THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, Octobeb 12, 1858. 
as a dsvarf bed. Mr. Veiteli spoke highly of a new yellow 
CEnotkera, sometking ketween tke little prostrata 
and .Frazerii; but we saw it at a disadvantage. Tkere 
was, kowever, a little gem of a Coreopsis, or ratker a 
Calliopsis, a novelty, in tke way of tinctoria, combining 
tke best properties of atropurpurea, atrosanguinea, and 
marmorata, wkick, I am sure, will give great satisfaction. 
Tke bed was very regular throughout, about eighteen 
inches in height, flowers large, and produced freely ; but 
relieved by myriads of unopened buds, and tke foliage, 
like tke stems, very slender, reminding one of a bed of 
Mare’s-tail Grass, almost wholly smothered with bloom. 
Stocks bad tke remains of departed grandeur, but tke 
China Asters were in full beauty, and were by far tke 
finest I bad ever seen. 
I feel I am not sufiiciently up to tke new classifica¬ 
tion of Asters, but these were chiefly of tke broad 
expanded petal and tke incurved petal kinds, with very 
few of what are called tke pyramidal varieties. Tke 
flowers were not only fine,—many of them from four 
to five inches or more in diameter,—but tke plants were 
sturdy, compact bushes. Mr. Veitck courteously gave us 
his outline of management, and, although he could have 
no idea that we would note and print the information, I 
hope I do not greatly break confidence in placing his 
system before tke notice of our readers for their con¬ 
sideration and imitation. Tke seeds were home-saved, 
-—tkere was every appearance that tke present plants 
would ripen their seed kindly,—and were sown in a slight 
hotbed in tke usual manner. As soon as fairly handle- 
able, tke plants were placed, separately, in small pots, kept 
under protection, and encouraged to grow until May. 
Meanwhile, a piece of ground had been heavily dunged, 
trenched and ridged in winter ; had received several fork¬ 
ings over iii spring, to mellow and sweeten it; and, when 
all was ready, tke plants were taken and turned out, each 
variety by itself, and each plant two feet apart each way 
from its neighbour. 
Whilst speaking of herbaceous plants, I must not forget 
to mention how they manage, very successfully, the very 
beautiful Tropceolum speciosum, which is so rarely met 
with in a robust, healthy state. Here it is treated as a 
hardy, tuberous, climbing plant, and we found it bloom¬ 
ing vigorously in many places ; but always where it could 
enjoy moisture and coolness at the roots, and shade from 
bright sunshine. A large collection of Liliums were in 
excellent order; and Geraniums, &c., cut down and break¬ 
ing, were in fine condition. E. Fish. 
(To be continued !.) 
STOEING FETJIT IN WINTEE. 
Notwithstanding the many admonitions for gathering in 
our winter fruits with care,—which every gardening publica¬ 
tion has urged, from Miller and Abercrombie, downwards, 
—it still is a fact, that Apples and Pears, as well as Onions 
and other things, are rattled together like so many marbles or 
road-stones,—labourers and others entrusted with the job seem¬ 
ing heedless about the consequences ; and, as in their eyes 
French Crabs and other late Apples and Pears present no exter¬ 
nal bruises of any consequence at the time of putting away, it is 
concluded that they have not suffered any harm. This fallacious 
notion is more widely spread than is generally admitted, and, 
either from carelessness or some other cause, fruits for winter 
use are often jumbled together more than they ought to be, to 
the detriment of the fruit, and its premature decay. Many other 
things, as well as fruit, suffer from the same cause. Onions do 
not like to be treated like corn or seeds,—when tumbled about in 
all directions, and bruised all over, the most vulnerable parts lead 
to decay, and the bulb does not keep anything like so long as it 
ought. So well is this known, that some extensive greengrocers 
in country towns have garden plots of their own, where they 
grow things on purpose to keep late in the season, being unwill¬ 
ing to trust to the uncertainties of those jostled about in the 
market. 
