SMALL COUNTRY VILLAS. 255 



most to do in filling flower-gardens during summer, it will here be my object 

 to show how they may be preserved during winter, without the aid of green- 

 houses. The pits in which such plants should be kept, will require to have their 

 walls of 14-inch brickwork, and pigeon-holed; with tiles half an inch thick, 

 set on edge, 2 inches from the wall inside, to be carried as high as the pigeon- 

 holes ; in which small apertures may be left, in order that a little steam may 

 be admitted into the pit, from dung linings or dead leaves, if necessary : but 

 no heat from dung linings will be required, except in the most severe weather, 

 and then only just sufficient to keep out the frost. The heat of the dung or 

 leaves, applied to the outside of the walls, will readily penetrate into the pit, 

 having nothing to oppose it but the thin tiles set on edge. September will be 

 quite soon enough to begin putting in cuttings. The soil in which they are 

 to be inserted should consist of equal portions of peat earth and silver sand; 

 and those of thenti that are subject to damp off may have a greater proportion 

 of the sand. The pots or pans in which the cuttings are put should be well 

 drained." 



SuBSECT. 2. — Culture of small country villas. 



345. The culture of the gardens of small country villas differs materially 

 from that of suburban villas; as the plants are more healthy, and require less 

 general care. The distance at which plants of this kind grow from the 

 smoky atmosphere of a town, prevents their leaves from becoming choked up 

 with the soot, and the glutinous matters deposited by the smoke, which are so 

 difficult to wash off, and which require such constant syringing. Tlie leaves 

 of country trees are, it is true, sometimes covered with dust, particularly if 

 they grow near a road ; but the dust is easily washed off by a slight shower, 

 and it is not very injurious if it is suffered to remain on ; besides it is only the 

 trees near the road which are liable to be covered with dust, and these are 

 seldom of any choice kinds. 



346. Raising new plants is an important part of garden culture in the country, 

 as the men who carry plants from door to door in the suburbs of London, 

 and sell them at very low prices, are no longer to be met with ; and plants 

 procured in a nursery are generally too dear for planting out in beds in the 

 open ground. It, therefore, becomes necessary for the gardener of a country 

 villa to have hot-beds for raising seeds and striking cuttings, and pits and 

 green-houses for keeping his plants in during winter, the directions for form- 

 ing and managing which will be found in the latter part of this work ; where 

 also will be found details respecting the. making of cuttings and sowing of 

 seeds, &c., to which we refer our readers. 



SuBSECT. 3. — Renovation of small country villas. 



347. When the grormds of a small country villa have been neglected, 

 almost all the trees and shrubs will have become overgrown and shapeless, 

 and will require to be either cut in or cut down, or even, perhaps, rooted 

 out. 



348. In cutting down trees and shrubs, regard must always be had to 

 whether the plants so cut have the property of springing up again from the 

 stool or root ; or, as the technical term is, whether they stole. It often 

 happens that trees and shrubs which have become naked below, and very un- 

 sightly, when cut down within an inch of the ground, will spring up with 

 great vigour; and, in an incredibly short time, will form splendid bushes, or. 



