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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 9, 1863. 



Romans with ice for cooling beverages, and they actually estab- 

 lished a trade in snow, which was brought to Rome from the 

 summitB of distant mountains. 



The trade in ice in this country has, until lately, been very 

 limited, having been chiefly confined to the supply required by a 

 few of the first-class fishmongers and confectioners — the private 

 residences of the more opulent families being furnished with ice- 

 houses, in which a sufficiency is kept for private use. But the 

 North Americans have started a trade in this article in their 

 own cities, which has extended to Europe and Asia, and has, in 

 an incredibly short space of time, attained a surprising magni- 

 tude. The export of ice from America was commenced about 

 1820, by a merchant named Tudor, who sent ice from Boston to 

 the WeBfc Indies. After persevering against many losses, he 

 succeeded in establishing a trade with Calcutta, Madras, and 

 Bombay ; and now not only is it sent in vast quantities to those 

 places, but also to Hong-kong, Whampoa, and Batavia. About 

 fifteen years since, the Wenham Lake lee Company commenced 

 sending ice to this country from Boston, which is the great 

 American port for shipment of this material ; and since then, 

 not only has there been a continually increasing supply, but the 

 success of the Company has been bo great as to tempt others 

 into the market, and many cargoes now annually come from 

 Norway and Sweden. 



In America the ice is chiefly collected in the neighbourhood of 

 Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and New York, 

 and the lakes which supply it form no small part of the property 

 of those whose lands border thereon ; these have all been care'- 

 fully marked out, and the right secured, so that, when the 

 winter comes, and the ice is formed, the harvest begins with 

 great regularity. The ice is cleared from snow by means of an 

 implement called the plane. An ice-plough, drawn by horses, 

 and driven by a man riding upon it, is then made to cut deep 

 parallel grooves in the ice, and these are again crossed by other 

 grooves at right angles, so that the whole of the surface is deeply 

 marked out into small squares, measuring a little more than 

 3 feet. A few of these square blocks being detached by hand- 

 saws, the remainder are easily broken-off with crowbars, and 

 floated away to the ice-storehouses, which are usually built of 

 wood, on the borders of the lake. Some of these are of vast 

 dimensions, and contain vaults of great depth; the walls are 

 double, and sometimes treble, being altogether as much as 4 feet 

 in thickness, and having hollow spaces between to render them 

 nonconductors. The blocks of ice are covered up with sawdust, 

 a layer being placed between each tier of blocks. Many of these 

 iee-houBes are made large enough to hold from 40,000 to 50,000 

 tons of ice. When fully stored, a large quantity of dried marsh- 

 grass is trodden in upon the top, to the thickness of several feet, 

 and the doors are then securely closed. The domestic consump- 

 tion of the United States in I860 had reached very nearly one 

 million tons, and the export trade exceeds 280,000 tons per 

 annum, of which England takes, on an average, about 20,000 

 tons, costing £20,000. The total value of the ice which is stored 

 in America has been computed at £900,000, and if to this we 

 add the ice-trade of Norway, Sweden, Russia, which, from the 

 slight data we possess, is estimated at £600,000, we have the 

 astounding fact, that a value of one million and a half sterling 

 is added to a comparatively small body of water by the mere act 

 of freezing.— {Chambers's Encyclopedia.) 



DOES THE OWL DESTEOY GAME? 



Does the owl kill any other quadruped or even biped except 

 the mouse, and, perhaps, in certain stages of its growth, the rat ? 



The velveteen Dogberrys of our game-preserves have ever 

 answered such queries as the above in the affirmative ; but as to 

 the cause why these sober effusions are not generally accepted 

 we know not, save that a little prejudice may influence the 

 evidence of the aforesaid keepers. 



But whether this be so or not, certain it is, that I am not in- 

 fluenced otherwise than favourably towards our useful pest- 

 e **f™ In ^ tor — tn e owl, even though I am about to charge him 

 with habits not calculated to promote his well-being generally. 

 i say habits, yet we have no proof that it is habitual with him to 

 destroy game ; and did I think that the incident I am about to 

 relate as having occurred beneath my own eye, would cause any 

 to meditate future injury to him, I would certainly regret 

 Having been influenced by the wish to assist in arriving at a 

 proper conclusion as to the real nature of his doings in this way. 



