40 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 17, 1860. 
between L.fulgens and L. Sieboldii , and named Haageana. This, 
also, is hardy and a fine addition to the Lychnises. It is of a 
brilliant orange-scarlet colour. Altogether this part of the 
“Illustrated Bouquet” is very rich in novelties, and very useful 
in the practical directions. 
CULTURE OF PERILLA NANKINENSIS. 
Seeing several inquiries in The Cottage Gardener on the 
culture of Perilla, also Mr. Beaton’s article on raising seedlings, 
I venture to offer my mite of experience these two seasons, the 
worth of which I leave to your better judgment. In March, 
1859, I procured a packet of the seed, and being advertised as a 
hardy annual, I sowed it in 32-sized pots, half filled with drainage, 
with a compost of sandy soil and leaf mould ; placed the pots in 
a cold pit, applying fire only when likely to be a sharp frost. I 
only filled the pots to within one inch of the top, gave a good 
watering, left it to drain for a time, then sowed seed, covered each 
with a pane of glass, and shaded from hot sun, which saves having 
to water often. The aspect of the pit is S.S.E. In about three 
weeks the seedlings made their appearance; and as soon as I 
could handle them they where pricked out in boxes in the same 
kind of compost, only a little rougher, and I finally planted them 
out in May, for the back row of a small border, a row of orange 
Calceolaria, next Tom Thumb Geranium, edged with Alyssum 
and Lobelia speciosa —two plants of Lobelia, and one of Alyssum 
alternately. The Alyssum was kept in proper bounds with the 
knife, and not by the shears, and I assure you this little border 
was very much admired. 
I may add, that three kinds of dwarf Lobelia treated in the 
same manner have come up well, but the seedlings were rather 
longer in making their appearance than the Perilla.—A Young 
Hand, South Salop. 
CUTTING POTATOES FOR PLANTING. 
Oue predictions about two months ago that Potatoes would be 
very dear this spring are verified. Allow us, therefore, a small 
space to inform your readers of our experience of the most suc¬ 
cessful and economical mode of cutting them to obtain the best 
of crops. 
Small whole tubers may be safely planted to secure the best 
results, if, when the plants are up about three or four inches 
high—say at the end of May, the weakest shoots are pulled up, 
and reduced to only one, two, or at most three, which may be 
performed by pressing the plant with the left hand, and jerking 
off with the right hand from the mother set the superfluous off¬ 
shoots. We have thus grown from seedlings one year old, not 
larger than Peas, very fine tubers the second" season after the 
seed had been sown. Larger ones are preferable for planting, j 
but are not the cheapest; the crown sets of such should first be I 
cut off with a good thickness, to be planted by themselves, and 
treated similarly when up as directed for the small whole ones, 
as tills part of the Potato, without this expedient, always pro¬ 
duces too superabundant a number of shoots, and, consequently, 
a weak and small progeny. The remaining part of the large¬ 
sized sets are best cut in halves from the upper part through the 
tail end, or otherwise into single eyes ; those, however, will not 
require so much thinning, if any, when growing. 
By adhering strictly to the above rules nearly all the produce 
will prove large, and more in measure than where this process of 
thinning is not resorted to.—A. Habdy & Son, Seed Growers, 
4'c., Maldon , Essex. 
GERMAN SUMMER STOCKS ( Mathiola annua). 
{From J. Carter cf Co.’s “ Fade Mecum.") 
“Eour sorts of Summer German Stock are now known. 
“ {a) Dwaee. —This has close, compact flowers, and is as well 
suited for grouping in the open air as for culture in pots. 
“ (5) L aege-flo w eeed .—This has likewise close, compact 
flowers, but the single blossoms are larger than the preceding ; 
on account of its strong growth it is particularly adapted for 
growing in flower-beds, where it attains to an extraordinary per¬ 
fection, and the stalks of the blossom reach to a considerable 
size. 
“ (c) New TEEY Dwaef. —This is perfectly similar in blossom 
to the one mentioned under head {a), and is only distinguished 
from it by its exceedingly dwarf growth : it is, therefore, better 
suited as an edging round Stock-beds of previously mentioned 
sorts, or those which follow. 
