THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 23, 1858. 
123 
preceding, with linear foliage. This iB not of loose, but of compact 
habit. Its flowers are medium-sized, with a dark purple disc ; a 
showy plant, but liable to be killed by severe frosts. It is a very 
scarce plant, seldom, indeed, to be met with, and is the JRudbeckia 
angustifolia of some authors. 
Helianthus Maximiliani. —This is a noble perennial, having an 
abundance of bright yellow flowers. It is taller than many others, 
but makes up for it in the vast profusion of its showy flowers. I 
think it questionable if this is not the finest of all the Heliunths. 
Helianthus doronicoides. —A plant not nearly so tall as the pre¬ 
ceding, nor producing so many flowers ; but, for all this, it is a 
showy species, though seldom seen ; and is one of the latest at 
flowering, being very often in full beauty at the end of October 
and beginning of November. This is the Helianthus pubescens of 
some authors. 
Helianthus decapetalus. —One of the oldest of the genus, and a 
most beautiful one withal. The stems are in general very little 
branched, except at the top, where its branches form a corymb. 
It is a most profuse flowerer, and continues long in perfection. 
Helianthus longifolius. —This is a most distinct species, both in 
habit and appearance. Its stems and leaves are of a purple 
colour ; the former are tall, smooth, and few flowered ; the latter 
are long, lanceolate, and entire. The flowers, too, are smaller 
than many others, which gives this species quite a distinct appear¬ 
ance. It appears to be a very rare species. 
Helianthus cornifolius. —This is a most desirable species, with 
flowers of a sulphur yellow, produced in great profusion, which 
gives it a lively as well as a beautiful appearance. The foliage of 
this is rather larger than that of several other species. I am con¬ 
strained to say, it is very rare. 
Helianthus tomentosus. — Another very remarkable plant, 
covered with hispid hairs, which gives it quite a different appear¬ 
ance. It flowers most freely, and is very pretty. Many authors 
have confounded mollis, pubescens, and this together. They are, 
however, quite distinct. 
Helianthus frondosus. —This rare plant has scarcely been known 
in this country. Indeed, De Candolle has put it among his 
species non satis notes. It approaches nearest to decapetalus, but,' 
in my opinion, is quite distinct. The average number of petals 
seems to be seven, I have never seen them exceed eight. I re¬ 
ceived seeds of this, by accident, from America. It is a showy 
species. 
Besides the above, I have many other species, all most showy 
ornaments for the flower garden at this season of this year ; and I 
do sincerely hope that they may be more cultivated than at 
present, for they are all worthy of extended and general cultiva¬ 
tion.—W. IIOLCBOPT. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
PRUNING CLIMBING ROSES. 
“I have a Hlairii Ho. 2 and a white China Rose growing on a 
house with a south-west aspect. Should they now be cut in, and 
to what extent ? The Hlairii has made very long shoots, but is 
very bare at the bottom. The above are three-year old plants, 
and have not been much cut.”—N. B. 
[You must cut Hlairii down to very near the ground, if you 
mean it to make a fine plant. The China Rose must not be pruned 
till the beginning of April; and March will be time enough for 
Hlairii No. 2, as it seems so bare at the bottom. This Rose, 
and all other Roses, for climbing or training, ought to have every 
inch of growth they make, for the first three years after planting, 
cut down close to the ground. Suppose one shoot the first year 
twenty feet long, cut it to four eyes at the first pruning. Second 
year, suppose the four eyes made four shoots, each fifteen feet 
long, cut two of them to two eyes, two to four eyes ; one shoot to 
seven feet, and the last shoot to ten feet. In the next two years 
get rid of the seven and ten-feet pieces, and have all strong and 
healthy from the bottom.] 
WINTERING YOUNG FUCHSIAS. 
“ A subscriber to The Cottage Gaedenee will be glad to 
know the best method of keeping four-foot high Fuchsias during 
the winter. Should she cut them down, or let them die down, 
and cut them in the spring ? Also, she would be greatly obliged 
by a test to detect milk suspected of being adulterated with 
water.”—H. L. E. 
