THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 10, 1857. 327 
as a student of prophecy, I have little hesitation in say¬ 
ing that there will be a magnificently long “ run ” on 
this new Acacia, although I have never seen the flowers. 
Acacia Drummondi is the second best, and the next 
twenty kinds are about equally good, but T have no time 
or room to name them to-day. Mr. Yeitch can furnish 
the best forty kinds of them, and there are at least some 
hundreds of some of the best kinds, as Drummondi. 
Here were all the different kinds of Tropasolums in 
training; also the original plant of Phi/esia buxifolia 
and its young progeny; fine plants of Grevillea robusta; 
Witsenia corymbosa in sandy peat; Cytisuses, Epacrises, 
Heaths,Chorozemas,Boronias,Aphelexis, Pimeleas,Erio- 
stemons. Polygalas, Gompholobiums, Sweet Daphnes, 
Befaria cestuans and coarctata, Bouvardias of sorts for 
bedding out; Ceratostema longiflorum, a fine plant; 
EscaUonia pterocladon, like a white Epacris, but hardy 
or almost hardy ; Eugenia Ugni , apiculata, and oleoides; 
Gaylussacia pulcherrima, Luxembergia ciliosa, Wein- 
mannia, tricosperma, and pubescens, with such fine leaves; 
Veronicas, Thibaudia pulchra, Stadmannia australis, 
Telopea speciosissima, Lomatia ferruginea, Stenocarpus 
Gunninghami, Lardizabala biternata, Quadria hetero- 
phylla, Leptodactylon Californicum, Meyenia erecta, a 
greenhouse as well as a stove plant, and in specimens 
to bloom out of doors; and why not, also, all kinds of 
older and better-known plants of this hardihood, which 
I shall enumerate and review more fully in my next and 
last chapter. D. Beaton. 
(To be continued .) 
SURELY RATHER THAN SPEEDILY. 
In the columns of your paper, at page 200, there is an 
article headed “ Advice to Young Gardeners,” which in 
itself is very good ; in fact, if the course prescribed by my 
friend was adopted by us young gardeners, it would tend to 
raise us to something in the gardening world. But my 
reasons for troubling you about this at present are twofold. 
The first is, my friend, “ our example of perseverance,” in¬ 
troduces himself to our notice at the age of ten, at which 
time he enters a local nursery; he remains in it two years ; 
he then seems to have been very fortunate, gets into a good 
place to all appearance, where he has the benefit of coming 
into contact with a good variety, as well as a large number 
of various descriptions of plants. Here another three 
years pass over liis head. By this time he is in his 
fifteenth year. He has after this four changes, in each of 
which he remains two years, eight in all, which brings him 
to the manly age of twenty-three. He now, like many more, 
concludes that he has got to the tup of the tree, because 
filling a “responsible situation as head gardener,” by his 
own calculation, at the age of twenty-two. 
The next thing I beg leave to call attention to is the 
forward spirit evinced by young gardeners, after getting into 
places for themselves, of boasting and straining themselves 
to their full, and often far beyond the strength of their 
powers. Such I have sometimes seen eased of their situa¬ 
tions by their employers, the first or second year, as in- 
capables. Such I hope, however, will not be the case with 
the “ Yorkshireman.” 
Now, in addition to his advice, I would add for the benefit 
of my young brethren in the trade, do not be too rash in 
taking a place for yourselves as head gardener; rather wait 
till you get more experience, both in your business and 
in the proper manner of conducting men, which I can 
scarcely let myself think can all be acquired at the age of 
twenty-two. If it is acquired at that age I am sure you will 
be no worse for a few more years’ experience.—A Young 
Gardener in the North of Scotland. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
SOIL ENCUMBERED WITH CROCUSES. 
“ I have a garden nearly overrun with bulbs of different 
sorts, the Crocus being the chief. They have, I hear, once 
been in patches ; hut the garden has been dug, and they 
are scattered all over, and all colours mixed together. So 
scattered are thej r that there is scarcely room to set a foot 
without destroying some. There are, also, many other bulbs 
scattered, but the Crocuses are far the worst. I hear they 
make a very gay show in early spring, but I fear for the 
grass they will leave after them. I wish to know how I am 
to get rid of them. To take them up would be an ‘endless 
work.’”—A Darlington Subscriber. 
