AUGUST. 173 



the young branches do not become too delicate. As soon as the seed- 

 vessels begin to form, they should be cut off, which will cause the 

 plant to throw out a fresh supply of blossoms ; but these plants 

 should never be suffered to perfect their seed, as it would greatly 

 weaken them, and generally cause their entire decay ; for the sweet 

 Reseda is an annual in its proper climate, and therefore naturally 

 decays when it ripens its seed. It is frequently observed that the 

 seeds of the Mignonette which scattered themselves in the autumn 

 produce finer plants than those that are sown in the spring, which 

 should teach us to sow apart of our seed at that season of the year in 

 pots or boxes, kept in frames through the winter, or in a greenhouse. 



D. M. 



COTTAGE ROCKWORK. 



When we contrast the gardens of the wealthy with those attached 

 to cottages of tradesmen, we are in some measure led to believe that, 

 so far as rockwork is concerned, improvements have been altogether 

 confined to the gardens of the rich. Any one who looks on the 

 huge blocks of stone piled up, one on the other, at the entrance of 

 the great conservatory at Chatsworth, could scarcely imagine that a 

 rockwork could be made on a small scale to have a good effect. It 

 would be wrong to say that this has not been tried, and successfully 

 accomplished ; I have seen, however, many a corner filled up with 

 stones, which went under the name of rockwork, that looked more 

 like a tumbled-down wall than any thing else to which I could com- 

 pare it. I have had an opportunity of inspecting a few cottage- 

 gardens in the vicinity of London and elsewhere, and I have observed 

 that where beauty has been the point aimed at, these gardens have 

 been generally laid out in gross, with flower-beds in the shape of cir- 

 cles, ovals, squares, &c, with not unfrequently a mound in the centre. 

 Now let us imagine a level plat of ground, 40 yards long by 40 wide, 

 laid out in the manner just adverted to, and who will not be able to 

 perceive that a great sameness pervades the whole ? But if this 

 mound in the centre consisted of properly-built rockwork, that for- 

 mality would in a great measure disappear. 



In building small or great rockvvorks there are but few rules by 

 which a person can be guided ; yet a few hints on this subject may 

 possibly be of service to those who have not had much practice in 

 this branch of ornamental gardening. 



I once saw a small circular rockwork, about 14 feet in diameter, 

 in the middle of a grass-plat in front of a cottage, which, according 

 to my taste, was very effective ; still, there was ample room for im- 

 provement. A rockwork, in a place of this description, should be 

 made in the following manner. The chief point to be attended to is 

 a sure foundation ; for if this gives way, the superstructure must 

 assuredly follow. Whether circular or oval, the outside should be 

 irregular, something of a zigzag form. In the first place, there should 



