MiU-cli U, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



233 



in any ijuantity without beating or shaking the trees or shrubs 

 — not a feasible plan with fruit trees. — J. K. S. C. 



COOKING POTATOES. 



Will the Editors allow me, and one who is a better judge 

 than I am, to return our thanks to the author of an extract in 

 the Jo.irnal about preparing Potatoes for boiling (see page 34) ? 

 I feel confident that if the advice were acted on there would 

 be thousands who would feel under obligations. Mind, I con- 

 sider that I know something of Potato-cooking. I have a pre- 

 judice for having Potatoes cooked in then- jackets or skins. 

 It pains me' to see a person peeling Potatoes aud ruthlessly 

 taking away from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch of the 

 outsiiles, containing aU the most valuable starchy matter. lu 

 boihng Potatoes in theh skins 1 had for many year's been in 

 the habit, after thoroughly washing, of taking from half an 

 inch to an inch off each end of the skin, and this contributed 

 something towards the regular boiling without waste. But now 

 I want to give united testimony that the plan mentioned in the 

 " Gai'dener" is a far superior one. 



In the case of a kidney Potato, I take as thin a slip as 

 possible off the skin, say about half an inch wide, out of the 

 middle of each side and round the ends. In a round Potato 

 I take out a similar slip all round the middle of the Potato. 

 In either case, when properly cooked, the floury matter ■«'iU 

 just be seen peeping out in this unskiuued part. The rest of 

 the skin will oome off as thin as gossamer, leaving all the most 

 nourishing part of the Potato whole and untouched. To my 

 mind this plan, simple though it be, is the greatest advance on 

 thorough eoouomio Potato-cooking that I am acquainted with. 

 Would that you could send the recipe to hundreds of cottages, 

 where Potatoes are sadly spoiled in the cooking. — K. F. 



BURNING CLAY. 



The following is the method which Mr. D. Thomson pursued 

 on a very extensive scale, when gardener at Archertield : — 



As soon as a quarter in the garden became vacant, a fire or 

 two was started, according to the size of the quarter. TThen 

 only one fire was required, it was, of coui-se, started in the 

 middle of the quarter. The site for the fire was first trenched 

 to the depth of 2 feet 9 inches, turning the top spit (which had 

 through a long course of years been improved a little by liming, 

 the ad(htion of ashes, road scrapings, &c.), into the bottom of 

 the trench, taking out the two Imttom spits for burning. So 

 thoroughly clayey was the greater part of the soil moved, that 

 the men had to dip their tools in a pail of water at every hft, to 

 make the next spadeful slip off the metal. On this site the fire 

 was commenced. Wood which was only fit for chairring or 

 firewood, and which is generally plentiful enough about most 

 gentlemen's places, was used. In that locahty coal was costly, 

 and not so effective in this case as wood ; the latter also affording 

 in burning a desirable quantity of potash. The site for the fire 

 being ready, a little stack of wood was formed 5 feet in diameter 

 at the base, tapering eoue-Uke to the height of .5 feet, beginning 

 with a few dry faggots iu the middle, aud finishing with stronger 

 junks of wood rotrnd the outside. AH round this stack of wood 

 a coating of the claj' was laid to the depth of about a foot. It was 

 found best to pack it on in lumps as it was turned out of the 

 trench. When this was done the wood was set fire to at the 

 centre, and long ere the wood was all consumed the clay caught 

 fire and burned freely. As soon as the first layer was nearly 

 burned through another layer was added all round, which in its 

 turn soon burned through also. The fire was then broken down 

 with a strong iron-handled hoe, for the double purpose of adding 

 more wood to quicken the fire, and enlarging the basis of 

 operations. Aiter the fire was thus set agoing the wood was of 

 necessity laid horizontally over the burning heap, putting the 

 strongest pieces of wood next the burning mass, and nnishiug off 

 the layer v.-ith the smallest, to prevent the clay from Ijiug too 

 closely to the wood and obstracting the draught necessary to 

 combustion. 



In the meantime trenches were opened at the extremities of the 

 quarter, and the clay taken out, as already described in making 

 the site for the fire, and forwarded to the fire, there being the 

 solid undistui'bed surface to wheel it over, aud the distance 

 lessened as the fire became larger and required more feeding. 



