Mi 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ June 22, 1871. 



We have two lean-to orchard-houses in a line, and a tank 

 made at the end of one to receive the water that falls on the 

 roof of both. From the one house the water has to pass only 

 a short distance to the tank ; from the other it has to cross 

 from front to back outside the wall, and then flow 80 feet under 

 ground before it reaches the tank. From the house nearest 

 the tank the water poured in from the spout right merrily this 

 evening. Had it done so from the other house the tank would 

 liave had neatly a double supply. After nearly two hours of 

 drenehicg rain scarcely a drop came from the farther house, 

 •though the water ran and disappeared from the spout as freely 

 an the one case as in the other. Then where could the water 

 go? "Well, it is no mystery to us. Contrary to our expressed 

 wish to have cither metal pipes, or hard-burned earthenware 

 jipes with cement joints under ground, for a paltry saving com- 

 .mon soft-burned earthenware pipes were used ; and as we were 

 forced to be away at the time, we have always thought that 

 more mortar was used for the joints than cement ; at any rate, 

 leontrary to our expressed wish, all was covered up before we 

 returned. The least defect in the joints, and the porosity of 

 the pipes, would be quite sufficient to account for the non- 

 appearance of the water in the tank. For some trifling sup- 

 posed saving — in reality a penny-wise-and-pound-foolish affair, 

 the tank, a? respects this house, was made in vain. Instead of 

 hogsheads we had not quarts. We shall endeavour to have all 

 •overhauled before long. Such a fact ought to be a warning. 



Another instance has just come under our notice. A pretty 

 little chapel has just been cleaned and renovated. Of all 

 places, churches and chapels ought to be patterns at least of 

 neatness and cleanliness. The position of the place in question 

 33 very good, the ends standing north and south, the ground 

 sloping gently to the south in front, and all open sward com- 

 anon. At the north end there is barely a yard of ground, 

 abutting against a high hedge bank. With strange perversity, 

 contrary to what the slightest consideration would dictate, the 

 spouting at the sides of the roof is taken to this confined sunk 

 jQorth end, and to a common brick drain there. It was ad- 

 vised to bring the wattr to the south front at once, but the 

 trustees satisfied themselves, by pouring buckets of water down, 

 that the water did come from the drain, and so things remain 

 as they are. The water would run from our orchard house if 

 ■we poured bucketf uls down, that we have proved ; but with less 

 than a flood the water is absorbed by and oozes out of the drain ; 

 and in the case of the chapel, clean and paint how they may, 

 the north end inside soon becomes an ugly spectacle from damp 

 incrustations, and nothing will prevent them until the drain or 

 spouting be altered, and thus dryness at the foundation of the 

 iuilding be secured. 



Now, as regards roofs in relation to water supply. There is 

 nothing more picturesque than an old thatched roof ; no roof 

 is so warm in winter and so cool in summer. When it be- 

 ■oomes moss-and-Hchen-incrusted it passes the water off pretty 

 Sreely, but just in proportion to the age and picturesqueness of 

 the roof the water will be more tainted and unfit for particular 

 purposes. Tile roofs are very good, but, unless hard-burned 

 .and vitrified, tiles should not be adopted where tanks fed from 

 roofs are to be depended on instead of wells. Like soft drain 

 tiles, they absorb a great deal of gentle rains, and until absorp- 

 tion ceases little will reach the spouts. There is no better roof 

 lor collecting water than good hard slate, unless we come to 

 glass. 



A few words as to tanks and filters. Where very little smoke 

 Sails on slate roofs, for common purposes there is no necessity 

 ior filters. In some cases we have known horses and cattle 

 lam away from filtered when they could obtain unfiltered 

 water. For general domestic, laundry, or even garden-syring- 

 ing purposes, it is well to pass the water collected in tanks 

 through two small filters previously. The additional expense of 

 two small brick-and-cement filters, say 30 inches square by as 

 "much in depth, is a mere trifle when thus water pure as crystal 

 is secured. This is the more necessary when the water comes 

 ■from roofs near to kitchen and other chimneys. For a new 

 tank, where clearness of water is an object, we have two of 

 these filters, and as thoy are not yet covered, anyone who 

 looked at them after these rains would at once see that the 

 •extra money was well spent. In the receiving filter the surface 

 of the water looked like so much ink. In the second filter, 

 jtrom which the water passed to the tank, the water was as clear 

 AS a dewdrop. Such small filters are easily cleaned out, and 

 the materials washed and replaced as necessary. We have 

 drawn water for a great many years from a tank that has no 

 filters, and the water is delightfully clear ; but little smoke 



rested on the slate roofs, and we suspect that by this time 

 there will be a deposit at the bottom of the tank. Where such 

 deposits exist to any considerable extent there may be some 

 danger in the free use of the water for domestic purposes, and 

 none the less because it is bright and sparkling. 



