nearly 2827 feet and a half, or an area more than 
the sixteenth of an acre. 
Moreover, the refuse need not be w r asted, except the seeds, 
which we reject, having heard that they are of a poisonous 
nature (?), as pigs are remarkably fond of them if mixed with a 
little meal or offal. If our memory serves us right, Prince 
Albert once fatted a prize ox with them. Having ourselves 
grown a large quantity of the Marrows for pigs, we pulp them 
before mixing, and use them raw. Bentall’s patented pulping 
machine is admirably suited for this purpose, as well as for pulp¬ 
ing Mangolds and Turnips, and no stockmaster ought to be 
without one.—A. Hardy and Son, Seed Growers, $•<?., Malden , 
Essex. 
LOOKING ABOUND US. 
1. Camellias Eeosted. —“ The pots were like cannon-balls 
before we housed them. The leaves did not seem to suffer; but 
now the flower-buds are falling. How is this, when the Camellia 
will stand against a wall often without protection ?” A Camellia 
in a pot against a wall would just be in a similar position. The 
only thing in its favour would be that, most likely, the frosted 
roots would thaw more regularly than in the case of these pots 
that you at once transferred to the greenhouse with the ball of 
earth frosted. Lay it down as a general mle that every plant in 
a pot out of doors, and that pot exposed, suffers more from all 
sudden changes and extremes of weather than if it had stood 
planted out in the natural soil. In the latter case only the sur¬ 
face of the soil would be frosted. There might be few roots 
there, if any; but in an exposed pot, every root round or near 
the sides oftlie pot would be more or less injured. Iftliepotwere 
very soft and porous, the greater would be the cold produced by 
evaporation of moisture. The harder burned the pot, the greater 
would be the amount of cold produced by radiation and con¬ 
duction. Erom these two causes combined, the roots in pots in 
frosty weather are exposed to far more cold than the plants 
could experience in the open ground, or with the pots sunk in 
the ground. In the latter case they would only bo exposed to 
the temperature of the surrounding earth. In the former case, 
being exposed on every side, they would soon be of the same 
temperature as the air surrounding them. If, in a very severe 
night, a man were fixed to one spot in the open air, heat would 
radiate so quickly from his body that the sources of vitality 
would be exhausted. If, during the same night, he could be 
so completely covered with snow as to permit merely of breathing 
freely, he would not greatly suffer by his body being deprived of 
warmth. Some of our amateur friends act at times as if they 
felt that the merely keeping a plant in a pot is so far giving it a 
degree of protection. Standiug in a pot just increases the 
dangers it is likely to experience from the heats of summer and 
the colds of winter. If partly plunged, even, it is more liable 
to danger than when in the open ground. If plunged, and the 
rims defended with litter, it is then in as favourable a position 
as when planted out and the surface so protected. If boxed in 
wood the plants would suffer less, because wood absorbs and 
radiates heat very slowly. In the present case the risk would 
have been less if the frozen pots could have been thawed slowly 
in a shady place. Even then, however, if the roots were much 
injured, the buds would bo apt to drop before opening. The 
same prejudicial influence is often experienced in the case of 
hardy plants, when grown in pots and exposed to a severe frost. 
I have seen fine-looking Strawberry plants in pots prove next to 
unfruitful from the injurious influence of a severe frost; whilst 
plants of the same age and appearance, but planted out in rows 
before the frost came, boro fine and heavy crops the following 
year. If, therefore, a plant is grown in a pot, even if the plant 
is hardy, it is bad policy to expose that pot to the frosts of 
winter. 
2. Cinerarias Erosted. —“ Very fine plants have the edges 
of the leaves frosted. What can I do with them ? ” We fear 
our advice will come too late. If not too far gone, the only 
means of recovering them will be keeping them as cool as pos - 
sible, and as dark as may be. A sudden rise in the temperature, 
and, worse still, a few rays of direct sunshine, will make it all up 
with them so far as elegant foliage is concerned. Without fine 
foliage as the basis of the heads of bloom Cinerarias are but 
scarecrows at best. If the best foliage is destroyed at this early 
season it would be the best plan, in the case of fine plants, to 
break them up and commence growing afresh, by placing pieces 
in 60-sized pots and growing them on again. I remember being 
once caught by an unexpected frost: almost every leaf was stiff 
in the morning, but the frost had not penetrated far into the soil. 
