476 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAUD'uNEll. 



Jam 17, 1375. 



those of the Plantain, wore a Bubstitute for a flag of truce. 

 It is, then, no small compliment to this plant that it combines 

 with its beauty uses so important and beneficent. ^W. 



PLANTS FOB A GRAVE. 



Equally with "F.B. ,Blackhfath,'' do I detest seeing graves 

 planted with gaudy flowers. There is something repugnant 

 to the appropriate feelings of our nature to see the resting 

 places of the dead attired in the colours of a clown's dress in 

 a circus. Yet do I like to see the graves baoomingly tended, 

 and to this purpose I will thank you to allow me to lay before 

 your readers a simple style of grave decoration now much 

 practised in the North of England. It is much admired by 

 strangers, and is becoming every day more general here. 



Where the space allows the grave is made of the ordinary 

 size inside the railings of the tomb, and is covered with sods 

 from the seashore, the grass of which is very fine and of a 

 beautiful green throughout the year. Around the outside are 

 planted Snowdrops for winter, these are followed sometimes 

 by Hyacinths, and for the summer a few Ferns are used. Thus, 

 in the summer months, flowers are altogether discarded, and 

 nothing but the Ferns are seen, and the effect is at once quiet 

 and graceful. For an ordinary grave the sexton is requested 

 to leave the mound a little less than the usual size, and the 

 remainder of the space is occupied by Snowdrops and Ferns. 

 In addition to the appropriateness and good taste of this style 

 of grave decoration, it possesses the advantage of requiring 

 the very least of attendance. Both the Snowdrops and the 

 Ferns will last for many years, and all that is required is an 

 occasional cutting of the grass on the mound, and the keeping 

 the other parts free from weeds. — Beta. 



SAVE THE SLOPS. 



Let everyone who owns a garden, whether in town or country, 

 bear in mind that the waste water, highly impreguated with 

 ammonia and other valuable fertilisers, that annually goes to 

 the gutter, would make many a man rich. Now that every 

 well- arranged kitchen lias a sink w^ith a waste-water pipe at- 

 tached, the latter should in every instance have its outlet in 

 some portion of the vegetable garden. A tank, not necessarily 

 large, should be the reservoir for receiving all the contents, 

 and if no higher than the surface of the surrounding ground, 

 and covered with a neat board floor, it will not prove unsightly. 

 The centre of the garden is the proper place for its location, 

 and a small force-pump will at all times enable ue to use the 

 liquid portion of the contents. The sediment, which will 

 mostly settle to the bottom, should be taken out as often as 

 it interferes with the working of the pump, and immediately 

 composted as an incomparable manure for Vines. After a 

 reasonable length of time it becomes as mellow and rich as 

 anyone could desire, and causes the richest tint of green to 

 spread over the Melon and Cucumber leaves. Indeed, for 

 Lima Beans there is no fertiliser so well adapted as this. The 

 liquid portion of the contents of the tank may be pumped up, 

 and by the aid of inexpensive wooden troughs can be conveyed 

 to any portion of the garden where it is needed. The Celery, 

 treated to an occasional dressing of this, will outgrow any 

 plants ever seen in the garden. 



In early spring, however, is the season when its virtues are 

 raost needed. A sprinkling over the seed beds of Cabbage, 

 Celery, &c., will prove equal to the best " home-made" liquid 

 manure. The overflow pipe (for there must be such an arrange- 

 ment) should lead into a neatly-kopt gutter, and on either side 

 of this, if one or two rows of Strawberry plants should be set, 

 there will be an astonishing growth of foliage followed by a 

 surprising crop of fruit. 



The best arrangement of this kind is where there are two 

 tanks, connected near the top by a short pipe. The waste 

 water, sediment and all, runs into the first of these, when the 

 solid portion sinks to the bottom, while the liquid fills the 

 tank, and, passing through the communicating pipe, is held 

 by the second tank. Over tho latter should be fastened the 

 pump for the convenience of using the stimulating fluid ; but 

 in the first tank will accumulate all the solid matter, which 

 may remain therein for some time, or until it should fill the 

 vessel and retard the passage of tlie water in the communi- 

 cating pipe. As this contrivance has been successfully tested 

 by some of the most practical gardeners of my acquaintance, 

 it should come into more general use, as the idea of a person 

 purchasing several dollars' worth of manure for his garden 



when he has an almost inexhaustible supply without cost at 

 his very door, is simply ridiculous. — {American Tribune ) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



On the site of the ancient castle of Benefield in North- 

 amptonshire there is a handsome old Ash teee, the branches of 

 which droop in the same manner as those of the Babylonian 

 Weeping Willow and of the Scampston Elm. It is a very 

 graceful and ornamental tree. 



