THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 20, 1858. 
induced by long residence in India, the dose being three to 
ten grains three times a day.” 
Just as we were going to press, we received the following 
from Emery's American Journal :— 
“ Richly embossed in silken grass. 
The golden Dandelion shines ; 
A sunflower in the cloudy spring, 
And bright when summer’s eve declines. 
“ The heart receives impressions fair— 
The young, and playful, loving heart— 
When opening wild flowers please us more 
Than knowledge of their healing part. 
“ Our first essay in floral love, 
We fondly trace it line by line ; 
The lowly strangers moved our love, 
Unconscious of the cause Divine. 
“ In riper years, the wondrous ball 
Of downy wings, attraction won ; 
Forsook by bee and butterfly, 
But half its marvels were begun. 
“ For then we struck the truant’s clock, 
Unmindful of the wheels of time. 
To gaze upon the seed balloons, 
A sailing through the sunny clime; 
“ And see our little lives portrayed— 
Some gently, others swiftly borne ! 
Some few a place congenial find, 
More hurry whence there’s no return ! 
“ But hless’d is he whose budding spring, 
Yields bloom for summer’s hopeful skies ; 
When ripe for autumn’s gathering hand, 
His fruit on wings of promise rise.” 
“ In some of our rural districts, the anxious herbalist may 
be met gathering what she calls Dandelion, as a ‘ cure ’ for 
the ‘ heart ague,’ consumption, and numerous other diseases; 
the plant so gathered is a species of the numerous Hawk 
weeds that bloom about July. The true Dandelion is still 
extensively used as a medicinal herb on the European con¬ 
tinent ; it is also sold as a salad in the markets of France, 
while in Germany the roots are dried and used by the poor 
as we use coffee. Why it should be a ‘ waste weed’ with us 
can only be accounted for because of our ignorance of the 
nature of our native plants. We wish that some of our 
scientific readers would take up the subject of ‘ Our Waste 
Weeds,’ and thereby enable the working man, as he takes 
his ‘ walks abroad,’ to make them as agreeeble.”] 
Death oe Mrs. Loudon. —Jane Webb Loudon, compiler 
of several gardening and botanical works, and widow of the 
more generally known John Claudius Loudon, died on the 
13th instant, at Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the 58th 
year of her age. We have some notes relative to this lady, 
which we may publish in a future number. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Raising Strawberries from Seed {K. K.). — Ripe seed may he 
procured in two ways :—First, during the first year the plants have 
produced fruit, collect a sufficient quantity of well-shaped and well- 
ripened berries ; the best .time to do this is towards the end of the 
full crop, that we may he sure we have got the proper sort, and that 
we have not gathered the seeds either from degenerated plants, or 
from other varieties, which may have intruded into the bed. But these 
berries upon a plate, and set them in a dry place out of the reach of 
mice. They will then decompose and dry up. No danger is to be 
apprehended from the berries becoming putrid or mouldy; for the de¬ 
composition of the pulp tends only to perfect the seeds. The Straw¬ 
berries thus dried are to be kept till the following spring, when, by 
rubbing them between the fingers, the seed may be easily separated 
from the remains of the pulp, which may he thrown away as useless, 
and then the seeds will remain unmixed and almost perfectly clean. 
Or, secondly, take the Strawberries, selected as in the former case, and 
squeeze them in a hair scarce or sieve of a pretty close texture; pour 
water upon them, shaking and separating them at the same time with 
the hand; press them against the searce, and in a short time the diluted 
pulp will pass through and leave the seed. These may he either sown 
immediately, or kept in a dry place until the spring. Sowing should 1 
take place immediately the seed is obtained from the berry, and the 
seedlings will then hear fruit the next year. Select a light, rich soil, 
with an easterly aspect, so as to be shaded from the mid-day sun ; sow 
very thinly, in drills nine inches apart, and bury the seed not more than 
a quarter of an inch below the surface. Give gentle Avaterings daily, 
during dry weather, and keep the seedlings well cleared from weeds. 
In August, thin the plants to six inches apart, and those thus removed 
may be pricked out at similar distances in a like sheltered soil. In the 
early spring, give them a slight top dressing of leaf mould. Instead 
ol so "' in S ki the open border, some gardeners prefer employing pots 
01 seed-pans, which we consider necessary only where small quantities 
ol hj bndised seed are to be sown. In that case the pans should he 
placed in a warm aspect, and on ground where the worms cannot pene¬ 
trate ; if placed in a frame, it will be an advantage, or a handglass, when 
only a single pan is sown, placed over it, to protect it from violent 
rains, as well as to forward the germination. A thin mixture of com¬ 
mon whitening-and-water, and a thin coat of this laid on the inside of 
the handglass or frame light, Avith a soft brush, will be an effectual 
shade from the mid-day sun, and at the same time will admit sufficient 
light for the seeds to germinate and grow till they are strong enough 
to bear exposure to the sun and air. 
