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JOURNAL OF HOETICTTLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 28, 18G3. 



combined with the terse, simple, old Saxon, with its short 

 words and short sentences. And once more on this sub- 

 ject, it is wise not to be too demonstrative, not to be 

 always imitating; the draper who hangs all his most valued 

 goods in the windows. The humble student is not likely to 

 do this. The educated scholar has a considerable temptation 

 to transgi-ess, and therefore, when writing homely English, 

 he will let us know his superiority by introducing Latin 

 here. Greek there, and French and even Gennan ever and 

 anon. Can anything be more stilted, unmannerly, un- 

 gentlemanly ? We may feel our ignorance and oiu' inferiority 

 enough, but wc may not choose to have them thus un- 

 ceremoniously thrust upon us. If .a 'WTiter feels he cannot 

 express his meaning except in Latin or French, let him write 

 for those who understand such languages. If he condescends 

 to write in homely English and for English readers, let him 

 keep to the EngUsh tongue. We consider it sufficiently 

 copious to express eveiy idea that is worth expressing. 

 Such interlarding of other languages is a great disappoint- 

 ment to the humble English scholar. Intelligent people 

 pass it by with the rem;u-k — " Ah, poor fellow ! he must ring 

 a beU to tell people how clever he is." He is only looked 

 up to as something mai-veUous by that small and decreas- 

 ing portion of our population who resemble the old woman, 

 who viilued the abilities and the learning of a clergy- 

 man in proportion as she thorouglily faQed to understand 

 him. — E. Fish. 



(To le contmved.) 



STEAWBEERY-GEOWIIS'G. 



I HAVE been much interested bj- the article of your cor- 

 respondent " H. C. K.,"' and I remember having seen his 

 plan some yeai-s ago and then intended to try it, but owing 

 to a change of residence and other circumstances it escaped 

 my recollection. I am, however, somewhat at a loss to 

 know whether I am to take his instructions literally or not. 

 He says, " Place round each plant a heap of half-rotted 

 -Stable-manui-e, so as to stand 8 or inches high after being 

 finnly pressed down with the hands ; and the ring thus 

 pressed down should extend about 10 inches all round 

 — ^plants 20 inches at least apaa-t." 



It occurs to me that the quantity of manure is excessive, 

 and that the result would be that the plants woiUd be at 

 the bottom of a hole 9 inches deep, and excluded from sun 

 and ah- except from the top of the hole. If the plants are 

 placed 20 inches apart every way, it follows that the entire 

 ,j)lot will be covered with manure. 



Your con-espondent does not say whether he finds it 

 needful to renew the mulching every year or not. I shall 

 be obliged by his reply. 



I yesterday assisted in gathering some of the ft-uit from 

 three rows of Crimson Queen StrawbeiTy grown about half 

 a mile from Darlington by an amatem- gardener, and it may 

 interest you to hear fourteen of them weighed 1 lb. (avoir- 

 dupois weight) exactly. It is a magnificent fi-uit in size, 

 colour, and iiavoui-. — A. Atkinson. 



OPEN-AIR rOECING OP EAELY CELEBY. 



The following method has been siiccessfully carried out 

 by me when early Celery was reqxiired. I may add that 

 I have had good blanched Celery fit for any table by the 

 middle of June. I put fresh manure in the bottom of the 

 trench, and made it pretty firm to the thickness of 10 inches, 

 adding 4 inches more of good rotten manure on the top. I 

 then left it untU the next morning, when I gave the manirre 

 a good soaking of urine saved for the purpose. I left it for 

 'two more days ; and, it being wainn weather, it fermented as 

 •I calculated it would, and produced a very genial heat. I 

 then covered it over with about 4 inches of soil made quite 

 fine, and left it untQ the next morning, when I gave it a 

 thorough soaking of liquid made from rotten dung and 

 urine, and left it all night. In the morning it was of a 

 temperature suitable for giving anything a start, and kept 

 on for about ten days, which was quite sufficient ff)r my 

 purpose. I put in the plants the same night, and just 

 sprinkled them overhead with water. The next morning I 

 gave them a good drenching with tepid water. I planted 



them a foot apart every way, kept within 3 inches of the 

 bed all round, so that it held three-score plants. I did not 

 use a dibber, but made a hole with one hand, and w.os care- 

 ful to spread the roots well. I may say the plants did not 

 droop in the least, but started into growth at once at a most 

 surprising speed. My worthy employer seeing the effect 

 gave me gTe.at credit, for Celery had never succeeded in the 

 garden before. I kept the plants in most vigorous growth 

 for about five weeks before commencing to blanch. 



