24S 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Jtoy 17 , i860. 
CYCLAMENS GROWING PREMATURELY— 
HEDAROMA TULIPIFERA CULTURE. 
About the middle of May last I bought from Messrs. E. G. 
Henderson & Son the ten best of Cyclamen Persicnm recommended 
by Mr. Beaton. Some came to hand with leaves and some with¬ 
out, but all in pots and safe. I immediately tipped them out of 
the pot.-, and plunged them in a border in my garden carefully 
with the soil they grew and came to me in,—western aspect; and 
I now beg to ask you what I am to do with them, as they all, 
with and without leaves as above, are pushing out new leaves; 
and I understood Mr. Beaton to say, I must look out for leaf- 
growth in August, and up with them that day. But mine have 
not rested, lienee my dilemma. 
I have also a beautiful plant of Hedaroma tulipifera, eighteen 
niches high by twelvo inches through. Grows amazingly in 
excellent foliage, but has never made a flower-bud. How am I 
to ripen the wood ?—in the greenhouse, or in a pit (north aspect), 
with Heaths, or under tiffany with my Camellias ?— John 
Tckned. 
[We have a few Cyclamens going just tho same way, and twico 
before this we noticed the same thing ; and we believe it arises 
from the bidbs not having done well the previous winter. They 
did not flower earlier from leafing so soon ; and in two years 
they fell into their natural rest at the proper time. The method 
of turning them out is a legacy from the last generation, and was 
first made known by Mr. Wilmot, over thirty years back, and 
we have followed it ever since with success. 
Your Hedaroma has lost no time yet. We know where it 
receives the same treatment as tho Chinese Azaleas, a little extra 
heat alter flowering and pruning. Also, where it is managed 
like a Heath, and both seem equally suited to it. The best place 
to ripen it oil' in the autumn is on the front shelf of a greenhouse, 
the pot being plunged inside a larger pot.] 
THE DURABILITY OF TIMBER. 
Although this is not, perhaps, the proper place to discuss 
this matter, it, nevertheless, is one interesting to all who plant 
trees, so that a few remarks may be here acceptable, confining our 
observations to such timber or trees as are of home growth, for it 
is only such that we have anything to do with ; and as there are 
many purposes to which durability is of tho most vital importance, 
it would be well to consider which kind of timber really possesses 
that qualification hi the greatest degree. 
In the first place, we may inquire what position tho timber is to 
be placed in, for this materially determines the kind proper to be 
used. And if it wero asked what position it is likely to last the 
greatest number of years in, I have no hesitation in saying that 
my firm belief is that it would be preserved longest under fresh 
water; or perhaps a peat bog has a like preserving quality, as is 
witnessed in the logs of wood frequently dug out of such places in 
a perfectly sound state, but stained by their contact with the sub¬ 
stance they have been so long imbedded in. But tho ocean is 
certainly not tho best preserving liquid—at least it is not so in 
all parts, for the shipworm plays sad havoc in many seas. But 
this is not our department; and an adjournment from these watery 
regions to one more congenial, and one where the durability of 
timber is of more consequence in the various purposes to which 
it is put to in building; and here we enter the field in which so 
much dispute has already taken place. Even now parties are not 
agreed which is the most important wood to select for (his 
purpose, but as we have in England examples where home-grown 
timber has stood the test of a number of years, it is only fair to 
point to these examples, and in doing so, all readers of our country 
will expect the Oak to bo pointed at as being tho most valued and 
most used. 
Certainly, a few years ago it was bruited forth that Westminster 
Hall w'fts roofed with Chestnut, but this has .since been denied, 
and Oak is generally admitted as the timber used ; but there are, 
unquestionably, some churches roofed with Chestnut, but they 
are confined to some-of tho southern counties, and are not of the 
oldest class. In fact, it is questionable whether the Chestnut 
existed in our primitive forests at the time our oldest buildings 
were erected; or, if it did, it certainly was not so plentiful as its 
more robust neighbour “ the Oak,” And if it had the same 
fault then as it has now (and thero is every reason to believe it 
had so), it is easily to account for it being rejected, for there are 
few large trees but what do cone, as it is called; which is, when 
the tree is cut up, tho ligatures which hold the concentric rings 
together are unable to do so, and large portions keep splitting 
off; but the wood is also often rent the contrary way as well, and 
splinters like stars radiate from the pith. This great defect in 
Chestnut timber of large size is much against its general adoption 
for carpentry work ; but where a round piece has to be used, and 
that composed of the wholo or centre part of the tree, this evil is 
of less consequence. We may, therefore, give the palm of utility 
in this respect to the Oak. 
