October 6, 1863. ] 



JOUEITAIi OP HORTICULTTJBE AKD COTTAGE GAEDEKEE. 



26* 



TV) respect, therefore, both of total yield and- proportion 

 of good, the " Scotch Downs " has at present the highest 

 place with us. The second place would be closely contested 

 by the "York Eegent," "Fluke," and " Arrowsmith's Seed- 

 ling," the first having slightly the advantage. This^ kind 

 has, however, ceased to be grown here, owing, probably, in 

 part to its bad yield in 1860, and in part to the high opinion 

 geneiully entertained of the Fluke in tliis neighbourhood. 



The largest yield this year was from a kind of Potato, 

 new to us, called "Daintree's SeedUng." One piece was 

 planted with it and gave a total yield equal to 22 tons per 

 acre, with 90 per cent, of good. This variety bids iair to 

 become a favourite notwithstanding its being rather deep- 

 eyed. 



It was noticed this season both here and at Higher Bebing- 

 ton, that very many lots of Potatoes were much " soabbedl" 

 AVhen, our sis-feet pieces were tried there could not have 

 been on an average one diseased tuber per piece. Since 

 that time, however, we have had much rain, and the peculiar 

 odour of the disease is now plainly perceptible in our allot- 

 ments in the evenings, and many diseased tubers have been 

 found in plots recently dug. 



TEAJN'SPLANTING LAUGE SHEUBS. 



Fkom time to time we have heard much upon this subject 

 from different persons, and the residts of their experience 

 have varied as much, if not more, than the different loca- 

 lities from which they have written ; added to which, soils 

 and subsoils have a material effect upon all transplanting 

 opeiations. I have met with parties who strongly advocated 

 that there can be no better period of the year for carrying 

 out improvements and alterations about the grounds of any 

 residence than early in the autumn. They base their argu- 

 ment principally upon the fact, that during the summer 

 months the eai-th becomes heated to a, much gi-eater depth 

 than it is in the other months of the year, and assert that 

 moving a certain portion of earth cannot be done without 

 folly exposing it all to the action of the air, even if the time 

 which the operation takes up is but very limited ; that in 

 many instances shrubs will, under these conditions, begin to 

 emit iresh roots in the course of ten days or a fortnight after 

 their being removed ; and that they will often, after being so 

 removed, start in the following spring quite as fresh and 

 vigorous as those which have not been removed. 



This is one side of the question, and I imagine those who 

 advocate this mode of proceeding reside upon gi-aveUy soils 

 or chalky formations, where the drainage is naturally good, 

 and where the soil never becomes satm-ated with stagnant 

 moisture, which is sure to cause young and tender roots to 

 become ruptured and ultimately rot away. 



Sti-ong soils never answer well for transplanting large 

 shrubs or trees, and I consider it by far the best policy in 

 all such to put in quite young plants. They may look very 

 diminutive for a time, but it is fai' better to bear with this 

 than to endeavour to give effect at once with much larger 

 specimens. I have seen these have all the care and attend- 

 ance for a season which could be bestowed upon them, 

 by mulching the ground above their roots, and likewise 

 every now and then giving them copious supplies of water ; 

 but after all, many of them would soon become little better 

 than sticks, not half clothed with leaves. 



After a. season or two, notwithstanding every precaution, 

 it would be found necessary to replant with healthy young 

 plants. These may, and often will, for a season or two, 

 almost stand still, not growing more than a few inches. 

 Nevertheless, they will generally retain aU their freshness ; 

 though a few of them may lose most of their leaves, still 

 they never present that unsightly and skeleton-Uke appear- 

 ance-which is sometimes seen as the result of planting much 

 larger specimens in strong soils. 



From having had to operate ia very different soils in 

 various parts of the country; I may sately state that it is 

 very difficult to transplant large specimens in strong soils ; 

 hut in those which are Ught and open, especially when, the 

 subsoil is of a simUar character, I have repeatedly trans- 

 plaaited large shrubs in the middle of. summer, and when 

 the weather was a little showery for a week or two they 

 merer lost a leaf by tliG operation. In a soil of this chaiacter 



I a few years ago assisted at the removal of many Oaks from 

 30 to 45 feet high, and the operation was generaHy very; 

 successful. The trees were cut round at some distance from 

 the stem eighteen months before removal ; all the roots 

 wliich were put forth where they were cut were carefully 

 preserved, aa well as the ball of earth ; but no practical man. 

 would recommend this being done in strong adhesive soUs, 

 however desirable it might be to produce an immediate 

 effect. I consider it safest to use young and healthy plants, 

 and these, in the long mn, wiU give the greatest satisfac- 

 tion. — G. Dawson. 



