120 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 22, 1860. 
roots with water. P. amplexicaulu, with me, will not grow more 
than three or four inches high ; and T find few persons who can 
grow it higher. I remember seeing n plant in a grass plot on the 
bank of a mountain stream—the spray of a waterfall kept the 
grass plot constantly damp. The plant when in flower was six 
inches high. 
Some years since, in passing a fruiterer’s shop, I was struck 
with the beauty of a bouquet of flowers for sale, composed of old 
favourites. In the centre was K. (tens plena twice the size T 
had grown it or seen it in any garden. Thinking it might be a 
sport, I felt a desire to possess a root of it. Mentioning my 
desire to a friend, he had the kindness to get me a piece of the 
root from which the (lowers were cut. It flowered in my garden 
the next year, and turned out to be the old variety I had grown 
many yea'i-s. In this case soil and situation were t he causes of the 
large flowers. The place in which the flowers were grown was 
a sandy loam in a damp shady garden. 
Many of the Ranunculuses are acrid poisons; a variety of 
Jt.Jtamm-nla r is used in medicine as an emetic.— Rustic Robin, 
EFFECTS OF THE LATE WINTER. 
I TJKE the suggestion of Mr. Robson very much, and consider 
that a general comparison of notes amongst gardeners will be 
producible of much practical and useful knowledge. I will 
endeavour to do my part for myself and the gardeners in the 
valley of the Trent; and believe me, it has required much very 
nice tact, and many very beautiful speeches, and a strong nerve, 
to face and keep the cook in good humour this spring. 
Broccolis are totally annihilated; at least, the percentage left 
is so small that it is scarcely worth naming, I can just hear of a 
neighbour of mine who has six out of as many hundred. Cabbages 
nearly all gone; and what are left are almost all “bolting” 
pretty fast. Mitchell's Early Albert and Enfield Market seem 
to bear the weather the best. Scotch-kale, as far as I can learn, 
is almost totally destroyed. In my own case they are so. Cot- 
tagers’-kale as yet I do not grow. Brussels Sprouts have been 
our main stay. On all sides I hear that every one is satisfied 
with them. With us, though not in a good position—grown 
between Peas, and consequently drawn a little—they have stood 
us in good stead; and therefore I have made a note in our garden¬ 
ing-book, “ Grow more Brussels Sprouts.” 
Speaking of Cabbages, we on our farm grow a few thousands of 
both early and late for the use of the sheep. In the autumn we 
planted and pricked out about 8000. I cannot better show our 
loss than by statiug that the ground is ploughed over and planted 
with Potatoes; all are gone, and those who usually supply us 
when we want any extras, cannot do so this spring. In Notting¬ 
ham Market last month I gave G</. for a score of Cabbage plants, 
imported, I understood, from either Belgium or Holland. What 
kind they are I cannot say—they were any colour but green.— 
Nathan H. Pownall, Holme Pierrepoint , near Nottingham. 
NURSERY-GARDENING FAR NORTH IN THE 
UNITED STATES. 
The following letter, dated January 12th, is from Mr. George 
Taylor, well known to many gardeners who are our readers. He 
is settled and thriving at Kalmazoo, a part of Michigan, in the 
United States :— 
“ I find the greatest demand for Norway Spruce here, and from 
their habit of growth and a judicious moving of them, a good- 
furnished tree of four to five feet will bring a dollar ; and if I had 
too many for my own locality they will pay to send out west. I 
think the Scotch Pine and Larch thrive even better here than 
they do at home, but they are not so well adapted for lifting in a 
large state as the Spruce. I sold above six hundred Spruce and 
Scotch Pines to the new Cemetery which just lies opposite me. 
These Cemetery grounds consist of about, twenty acres, are 
elevated and rolling, and command a fine view of the town. 
They were laid out last spring with carriage-drives and ornamental 
plots ; and in fine weather they attract a great many visitors, 
who frequently look in upon me, as 1 have an entrance opposite 
the main gate. 1 expect a good.many more tilings will be needed 
for these grounds, as it was too late in the spring before there 
was a finish to have much planted. I also do some business with 
private individuals in this Cemetery. The ground is all laid off 
into burial lots of from six to nine yards square. These are for 
sale; and a person purchasing has an exclusive right to plant 
trees and decorate them according to his pleasure. A good 
many are enclosing their lots with a hedge of Privets, of which I 
can now furnish "an ample supply at 11 dollar per hundred— 
about three times the price of what I sold them with you. The 
Austrian Pine and Silver 1 ir do also well, but tho Holly and 
common Yew' I find to be rather tender for our sevei’e winters. 
