USEFUL HINTS 621 



quantities, and be thrown into a heap and turned over several times at intervals of three 

 or four days to allow the steam to escape. If the leaves or litter are too dry, make them 

 thoroughly moist by sprinkling water over them. Thus prepared the material will retain the 

 heat for an indefinite period. Secondly, the dimensions of the bed should be marked out, 

 and allowance made for a 2^-feet pathway all round, after the frame is placed on. Stout 

 stake? should then be driven in at the four corners to serve as guides when the bed is being 

 made, after which place a layer of the material along the sides and ends of the bed, in a 

 direct line with the stakes, and then proceed with the interior of the bed. As each moderate 

 layer of leaves and litter is added, let it be trodden very firmly, as if left in a loose con- 

 dition the bed will soon lose its heat, and also be liable to tilt on one side when the frame 

 is placed on. The sides and ends must be well trodden and beaten with a fork, or they 

 will collapse when walked upon later. Beds which are made very early in the year 

 should be 4 feet high at the back, and 3 feet 6 inches in front, while those made later 

 may be 6 inches less in depth. A good fall from back to front must be allowed, so that 

 a maximum amount of sun heat may reach the interior of the frame. As soon as the bed 

 is finished the frame may be placed on and the soil thrown in, after which some clban straw 

 litter should be laid round the frame on the bed to give a neat appearance. 



Labels. Everything sown or planted in a garden should be labelled, such as all 

 varieties of Apples or other fruits, of Dahlias, Roses, Carnations, and other things indi- 

 vidually, and Peas, Potatoes, Cabbages, &c., in the bulk. Labels may be made easily 

 from stout laths rent for plastering, as these need little preparation. A bundle of laths 

 3 feet long will make hundreds of labels, from 4 inches, wired on to trees or roses, up to 

 8 inches, for vegetables. First cut them into proper lengths, then pointed one end, if to 

 be put in the ground, doing that with a sharp knife, and facing off both sides flatwise 

 quite smooth. A little thin white paint may be well rubbed over a few inches of the top 

 of one side, and the name be written with pencil whilst the paint is wet. It then soon 

 dries, and the writing will remain clear as long as the label endures. These wood labels 

 should be prepared by the fireside in the winter. If metal labels are desired, the best we 

 know are the " Acme." 



Mulching. This is a term understood by practical gardeners as a dressing of some 

 other material placed on the surface of the soil about plants, trees, and similar things to 

 check waste of moisture when, either after watering or after rain, or at any time hot sun 

 beats fiercely on the soil, and makes it hot so that it dries rapidly. To prevent this the 

 gardener, whenever he can, places about the things he has to water, or between and about 

 garden crops or fruit trees or other things, a layer of manure containing a good portion of 

 straw ; or failing that, cocoa-nut fibre refuse or decayed leaves, as these catch the sun's 

 rays and protect the soil, thus keeping moisture in it. Under waterings or rains the manurial 

 properties in the mulch also will wash in and assist to feed the crops or trees. Fruit trees 

 on walls and Vines specially benefit by mulches of manure. 



Nails and Shreds. Every gardener (the term is used in its broadest sense) has 

 occasion to nail fruit trees or climbers to walls or fences. The best nails for brick or 

 stonework are those of the ordinary cast-iron form, as these do not bend, and can be 

 driven into very hard material. When old ones are drawn from a wall they should 

 have a partial turn or twist given to them with the hammer claw or pincers first, as that pre- 

 serves the point and frees them from mortar. Nails that have lost their points are of 

 little use, and should be thrown away. Old nails with hard mortar still adhering are 

 best cleaned by putting them on an old shovel and burning them in a fire, as then they 

 are quite fit for use. Shreds should always be made of clean, even if old cloth. They 

 may, according to the size of the shoots they are to secure, range from half an inch to an 

 inch in width, and be from three to even six inches in length. Old shreds may be full of 

 insect eggs or fungoid spores, and should be burned at once. 



Packing Flowers. The best way to pack flowers is to wet some moss and wring it 

 out in the hand, and either tie it on to, or lay it loosely but firmly among the stalks, and 

 envelop the whole in some large fresh leaf like Cabbage, Rhubarb, Spinach, Lettuce, 

 Dock, or even Ivy. If the box is larger than the space the specimens actually occupy, 

 it is well to fold the green leaf over the flowers, and to fill the rest of the space with 

 crinkled paper of any kind, wood or paper shavings, or any such material, in order to 

 keep the flowers quite firm, and not allow any movement whatever. It is much better to 

 pack very tight, only short of crushing, than to leave any space which would allow them 

 to move. It should be remembered that a postal journey is a train journey, and that the 

 unceasing vibration means a constant grinding of any surfaces which may be in contact 

 with each other. Only tight packing prevents injury from this cause. In all such pack- 

 ing exclusion of air is also of the utmost importance, and therefore tins are the best kind 

 of receptacle. There is generally a Cabbage leaf in the kitchen, and there is often only 

 too much ivy on the house. 



Pergola. The pergola, or covered way of green growths, has come to us from 

 Italy, and is frequently seen in English gardens. In Italy it answers the two purposes 



