45S THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



produced in a very moderate scale of expense. Ferns do not appear to me 

 to be nearly so much cultivated in Scotland as in England. It may be that 

 it is a more common plant here, and not considered so worthy of a place in 

 the garden ; but the varieties are bo increased, and the cultivation so much 

 better understood, that they are to many of the deepest interest. Formerly 

 there were not more than 100 varieties, now there are more than 1000. Many, 

 however, that are styled varieties are so little removed from the form and 

 appearance of the mother plant that they are hardly worthy the trouble of 

 cultivation. Filix-Mas. 



HINTS FOR AMATEURS-OCTOBER." 1 



During the past season we have read and heard much of drought, 

 mildew, and failures among many of the principal garden crops— such 

 as Peas, Cauliflowers, Turnips, Spinach, &c. Where manure is scarce, 

 and ground light and shallow, such failures are almost certain • and as 

 a help to meet such difficulties in future, everything should be done 

 during the next few months to secure deep tilth. Harvest all waste 

 vegetation, collect soil, road-scrapings, leaves, parings of walks or 

 road-edges, &c, which make excellent dressing, especially if all 

 liquids from the washing-house and elsewhere have been thrown over 

 the heap. There is still great waste in villages and cottage dwellings 

 of valuable material, which might have done much during a season 

 even like the past to secure good vegetables, as well as keeping 

 impurities within proper limits. Trenching will soon require atten- 

 tion, and that may be done deeply, and the effect will tell favour- 

 ably on the crops. Where soil may be rich and rather heavy, light 

 sandy earth will be of great advantage to it. Last season we had 

 large quantities of soil at our disposal from Vine and Peach bor- 

 ders. It was spread on vacant ground instead of manure, and well 

 incorporated with the ground in process of trenching (which was 

 three spades deep), and the effect was excellent. We never had finer 

 crops, except Cauliflowers, supplies of which, after the first planta- 

 tion, were only kept up by frequently planting successions, thus 

 taking up more ground than we could afford ; but as each lot was 

 about its best, Spinach or Turnips were sown, which filled up the 

 ground, and were soon ready for use after the Cauliflowers were 

 cleared off. From the benefit we have had by sowing and plant- 

 ing under the shade of tall fruit-bushes and Raspberries, we believe 

 that much more might be done with dwarf fruit-trees for shade than 

 is generally admitted. Single rows of Jerusalem Artichokes, Scarlet- 

 Runners, and tall-growing Peas are always useful for shading some 



