July 21, 1806. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



ing amongst tho wildest rocks, which yet were apparently 

 covered with verdure ; there, too, grew in rioh bosses tho Ruta 

 muraria, and another Earn of rather a larger growth, and 

 which he described as consisting of a frond divided into three 

 portions. " Not being great at Ferns," he said, ho could not 

 venture upon names, but he thought this one was called the 

 Ivy Fern. My great pet, the Crystopteris fragilis, also reigned 

 thero in its pristine beauty, and by its side Asplenium viride 

 and trichoinanes. AH the above rioted together in one small 

 spot, and probably had remained for years in undisturbed 

 luxuriance and solitude until the fatal day when the clergy- 

 man and his boys ransacked the place. 



I find that both the Beech and Oak Ferns are rather common 

 in this county, and that in a wood near Whitby they grow in 

 large patches upon some fallen trees. Oh ! these hilly countries, 

 with their brave northern breezes, are the true homes of chief- 

 tains, and of border lore, and of Ferns and Heather. Many a 

 tradition of the rough times lang syne may be heard when 

 weary with our excursions we sit down awhile, and enter into 

 a chat with tho glide wife, who, with her knitting in her 

 hand, welcomes us to her cottage door ; and not only must wo 

 seek these traditions amongst the lowly, for they are engraved 

 on the heart of the high-born border lady also, whose cradle 

 song was a recital of the valiant deeds done by her ancestors, 

 and whose childish hours by the dim firelight were beguiled 

 by details of ancient struggles for life and glory, and it is her 

 woman's pride that she 



" Lives in a mountain land, 

 Where a flight without wings is at her command." 



With the poet she sings — 



" Above, tho king eagle's realm wo share ; 

 Below, the haunts of the shy brown hare : 

 Thousand fields with their bikes a-shine, 

 Far hamlet and town, and the ocean line, — ■ 

 Beechen valley, and Bilberry dell, 

 And glen where tho echoes and fairies dwell, 

 With heaps aud bosses, 

 Of Plume Fern and Mosses, 

 Scarlet Rowan, and slight Bluebell. 

 The Plume Fern grows by the waterfall, 

 Where the Ash sprays tremble, one and all, 

 And coul air murmurs, and wild birds call. 



But 1 love our southern lands, I think, the best — the feminine 

 habits, quiet pride, and gentle bearing of the women ; and in 

 strolling our long summer evenings, through the woodland 

 paths, when nought but the nightingale's love song is heard, 

 then there is more that speaks to the heart of purity, and love, 

 and heaven, than the dark Pines and aurora borealis of the 

 north. — A Surgeon's Wife. 



SOME OF MANY THINGS ON A SMALL SCALE. 



My garden altogether is about two acres, and I have in one 

 block a small Mushroom-house with the bed 12 feet long, and 

 the furnace at one end, which is fed outside, and well covered 

 inside the house with brickwork and sand — two pipes heat this 

 house ; then I have a small place 12 feet by 9, which I dignify by 

 the name of the vinery. There I have Muscat Hamburgh Grapes 

 just colouring, and I train Brown Turkey Figs against the back 

 wall, and the trees bear abundantly, though many of the fruit are 

 rather deficient in flavour. This house is heated by two four- 

 inch pipes round the front, one end, and the back, with troughs 

 on the pipes ; and there is a small cistern, fed by the flow, and 

 emptying into the return, so that the water constantly circulates 

 and gives a handy supply of warm water when required. This 

 cistern is placed in the division wall which separates " the 

 vinery " from the adjoining house, and thus supplies both ; this 

 adjoining house I call the Fig-house ; it is of the same size as 

 the vinery, and is planted with the White Marseilles at the 

 back, and the floor is divided by a narrow path into two 

 borders, where other Fig trees are planted, and seem doing well. 

 There is a border outside in which are the roots of two Vines 

 which I am training across the house, one stem from each, which 

 will not, I think, unduly shade the Figs. In front of this, 9 feet 

 distant, I have a Cucumber-house 17 feet by 7, with a four- 

 inch pipe in front, three ditto under bed, and one ditto at back, 

 which flows into a large cistern emptying into the return, and 

 creating abundance of steam. All the pipes are, besides, 

 troughed, and I can fill the troughs under the bed at pleasure. 

 Near this house stands the orchard-house, 42 feet by 14, with a 

 four-inch pipe, troughed, running round the front 30 feet of it ; 

 I only use this pipe in hard frost daring the blooming period. 

 The trees are in 15-inch pots. 