We now come to the more important feature, that of timber 
best capable of withstanding the vicissitudes of the season when 
fully exposed to all weathers, and in this respect our venerable 
friend the Oak stands first in this fist also ; although he does not 
reign here without compeers, for some woods are equally durable, 
though, in a general way, none are so serviceable. 
A gate-post of the Acacia will last as long as one of Oak, and, 
I believe, Yew will outlive both ; but neither of the last-named 
trees are to be had in such abundance as the Oak; and, con¬ 
sequently, they cannot compete with that universal favourite. 
But Oaks are longer amvipg at an ago that fits them for out¬ 
door purposes than many trees, as the wood of young Oaks is, 
perhaps, the quickest of any to fall into a condition of decay. 
The sap or outer layers of wood being less able to resist decay 
than even the softest Pine or Poplar. 
A Chestnut is much more durable. This is known to all those 
who have rough timber fences to put up; and still more so by 
the Hop grower, to whom the durability of his poles is a matter 
of much consequence; and, strange to say, the most durable 
pole he has to deal with is the Larch; next to that, the Sweet 
Chestnut, Ash and Maple succeeding them: while Lime tree, 
Beech, Birch, and Alder are about the worst. This test is, perhaps, 
not the best one, but it is worthy of notice. A young Larch of 
fifteen years’ growth, is a more durable tree than a Chestnut of 
twelve. But to multiply this farther, might, perhaps, alter tho 
result; but Larch Eir, when sound, is a durable timber, and 
well deserves to be more generally patronised. While on tho 
other hand, perhaps, one of the timbers that rim quickest to 
decay, is the Oriental Plane ; and what may seem strange, is yet 
true—the Turkey Oak is very little better. In speaking, therefore, 
of tho Oak, let it bo fully understood, that where not other¬ 
wise defined, it is tho British Oak wo allude to.—A n Old 
Woodman. (To le continued .) 
CULTURE OF THE ROSE IN POTS. 
(Continued from page 212.) 
PkopagatioN. —By Cuttings .—Procure a sufficient number of 
four or five-inch pots. If new, soak them in water; and if old, 
let them be well washed, or even scrubbed with a hard brush if 
very dirty. Provide also a quantity of broken pots for drainage, 
and the following compost:—Good loam, leaf mould, and silver 
sand in equal parts; rub them well together, and pass them 
through a half-inch Bieve: this should be done when the compost 
is in a moderately dry state. Drain the pots well, and then fill 
a sufficient number to hold the cuttings four or five in a pot. 
Any time after the Rose trees have made then- shoots will answer 
for this mode of propagation ; but if they are put in towards the 
autumn, they should remain in tho cutting-pots through tho 
winter. Tho pots being all filled ready, then proceed to gather 
the cuttings. Choose short stubby shoots that are half ripened 
at the base. With a very sharp knife cut off the bottom of the 
cutting right across at a joint. Then trim off the low r er leaves, 
and cut off the top three joints. Make a cutting quite long 
enough. Insert the cuttings in the pot close to the side, leaving 
a bud or two out of the soil. Press the earth firmly to tho 
bottom of tho cutting with the planting-stick. Then give a good 
watering, and so proceed till all the pots are filled. To succeed 
porfectiy and quickly, the cuttings should be put into a pit or 
frame set on a gentle hotbed, tho Surface to be covered with 
ashes or sand. If that convenience, however, is not to be had, 
then plunge the pots quite overhead on a bed of coal ashes, and 
set hand-lights over them, shading from hot sun, keeping them 
close for a fortnight. Then give a little air daily to prevent 
damp. They will put forth roots under these glasses, but will 
be longer in doing so. If any Roses have been forced, the best 
cuttings can be got from them as soon as the bloom is over. As 
soon as it is certain that they have made roots, then turn tho 
balls carefully out of the pots, and separate the plants from each 
other. Pot them immediately in tho proper compost, and replace 