The Mahonia stands pretty well, but I am propagating my own 
stock of this from offshoots and seed. The common Hawthorn 
has clone well with me, though in some of the eastern states it 
has been reported a failure. I have some thought of trying a 
hedge as a sold of oceular demonstration. All that I have raised, 
I have wrought the double-flowering varieties upon, which when 
seen and known, will, I have no doubt, sell readily. Tho Arbor 
Yitre does well, and is much in request for evergreen hedging. I 
could have sold thousands (his last season if I had them; they 
grow abundantly as a native in the north of this State; but to 
go in quest of them or to hire to do it, would cost more than 
would procure them from the trade as seedlings. I have now a 
considerable stock of Apple and Peach trees, which I work my¬ 
self from grafting and budding. I am getting some Quince-stocks 
to try the raising of Pears. They do well on our high ground 
here where there is a little clay, and are now being a good deal 
planted. This is a great place for Strawberries, many thousands 
of quarts are sent off to Chicago and Detroit, the time of the 
season. One man last year grew about ten acres. I had a few 
last year, I should think about three-eighths of an acre, from which 
I gathered about 500 quarts. A part of them were the kind 
known as the Early Scarlet, which we commenced pulling on 
tho 1st of June; the other sorts coming in about a week later, 
and the season for them lasted just one month. The average 
price was from ten to twelve cents, per quart. I find, however, 
the Slack Prince and Keens' Seedling will not do here. Those 
that are natives and acclimated seem to do best. 
“Last season with us was not favourable for many tilings, 
especially those of vegetable growth. We had both late and 
early frosts, and through July and August, in our neighbour¬ 
hood, we had hardly a drop of rain. I had very fine bloom of 
Roses early in the season, which were much admired and pro¬ 
cured me some orders. I flowered above 1000 seedling Holly¬ 
hocks ; a part of them were from seed I had from my brother John, 
but the greater part were from seed I saved from good sorts 
grown by myself from the stock I had from you. Paul Chater, 
brother John, and I, think I had the finest doubles from my 
native seed. I had no single or real useless among them, and I 
have selected a few which I have no doubt, with you, would 
have been making themselves known to the world for 10s. 6d. 
each. Their season of flowering was, however, very short, owing 
to the hot dry weather. Indeed, in this country this is one 
thing greatly against the Hollyhock. They commence flowering 
in the first or second week in July, and by the middle of August 
there is nothing to be seen but dry, withered stalks, but plenty 
of fine seed. I gathered a good quantity from some of my best 
sorts, and have sold some here and out west. I have no doubt 
it would be worth something to you, or any in your line where it 
is better known, and new and fine varieties are appreciated. If 
you think of having any, I think it could yet be sent in time for 
the sowing of this season. Mine here are greatly admired, and 
every one remarks that he never saw anything so fine; but yet 
I have sold comparatively few to what might have been expected. 
“My Dahlias did not do much, owing to the dry weather, till 
late in the season, I had then some very fine blooms. I took 
the prize at our fair for the greatest and best variety, and could 
have taken it at Chicago for the best twelve, and also for the best 
seedling Dahlia. The great national fuir of the United States, 
was held at that city in September. I took a run through to see 
that great upstart place, and the fair which would be represented 
by the whole Union. I was not aware when I left, as to what 
prizes were to be competed for at tho floral part of the exhibition. 
I only took in my hand a small basket with blooms of a seedling 
Dahlia, some Roses, and a few spikes of the Delphinium formostim, 
just as a kind of novelty, so as to get people to speak to and talk 
about them. I found a large collection of the different sortB of 
cut flowers, with a few stove and greenhouse plants of a medium 
description ; but nothing in any way equal to what you have nt 
home. My seedling Dahlia was quite tv-heacl of anything of that 
kind that was shown; but not having been regularly entered 
there was no prize. 
“Tiie Delphinium fonnosum was quite an object of attraction, 
and collected a crowd of admirers. I took a large package of the 