I have been thus particular in my description that you may 

 see I am fond of a garden, and not likely lightly to wish to 

 give up any part of it. Tho whole of theso buildings are on 

 my own plan ; tho furnace in tho Mushroom-house heats them 

 all, or any portion of them at pleasure. It has been my custom 

 to work my garden by employing lads out of the village. I 

 teach them all I can, and at about eighteen years of ago procure 

 them better situations. I have had two at a time, aud tho under 

 one is able to become the head when tho older one leaves me. 

 I begin with 4s. per week, and raise their wages to 12 s. or 1 ;;.,. ; 

 I take the boys at about fourteen years of age. I also employ 

 a clever labourer for the heavy work when required. I am tho 

 parson of the parish. 



Now as to the orchard-house trees. They are greatly improved 

 since I wrote laBt, and I see no disease on the new leaves. I have 

 thirty-two Peaches and Nectarines, and I think perhaps twenty 

 dozen fruit will stand. One end of the house is filled with 

 Plums and Cherries, and the other one is a blank. This is my 

 third season. The trees are most carefully and regularly tended. 

 In the autumn we take out tho soil 4 inches wide and inches 

 deep, and replace with new soil enriched with manure. We 

 top-dress in summer with horse-droppings and malt dust. 

 We syringe well every evening (I tried it in the morning also 

 but the leaves got scorched), we water according to the weather, 

 we pinch in the shoots, we move the pots during tho summer 

 to break the fibres rooting through the holes, we carefully 

 watch for insects, dressing when required with soft soap and 

 quassia, we give air early and abundantly all round the house ; 

 but each year the first growth of leaves become as it were burnt 

 at the tip, the burn gradually extending upwards till half tho 

 leaf is gone, and comes off in your hand like tinder. This is tho 

 case with almost all my Peach trees — Plums quite as bad as 

 Peaches ; some of the Vines and Figs which are in borders, some 

 in inside and some in outside borders, are affected too. What can 

 be the cause ? I thought, perhaps too much water. I thought 

 that perhaps we had not rammed the new soil enough, as tho 

 water certainly passes very quickly through the pots. I can 

 detect no insect at all. The water is chiefly rain water, as I have 

 close to my house a large brick tank, but when rain water fails I 

 supply the tank with hard water by a flexible tube from tho 

 kitchen pump. This, however, seldom is required in the early 

 summer, and that is the time when the mischief appears. I 

 have sent the leaves to various persons, and can get no cure 

 prescribed. I dislike to see the foliage damaged, and to be unablo 

 to apply a remedy. I am, however, glad to say that the weak 

 wood seems strengthening. I cannot help doubting — first, 

 whether it is well to be so often breaking off the fibres which 

 root through the pots into the border ; second, whether the in- 

 cessant pinching of the shoots as advised by Mr. Rivers is well 

 — it seems to snub the trees and fairly tire out their good 

 humour. I am inclined to let the shoots grow longer, and not 

 shorten more than two or three times at most in the summer, 

 for I suppose growth of shoots promotes action at the roots. My 

 Cucumbers are good, I have cut nearly two hundred ; not being 

 able to sow the seed till April 21, as my alterations were not 

 finished till that day. My Melons are good, I have thirty-five 

 in one four-light frame, each about 18 inches round, and theso 

 were very late-sown also. — Inqcieek. 



[The arrangements, so far as the description goes, seem to 

 be handy and economical. In the vinery the want of flavour 

 in some of the Figs against the back wall is owing to the shade, 

 and if the Vines are allowed to monopolise the whole of the roof 

 the Figs would first be flavourless and then cease to produce 

 altogether. To keep these Figs in good order the Vine stems 

 should not be less than 3J to 4 feet apart, and spaces should be 

 kept open for the light to reach the Figs. We knew a vinery 

 where the Figs did well against the back wall, but the Vines 

 obtained the mastery, and by degrees the Figs became barren, 

 except a little piece close to the ridge, where they managed to 

 get light. The same remark applies to the Fig-house. One 

 Vine trained lengthwise about the middle of the house will do 

 no harm, but, if several stems are taken, the Fig trees wiU 

 suffer. Because the tree flourishes as respects growth in com- 

 parative shade, many people think that it will fruit also in 

 rather dense shade, but they will ere long have such an idea 

 dissipated. In fact, Figs require quite as much direct light on 

 the foliage as any other fruit-bearing plant, but, provided tho 

 foliage has thus plenty of sunshine, the fruit will be best when 

 shaded by their own leaves. 



2nd, Your arrangement of the water-cistem with the hot- 

 water pipes passing through it is very good. Partly through our 

 recommendation such cisterns or tanks are found in scores of 



