108 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 23, 1850. 
as you will see described iu the second or third volumes 
of The Cottage Gardener —for each of the seven vases 
aforesaid. Now, there ought to he at least lour sets of 
these boxes for one case ; they ought to be planted only 
by such men as are capable of being judges of Ferns at 
the exhibitions, so as to last for years. They should he 
changed occasionally where there is a hothouse or a good 
greenhouse, to renovate the plants as it were. It is not 
worth while to take such boxes far into the country ; but, 
being free of them, the cases may be packed for any dis¬ 
tance, and fresh tin boxes be ready to put into them at 
home. The nurserymen will winter the London cases 
for so much a month, and they will supply “ ready- 
established” boxes to put into drawing-rooms the next 
day, and look as if they had been on the system for 
months; at least, Mr. Veitcli could do so now from 
what I saw. Therefore, if you happen to have one of 
these Wardian cases lying idle in London, and if you 
recollect the bother there was in getting it to “ go ” every 
season since you had it, make use of this secret until 
you hear of a better. Write up to your London nursery¬ 
man, and tell him to get a zinc box made to fit your 
case, and to fill it at once with such Ferns and fancies 
as he knows will thrive in such a place as yours, so as 
to he all fresh and flourishing by the time you go up to 
town ; but have a clear understanding as to the ex¬ 
penses, and all about it. What 1 would do, or rather, 
should he obliged to do, would be to have two tin or zinc 
boxes for my case for the London season, because people 
expect to see such gardening in better style with me 
than with the Duke of Scotland, who was never much 
noted for good gardening, at least in the fancy style. I 
would “ keep ” the second box at “ my ” nursery as I 
would my horses at a livery stable. D. Beaton. 
(To he continued.) 
WINDOW GARDENING FOR THE WINTER. 
A great variety of inquiries have led me to devote a 
chapter to their consideration. To enter very minutely 
into every case would require a dozen chapters, or even 
double that number. Without such minuteness I trust I 
shall meet the gist of most of the cases. If anything 
escapes notice I hope the parties will just send another 
pennyworth of inquiries to the Editor. It is understood 
that these notes have reference to gardeners who have 
nothing but their windows in the shape of glass. The 
matter would be greatly simplified to them if they felt 
L i at all the rules given for good culture in common 
greenhouses are just as applicable to plants in windows, 
or rather, more so, because the difficulties, in winter 
especially, are increased in the case of the window. 
1 have noticed several instances lately (one of them 
in a closely-inhabited, narrow street in Leith, and which 
I regretted I had not an opportunity to examine) in 
which a glass case seemed to fit a portion, at least, of 
the lower sash of a window, so that it could easily be 
placed outside the sash in summer and inside in winter, 
and thus the plants be protected from the dust of the 
street in summer, and yet fresh air be given to them 
without greatly cooling the air of the room in winter. 
With such contrivance and a good aspect, many plants, 
if not too large, can be grown as successfully in a 
window as in a greenhouse. 
It is quite a mistake to suppose, as many of our 
friends do, that we are careless about window gardening. 
That it is not oftener referred to is just because so much 
has already been said about it in these pages that a 
new idea can hardly be advanced, and that, until lately, 
lew inquiries have been made. My hopes as to any¬ 
thing strikingly original and good iu this direction 
centre chiefly upon our window gardeners themselves. 
Meanwhile, we should all be glad to assist them if we 
could, not merely because we should wish them to love 
what we love, but because we know that the loving 
plants and flowers insensibly makes men and women 
better. I have noticed that love for flowers, associated 
with great ignorance, with a rough exterior, with for¬ 
bidding manners, and conduct the reverse, at times, of 
what tlie rigid moralist would approve; but, wherever 
attachment to flowers for tlieir own sake existed, I have 
never sought for without finding a soft, sweet, kindly 
spot in that man or woman’s heart, and also experiencing 
that taking an interest in such favourites was the best 
means for getting at the brightest side of their possessors 
—a fact which the true philanthropist may not deem 
unworthy of notice. 
I shall first notice the generalities to be attended to, 
and then mention the plants most suitable for winter 
blooming, &c. 
1. Aspect.—“A Constant Subscriber,” who has two 
windows facing the north, two facing the south, but 
somewhat shaded by a manufactory, complains that his 
Fuchsias and Geraniums have done badly, wishes to have 
a Camellia, Hyacinths, and other bulbs, and asks if he 
may expect success; and I say, Yes. All aspects are 
useful in summer. In winter a north Window is chiefly 
useful for preserving plants, and allowing them to 
lengthen very slowly, and for setting plants in for short 
periods when they are in bloom. Most growing and 
flowering plants would prefer the south windows in 
winter : the one class of windows will thus act relatively 
to each other. A Fuchsia or a Geranium in full bloom 
in July will remain longer in bloom at the north 
windows than at the south. The dropping of flowers that 
some of our friends complain of, when placed on north, 
east, and west aspects, is less the result of deficient 
light than improper watering and a dry or an impure 
atmosphere. In dull weather in winter flowering plants 
will do best in a south aspect, then west, then on an 
east aspect, and worst on the north, though they will 
keep and grow slowly very well there. The slight 
shading from a manufactory that our correspondent 
speaks of is less to be dreaded than what may come 
from its and other chimneys. Its shade may save the 
use of a muslin curtain in summer. 
2. Soil. — There are several complaints of being 
puzzled about composts. There is little reason. Gritty 
soil found under the turf on a road-side, if well aired 
for some months, or even used at once mixed with a 
little sandy road-drift, will grow almost every plant that 
would be a real ornament to the window. When used, 
be sure it is neither wet nor dry—so moist that, when you 
squeeze it in your hand and hold it for half a minute 
or so, it will retain the marks of your fingers when you 
open your hand; but so dry that, when you lay it down 
gently, it crumbles, and the marks disappear. Unless 
in extreme cases, however, you have no use for soil for 
3. Potting now. —it is chiefly wanted for bulbs if 
you have not potted them previously. A very little 
leaf-mould or rotten dung may be added to the soil. If 
not very rotten, sweet, and well aired, let the pots 
be full of roots, and then add a little of your rotten 
dung as a surfacing. Proceed thus—drain the pots, place 
a little moss or chopped straw, &c., over the drainage, 
and then place the soil in, not firming it much, leaving 
space for the bulbs to stand with their necks just level 
with the surface of the pot, when the soil may be pressed 
rather firmly all round them. A four-inch pot will do 
for a good Hyacinth bulb, for two or three Jonquils, for 
three Tulips, and half a dozen Scillas, Snowdrops, and 
Crocuses, when you wish every pot to be a mass of 
bloom. Large Narcissus bulbs should have a six-inch 
pot. The treatment of the bulbs before the pots were 
filled with roots was given lately. Every house, in the i 
shape of cellars, cupboards, store-rooms, &c., supplies a 
good place. When well rooted the kitchen window, or 
