26 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 12, 1853 
be fixed, if possible ? I think of heating by a flue, entering into 
the house at its north-west angle, from a furnace to be built in the 
back shed. Or, would you have the furnace so placed in the shed 
that the flue may enter the house at the middle of its back wall? 
Having had no experience in these matters, I shall bo greatly 
obliged by your telling me in your next Cottage Gardener 
(as I want to begin building at once), how far I am right in what 
1 propose, and supplying me with the information I seek, and 
any other you may think may prove useful to me in building a 
house to be used for the purpose named, at the least possible 
cost.”— Yiridis. 
[The height of the back wall of such a house should be ten or 
eleven feet, which will give a good slope to your glass. If that 
should be too high, you might have a short hipped roof, from a 
height of eight feet or so, meeting the longer roof at a height of 
nine or ten feet.; or, springing from the back wall, at a height of six 
feet, you might have a span-roof, the greatest height in the 
centre being nine or ten feet. These modes would, however, 
entail the expense of a gutter at the back, which the sloping 
roof, coming at once from the wall, would not do. Tour openings 
at the back will give you enough of top air, if the shed is not kept 
close in summer. But, how about the absence of shutters in 
winter ? Your flue will have more to do, if the shed must be 
kept as warm and comfortable as the greenhouse. Shutters would 
obviate that. Opening the door at one end, and a window at the 
other, would be almost sufficient for bottom ventilation; but to 
make sure of plenty of air, you could have two small ventilators 
in the front wall below the glass frames. The flue had better 
cross one end, pass along the front, and cross the other end. If 
you did not intend forcing, a small flue would be sufficient; and 
if you chiefly burned coke and cinders, you would have little 
annoyance from smoke.] 
PREPARATION OF FLOWER BEDS AT 
PUTTERIDGE BURY. 
“ Having visited Putteridge Bury a few years ago, and then 
greatly admired every arrangement there, I was pleased to see a 
notice of these beautiful gardens in The Cottage Gardener 
of the 7tlx September. As my own flower garden is similarly 
placed in rather an expossd situation,—chalky soil, &c.,—I should 
gladly hear what compost Mr. Fish thinks best to use in the 
beds for the bedcling-out plants. Also, whether it is necessary to 
put clay in Rose beds, made on the turf pincushion fashion ? My 
standard Roses (some of them) have lost nearly all their leaves, 
and some others are yellow and black ; while, in the same rosery, 
others have made good shoots since the summer, and have 
flowered well. Would it be better to move the Roses that do 
not look well into the new pincushion beds I am about to make, 
and to plant others in their places ? Paul Joseph and General 
Jacqueminot are looking very bad. 
“ Can any one inform me where I can get a pink Mimidus ? 
It is hardy, flowers very freely, and has a strong scent. I have 
inquired, without success, at several nurseries.”—E. H. 
[Although Putteridge Bury is in a chalky neighbourhood, the 
soil in the flower garden is chiefly a stiffish loam, resting upon 
clay, and that, in general, of no great depth to the chalk. At 
distances of a few yards the staple is not a foot in depth to the 
chalk. In the sunk flower garden much clay, &c., had to be 
removed, and a thickness of two feet, or so, of compost placed 
over the bottom, consisting of the surface-soil in the neighbour¬ 
hood, with nearly an equal proportion of sandy loam, obtained 
from the thrown-up hillocks by the wayside. No peculiar 
compost is used for the beds ; and changing the soil to any 
extent is out of the question, without breaking in upon economy 
in management. Road drift and rotten leaf mould are the chief 
auxiliaries, and these used in no great proportions. The chief 
dependence is placed on these simple matters of routine : — 
1st. Stirring the soil to a good depth, but bringing up little or 
none of the subsoil near the surface, though breaking a little into 
that subsoil, and leaving it in the bottom when well stirred. The 
Burface-soil is just a little incorporated with the soil a little further 
down. One object of this is to keep the richest soil at the sur¬ 
face. Another reason for deep stirring is, that the plants may 
bo next to self-dependent for 'moisture as soon as they begin to 
grow; whilst the poverty of the under-soil prevents extra luxu¬ 
riance. 
