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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 23, J850. 209 
[The proper name of Cerastium tomeniosa is Cerastium 
tomeniosum , and the English names take tomenlosum first, 
which means a short white down on the leaves, which makes 
them appear woolly. Mouse-ear Chickweed is the English 
for Cerastium, and the two make a pretty long string —the 
Woolly-leaved Mouse-ear Chickweed. We are not aware that 
it comes from seed; but it creeps so fast that the treat¬ 
ment needed is to keep it within hounds. After it is made 
into an edging, and fills up the line, you will have to cut that 
line on both sides to keep it neat, and every third year, at 
the farthest, you ought to take it up and divide it, and plant 
it afresh as you would do Daisies; but it is much hardier | 
than double Daisies. The flowers are not the beauty, but 
the white woolly leaves and the close manner of growing; 
but the flowers are pretty white stars while they last. The 
real familiar name is Common Cerastium; but it is so old 
that the present generation knew nothing about it till it was 
brought out as an edging plant at the Crystal Palace. 
There are two or three kinds of Ozothamnus, and one of 
them is hardy enough to live out of doors, and to be cut 
down to the ground before winter; the rest require to be 
kept from frost in some way or other. Your Andromedas are 
too healthy, perhaps, for no plant flowers more freely and 
regularly in any soil that will grow a Rhododendron. Lift 
it next March, and the check will make it bloom probably.] 
WARDIAN CASES. 
“ What is the best form, and what the cost of a handsome 
Wardian Case ?— Generosus.” 
[These are very indefinite queries. Show a plan to some 
cabinet-maker or ironmonger, accordingly as you determine 
upon a frame of wood or of metal, and ask them for an 
estimate. Whoever you employ, be sure to have the 
Wardian case without a bottom. It can then be placed like 
a hand-light over such boxes of plants as Mr. Beaton 
describes to-day as being grown by Mr. Veitch ready for 
such a purpose. The edges of the tin or zinc box (gal¬ 
vanized iron would be a better material) could be hidden 
with moss when the Wardian case was placed over it, and 
thi3 case could be taken off occasionally to examine or to 
re-arrange the plants.] 
SMALL BULBS OF LILIUM LANCIFOLIUM.— 
LOBELIA ERINUS COMPACTA. 
“What am I to do with the small bulbs that have accumu¬ 
lated round the bases of the stems of Lilium lancifolium ? 
They are in pots. I raised from seeds, last spring, a large 
potful of Lobelia erinus compacta, which was put out in little 
patches, and half a dozen of these patches have been taken 
up again and put in pots. It is not a bad imitation of 
Rumosoides, but not so dark. I want to know if I shall 
be able to make anything of it for edgings next season, and 
how?— Anti Bellis.” 
[The little bulbs of Lilium lancifolium might be planted 
out of the pots next May into a warm, sheltered place near 
a south wall, to be watered occasionally, and to be taken up 
next autumn, saved like Potatoes, potted in February, and 
planted out again in May, and so on, till every one of them is a 
bigger bulb than the one it came from. But you may grow 
them in pots if you prefer it, and keep them all the time 
with the old ones, and on the same plan. It is a thousand 
to one if ever anybody will succeed in getting one more 
plant of Lobelia erinus compacta from seed. It is a chance 
variation from a normal type which will not come true from 
seed. Almost all the seed houses advertised seeds of Lobelia 
ramosoides as lately as last year, although it was well known 
that the plant never seeds at all. It is a great chance 
if ever you have seen the very plant of which you think you 
possess a stock. We could never seed either the blue or 
the white Compacta ; but that is no reason why the plants 
should not seed. We know that not a single variety of the 
family comes true from seed, and the variety Compacta 
is less likely to come true than any of them, providing it 
does seed, which we very much doubt. Set your seedling 
plants to work by the end of February, and you may have 
ever so many of them from cuttings, which will make edging 
plants in time for next summer ; but if they are really as 
dwai’f as Compacta , put three of them in GO-sized pots, and 
let each pot represent one plant only.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
A Subscriber and J. H. W. are referred to Mr. Fish’s communication 
published in the present number. 
