THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



139 



HOW TO MAKE CHARCOAL. 



Cut pieces of ■wood into lengths of two or 

 three feet, and so that they can be packed 

 pretty closely together, and form a heap. 

 This heap may be either placed on the level 

 ground or in a pit ; but in the latter case 

 three or four openings sliould be cut in the 

 sides from the bottom of the pit outwards, 

 in order to admit a little draught "for the 

 ignition of the wood in the first instance. 

 In the centre of the space several long 

 pieces of wood must be fixed, so as to leave 

 an opening for introducing the kindling ; 

 or an opening may be formed by pieces of 

 twelve or fifteen inches in length, two of 

 which arc laid horizontally six inches apart ; 

 two others are then laid at the same dis- 

 tance from each other across the two first, 

 and so on ; thus forming a rough fiue six 

 inches square from the bottom to the top of 

 the heap. Round this billets, faggots, or 

 bundles of wood are closely packed in a 

 nearly upright position. When completed, 

 the heap should be of a round, conical 

 form. The wood may, however, be arranged 

 in the form of a ridge, several openingoi 

 being left for firing. When the pile is com- 

 pleted, it must be covered witl: :arf, which 



may be further closed by earth or sand, as 

 is found necessary during the process. 

 Where turf cannot be easily procured, old 

 mats, or any other rubbish that will pre- 

 vent the earth from mixing with the wood, 

 will afford a tolerably good substitute. 

 When all is covered except the opening at 

 top, and some holes for air near the bottom, 

 fire is introduced down the central flue. 

 As soon as the heaps are fairly in a blaze, 

 the top must be well closed, and the smoke, 

 but not flame, encouraged to issue as equally 

 as possible from every other portion of the 

 surface by making holes with a pointed 

 stick where smoke does not appear. Some 

 portion of the wood will necessarily be 

 consumed before sufficient heat can be 

 obtained, but that must be disregarded. 

 As soon as the wood becomes heated to 

 212', the water is given oft' in the form of 

 steam, and the whole mass takes fire readily 

 enough. Great care is then necessary to 

 prevent flame bursting out ; as the heat 

 increases, the openings in the covering 

 must be reduced, and all must be finally 

 closed when the charring is found to be 

 complete. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



A CHEAP AND LASTING PAINT FOIl EAILS, GATES, ETC. 



Two quarts of skim milk, eight ounces' of 

 fresh slaked lime, six ounces of boiled lin- 

 seed oil, two ounces of white Burgundy 

 pitch, dissolved in the oil by a gentle heat. 

 The lime must be slaked in cold water, 

 and dried in the air, until it falls into a 

 fine powder, then mix it with one-fourth 

 part of the milk, adding the oil and pitch 

 (mixed) by degrees. Stir with a wooden 

 spatula, adding the remainder of the milk ; 



lastly, add three pounds of Spanish white, 

 the whole to be thoroughly mixed. Two 

 coats are necessary, and this quantity is 

 sulRcient for twenty-seven yards twice 

 over. Antwerp green, navy green, or 

 Brunswick green, might be used in lieu of 

 the Spanish white, omitting, or using in a 

 much smaller proportion, the slaked lime. 



H. C. 



A HINT ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE VERBENA. 



BY ME. H. HOWLEXT, OF "WHITTVELL. 



Thk verbena now occupies so prominent 

 a place amongst the summer beauties of 

 our flower-gardens, that I believe any hint 

 which may renier the preservation of an 

 unlimited stock during the winter months 

 more easy and certain to the amateur gar- 

 dener than that commonly practised, will 

 be acceptable. To that end, let me re- 

 commend the following plan, which I have 

 seen practised by an amateur friend, who I 



has but a small greenhouse, yet who ma- 

 nages to have his crop of well-swelled 

 grapes, and succession of flowering plants ; 

 besides (with the aid of a slight clung- bed 

 in spring), a capital stock of bedding 

 plants. His plan is at bedding-out time 

 to select two or more plants of each sort, 

 and pot them in five or six-inch pots in 

 good sound loam, wi!h a sprinkling of 

 sand, but no manure. They are then 