Mats were thrown over the pit, and a thick layer of litter over 
that, as well as round the sides of the bed, to prevent the inside 
being much influenced by changes in the weather, either as 
respects heat or cold. In three days mild weather came, but the 
covering was kept on for two days longer. When the plants 
were examined then the frost was not quite gone, and the 
covering was kept on two days more; then, the weather con¬ 
tinuing fine, a little air was given at the top of the sashes, with 
the covering still allowed to remain. By this time the leaves 
looked almost as well as they did before; but for two or three 
weeks, even when air was left on, a mat was thrown over the 
glass in sunshine. Had the plants been uncovered when the frost 
left us, or had they then been exposed to the light, they would 
not have been worth keeping. When the frost is more severe, 
so as thoroughly to destroy the tissues of the leaf, and also injure 
the roots, nothing can save them. At the same time another 
batch stood in a frame more exposed, and on which air had been 
left. The same methods were adopted with them, but not a 
plant, after all the care, was worth keeping. No plant, when 
growing in winter and spring, likes moisture and coolness better 
than the Cineraria; but to ensure vigorous health the tem¬ 
perature should seldom bo below from 5° to 10° above the 
freezing point. 
3. Neapolitan Violets Erosted. —“We have some in a 
bed not at all injured. Those in pots and taken to the greenhouse 
are looking sickly, and the buds keep falling down instead of 
looking up boldly, even when we give them fresh watering.” 
See what is said above on Camellias and Strawberries. 
4. Lifted Scarlet Geraniums. —“I want some of these 
for centres of beds next season. I, therefore, stripped off the 
leaves, potted them singly in small pots; and though I water 
them, the points of the shoots keep dying back, especially in 
sunny days, and I perceive my object will not be answered.” 
In your case, you might have left more leaves, which would have 
kept up a reciprocal action. As it is, there is nothing to prevent 
your succeeding even yet. Try and plunge the pots in a little 
bottom heat, and that will encourage root action. Even then do 
not deluge the roots, but let the moisture be in proportion to 
the new-made and active roots. If you cannot so plunge the 
pots, let the earth be kindly dry rather than wet. In dull weather 
give a little air to prevent damping. In sunny days give less air 
when the stems are dry, but neutralise the drying effects by a 
slight shade, or, what we like better, a slight syringe over the 
stems. You will thus have the advantage of sun heat in en¬ 
couraging growth, and the syringe will prevent the juices of the 
somewhat naked stems being exhaled. When fresh foliage comes 
success will be certain. If you allow these naked stems to be 
dried up, of course the object of saving them will be gone. This 
sprinkle from the syringe under such circumstances is worth ever 
so many delugings at the roots. In fact, the extra moisture there 
prevents the new roots forming and doing their proper work. As 
the weather is so uncertain at this season, let the syringing be 
given so early in the day, that what is not absorbed, so as to make 
or keep them plump, may be exhaled before night. 
5. Cyclamens. —“ Plants kept dryish all the summer are 
growing now. Shall I water and repot ? ” Undoubtedly water, 
so as to encourage free and healthy growth; but if, as you say, 
y r our plants are showing flower-buds freely, then I would advise 
to remove a little surface soil, and replace with rich and fresh 
compost instead of repotting, as the latter operation, though 
good for the plant eventually, might cause many of your 
earliest flowers to come weak and languid from the check re¬ 
ceived. As a general rale, plants in pots bloom best when the 
roots are touching the outsides of the pots. 
6. Greenhouses on Misty Days.— “ We have had some very 
misty days; thermometer from 35° to 40°. E. and W. say I 
ought to give abundance of air back and front. Are they right ?” 
No; but see what is said in a late article on fires, &c.' We 
have no desire, however, to be supposed to be incontrovertibly 
right on this matter. “ I feel that my body does not like these 
cold misty vapour baths. I think my plants tell me plainly that 
they do not like it; they may tell other friends a different talc, 
but that is their pleading language to me,—‘ Keep me out of it, 