[Crocuses are the most difficult of all bulbs to get rid of, 
and they will trouble you for many years if you cannot get 
the bulbs picked out as you would Potatoes. When they 
are going out of bloom is the best time to battle with them; 
and all of them that are within an ordinary distance from 
the surface must be dug out just as you would Potatoes. 
Those that are very deep you must wear out by pulling up 
the leaves as soon and as often as they are long enough to 
get hold of. If you were to bury the whole of them by 
trenching the ground four feet deep they would all be up 
next season as if nothing had happened to them ; so that 
there is no way of killing them except that of wearing them 
out, which takes a very long time to accomplish. We were 
once troubled with them just as you are, and we sympathise 
with you; but you may depend upon it there is no way of 
clearing them light out except as above. We would warn 
all amateurs against digging among Crocuses except when 
they can be seen above ground.] 
HARDY ABIETINAh 
“ F. W. S. would thank the Editor of The Cottage 
Gardener to furnish him with a list of twelve Abietince, 
selected with a view to variety and proved hardiness, as well 
as moderate price.” 
[We suppose that you are aware that Abietime include 
but one section of Conifers, that is to say, the Firs, Larches, 
Cedars, Pines, Araucarias, Dammaras, Cunninghamias, Phe- 
rosphieras, Microcachyrs, Arthrolexis, Sequoias, and Scia- 
dopitys. For lawn plants we would select Abies Canadensis, 
A. Douglasii, A. Fraseri, A. Cephalonica, and A. Khutrow, 
as very cheap and handsome trees, but not the best of 
them. Larches we would pass over, and of Cedars we 
would select the Deodar, Cedar of Lebanon, and the Mount 
Atlas Cedar. Of the Pines we would take insignis, Ben- 
thamiana, pinea, or Stone Pine, and cembra, that is, two of 
the oldest and two of the newer ones; then Araucaria 
imbricata and Sequoia sempervirens, alias Taxodium sem¬ 
pervirens. There are none cheaper than these, and, at the 
same time, so good, till we come to the common Spruces, 
Scotch Firs, and Silver Firs.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Clergyman’s Right to Remove Hothouse {Rev. H. C. K.). —The 
case recently decided, though incorrectly reported by a gardening con¬ 
temporary, determines that either an incumbent or his executors may 
remove expensive hothouses which he has erected. There are certain 
restrictions, however, and we hope to obtain fuller particulars in time 
for next week. 
Flower-garden Plans (F . G.).—We cannot give designs for 
gardens we have not seen, nor can any one who wishes to act correctly. 
Buy our No. 217 ; there is a plan there which may suit you, but you must 
judge entirely for yourself. 
Early Potatoes (P. B.). —The best early and productive Potato is 
the true Ash-leaved Kidney, but not the Walnut-leaved , which is some¬ 
times confounded with it. The next best early, and which we grow for 
our main crop, ripening in July, and keeping well, is a round variety we 
received from Woodstock, called Miss Sanger’s Seedling, or some such 
name. Ripening thus early, it is out of the way before the time usual 
for the murrain to appear. 
Shortening Peach Tree Shoots (A. Loftus).—' Your sorts are 
very good. The necessary shortening will depend greatly on the state of 
the roots. You would see from articles lately the folly of shortening too 
much ; still, under the circumstances you name, we should be inclined i 
to remove the side or secondary shoots if not thoroughly well ripened, 
and take one-third off the ends of the strongest ones. If the shoots of 
Peach and Nectarine trees are not judiciously shortened the middle of 
the trees gets naked and unfruitful. 
Acacias, Gardenias, &c. (Hadingden). —If you have the volumes 
for some years you will find information on everything you mention. 
Greenhouse Acacias require two parts loam and one of peat, an average 
temperature of 38° to 48° in winter, plenty of drainage, plenty of 
water, plenty of air when the outside temperature is above 40°, and a 
shady place out of doors in summer. Gardenias require, also, peat and 