Keeping a Coav [Alp>ha). —We luvve a letter sent to our office for 
you, which we will forward, if you Avill favour us with your direction. 
Fountain in Aquarium (S. C. N.). —If you had read the preA’ious 
communication, at page 193, you would have remembered that the 
writer is dead. The fountain is supposed to be playing in a partial 
vacuum. The Avater from the jet is supposed to be running down the 
pipe av. 
Blooai of Sage ( F. B. P.).—It is not rare. We have a large bed in 
bloom Avhere this is written. It does not bloom where the young shoots 
are continually nipped off for culinary purposes. 
Various (F. C , Brighton). —Ants Avill do no harm to j r our green¬ 
house plants. The Avater in the aquarium will not injure those plants. 
What Roses are they which require pruning? There are many trailing 
Roses. 
Pelargonium and Geranium [Kenny). — You ask, “What is the 
difference?” and we could only reply fully by giving lengthy bo¬ 
tanical distinctions. The genus Geranium has been divided into three 
genera, Geranium, Pelargonium, and Erodium ; but Geranium is such , 
an old-established name, that eA r ery one is liable to apply it indiscri- I 
minately to Geraniums and Pelargoniums. They all belong to the ( 
natural order, Geraniaceai. Pelargonium is characterised by having 
usually seven stamens, and unequal-sized petals; Geranium, having 
ten stamens, and equal-sized petals; and Erodium, having five fertile 
anthers usually. 
Vine Leaa’es Diseased (A Cornish Subscriber). —The leav r es are so 
dry and bruised, that we cannot be certain as to the appearance of the 
disease. Are the leaf-stalks gangrened ? If so, we should incline to 
the opinion that there is a deficient supply of sap, and that the roots 
require attending to. We should open the ground over them, give 
them some liquid manure, and, after returning the soil with a little 
manure mixed with it, mulch the surface, and keep it watered daily, 
whilst the dry weather continues. 
Melon Culture [A. MurUij).— In our No. 460, you will find full 
directions. 
Names of Plants ( Alethea ).—No. 4. Lastrcva dilatata, small frond. 
No. 5. Lastraea filix-mas, true. No. 6. Lastreea dilatata, large frond 
in fruit. [Kate). —Your plants were nicely sent, and areas follows :— 
1. Burchcllia Capensis. A stove evergreen shrub. 2. Sedum opposi- 
tifolium. A beautiful hardy border, or rock plant. 3 .Justicia speciosa. 
Properly a stoA r e plant, of quick groAvth; and roots from cuttings so 
freely, that young plants should be made every year, and the old ones 
thrown away. The leaf without a number, is from the Habrothamnus 
fasciculatus. and the Arabis is A. grandiflora, by some authors called 
Caucasica. No. 4 is still unknoAvn to us. We have had many speci¬ 
mens of this from many different quarters, and will shortly answer all 
with its name. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
August 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. Crystal Palace (Summer Show). 
Entries close July 10th. Sec., W. Houghton. 
August 17th. Ormskirk. Secs., Wm. ShaAve, and James Spencer, ! 
Ormskirk. 
August 18th. Airedale. Mon. Secs., J. Wilkiflson and T. Booth, 
Shipley. 
August 28th. Halifax and Calder Vale. Sec., Mr. Wm. Irvine, 
Holmfield, Halifax. Entries close August 14. 
October 7th and 8th. Worcestershire. Sec., Mr. G. Griffiths, 7, 
St. Swithin’s Lane, Worcester. Entries close September 23. 
Noveaiber 29th and 30th, December 1st and 2nd. Birmingham. Sec., 
Mr. J. Morgan. Entries close Ncwember 1st. 
December 17th and 18th. Halifax Fancy Pigeon Shoav. Sec., Mr. 
H. Iloldswortli, Woolshops, Halifax. 
January 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 1859. Cra'Stal Palace (Winter 
Show). Sec., W. Houghton. 
N.B. Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
GATHERINGS ABOUT GAME FOWLS. 
We were lately thrown into company where the question 
of cock-fighting was freely discussed. We do not propose to 
touch upon it here, but we think we gained some knowledge 
of Game cocks in general. One point was most amusing, 
and it was the variety of opinions about colour. Most of 
those present were cock-fighters, and prepared to pin their 
faith on any particular shade, which had with them always 
produced victors. 
Give me, said one, “ a good Black-breasted Red, with 
blue legs.” 
“Wouldn’t back one for a penny,” said the next. “If 
you had said willow legs !” 
