84 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



tan. It may be a foot deeper than the floor of the house, to 

 hold the greater body of tanner's bark ; it may be three feet 

 six inches above the pavement or path in front, and the rise 

 up to the back to be dictated by the slope of the roof. Four- 

 inch brickwork is thick enough, and room is an object. 

 This should be filled with tan rather heaped up, for it settles 

 down very considerably. Thrust a stake down sloping to 

 reach the middle, that by pulling it out you may feel the 

 heat of the bed. This bed will supply bottom heat for pines, 

 cuttings of all sorts, plants that want to be pushed on a little, 

 tropical seeds and flowers that are to be forced. In all these 

 cases, the pots or pans are plunged to the rims, and they must 

 be liberally watered, but not tiU the surface of the soil they 

 are in is dry. But it is necessary to keep the atmosphere 

 moist; this is easiest done by frequently sprinkling the floor of 

 the stove and the hot- water pipes. This raises a steam which 

 is beneficial to all kinds of plants, even if any are in bloom 

 it does not disturb them, it merely settles down something 

 like the finest dew. Tan requires to be partly renewed every 

 year ; this is generally done by sifting all the decayed stufl" out, 

 using the large over again, mixed with enough new tan to fill 

 up the place. 



THE FORMATION OF PLEASUEE GEOUJSTDS. 



Tliere is nothing less understood among ordinary gardeners 

 than the disposal of ground to advantage by the laying-out of 

 those portions which are nearest the house with a view to orna- 

 ment. Men generally apportion their walks and groups of 

 shrubs and trees according to the size of the ground, as if the 

 persons who walk about could change their size to fit a narrow 

 way. It cannot be in good taste to attempt more than can 

 be accomplished well. All large estates, even forests them- 

 selves, have beautiful spots, and we cannot do bettor than 

 imitate by. art, in style at least, whatever is beautiful in 

 nature. If we attempt in an acre of ground to produce too 

 many features, we spoil them all ; for inasmuch as none ought 

 to be insignificantly small, many would so crowd the place as 

 to leave no expanse for lawn ; and if the features are imitated 

 on a small scale, ever}i:hing looks poor and babylike. 



If you want a simimer-house, let it be of a size that a party 

 can enjoy themselves in ; not a pimping cupboard of a place, 