I have omitted to state that after planting I covered all 

 the bed amongst the plants with fresh horse-droppings from 

 the stable, which assisted in keeping the bed wanu and the 

 dry air from the roots, and it acted as a stimulant when 

 watering upon it. I kept a tub near to the bed filled with a 

 mixture of fresh horse-droppings and a fair proportion of 

 urine, and applied this every other evening not sparingly, but 

 always watering overhead with clear tepid water, occasion- 

 ally putting a little soda in the water, and having the water- 

 tub fully exposed to the sun. I only blanch with 6 inches 

 of soil, which I add to the plants at twice, finished-off with 

 brown paper and other material ; frequently watering and 

 keeping it moist about them. Chickweed or any vegetable 

 rubbish of that substance does well to finish-off blanching. 



I should like it to be understood that the above practice 

 is only applicable for procuring early Celery. — Wm. Ledger, 

 Gardener. 



P.S. — The Celery I am now writing about measured in 

 height 3 feet 6 inches, and appeared to be the thickness of 

 a man's leg. When prejjai'ed for the table each head 

 weighed 2 lbs. 



THE ALEXANDEA PARK FLOWER AND 

 PEUIT SHOW. 



It says something for the taste of us good English folk, 

 that we do not consider a grand ceremonial complete unless 

 a flower show be either a portion of it or looms at no great 

 distance of}'. What wovUd an Oxford Commemoration or 

 a Cambridge commencement be without the flower show, 

 where fair flowers and faii-er maidens enchant the eyes of 

 soft undergraduates and old time-honoured dons ? what the 

 Crystal Palace but for those wonderful gatherings of flori- 

 cultural skm, to be present at which so many procure then- 

 season tickets ? Would the Royal Horticultirral Society 

 stand six months, with all its royal patronage, but for its 

 flower shows ? And so, wisely did the projectors of this new 

 people's park determine to inaugurate the opening of it 

 with a gi-and flower and ft-uit show. 



The park itself is another proof of the taste for the beau- 

 tifid in nature which exists amongst us. Situated at so 

 short a distance fi-om London, it would hardly be believed 

 by strangers to it what rare sylvan beauty, and exquisite 

 undul-ating gi-ovmd and extensive prospects it affords. 



The .art of the landscape-gardener wiU have little need 

 to be called into requisition, as the ground is so beautifully 

 laid out ; and when the buildings shall have been erected, 

 it win be to the inhabitants of the north side of London 

 what the Crystal Palace is to those on the south. Nor do 

 I think that it will interfere with the success of the older 

 establishment. Tastes Uke these increase by being minis- 

 tered to, and, like a new line of railway, open out fi-esh 

 resources, while they increase the facilities of spending a 

 pleasurable day in lieu of the stifling atmosphere of a public- 

 house, or the questionable enjoyments of other places of 

 resort. I believe, too, that many things manifest a desire 

 to carry out this institution effectively. If I am rightly 

 informed, no attempt will be made to open it on the Lord's 

 day ; the whole management of tlie police an-angements 

 will be entrusted to that well-tried body the corps of com- 

 missionaires ; and amusements of a low character will not 

 be admitted. The superintendence of the garden has been 

 placed under the able management of Mr. Mackenzie, lately 

 of Brighton ; and as it is the intention of the Company to 

 erect a portion of the International building in the gi-ounds, 

 some reminiscence of that famous place of resort wUl be 

 perpetuated : and as the palace of Sydenham sprang like a 

 phffinix from the ruins of the building of 1851, the Alexandra 

 Park will owe its origin in a good measure to that of 1862. 



Thus the ironwork and glass wiU be utilised for a new 



