,396 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, March 10, 1857. 
Here, again, is Mr. E., too great to be troubled with 
: trifles, who would scorn any hint you might drop as to 
the avoidance of sudden extremes. He has some nice 
plants growing in a sweet, kindly temperature; and, in 
order to give them more elbow room, he moves them 
from their comfortable quarters in a cold day, places 
them in a cold shed, transfers them to cold pots and into 
cold soil, and lets them all remain in the cold until each 
and all are repotted, when they are returned to the place 
whence they came; and then he grumbles when some 
plants die, others become diseased, and hosts of insects 
assail the whole. 
And, lastly, for the present, there is our friend, Mr.F., 
who cannot even let well alone, whose heart, brimming 
full of kindness, must vent itself at his fingers in doing 
something or other for his proteges, even though his 
mistaken goodness be a source of harm to them; and, 
therefore, when he refreshes rightly a plant suffering 
from dryness, he cannot refrain from watering also the 
plants in its neighbourhood, whether they want it or not, 
whether they are growing or in a state of rest, and the 
consequence is that some plants get water-logged, and 
present him with the soil of a morass. Others, from this 
dribbling system, have the surface soil alternately moist 
and dry, while the bulk of the roots are perishing with 
drought unsuspected, and the plant becomes unable to 
meet the demands upon it; others, again, get rotten at 
the collars, from damp and moisture lodging there; and 
others, such as succulents, get cankered and gouty, 
because, instead of thanking you for helping them with 
water in winter, they in general would have been more 
obliged if you had let them alone, as they absorb through 
their whole surface as much moisture as they perspire. 
Double Primula Damping. —I have no doubt that 
“Excelsior” is pretty well correct in attributing the 
misfortune to too frequent waterings, and the not taking 
care that none of that water was spilt about the collar 
of the plant. He says nothing of the temperature, and 
that, too, might have had something to do with it, taking 
the frequent waterings into consideration. Stiff plants 
in six-inch pots will bloom nicely in an average night 
temperature of from 40° to 45°. Such fine plants 
as “Excelsior’s,” in 12-inch pots, would require an 
average' of from 45° to a few degrees more, or great par¬ 
ticularity in the watering, giving it in a bright, sunny 
day enough to moisten the roots right through, but 
keeping the collar of the plant perfectly dry. This is 
easiest done by having it slightly elevated, and by 
pouring the water from a spout on a piece of crock or 
oyster-shell until a sufficiency floods the surface all 
round, with the exception of the collar in the centre. It 
is right, for “ Excelsior’s” encouragement, to mention 
that such large plants, when they have bloomed pro¬ 
fusely several months, begin to show signs, by damping 
leaves, &c., of exhaustion, as much as saying, “ I want 
to rest and recruit myself, and therefore, if you want to 
keep me, you had better remove carefully all such leaves 
and the remainder of the flower-stems.” If manure 
water is given whilst in bloom it should be clear and 
weak. I consider it most useful, when the plant is 
growing freely, before it begins to throw up the flower- 
stems. “ Excelsior ” has done quite right in repotting 
in a smaller pot; but if he could place the pot in a sweet 
bottom heat of from GO 0 to 65° it would root and recover 
all the faster. Were it mine, and suffering much, I 
should be inclined to sacrifice the flowers for this season. 
Every damp and cankered part about the collar should 
be removed. Chalk and sand put round it are good; a 
little lime, somewhat quick, would have been better for a 
day or so, and then removing it, and placing around the 
diseased part a little mound of powdered charcoal, and 
removing and renewing that after a few days. I hope 
the plant will be thus restored ; but if, notwithstanding, 
the collar shows signs of giving way, it will be advisable 
to cut the plant into pieces, and strike each separately in | 
the hotbed intended for Achimenes, and thus every 
piece may be made into a large plant before the next j 
autumn. 
Should Bark, when put in a Pit, be trodden firm ? | 
—The bark has been put into a pit six feet by three 
feet, and four feet deep, and “ we cannot get it to heat.” 
As a general rule bark does not require treading, a pat¬ 
ting with the back of a fork being quite sufficient. Our 
operations must be regulated by the state of the tan. If 
very dry it may require treading to make it more solid, 
and to exclude” too much air, and also a slight sprinkling 
of water in turning it, as so long as it remains open and 
dry the heat from decomposition and fermentation can¬ 
not be obtained. If in a medium state, neither wet nor 
dry, but rather approaching the latter, no treading will 
be required, as the air and its oxygen will be admitted 
just in the right quantity to carry on the combustion, or 
the decomposing process. If wet it will still less require j 
treading; it will be so close that air cannot enter, and 
should be turned over now and then, and left as loose as 
possible, that air may have access to it. It should never 
be used very wet if it can be avoided, but be partly dried 
before placing it in the pit. 
Fruiting a Vine in a pot in a Greenhouse.— 
“Grape ” cannot do better than just let his plant have 
a good open place in the greenhouse, and let it break 
naturally as the weather becomes warmer. His getting 
fruit will depend not so much on the treatment this year 
as on the treatment last season. If the wood is moderately 
strong, the leaves had plenty of light, and the wood is 
hard, and firm, and well ripened, and the buds pro¬ 
minent, then each of these buds will send out a shoot 
that will carry fruit. The length of the shoots, so far 
as getting fruit, is of little consequence, whether it be 
cut back considerably, say one half, or let it remain 
nearly its full length, and thin the buds to half or a third 
of their number before the sap rises; or wait until the 
buds break, and then select the best shoots, so as to 
retain some six bunches or so altogether, rubbing off 
most of the other buds and shoots. If the wood was 
imperfectly ripened every bud may break nicely, and yet 
hardly any, or none at all, will show fruit. Unless I saw 
the Vine, to make as sure as possible of fruit I would 
say, prune little or none until it is seen what the Vine 
will do. The shoot may be twisted in a circular form to 
make it break regularly. If there is a good show his de¬ 
pendence must be upon rich surfacings and manure 
waterings to swell the fruit nicely. The warmest corner 
it can be kept in, especially when in bloom, the better. 
Imported Camellias (Camellia). — You have done 
so far quite right. By the end of next month, when 
the blooming is over, place the plants together at one 
end of the greenhouse, as you have no other place. 
Water as necessary. Syringe all over frequently; 
keep them closish as respects giving air; and shade 
from very bright sunshine by placing thin gauze 
or a little thin size over the glass. As soon as you 
see the new growth from half an inch to an incji in 
length take them out of their pots, remove carefully a 
part of the old battered soil, disentangle the fibres, and 
repot in a size larger pots, using two parts sandy, fibry 
loam, and one of heath soil, with plenty of drainage. 
Replace in the same position, water thoroughly when j 
necessary, and sprinkle with the syringe to keep a moist 
atmosphere. In about six weeks inure to more air and 
light to set the buds, and we do not see how you will 
miss Camellia flowers next year. R. Fish. 
BEAUMONTIA GRANDIFLORA. 
This lovely climber first flowered, I believe, in one of the 
conservatories at Bretton Hall, Yorkshire, and the plant was 