Fattening Pigs (Novice). —They will not fatten on Carrots and 
Mangold Wurtzel only. They must have barleymeal also. We should 
boil the roots, slice them, and mix them with the meal. 
Portable Manure (An Amateur in Lancashire). —Guano, pigeons’ 
! dung, and superphosphate of lime, sprinkled two or three times annually 
during wet weather, would be the best applications to your herbage on 
the poor, steep land. We know of no animal that will willingly eat the 
leaves of the Elder. 
Names of Plants (A. M. S.). — Your berry is from the Woody 
Nightshade, So/amun dulcumuva. (Doctor’s Boy). —We cannot make 
out your plants from the small seeds of one, and piece of seed-pod of 
the other. Send us a flowering specimen when jou have one. 
Pinus Pallasiana and Pinus radiata (G. W. E.).— Pinus 
Pallasiana, a native of the Crimea, is quite a different tree from P. 
radiata, introduced from California since Don died, and, therefore, could 
not have been named by him. Taurica and Tatarica are common garden 
names for Pallasiana, which, with radiata, may be had of Messrs. Low, 
Veitch, and Glendinning ; also in other nurseries. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Crewe. February 3rd and 4th, 1857. Secs. S. Sheppard and D. 
Margelts, Esqs. Entries close January 15th. 
Crystal Palace. January 10th, I2th, 13th, and 14th. Grand Ex¬ 
hibition of Poultry, Pigeons, and Rabbits. Secretary to the Poultry 
Exhibition, William Houghton, Esq., Crystal Palace. Entries 
close December 13tli. 
Essex. At Colchester, December 31st, 1856, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of 
January, 1857. Secs., G. E. Attwood. and W. A. Warwick. Entries 
close December 17th. 
Kendal. At Kendal, February 6th and 7th, 1857- Sec. Mr. T. 
Atkinson. 
Liverpool. January 28tli, 29th, and 30th, 1857. Secs. Gilbert W. 
Moss, Esq., and William C. Worrall, Esq., 6, Lower Castle-street. 
Entries close on the 10th of January. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 13, 14, and 
15. Hon. Sec. Frank Bottom. Secretary to the Canary Department, 
Jno. Hetherington, jun., Sneinton. 
Preston and North Lancashire. January 21st and 22nd, 1857. 
Sec., Ralph Leigh, Esq., 125, Church Street, Preston. Entries close 
December 13th. 
South East Hants. At Fareham, January 26th and 27th, 1857. Sec. 
Mr. James James. Entries close January 14th. 
N.B.— Secretarieswill oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
SPANGLED HAMBURGHS. 
Glad am I to see that Hamburghs are now beginning to 
rise in general estimation. For the last three or four weeks, 
as “W. H.” says, “it really is quite refreshing ” to see the , 
remarks in your paper concerning these fowls; but, at the 
same time, I was astonished to observe so good a judge of j 
Hamburghs as “ W. II.” denouncing them as bad winter 
layers. 
My experience tells me that with a fair run and proper j 
treatment they will lay almost as early and as well as Cochins, , 
for I have hatched them in June, and had them laying in the , 
early part of December. “ But then,” some say, “ their eggs j 
are so small.” So they are ; but mind, Hamburghs do not eat 
more than half what an equal number of Cochins would; | 
but I confess they want better food. 
Then, again, they do not tease you with wanting to sit all 
the summer, hut continue laying till August or September, j 
or at least till they begin to moult, which I generally find is 
in the latter month, after which they will again commence 
their task, but always later the second year. Hence the 
necessity of rearing a number of early pullets to lay during 
November and December, when eggs are dearest. 
I believe Spangled Hamburghs to be the most beautiful 
and useful of any class of domestic poultry. Some say they 
cannot be kept in confinement, but I have proved they can— 
not to the same extent as Cochins, perhaps, because they 
must be kept thoroughly clean, or roup will surely visit 
you ; and I am afraid it is persons who do not like tlie 
trouble of this who are so partial to Cochins. There are 
many, I know, who keep Cochins well, and keep them because 
they are really fond of them ; but I still think, were they to 
keep Spangled or Pencilled Hamburghs for twelve months, 
they would no longer want any Cochins. 
