To\soii Gardefis, Cottage Gardens, 555 



when speaking of his success in his own garden, we were 

 most happy to find, has kept far within the hmits of exagger- 

 ation. He has a number of ingenious garden contrivances, 

 of which he has promised us details. 



There are some detached town arardens in the neighbour- 

 hood of Lancaster Hke those at Birmingham (noticed p. 409.), 

 and vegetables, gooseberries, and florists' flowers are grown in 

 them to great perfection. We examined those of Mr. John 

 Richardson and Mr. Walmsley. In the garden of each we 

 tasted several varieties of the large Lancashire gooseberries, 

 and we must state, that, contrary to our previous prejudices 

 as to the flavour of these berries being inferior to that of the 

 old ones of smaller size, we were compelled to acknowledge 

 it to be superior. Much depends on growing them in an open 

 airy situation; much on the season; and much also on the 

 kinds, for some are bad, or with little flavour. The sorts we 

 tasted, and found decidedly superior, were the following : — 

 Reds : Prince Regent, Huntsman, and Top Sawyer. 

 Yellows : Sovereign, Rockwood's, and Smuggler. 

 Green ; Niger, Greenwood, and No Bribery. 

 Whites : Whitesmith, Wellington's Glory, and Queen 

 Charlotte. 



Mr. Richardson declares that he finds the large goose- 

 berries superior to the small sorts for preserving as well as 

 for eating, and that they take both less boiling and less sugar. 

 We recommend gardeners to cultivate the above sorts at 

 least, and to let us know how far their opmion agrees with 

 Mr. Richardson's and our own. It is but justice to Mr. Saul, 

 to state that he informed us to this effect long ago, as some 

 of his communications will testify. It may be well to grow 

 both large and small sorts, for in cold or wet climates and 

 seasons small-sized fruits are always the best flavoured. 



Cottage Gardens. — These rather fall off, in point of orna- 

 mental plants, as we advajice towards the north ; but in Lan- 

 cashire they are of a good size, and, as we were informed 

 by Mr. Whalley of the Maghull nursery, they contribute 

 materially to the support of the cottager by the potatoes, cab- 

 bages, and onions grown in them. About the lakes, the 

 cottage gardens form an exception as to flowers; but from 

 Carlisle to Dumfries they seem to contain very few, and, as 

 we were informed by a gentleman intimately acquainted with 

 this tract of country, when many of the cottages were pulled 

 down and rebuilt by farmers and proprietors some years ago, 

 when farming land was high, the gardens were cruellv di- 

 minished, or taken away altogether. this ought not to be 



