iSyi.] AUTUMN AND WINTER PLANTS. 555 



posable nature will be most felt. By small gardens, I mean those of the class of 

 establishments where there is neither farm nor stable departments kept up— where 

 all manurial and compost matters must be paid for in hard cash. I would urge 

 on all possessed of such gardens the importance of saving every scrap of green and 

 dry refuse that may be reduced to compost in twelve months. In the garden or 

 out of it, on the premises or beyond them, let all matter capable of being reduced 

 to plant food by means of fermentation or fire be drawn together in one place and 

 frequently turned. Two heaps may be advisable — one for gross materials, those 

 which, having much woody fibre in their composition, will require to be treated to 

 liberal applications of quicklime ; and the other for leaves of all kinds, and the 

 remains of herbaceous stuffs generally : in fact, anything that will ferment of itself 

 may be put on this last heap, and each successive addition should have a little 

 quicklime mixed with it for the purpose of combining with and fixing some of 

 the gaseous constituents and promoting the decomposition of the woody particles. 

 Some attention given to these points, and to the desirability of adding to the heap 

 or heaps on every favourable opportunity, will have the effect of lessening the 

 expenses of the garden in the first place, and will afterwards lead to the improve- 

 ment of the soil. The kind and quality of manure that is generally purchased for 

 gardens of the description contemplated is usually of a heating and highly stimu- 

 lating kind, under which few soils can long remain equably productive. They are 

 especially unsuitable for thin dry soils, whereas the compost is the best applica- 

 tion that can be made to such. It in a few years sensibly increases its depth, 

 and annually adds to its productiveness. The compost will sustain excellent 

 crops of all kinds of vegetables, which, if not so luxuriant as those from dung at 

 first, will be more sweet, crisp, and firm. 



Wm. Sutherland. 



[In case this paper may appear to some a plagiarism in any way from a leader 

 in ' Gardeners' Chronicle' of 11th November, we beg to state that Mr Sutherland's 

 paper was written before he saw the ' Chronicle ' of the above date. — Ed.] 



NOTES ON AUTUMN AND WINTER 

 FLOWERING PLANTS. 



{Continued from page 511.) 

 ARDISIA CRENULATA. 



This is another fine scarlet-berried plant for winter decoration. It is 

 not particular to situation, only give it heat and moisture in its grow- 

 ing stages. After the berries are scarlet, it will stand at the warm 

 end of the conservatory for a long time, without any ill effects to the 

 future well-being of the plant. To have nice plants in a short tinie, 

 sow a quantity of the berries early in March, in light sandy soil ; 

 plunge in a brisk bottom-heat, with a top-heat of 75°. They will soon 

 make their appearance, and when fairly up, if at a distance from the 

 glass, raise the pot and place it nearer the glass for a few days, so 

 that there will not be too great a check to the plants by being pricked 