But to return to the fire. "When it was again found neces- 

 sary to break it down for the purpose of extending the base, and 

 increasing its capacity for consuming the clay, another layer of 

 wood was added, and then a layer of clay over the surface, and 

 all round the outside of the heap. After this, as the layer of 

 clay was burned through, another was packed on all over and 

 round without any wood, and so on with two or three layers, 



till it became necessary to enlarge the base of the fire, by 

 drawing it down from the top, then more wood was added ; and 

 from the great power which the fire attains it is necessary to 

 have plenty of clay and men at hand to cover over the wood 

 quickly, or it would be consumed without doing much good ; 

 and so this process was continued till the necessary quantity 

 was bitmed. I have frequently had three great fires going at a 

 time, on to the tops of which I have wheeled layers of clay to 

 the thickness of 3 feet and more at a time. When the fire; 

 became powerful it formed a soUd pile of fire, which very soon 

 worked its way through thick aud successive layers of clay, 

 transforming what was once an insoluble, wet, tenacious paste, 

 into a heap of material greatly altered in its mechanical pro- 

 perties, and with a great capacity forthe absorption of ammonia, 

 besides being mixed with charred wood and potash. 



As soon as the heap was sufficiently cool to be moved, it was 

 wheeled back over the sin-face of the quarter and regularly 

 spread, and the large lumps broken-up. On the siu-face of all 

 was wheeled a garden rubbish heap, rotten leaves, road scrap- 

 ings, dung, and other decayed vegetable matter that cotild be 

 obtained. A trench was then opened at the end of the quarter, 

 and the whole was turned over and mixed the same as is done 

 with a compost heap, to the depth of the original clay, which 

 was forked-up as well as it would allow at the bottom of each 

 trench. This formed a staple, on which almost any crop that 

 could be put ou it in the way of vegetables grew with such a 

 luxuriance as I have never seen equalled either before or since. 

 I have seen Brussels Sprouts over 4 feet iu height, studded with 

 hard Sprouts more hke a rope of Onions than anything else. 

 Peas, Cauhflowers, &c., were amazingly fine crops. One quarter 

 which I burned in 1854 had the finest crop of Carrots that could 

 be desired, and to h,av6 attempted such a crop on it previous to 

 its being passed through the fiery ordeal woidd have been in 

 vain. 



DEATH OF MR. AVILLIAM OSBORN. 

 It is only seven weeks since yoiu- columns announced the 

 death of Mr. Thomas Osborn, of' the FuUiam Nursery, and now 

 you have to add that of his only remaining brother, Mr. 

 WDliam Osborn, whose death took place somewhat suddenly ou 

 the 7th inst. The extensive dealings which these brothers, as 

 representing the firm of Osborn & Sons, Nurserymen, of Ful- 

 ham, had with the many garden estabUshments aU over the 

 United Kingdom made them well known amongst both gentle- 

 men and gardeners. Their \'isits, when on their rounds iu 

 the way of business, were looked for with pleasme by aU con- 

 nected with the calling to whom they were known (myself for 

 one) ; for not only in the mere interest of business was then- 

 presence welcomed, but as friends ready and wUling at all 

 times to give advice and smooth difficulties, and that, too, in 

 matters in no way connected with their interests as nursery- 

 men ; on the contrary, perhaps no one following a business 

 calUng in which there" is so much competition ever did less to 

 urge their goods upon customers. The two brothers who in- 

 herited these kind feelings from their worthy father are both 

 no more, the elder one following the younger to the grave with 

 an interval of less than forty days, neither of them having 

 attained anything hke the age of theu- respected ancestor Mr. 

 R. Osborn," whose death was recorded some four years ago, 

 being then upwards of eighty, and whose long connection with 

 the firm of which he was the principal, accompanied by his 

 benevolence of manner, obtained for him the honourable title 

 of "Father of Gai'deners "— a distmction his sons worthily 

 maintained. — 3. Eobson. 



TREE LIFTING.— No. I. 



My method of fruit-tree Ufting, which I think may also be 

 practised with perfect success on forest and ornamental trees 

 and shi-ubs previous to removal, is as foUows :— 



The soil is cleared off in a circle round the tree, 5, 6, 8, or 

 more feet in diameter, according to the height or size of the 

 tree, down to the roots ; theu dig a trench at the extreme edge 

 of the circle, three-fom-ths or more roitnd, leaving only about 

 two or three roots ou one side undistiubed. The trench round 

 is dug with a spade sufficiently deep to cut off any roots which 

 may have gone beyond, and the soil is worked from between 

 the" roots into the trench with a fork (this should be done with 

 care not to bruise or cripple the roots), and thrown out of the 

 treuch with a spade as it becomes full. In this way you get 

 with comparative ease at any roots which may have gone down 

 perpeudiculariy, and are able to dig sutBciently deep to get 

 them up long 'enough to turn horizontally, which is of great 

 importance, for if these roots are cut short off they are almost 