[Such young Fuchsias had better not be cut down to the 
ground till they show signs of growth in the spring ; but if they 
are bushy, the side branches may be cut back now to give more 
head room. We do not know how to detect water in milk. There 
are various lactometers, or instruments to show how much cream 
milk contains.] 
DEFORMITIES IN PINE APPLES. 
“ Will you be so kind as to inform me what causes some of 
my Providence Pine Apples to grow without crowns ? Perhaps 
my treatment, in some respects, may have something to do with 
the defect. Some few of my Montserrats swell a little below the 
crown, which gives the fruit a very ugly and deformed appearance. 
In one instance, two suckers (if it is right to call them so) have 
made their appearance on the sides of a crown. Would you 
kindly say whether I ought to remove them ? I am also troubled 
with a great many gills on my plants. I am told it is a proof 
they are not well grown. Yet many reach 4 lbs. each. Will 
you please to say what causes so many gills ? ”—W. W. B. 
[We would recommend you to read Glendinning and Mills’ 
two little works on the Pine Apple. There seems no great 
reason for the inference, that your plants are not well grown. 
Such things will happen at times, under the best treatment; but 
if generally the case, something will be found wrong. We have 
not grown Pines lately, but we will give the results of our 
previous experience, which you can take just for what you 
imagine it to be worth. 
1. Providences without crowns. —We generally found it to be 
chiefly the result of two causes. Keeping the house and roots 
rather dry and cold when the fruit was starting, and allowing 
water to remain at such a period for any length of time in the 
centre of the plant. Much importance should be attached to 
preventing water lodging there in winter. If the atmosphere is 
at all moist, and there is no method for preventing the water 
condensed on the glass from dropping on the plants, much care 
will be required in drawing it out of the centres of large plants 
with a syringe, or a long tin tube, which we have often had done 
with the mouth. Air should bo given, so that, in unison with 
the sun, when shining, the plants may be dried. 
2. The irregular swelling of the Montserrat would almost 
lead to the suspicion that the plant and fruit had been subject 
to sudden changes, as respects moisture and temperature. If only 
one or two are thus affected, and the others in the same place are 
regularly swelled, then the blame might rest on the state of the 
roots, and the treatment they received; but we have had such 
cases, and could not, by examination, satisfy ourselves as to the 
cause. A check at the time of starting will frequently show itself 
during the whole time of the swelling of the fruit. 
3. Suckers on the crowns. —Some kinds are more subject to 
what is called cockscomb-crowns than others. The Jinville 
frequently comes so, and also the Providence. The great pre¬ 
ventives are—plenty of light and air even in winter, and keeping 
up the requisite regular temperature. Even then, however, these 
cockscomb-crowns will come at tunes. If this is not what is 
meant, but the sucker-like appendages are more like suckers than 
the crown, and are at a short distance from it, and the crown is 
pretty large, we would cut them off, not pull them out, as that 
would be likely to injure the fruit; and we would do this almost 
as soon as they could be got at. If the suckers are at all large, 
it would be best to leave them alone ; at least, not pull or twist 
them out, but cut them over. Unless tflien quite small, it is as 
well not to meddle with them. 
4. Gills on the plants. —We have sometimes thought that two 
or three gills at the base of the fruit, and perhaps two inches or 
so beyond it, were ornamental rather than otherwise. They can 
easily be prevented getting larger, by scooping out the centre 
with the point of a small gouge or sharp knife. If the gills 
have been allowed to get any size, we would prefer doing this to 
removing them altogether. If there are several along the fruit- 
stalk besides, it is best to take them clean off when young. So 
far as theory goes, we should say take them all away when young, 
so that the whole strength from the stem may pass into the fruit. 
When, however, of two plants very similar, and fruit much the 
same in size, one with gills all removed, and one with two or three 
small ones close to the fruit allowed to remain, but deprived oi 
their growing points, it would be difficult to decide, front results, 
