THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 30, 1850. 227 
young plant of that Lily, and also one of Lilium Wallichia- 
num, and whether these Lilies may be grown in the midland 
counties without protection, and, if not, what sort of protec¬ 
tion they should have ? 
“ I have a cold pit with a north-eastern aspect, a common 
quick fence on the north-west, and rather shaded by shrubs 
on the south-west and south-east. It is in a very dry situa¬ 
tion ; the front is nearly level with the ground, two feet 
six inches deep, and three feet six inches at the back. It is 
lined with bricks without mortar to the level of the ground, 
then a turf wall above, nearly a foot thick, and that is covered 
with zinc to carry off the wet. I have also put through the 
turf, at each end, an inch pipe-tile, so as to let air circulate, 
and caps outside to shut it off when requisite. 
“ As to Lapageria rosea I am following his directions in 
treating a young plant I had from the Clapton Nursery, and 
will say how I succeed with it by next autumn.—J. G.” 
[Both those Lilies will do to be treated exactly as the old 
white Lily, called longijlorum or eximium, or as nearly as 
possible like the Japan Lilies, but they will stand as much 
heat as an Air Plant; therefore they may be forced on to 
make large plants or bulbs in less time than many other 
Lilies; and one-third of good strong loam, with two-thirds 
turfy peat, is best for them when they are young; and for 
strong, old plants the compost may be reversed, two-thirds 
loam and one-third peat; the bulbs to rest, or nearly so, in 
winter. Your cold pit is the right place for them, but the 
gigantic Lily is hardy enough to live out the winter with you, 
but have a good stock of both before you venture on leaving 
some out over the winter; and when you do, give them the 
same protection as you would a Fuchsia. Your cold pit, by- 
the-by, is a capital contrivance. Take great heed of the way 
Mr. A r eitch treats Lapageria. Recollect that not one single 
drop of water must remain one half-hour about, or at all 
near the roots, except what the soil holds as a sponge would. 
If you make perfectly certain of that, you may water it 
three times a day as long as it is growing naturally, that is, 
without fire-heat or forcing by close confinement, and when 
it is at rest give it no more water than you would to an old 
scarlet Lobelia while at rest. We have not the least doubt 
but Lapageria rosea would do very well out of doors in 
England if it could be treated as a half water-plant from 
May to September, and as an “American plant for the rest 
of the year; but then, as it blooms naturally from October 
to April, like Jasminum nudiflorum, we must have it in-doors, 
and planting it in a border is better than keeping it in a pot; 
but, Oh, what a lovely climber !] 
M‘GLASHEN’S TRANSPLANTING MACHINE. 
“What is your opinion of the apparatus invented by Mr. j 
M'Glaslien for transplanting trees ? Does it perform its : 
work well ? and what sized apparatus would be most gene- i 
rally useful ?—C. P. C.” 
[Our opinion of this contrivance is founded on its applica¬ 
tion in the garden of the Horticultural Society before Prince 
Albert, Sir J. Paxton, and a score of practical planters from 
beyond the Tweed, and our opinion is this—it is a good con¬ 
trivance for moving all trees under fifteen years old, and 
shrubs of the same proportion; and that for all trees above 
that size no “ transplanter ” will ever be so good as the 
manual labour of John Bull and Sandy Macpharlan. Be¬ 
sides all that, this or any other “ transplanter” will always 
do more harm than good unless he who manages any one 
of them is favourable to the contrivance. J 
COLEUS BLUMEI DECAYING. 
“ I have got half a dozen plants of the Coleus Blumei, and 
within this last fortnight, just as they came in flower, they 
are gone black in the stems, about two inches from the pot, 
; and the leaves all flag. I should be obliged by your telling 
me what will be a remedy, for I do not like the looks of 
them at all. They are in a nice heat, about 60° to 65°. The 
plants were struck in July last, and are two feet through the 
middle.—A Constant Subscriber in Cheshire.” 
[The plants bad some sudden check from heat to cold, or a 
[ twist in carriage, or something which has caused death to 
the main stem ; but if the black does not extend down to 
the pot the collar of the plant may yet push up a fresh 
shoot. First of all, make quite sure if the black is all 
round the stem. If it is, cut it down at once, and make 
cuttings of some of the best shoots; they root as easily as 
a Salvia, or say, much easier than a Verbena. If we were 
plant growers we would throw away our Coleus plants before 
winter, all except one to take cuttings from in March. We 
would put ten, or twelve, or twenty of the young plants 
into one large pot, and make a four-feet-through specimen 
at once ; then one more to match it for two stands in the 
conservatory or front hall, and some smaller plants for 
other less conspicuous situations at the time of “housing.” 
In the autumn we should cast them all, as we have said, to 
the same place as old Balsams, Cockscombs, and sucli-like. 
Those who keep large plants of it over the winter intend to 
show them when only one plant is allowed in a pot; but 
that is no reason for private growers to lumber themselves 
with it in winter.] 
EFFECTS OF SPRING FROSTS ON PEAR 
BLOSSOMS. 
By Richard Varden, Esq., Seaford Grange, Pershore. 
The following is the result of an examination of several 
thousand Pear Blossoms, made last spring, to satisfy myself 
of the relative extent of injury they sustained from frost, 
under various circumstances of position. 
The mode of proceeding was, to examine in each case a 
given number of blossoms, generally one hundred. All that 
showed discoloration, when nipped through the lower part, 
were assumed to be injured, while those of a natural colour 
were considered good. Doubtful ones were thrown aside and 
not reckoned. 
1. The first inquiry was, whether blossoms might be taken 
indiscriminately in all stages of development, or in average 
stages only. On examination, it was found that late blossoms 
were least injured. Thus, in one hundred of each,— 
Bad opened blossoms. 
Bad unopened. 
Colmar d’Ete had 
. 100 
42 
Susette de Bavay 
. 99 
59 
Easter Beurre..., 
64 
In the 
sheltered. 
In the exposed 
Hessle . 
78 
92 
Louise Bonne, of Jersey 
88 
96 
Williams’ Bonchretien.. 
82 
88 
Glou Morceau. 
20 
19 
Average . 
67 
72 
giving an average of 98 bad blossoms out of the hundred of 
those fully opened, and but 55 out of the hundred of the 
unopened. This great difference showed that, for purposes 
of comparison, only such blossoms as were an average of 
forwardness, for the particular variety, should be taken. 
2. The next comparison was, average blossoms taken from 
protected and unprotected situations of equal elevation, the 
protection being a hedge with Elm-trees, on the east or 
windward side of the plantation. Out of one hundred 
blossoms of each sort, the number of bad were as follows:— 
showing that the shelter named had on this occasion les¬ 
sened the injurious effect of the frost about 12 per cent. 
3. The third point examined was, whether varieties whose 
blossoms are equally forward are equally hardy. The result 
proved they were not. Thus, in blossoms equally developed, 
the trees being free from shelter, and on ground of nearly 
the same level:— 
Beurre Diel had. 68 bad in 100. 
Fondante Van Mons. 9 „ 
Doyenne d’Ete . 18 „ 
Colmar d’Ete. 42 „ 
Susette de Bavay . 58 „ 
Easter Beurre. 64 „ 
Williams’ Bonchretien .. 85 „ 
From these preliminary examinations, it appeared neces¬ 
sary, in investigating the relative amounts of injury done by 
frost at different heights, to compare only trees of the same 
variety, taking the average blossoms of each kind, and 
avoiding shelter. The result was as follows :— 