FLGEA IN THE COTSWOLDS ; 



OR, "WHAT MAY BE DONE AT THE WOKKHOTJSE. 



I HAVE perused with much pleasm-e, since becoming a 

 reader of your periodical, the descriptions and accounts of 

 various gardens, public and private, which have from time 

 to time appeared in its pages ; and having been invited by 

 a friend to view the garden of the workhouse of the town in' 

 wliioh he resides, I left this queen of watering-places (Chel- 

 tenham) to spend a day or two mth him in the quiet town 

 of Northleach, distant thirteen miles, and lying high up in 

 the heart of the Cotswold HiUs. Hundreds of your readers 

 woidd, I thiak, be encouraged to take heart and persevere 

 in thefr favoxuite pursuit, if they could see what I saw there 

 accomplished by taste, energy, and patience devoted to a 

 charming hobby. 



Although now a very quiet town, fr-om the railways having 

 driven all the coaches from the road without coming near 

 enough to atone for the change, Northleach was, when wool 

 and not cotton was the great manufactiu'e of this country, 

 a place of considerable impoi'tance, as is still testified by its 

 endowed Grammar School, still forward in a career of useful- 

 ness, its fine chm'ch, with its beautiful porch, and brasses of 

 the wealthy woolstaplers, standing in an attitude of prayer 

 on the wool-bags, with the emblems of the lamb and the< 

 shears, to denote the trade of which these departed worthies' 

 were not ashamed. Nor is the town quite likely to be for- 

 gotten, by the agricultm-al world so long as the Cotswold'' 

 breed of sheep maintains its character, and young rams of 

 fifteen or sixteen months old sometimes fetch JEIOO at the 

 annual ram sales, at which open house is kept for all comers; 

 whilst to sporting readers will occur the names of some of' 

 the horses sent out of the training stables of Mr. Isaac DajL- 

 and Mr. Golby. 



But it is to as humble a place as the workhouse I am. 

 desirous of calling your readers' attention. At the farther 

 end of the town, on the Oxford Eoad, stands this edifice, the^ 

 scene of the gardening labours of the worthy master, Mr. 

 Oughtou. To compare small things with great, I may say 

 this building is situated somewhat like the National GaUeryi- 

 (but is minus its pillars, porticoes, and pejiper-boxes), being- 

 raised up from the road, and entered by a flight of steps ini 

 the centre. The terrace whence idlers and men with cats'- 

 logues look down upon the passers-by, forms here the garden, 

 on reaching which 1 was ready to acknowledge it was worthy.- 

 of all the encomiums of my friend who had brought me to' 

 see it, and who, having just retiimed fi'om a holiday trip ofc 

 about two thoiisand miles, declares he has seen nothing* 

 approaching it. For a comparatively small space there is; 

 certainly such a display of colour from plants in beautiful' 

 condition, an-anged with great taste and judgment, as I 

 have never seen surpassed even at Sydenliam. 



The garden, is laid, down in grass, and to the right a«. 

 border runs down each side — one laid out ribbon fashionj 

 with Cerastium, Lobelia, Calceolaria, and Heliotrope, and 

 the other with the same and Geraniums, i>lanted on thai 

 cross ; whilst the centre consists of five oval beds, placed) 

 alternately lengthwise and across. To the left on entering;, 

 the garden is laid down with turf, but instead of the oval' 

 beds we have a large central bed 60 feet long and 10 feet, 

 wide, edged/ with Cerastium, followed by Lobelia, Calceolaria, 

 Geranium Brilliant, and a central row of Trentham Bose; 

 The effect of this bed viewed from the end, where some steps- 

 going down to the little chapel admit of a view being gained! 

 of the whole length, with the foi-m of its transverse section^ 

 is something superb, whilst the old grey wall over v,-luclu 

 it. iS: thus viewed is resplendent with ^the blossoms of tlie- 