• In the garden of Mr. J. Smith, the Rectory at Oundle, 



is a POLYGAMOUS McLBEREV bearing an abundance of male and 

 female catkins. This is an unusual occurrence, as the Mul- 

 berry generally met with in gardens produces female flowers 

 only. 



— - In the conservatory of Mrs. Webb, West Side, Clap- 

 ham Common, is a fine specimen of the Eugenia Ugni. The 

 plant forms a close green column about 4 feet in diameter and 

 nearly 30 feet high. The stem is fully 30 inches in circum- 

 ference at the base. This fine plant is very ornamental, i's 

 glossy foliage being enlivened by white flowers and fruit in dif- 

 ferent stages of ripeness. The fruit, of which Mr. Pithers the 

 gardener has picked considerable quantities, is about the size 

 of an oblong Gooseberry. It possesses a peculiar piquant 

 flavour agreeable to some palates. 



Smith's Improved Metallic Garden Labels. — These are 

 painted a light ground colour, and the names in raised metallic 

 letters are black. They are very superior labels, but care must 

 be taken to have the names correct. One sent to us is " Cu- 

 pressuB Lawsoui" instead of Lawgoniana. 



NOTES ox VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



KITCHEN G-IBDEN. 



Is this locality dry weather has prevailed for so long that many 

 crops, where water could not be applied, have shown signs of 

 languishing. Within the last week, however, plentiful showers 

 have fallen, and greatly improved the aspect of plants in general. 

 The rain has been especially welcome in those little spots occu- 

 pied by amateurs' gardens, where little or no shade is produced 

 by surrounding vegetation. It is in such places where crops 

 have suffered most, and where work has been delayed either iu 

 sowing or planting on account of the dry state of the soil. In 

 any neighbourhood where such a state of things has existed, 

 and rain has fallen, there must be no delay in putting out 

 all kinds of plants, such as the main crop of Brussels Sprouts, 

 for if these are not planted-out early enough to make a vigorous 

 growth before autumn the produce is likely to be short and tho 

 sprouts very small. This vegetable is a profitable one for an 

 amateur, and worth growing well. The plants should be planted 

 25 feet each way, and in rich soil they will grow to a large size. 



All sorts of Broccoli too, where the plants are of a proper size, 

 should be planted-out during showery weather, and they are 

 assisted to make a natural start, such as they cannot have in 

 very hot dry weather. Spring-sown Cabbages also must not be 

 neglected. Some people depend upon the spring bed for a supply, 

 but my experience is that towards autumn they are tough and 

 not of such a nice flavour as those which are grown quick and 

 cut in a young state. Plant-out a full crop of the Drumhead 

 and Dwarf Green Savoys ; these may be planted 2 feet each way. 

 While on these I may sav that a sowing ought to be made of 

 Wheeler's Cocoa Nut or Little Pixie Cabbage, and the Kosette 

 Colewort for early autumn Cabbages ; they are quick-hearting 

 kinds, and may be planted closely together. Plant many of the 

 winter and spring greens, I mean Tall and Dwarf Curled Kale, 

 Scotch Cabbaging and Cottagers' Kale, and Dalmahoy Sprouts, 

 leaving the coarser sorts to follow later on as ground falls 

 vacant. Plant-out a full crop of Cauliflowers now. There is 

 none better or more select than Veitch's .Autumn Giant, and 

 those from seed sown the latter end of last mouth may be put 

 out as soon as ready. 



Make a good sowing of Peas, such as British Queen or No 

 Plus Ultra. I usually make another sowing of some one or 

 other of the early sorts in the first week in July ; these have at 

 times cropped fairly, and have been exceedingly useful. Sow 

 also dwarf green Gem Beans for autumn use where they aro 

 iu request, and another crop of Dwarf Kidney Beans, as well 

 as the last crop of Scarlet Runners. These later sowings are 

 sometimes the best in this vegetable, as they do not grow so 

 high, and are in full bearing till frost destroys them, while the 

 early crops are exhausted. 



Plant Celery in the trenches as soon as possible. I generally 

 plant two rows in a trench IK inches wide, putting the plants 

 1 foot apart iu the row. I believe for Celery to keep during 



