370 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Maech 15, 1859. 
up the glass, half an inch or so, at night and morning, to give a 
little air ; but shut down close before the sun strikes the window, i 
When, by this means, you get two or three young plants, and 
preserve them in your cold pit in winter, then you may safely 
risk your favourite plant against your south wall. You do not 
say where you live,—whether at the Land’s End or John o’ 
Groat’s, which is a matter of some moment, as we should 
think this plant would stand out of doors in many parts south 
of London; but in the latitude of London and the midland 
counties, it would be better for a little mulch over the roots 
in winter, and the protection of evergreen branches, or a mat, 
in winter. 
With respect to the batch of Australian Seeds, allow us, in all 
friendship, to make two remarks,—first, as respects ourselves; 
and secondly, as respects the practice of getting seeds from 
friends abroad—these friends having but little knowledge of what 
is suited for, and what already has been received into, and is 
common in, this country. W r e might, with perfect truth, just have 
told you not to bother yourself with these seeds, as they would 
be of no use to you in your circumstances ; but it is a great 
chance if you would have believed us, or thought we merely 
wished to get rid of a troublesome inquiry. Well, troublesome, 
no doubt, it was, and unsatisfactory, too; though we have be¬ 
stowed more time in endeavouring to find what the plants really 
are than the seed-packets are worth five times over. W r e have 
corrected the names for you—those we could decipher. A gentle¬ 
man, w ho profferred a great packet of foreign seeds as a mark of 
friendship, was so surprised, that he hardly knew whether to 
take it as a joke or in earnest, when told of the recorded practice 
of a valued coadjutor, who required a ten-pound note to accom¬ 
pany such seeds, in order that they might have the chance of 
getting a taste of British soil and water. The note should in¬ 
variably be doubled when the names were only a kind of hiero¬ 
glyphics. No doubt there is a charm in trying to grow what a 
friend’s hand has gathered, and even some interest in sowing 
what that friend may have received from others with a high 
character, even though it should be home-saved seed, sent back 
again—the value so much increased by at least tw T o voyages—or 
collected in other lands altogether; as it is no uncommon thing 
to find parcels of seeds sent from a particular place, though no 
living or dead botanist ever detected such plants in such places. 
Again—leaving these matters out of consideration, and all the 
trouble of raising, trying, and throwing away, or allowing to die, 
as nothing to speak about—the getting of these parcels generally 
costs something; the parting them among friends and some 
neighbouring gardeners costs something more—in the way of time 
and trouble at any rate; and the very acceptance of which is 
looked upon as a bore more than otherwise, nineteen times out 
of t wenty. Now, in the present case, the most suitable plant 
for our friend is the Glory Pea ; and a nice plant of that he could 
obtain for a shilling, and a packet of seeds for sixpence, and very 
likely as much information from the vendors as would prevent 
him wasting his resources on what would not suit him. Of 
course, we except seeds sent by botanical collectors. 
However, if resolved to raise the seeds sent, the best thing he 
can do is to make one light of his cold pit into a hotbed, and 
sow the seeds separately in small pots. April will be a good 
month for sowing.] 
LATE PEARS —PROTECTION FOR FRUIT 
BLOSSOM. 
“ You say, in n recent paper, with respect to Pears, ‘ After 
Winter Nells has passed, which is generally in January, we have 
nothing of any approved merit, except Bev.rrc de Nance, Ne plus 
Mettris, and Easter Bearre.’ Why do you omit Josephine de 
Malines ? Mr. Rivers recommends it highly; and it is one of 
our latest Pears.” 
[For several years past, we have found Josephine de Malines 
over by the end of January. It certainly is one of the best Pears 
of its season.] 
“ Again. You disapprove highly of every kind of covering for 
bloom which cannot be taken oft' and on as easily as your spectacles. 
At Knowsley, many of the trees are covered with a double 
thickness of common net : it is never removed and answers 
perfectly.”—W. C. 
[We shall be glad to hear that net preserves blossom from 
frost. Who has proved that it does p—E ds.] 
NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 
Begonia xanthina var. pictifolia ( Variegated-leaved, 
yelloiv-floivered Begonia). 
Received from Messrs. Jackson, Kingston Nursery. Probably 
a native of Assam.—( Botanical Magazine, t. 5,102.) 
EriGYNiUM leucoeotevs ( White-fruited Epigynium). 
Imported by Mr. Nuttall, from the Duppla Hills, of north¬ 
eastern Bengal, where his nephew found it growing on a species 
of Oak. A hardy, grecuhouse, evergreen shrub, with white 
flowers, blooming in summer, and white wax-like berries in the 
autumn.— {Ibid., t. 5,103.) 
Soneeila maegaeitacea {Pearl-spotted Sonerila). 
“A very lovely little stove plant,” imported by Messrs. Veitch 
and Son through Mr. T. Lobb, “ from some part of India.” 
Flowers in corymbs, pink ; but the chief beauty arises from the 
leaves, which are dark glossy green, with pearl-like spots in rows 
between the veins.— {Ibid., t. 5,104.) 
Plectocoaua AsSAMICA {Assam Pleetocomia). 
Known also as Zalacca Assamica. Native of eastern Bengal. 
It is a stove Palm.— {Ibid., t. 5,105.) 
Dipiekacanthus calvescens {Slightlg-glossg Diptei'acanthus). 
Native of Rio Janeiro; blossoming freely in the winter, and 
would, no doubt, succeed well in a warm greenhouse.” Flowers 
pale purplish-lilac.”— Ibid., t. 5,106.) 
ON VINE BORDERS, AND TULL’S FIRST 
FARM. 
In a late paper on Vines, I mentioned that R. Crawshay, Esq. 
is one of our best cultivators of Grapes, without entering into 
any details of his plans. His greatest praise is his thorough 
knowledge of the nature and growth of the Vino, and his ample 
means of reducing it to practice. Like a true horticulturist, he 
knows the ground to bo the stomach of plants ; and that if the 
ground is not in proper condition they must bo sickly, liow'ever 
well managed. On this true principle his Vine-borders were 
made; and I may safely say they were the best I ever saw, and 
think with regret that I may never see such again. Not, how¬ 
ever, for novel const ruction—having no air-drains, nor heated with 
liot-water pipes ; for at the time of which I am speaking, such 
contrivances were little known. But though his borders were 
not of that sort, perhaps they were equally good. 
The subject of making Vine borders is so hackneyed, that little 
new can be said upon it. However, the young gardener never 
loses by having such subjects brought frequently before him. I 
have already stated, that Mr. Crawsliay’s Vine borders differed 
from all others I have seen. They were made above ground, 
about four feet high; composed chiefly of black, rotten, turfy 
bog-soil, mixed with a good portion of rather decayed rich stable 
manure, varying in width according to the sizo of the vineries. 
These vineries were of brick, high enough in front to afford room 
for the borders. By this simple plan no drains were required, and 
the soil was of loose texture; so much so, that both the heat of the 
sun and the air seemed to penetrate the whole mass of rough soil 
which lay in front of the houses. On this I think that much of 
his great success depended; for it is usual to make Vine borders 
in pit-lioles, dug out in front of the houses, and filled up with 
mixtures of light soil. But, however well drained they may be, 
it often happens that the soil soon turns sour and cold, especially 
if it is very rich, and consequently unfit for the roots of the 
Vines. Although these may thrive a few seasons in such borders, 
they afterwards turn sickly; though, perhaps, they would have 
remained longer healthy if they had been merely planted in 
common soil, provided it was dry, and afforded full scope for the 
roots. 
In connection with tills subject, I may remark, ns regards 
digging out bad soil and supplying its place with better earth, 
this has a greater tendency to turn damp than the surrounding 
ground. This is well exemplified in the simple experiment of 
Tull; who, during a severe drought, dug a cavity about one 
yard deep in a ploughed field, and filled it with dry dust. In a 
short time it became damper than the rest of the land ; which 
led him to think, and truly, that vapour or dews arise from the 
earth, especially in hot weather, contrary to the common belief of 