Now, if such hardy bulbs as Onions suller in the way al¬ 
luded to, how much more will Apples and Pears, whoso in¬ 
ternal substance is not defended by so many folds of outer 
covering as in the Onion; and, the tissue being composed of 
juices more likely to ferment by being damaged, destruction is 
the inevitable consequence, gome kinds, however, resist decay 
longer than others; but, when it does commence, it will invari¬ 
ably do so at a place injured by some previous mishap. • Others 
more speedily decay, containing within themselves the elements 
of their own destruction, which, it is needless to say, is hastened 
on by any rude treatment they may have received at the time of 
storing away. 
As it is one of the fixed laws of nature that heat hastens 
everything on to that point of maturity called ripeness, while 
cold retards that process, fruit stored for winter use ought to 
be kept in as cool a place as possible, as by that means its ripen¬ 
ing will be retarded. A fruit-room, therefore, ought to be as 
cool as possible,—one partly underground, and on the north 
side of a wall, will be best; but, wherever it is, let it be 
well ventilated, as nothing tends more to hasten decay than a 
confined atmosphere, impregnated, as it generally is, with the 
odour from the fruits collected there. Pungi of various kinds 
are generated, and putrefaction goes on rapidly. On the con¬ 
trary, a dry, cool air promotes the preservation of fruits, and 
other perishable articles. 
Now, as fruits keep better in a cool, than in a warm atmosphere, 
it is advisable not to house them until most of the warm weather 
is over for the season. September is often a warm month, and, 
when so, let the best-keeping kinds of Apples hang as long on 
the trees as possible, before gathering. The same may be said of 
Pears. Even those that will no longer hang will often keep 
better in some cool cellar during the warm weeks of autumn, 
than in an airy fruit-room at that time ; for it is a remark¬ 
able fact, that, when cold, frosty weather does set in, the fruit 
that may have been decaying for some time previously almost 
ceases to do so then,—the cold, dry air arrests it; for, be it ob¬ 
served, that cold air ought at all times to bo freely admitted 
into the fruit-room, as any amount of cold, short of not being 
entirely frozen, will be found beneficial. Eires in a fruit-room 
being only wanted occasionally to drive off damp, or that sluggish, 
impure air which refuses to depart by the air-openings, in periods 
of damp weather, or during intense frosts, or, it may be, where 
some kinds are wanted, to hasten ripening, it is advisable to apply 
a fire. At all other times it is better without. 
Of the construction of a fruit-room much discussion has often 
taken place; but, in a general way, every building so used is 
too low, and crowded with shelves too close together; for the 
fruits at the far side of the shelf are too far removed from the 
currents of ah- to derive any benefit from it, while the odour 
or gases emitted by one fruit must of necessity pass through, 
and linger amongst the others, to their injury; while, very often* 
the top of the room is sealed against its escape. This is no 
idle notion, as I have often seen fruits kept in fine-looking fruit- 
rooms run to decay sooner than similar kinds heaped together 
in the bottom of the hop kilns in this neighbourhood, with 
an atmosphere above them unimpeded by any ceiling for twenty 
feet or more. Fruits, like human beings, like lofty dwellings, 
and their conservation is, accordingly, increased or decreased, a» 
this rule is kept or violated. 
In some seasons, or in some situations, the preservation of 
fruits is not so satisfactory as in others; and, what is somewhat 
unfortunate, the best-grown fruits keep worst. Last year (1857) 
Apples and Pears kept very badly. The fine summer and 
autumn had ripened them so thoroughly, and filled them with 
so much saccharine matter, that they began to decay some 
months earlier than their wonted period. This season they are 
not so forward ; nevertheless, they may keep badly, if gathered 
and housed in close, confined quarters too early in the season. 
It is better, therefore, to wait, and let them hang as long as they 
will; and, if they fall very much, and aro obliged to be gathered, 
let them be placed on a cellar floor for a time, in shallow baskets, 
and after a while brought out and put into their place, being 
careful not to remove any of that oily varnish with which they 
are encased, which acts as a sort of preservative from the in¬ 
trusion of damp, and keeps the fruits from decaying. 
In drawing these notes to a close, I most strongly urge on 
the small grower, who has but a few pet Apples and Pcar3, 
and but indifferent accommodation for their keeping, to place 
the Apples in his cellar or larder. The Pears, however, may 
be kept a little warmer, for, without this, late Pears never 
arrive at anything like an agreeable flavour; and a long and 