“ (d) Branching oe Pyramidal. —The blossoms of this are 
not so close nor compact, and may be used in the same manner 
as the large-flowered. This variety, on account of its branching 
habit, is better suited for bouquets than all the others previously 
mentioned. 
“ Directions for Solving. —Sow in the early part of March in a 
cold bed, which must be filled up with vegetable earth mixed 
with one-sixth of river sand; when the mould has been smooth- 
ened, and the windows put on the cases, the distance from the 
earth to the windows must not be more than three or four inches, 
so that the rising plants may be as near as possible to the glass ; 
the smoothened earth must be slightly slushed with water, and 
the seed then strewn, but in such a manner that the seeds are 
not too close together, say about two or three seeds on the square 
inch ; after this, again carefully water, and then finely sifted 
earth of the same kind is sifted over it to the depth of about one- 
sixth of an inch ; put on the windows, keep close, and if there is 
sun, shade must be given. In favourable weather the seeds 
germinate in four or five days, and when they are up, they must 
be thinned in order that the plants may not be long-legged; if 
they are aired, and there is a strong sun, shade must still be 
given until the plants have become so strong that more air may 
be given, and then shading may be totally dispensed with: when 
the slushing of the earth and the scattered seed has been well 
performed, it will not be necessary to water the young plants for 
three weeks; it is never done before it is observed that the 
humidity is exhausted, and then, if possible, on a morning upon 
which it is likely to be a bright day; even when they are watered, 
too much water must not be given at once, because it would run 
from the surface, as the earth is too dry to suck it in immediately; 
therefore the first time only a little water is given, that the top 
earth may draw it in; half an hour afterwards a second and 
heavier supply may be given. At latest at the end of April the 
plants, if so treated, will be so strong that they may be trans¬ 
planted, either in groups in the open air, or as ornaments in pots 
with other plants : the Stock-plant can, if it be not weakened in 
the bed, but has only become a little hardened, receive five or 
j six subsequent transplantings without serious injury. We would, 
I therefore, always advise that the Stock be planted rather early 
and weak, because it grows up much more easily in this little, 
weak state, than to transplant it when it has become a large, 
strong plant, perhaps in the middle of May or later. 
GERMAN AUTUMN STOCKS ( Mathiola intermedia ). 
The Autumn Stock is likewise divided into different kinds: 
viz.— 
“ ( a ) Autumnal. —This species has the blossoms close to each 
other, the top and side-shoots blooming at the same time. 
“ (b) Autumnal Branching. —This species has the blossoms 
rather more loosely on the stalk. 
“ (c) Imtebial. —These bloom several times in the year, and 
are like those described under (a) ; they differ from it in that 
the principal side-shoots bloom first, and then the top: it is said 
of this plant that with proper treatment it will last several years, 
and at length form itself into a small tree; the same may be said 
of (a) and (J) species, if cultivated in the same manner. 
“ (d) Laege-eloweeed Impeeial. —Is much like the pre¬ 
ceding, only that the individual blossoms are larger. They re¬ 
quire, according to their appropriation, a different time for sowing : 
if they are required for continuation-bloom in the beds of the 
Summer Stock, then they must be sown at the same time, 
must be treated like them and planted between them. When the 
Summer Stock has done blooming, it must be removed, that the 
Autumn Stock may spread itself out, as it requires more room for 
development; however, if the Autumn and Imperial Stocks are 
reared for pots, they must be treated like the Winter Stock, the 
description of which follows. 
“"WINTER OR QUEEN STOCK {Mathiola incana ). 
“ Queen, with close sitting flowers. 
“ Queen, with blossoms rather spread out. 
“ Brompton, that do not branch out, and form only one stem, 
on which there is formed in the spring, as on the Stock Wall¬ 
flower, one blossom-stalk. The Winter Stock, besides the last- 
mentioned species, developes a strong bush on a low stem, and 
presents at the time of blooming a splendid sight: it is princi¬ 
pally applicable to ornament flower-beds to be placed before the 
windows, because it developes its flowers early in the spring. As 