2 nd. A heap is made up of sifted road drift,—the sandier the 
better,—and rotten leaves, when they can be got, also sifted ; and, 
in planting, a small handful of tliis is placed round each plant, 
just to give them a start. 
3rd. Before planting, the beds are turned over in winter, if 
empty. But more care is paid to turning them frequently in warm 
sunny days in April and May, so that the ameliorating influence 
of as many sunbeams as possible may be incorporated in the 
soil. 
4th. Unless from necessity, in a period of wet weather, the 
planting is never performed, except when the soil is mellow, sweet, 
and dry; and care is taken that the surface is left sufficiently 
loose. 
5tli. From not changing the soil, it is deemed advisable to 
change the cropping every year, and this of itself tends to give 
the same beds a fresh appearance. When this is not done, some 
soil is taken away, and soil, either from other beds, or fresh, if it 
can be got, taken to supply the place of that removed. 
Gth. In the case of Pelargoniums, &c., except just to give a start 
at first, luxuriance should be avoided, by keeping the soil rather 
poor. When extra strength is required, and keeping in moisture, 
too, a consideration, mulching on the surface is resorted to, 
instead of incorporating much manure in the soil. This mulch¬ 
ing with riddled rotten dung and leaves is only done after the 
soil has been well heated. It. keeps in moisture and keeps out 
extra heat, and half an inch in thickness has kept Calceolaria 
beds all right in scorching weather, when beds not so used were 
withering and dying from drought. 
Moving Rose plants is a good plan for giving them fresh 
vigour. Nevertheless, we would prefer new plants for your new 
beds. If the soil is chalky, a little heavy loam will do the plants 
good, as also pretty liberal surface-mulching,—but that you 
cannot well manage with pincushion beds. 
We do not recollect a pink Mimulus : roseus is a rose colour, 
and is perfectly hardy as an annual. .1 f you w r ere to sow a packet 
of seeds of variegatus, &c., you would likely get a pinkish one 
among them. We know of no cure for Roses losing their leaves, 
except rich, liberal treatment, and plenty of water in such seasons 
as the last has been. Though we use such standards with 
flowers, it is because we cannot help it. Roses do not group 
well with bedding plants, just because they are not continuous 
enough iu blooming ; and when the leaves get shabby, as in the 
manner spoken of, they mar the general effect.— R. Fish]. 
PRESERVING A BED OF PANSIES. 
*■ I have a bed of Pansies, with from thirty to forty vaiieties 
The plants are all fresh and healthy. The other day, having oc¬ 
casion to cut a few blooms, I was horrified to find that there was 
not a perfect flower in the bed, every one being more or less abused 
with snails or earwigs. Can you recommend a remedy Tor these 
pests ? There are a great many Pansy-growers in this neighbour¬ 
hood, and it is proposed, by some, to grow them next season in 
beds raised several inches, with a wood-edging, round which a zinc 
trough is to be fixed, to be kept always full of water. Others, again, 
are for getting an affair made like a bottomless flower-pot, six 
inches in diameter, by three inches deep, with a flange outside; 
the flange, like the zinc trough, to be kept always full of water, to 
place round each individual plant. Have you any idea which of 
these is likely to prove most efficacious, or could you recommend 
some more simple remedy ? Will Pansies, recently struck, if 
planted out just now, stand over the winter without protection ? ” 
—Pansy. 
[We should like to protect your young Pansies in severe weather, 
by sticking evergreen branches firmly among them, or, in severe 
frost, placing a garden-pot- over them,— doing this after the 
ground was frosted. We have no doubt that the plans you 
suggest will be effective, but only if the water is always present, 
—a little gas-water would be an advantage. As a simple remedy, 
we would recommend clearing away a little of the surface of the 
bed,—say, from half an inch to an inch deep,—forking over with a 
a pointed stick, or small fork, replacing with fresh soil, and 
sprinkling the surface all over with quicklime, doing this repeatedly 
on a damp morning. In addition, place down brewer’s grains, 
or buttered tender learcs of Cabbage, to entice the slimy visitors ; 
and use hollow bean-stalks, &c., and small pots, half-filled with 
dry moss, to entice the other depredators; and look after both 
early in the morning, if you cannot well look after the slugs 
before bedtime.] 
