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1'UiS COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. February 8 , 1859. 
I- legans, splendens, minus, and pcregrinum may be sown 
for summer display. Trio mp he de Gand, Ujbbianum,- 
and varieties of that kind, sown in March and April, 
grown on in pots, and supplied with trellis or branches, 
will bloom all the winter and spring months, if the green¬ 
house is not below from 45° to 50°. 
V erbenas. —The pleasure of noting hundreds of these, 
as they show bloom, is endless. The commonest care is 
required, though the seedlings will come away all the 
better with a little heat. The best might be picked out 
and encouraged with more room, either in the house or 
out of doors. 
I have thus noticed only a few simple things, which, with 
the assistance of a few Chrysanthemums, &c., would tend 
to keep a house gay at little cost, save labour. The seeds 
might average from Gd. a packet. If the want of this 
correspondent, and others, has not been met, why there 
must just be a—try again. It. Fisii. 
THE CINERARIA. 
There is no florists’ flower so easy to cultivate, as the 
Cineraria, yet we seldom see it done justice to, or in such 
perfection as it is possible to grow it. At even the me¬ 
tropolitan exhibitions, the plants are far from being up 
to the standard of good cultivation. Observe the dif¬ 
ference between the collections of this flower and that of 
the Pelargonium, in regard to the attraction to visitors 
and general effect. The growers, however, are not alto¬ 
gether to blame for this failure. The Committees of the 
shows, or whoever has the fixing of the amount of the 
prizes, are as much, if not more, to blame. They offer 
seven or ten guineas for the best collection of Pelar¬ 
goniums ; whilst for the Cineraria the best prize is 
perhaps not more than twenty or, at the utmost, thirty 
shillings. How can it be expected, that an exhibitor will 
be at the same care to produce the latter as fine as the 
former : he merely grows them as a sort of catchpenny, 
to help to pay his expenses, along with other plants, or, 
if he is a dealer, to show the new sorts for the sake of 
getting orders for them. This state of things, in regard 
to the Cineraria, is to be much regretted ; for, if it is well 
grown and finely bloomed, it is equally as handsome and 
showy as the Pelargonium. Such being the case, which 
party is to take the initiative—the growers or the Com¬ 
mittees ? I should say, let them work contemporaneously. 
Let them meet, and agree, the one to give good prizes, 
and the other to exert the utmost skill to deserve them. 
Then we should see the Cineraria placed in the rank it 
deserves, and raisers of new kinds would strive more 
zealously to improve the kinds, in shape, colour, size, and 
habit. My experience in growing Cinerarias leads me to 
conclude, that they may be much better grown than we 
have hitherto seen them. I will, previously to giving my 
annual list of the most approved new and older varieties, 
give a few brief hints on the culture of this beautiful and 
useful flower. 
Soil. —-The Cineraria requires a light, rich soil, which 
may be obtained by using the following compost:—The 
thin top surface of an old sheep pasture, chopped up 
small, and used in a fresh state; decayed leaf mould; 
and sandy peat; in equal parts ; with about one eighth 
of hard lumps of decayed cowdung, mixed throughout 
the whole. 
Polling. —This should take place immediately—that is, 
not later than the beginning of February, and this 
potting to be the last for blooming plants. I suppose 
them now to be good plants, in five-inch pots. Shift 
them into eight, or, at the furthest, ten-inch pots. The 
balls should be kept entire, excepting, perhaps, a little of 
the top soil, which should be carefully picked off. Put a 
layer of the coarsest part of the compost on the top of 
the drainage, and thrust the lumpy compost hard down 
between the old ball and the sides of the new pots, cover¬ 
ing the ball with some of the finer parts of the fresh soil. 
Having finished the potting, place the plants on a thick 
bed of ashes, under a cold pit, or frame ; and, on all fa¬ 
vourable occasions, give abundance of air, drawing off 
the lights every fine day. In this open, though hard- 
pressed compost, the roots will run prodigiously, and the 
plants will grow most vigorously, provided water is 
given freely whenever the soil is dry. In such a state of 
robust health, the green fly will find a rich pasture, and, 
if not timely checked and destroyed, will cripple the 
rising flower-stems and leaves very seriously. Hence, I 
would advise periodical smokings,—say, every fortnight 
or three weeks,—to keep these pests down. Shoidd only 
one flower-stem appear; the grower may either nip it off, 
in order that more may spring, or allow it to grow on. I 
have grown a head of bloom on one stem a foot and a 
half across ; but, in such a case, the side shoots did not 
flower quite so early as the central ones; hence, the 
finest flowers were over before llie grand blaze of bloom 
appeared. 
In the frame, or pit, great care must be constantly ex¬ 
ercised in sheltering the plants from frost. This is cer¬ 
tainly an annoyanco; but this plant thrives so much better 
in a low, cool temperature, that the little extra trouble 
of covering up is not to be regarded. Then, with regard 
to shading, I know no flower that will bear the sun more 
than the Cineraria. I w ould only shade for a week or 
ten days, just before the day of exhibition. Tf the plants 
arc for decoration only, then remove them into the place 
they are to ornament, without any shading at all. When 
in a flowering state, they will take a large supply or 
water at the roots and over the leaves. The flowers, of 
course, must not be wetted at all. 
Cineraria seed may yet be sown, and seedlings now in 
their third or fourth leaf may be pricked out in shallow 
pans or boxes, and potted singly as soon as they require it. 
W ith these few remarks, I conclude, with, as I mentioned 
above, a list of six of the best new varieties, and eighteen 
carefully selected older varieties :— 
JBellissima, white, with azure blue margin, light disc ; 
good form and substance. 
Giuglini, white, with violet crimson edging j small dark 
disc, and fine form. Has received a first-class certificate, 
Mrs. Dix, pure white, with carmine-purple edges ; 
dark disc, and fine form and habit. An extra good 
variety. Has received several prizes as a seedling. 
Mrs. Livingstone, large purple, with white ring, dark 
disc, and compact habit. A good variety. 
Perfection, pure white, with rosy carmine edges, small 
disc ; very smooth, fine form, and constant. Has obtained 
many prizes as a seedling. 
Wonderful, bright crimson, white ring, and dark disc ; 
large and fine. Has received several prizes, 
7s. Gd. to 10s. Gd. each. 
Eighteen selected older varieties, all distinct, and ex« 
cellcnt sorts:— 
Baroness Rothschild, purple and white. 
Beauty of Leamington, dark purple and white, 
Brilliant, white and blue. 
Crimson Perfection, self, 
Fascination, blue self. 
Lady Jane Peel, white and rose. 
Lord Fvcrsley, purple and white. 
Lord Palmerston, purple self. 
Lord Palmerston, white and purple. 
Lady Gertrude Vaughan, large crimson flower, with 
white ring. 
Miss Labouchere, white and rosy lilac. 
Mrs. Coleman, violet purple, and white ring. 
Magnum Bonum, bright rosy purple. 
Optimum, white, crimson edges. 
Optima, white, deep blue edges. 
Prince of Wales, white, blue edges, dark blue disc; fine* 
Regalia, crimson self. 
Sir Charles Napier, intense blue self. 
The eighteen for 31s, Gd. T, Appleby. 