At that calm time, the close of eve, I recently halted in 

 my walk round the mansion to fondle the warder dog, when 

 suddenly the noble fellow attempted without ceremony to spring 

 from my hold. Upon looking up I saw passing close by a hare 

 followed by two leverets, each about six weeks old, at the same 

 instant a light object fell with unerring swoop upon the hind- 

 most. A cry of pain was heard, and before I could recover my 

 surprise the dog had approached the two objects, when away 

 flew the white one, "an owl!" Two minutes had not elapsed 

 before again a similar cry of pain shot through the air ; away 

 again bounded the dog to repeat his rescue of the Becond mortally 

 wounded leveret. I availed myself of the opportunity of in- 

 specting the leveret without the dog having touched it. It was 

 dead, each leveret had a wound about an inch in circumference 

 precisely in the centre of the back. Doubtless, the owl has 

 young owlets whose requirements incite the old ones to adopt 

 unusual practices in their efforts to procure food. — W. Eaeley, 

 Digswell. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



Hoeing, forking, and surface-stirring to be diligently perse- 

 vered in ; the advantages derivable therefrom are manifold : weeds 

 are exterminated, slugs disturbed and destroyed, moisture re- 

 tained at a time when it is most needed, and a healthy action 

 kept up between the roots and the atmosphere, which is the 

 principal cause of the success which follows these operations. 

 Trenching vacant groimd to be prosecuted where required ; and 

 if manure is wanted on the ground about to be planted it is 

 best to lay it on the top after trenching, and then fork it in. 

 Let all green refuse be removed from every part, and either dug 

 in or taken to the char-heap. Asparagus, to maintain the 

 strength of the grass for next year no more of the produce 

 should be cut. Late and close cutting is one of the principal 

 causes of weak grass. Caulijloivers, the plants that are now 

 forming their heads to be watered and mulched with short litter, 

 this will cause them to come close and compact. Celery, con- 

 tinue to plant suecesBional crops into trenches ; take up the 

 plants with as much earth about the roots as poosible, and by 

 no means shorten any of the leaves. Immediately after the 

 planting give them a good soaking with water. The earliest 

 crops to have the earth loosened about their roots, as the fre- 

 quent waterings they require harden the surface and prevent 

 them from receiving the benefit which they otherwise would 

 receive from future waterings. Cucumbers, those on ridges to be 

 Bupplied with plenty of water, and liquid manure occasionally. 

 Endive, make a sowing for the main autumn crop. Plant-out 

 a few of the early sowing ; keep them watered until they get 

 root-hold. Serbs, some of them will shortly be fit to cut for 

 drying : the best time for doing so is just as they are coming 

 into flower. Lettuce, keep a quantity tied-up for blanching. 

 Make another sowing in drills where they are to remain. Spinach, 

 sow a few rows for succession; if the weather continues dry 

 water the drills before sowing, and again after covering them. 

 Plant-out the forwardest Brussels Sprouts, Green Savoys, and 

 Buda-kale ; if the weather keep dry the roots to be dipped in a 

 puddle consisting of earth and water, worked up to the con- 

 sistence of thin mortar, before being planted. Sea-kale, the 

 buds on the old roots to be thinned-out considerably. Young 

 seedlings, if any, to be thinned, and the thinnings planted if 

 required. Saladings of all sorts are now in great request ; look 

 well to successional sowings, and see that they all have copious 

 Bupplies of water to induce crispness and mildness. 

 EIOWEE GAKDEN. 



During the continuance of dry weather frequent waterings to 

 be given, not only to the recently-planted trees and shrubs, but 

 to the bedding-plants, annuals, &e. In watering it will be better 

 to give the soil a good soaking once or twice a- week in preference 

 to a mere sprinkling on the Burface daily, which has a tendency 

 to make the surface bake ; mulching, whenever practicable, to 

 be adopted, as well as damping the foliage of newly-planted 

 things each evening. Go over the beds frequently, and keep 

 the young shoots of Verbenas, &c, nicely regulated and pegged 

 down until the ground is fairly covered, after which the shoots 

 may be allowed to grow more freely. Carnations, Picotees, and 

 herbaceous plants, with the taller-growing bedding plants, to be 

 staked and tied-up to prevent injury from high winds. Remove 

 Buckers from Roses, and give them plenty of manure water to 

 keep them in a healthy and vigorous state. Mildew is some- 