FKUIT GAEDEN. 



The rains did more benefit to fruit of all kinds than any 

 syringings we could have given to trees and shrubs, and will 

 greatly help to cause our Strawberries to swell fast. Merely as 

 an example of the dryness, we may mention that we had to net 

 green Cherries, as they and green hard Strawberries were being 

 freely carried cfi by the blackbirds and thrushes. Even some 

 Currant bushes were almost stripped of their green fruit, as 

 the birds popped over the wall with whole strings of green 

 Currants in their beaks. Since the warm rains we have seen 

 little of them. Worms and molluscs would be more easily ob- 

 tainable. We proceeded with nipping the points out of the 

 shoots of dwarf Currants, &c. In the case of Plums and Cherries 

 many of the points have some fly on them, so that we get rid 

 of the fly by the same process. Where able to reach them we 

 shall follow with a good syringing with clear soot and lime 

 water. This is one of the best washes when used in lime. Clear 

 soap water is also very good, but if taken in time there is great 

 cleansing power in nice clear soft water forcibly applied. The 

 above two washes will improve rather than injure growth. We 

 have nothing to say against the compofitions and washes adver- 

 tised in these columns, only we say, Be careful to use them 

 weak enough. 



ounamental depaktment. 



Our walks are tidy ; we shall presently have them neat for 

 the season by giving them all a slight surface-sprinkling, and 

 thus avoid all hoeing, turning, &o. Without this the sides, 

 from much sweeping, are apt to become soily. When all the 

 grass cannot be cut early and kept as short grass, it is always 

 advisable to keep a breadth short by the sides of the walk, other- 

 wise, if that is allowed to grow long, the walk will soon become 

 green from the shed seeds of the grass. We have several times 

 detailed how we sprinkle the walks with salt in dry weather, 

 and then throw a little sand over the salt. This prevents damp 

 stickiness in the walks, an evil ever apt to occur in fine-surfaced 

 walks when salted. On this account we never like to use salt 

 for walks after June, so that the softening and damping influ- 

 ence of the salt should be all gone before the winter comes. A 

 little salt along the sides close to the turf verges is the best of 

 all preventives to earth heaps being raised there by worms, and 

 nothing except weeds disfigures a walk more than these earth 

 heaps. 



The lawn, which was retnrfed to remove all inequalities, 

 looks as if it had not been touched, only it threatens to give us 

 extra labour by its vigorous growth. Since the warm rains it 

 would want going over every second day to keep it neat. Wheie 

 economy in labour is an object our advice would be, Lassen 

 rather than increase the size of short lawn grass. There is 

 nothing more expensive about a garden than a well-kept lawn. 

 It is ever doing, and after all never more than done. In many 

 places the gardener may increase as much as he likes the space 

 for short grass, whilst an additional rod to the cropping garden 

 must not be even hinted. If he has a definite amount of 

 labour, he will, if wise, think twice beforp, by adding to the 

 short grass, he create constant labour and difficulty. 



All bedding plants out of doors we should now consider out 

 of danger. In a few days we shall turn out the Coleus plants 

 which have been standing fully exposed. Calceolarias are a 

 mass of bloom. For reasons stated as to choosing cuttings, 

 the Scarlet Geraniums are thin of bloom as yet, but we have 

 little doubt they will be all right shortly. We find Iresine 

 Lindeni is hardier than I. Herbstii, and both are hardier than 

 the Colens. We were surprised to see that Centaurea candi- 

 dissima stood the winter in the north of Scotland. Not a plant 

 stood with us, and even most plants of the Cineraria maritima 

 were killed, though both were little protected by mounds of dry 

 ashes. 



All trouble with watering will be saved for a time. Eoses 

 pretty clean before are now thoroughly washed. Those against 

 a wall have been magnificent, as our four-footed intruders did 

 not go to them there. 



Where cut flowers are a specialty, allow us to recommend 

 for their neatness Salpiglofsis and Phlox Drnmmondi. In a 

 packet of seed of each there is wonderful variety. For a trifle 

 more money twelve separate varieties of each can be had in a 

 packet. lUany of the varieties of the Phlox are most charming, 

 and the cut blooms stand long. Many that come distinct and 



