November 24, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



415 



but most economical. A considerable amount of observation 

 leads us to the conclusion, that men who can get a comfortable 

 warm breakfast at 8 or 8.30 a.m., and whose comfort is other- 

 wise cared for, will work better and wear better than other 

 men who soaroely have a comfortable meal in summer, except 

 the one they get in the evening ; and if they have an early 

 breakfast at home in winter, it is attended with extra early 

 rising, and extra expense for fuel if they have everything com- 

 fortable and warm as they ought to have. 



In these times it may be too true that working men may 

 have been too selfish in studying what they thought were their 

 own interests ; but on the other hand, it is also too true that 

 many employers do not pay so much attention to the comfort 

 and health of their workmen as they do to the cleanliness and 

 dryness of necessary machinery. We know of cases where, 

 even as a matter of makiog the most of the hours of labour, 

 garden men are expected to be at their work at Beven in the 

 winter and early spring months, and to have breakfasted pre- 

 viously. Now, work can be very well managed on this plan, 

 but where economy in labour and in fuel are to be consider- 

 ations, not to speak of the comfort of the men, we have a strong 

 belief that from half an hour to an hour earlier at times in the 

 morning, even though stopping for breakfast afterwards, would 

 be the most economical mode in the end. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The work has been to a great extent a repetition of that re- 

 corded in the previous week's notice. We pricked out more 

 Cauliflowers, Lettuces, &c, and proteoted Lettuces and Endive, 

 not covered up, for present use. 



Wheeling Manure, <ic. — In the frosty mornings the contents 

 of the rubbish-heap that had been well mixed and heated, were 

 wheeled on to empty ground ; we also wheeled the remains of 

 hotbeds into heaps, whence the material could be moved where 

 wanted afterwards, without breaking-up walke. All wheeling 

 on walks should be done either in frosty or dry weather. We 

 have felt as if a blow had been given us, on noticing men 

 pushing and striving with all their might to get a barrow along 

 with the wheel up to the axil in mud and slush. Much depends 

 on choosing the right time for work, if the work is to be done 

 comfortably and economically. In particular cases 6uch con- 

 tinuous work cannot be avoided, bnt, as a general rule, no work 

 should be attempted which cannot be done at the time without 

 making other work. When for short distances we are obliged 

 to wheel in unsuitable circumstances, a great preservative from 

 injury will be found in thinly sprinkling the place to be wheeled 

 over with longish litter. Even under the most favourable cir- 

 cumstances, a similar sprinkling for some yards from the 

 rubbish or dung heap keeps the wheel of the barrow and the 

 feet of the wheeler clean, and thus the walks and ground 

 wheeled over are kept comparatively unbroken. It is true they 

 might be scraped and swept, but the less the better. Much 

 of it is just doing work so as to make other work, a matter to 

 be avoided when economy in resources is to be considered. A 

 dry frosty morning is, therefore, very suitable for general wheel- 

 ing ; but if the frost is very sharp, and the ground bard, it is 

 not desirable to wheel over lawns, as under such circumstances 

 the grass under the wheel of the barrow will loDg retain a dark 

 injured appearance, when the rest of the lawn looks like a fine 

 green carpet. We have known several eases in which beautiful 

 small lawns have thus been greatly injured in their appearance 

 far into the summer. Nothing would take out the wheel marks. 

 Where wheeling must be done in such cases, it would be well 

 to use boards and planks to wheel on, and thus save the grass. 



Ice. — As we stated some time ago, it is very easy to use too 

 much ice in hot weather in summer. What is very pleasing is 

 not always conducive to health. Still, without ice many would 

 have found the last season very trying to the temper if nothing 

 else. In our common sunk well, with only a single wall, we 

 have had and still have abundance ; this is all the more 

 gratifying, as, from our ponds having still little water, we 

 should have far to go for ice, even if the frost were coming 

 sharp enough to give us plenty on clean water. We are re- 

 minded by the short statement at pages 390 and 391, that we 

 promised some dozen of our correspondents to say a few 

 words before another season as to the causes of their failures. 

 Well, in eight cases made known to us, where ice heaps had 

 been made above ground, chiefly for milk, cream, and butter 

 purposes, the ice had thawed when most wanted — in July, 

 and later. In these cases the ice had been well broken, but it 

 was left too wide and flat, and there was too little of it to give 

 hopes of keeping. In the largest heap there were not above 

 fifteen good cartloads. Now, though we do not wish to dis- 



courage anyone, still we could not recommend the forming 

 a heap expected to last over the summer, unless there were 

 from thirty to forty good cartloads. It reqaires very great care 

 to keep a few loads over the late spring and early summer 

 months. In six oases made known to us, the failure, we think, 

 was owing to using dryish litter, but not dry, to cover the heap 

 out of doors ; and the litter banked together, heated enough to 

 melt the ice. When the ice is packed firmly where no water 

 or ice-meltings can Btay, and where, if possible, the ice has 

 been watered outside and frozen into a lump, nothing is better 

 for covering than, say, 6 inches of dry straw, more being added 

 by degrees, so as to keep out heat, and yet not heat by fer- 

 mentation. For the outside covering wo have found nothing 

 better than dry tree leaves, for if put on with a few branches 

 over them the wind has little effect on them, and the heat of 

 the sun scarcely any. Without these wheat straw neatly Becured 

 is the next best, put on so as to throw all wet from the inside 

 covering. Such dry covering put on by degrees Ghould not be 

 less than 18 inches thick to keep out effectually the heat of 

 summer. 



In several cases where ice wells have been made under 

 ground the failure was owing either to not having a drain at 

 all, or having a drain, but untrapped with standing water, and 

 therefore admitting the air of the general atmosphere in snrc- 

 mer to the bottom of the well. A moist foggy atmosphere 

 would thus be formed in the place, and nothing tends to melt 

 ica more quickly. The more cool and dry the air over and 

 about the ice the better it will keep. The moister and warmer 

 the air is the sooner it will melt. 



Reverting to the notice at page 390, we observe that a mis- 

 take was made, inasmuch as the inside wall was 9 inches 

 thick instead of 4| inches, the thickness of the outer wall. 

 Be that a? it may, we revert to the subject again because, from 

 several notes, we find that though most people have an idea 

 that double walls would alike keep out heat and cold, they can- 

 not see, except through a sort of mist, that the most thorough 

 acting of such double walls depends on the air enclosed being 

 still — thoroughly shut in, and having no connection with the 

 external atmosphere. We have been asked how it is, and as 

 we never could satisfy ourselves as to the how, it is not likely 

 that any answer we could give could satisfy others ; never- 

 theless, the fact remains that w.hilst moving air is a good con- 

 ductor of heat and cold, confined air is one of the best of non- 

 conductors. 



We will adduce a few facts in corroboration. First, A few 

 years ago a doubter as to this property of confined air called 

 upon us during a keen frost in January, after 2 or 3 inches of 

 snow had fallen the previous nigbt. He looked at a low house 

 about 11 a.m. One half of it had a cloth run along the front 

 lights, the inside temperature ranging from 45° to 50" ; the 

 other half had neat straw covers placed on the lower sashes 

 instead of the cloth. There was not a ray of direct sun that day, 

 but a cold clouded atmosphere. Well, as there was not much 

 reason for uncovering early, at that hour the snow on the 

 cloth lying against the glass was all melted and gone, and the 

 cloth could be easily rolled up. But above the warmer house 

 the snow lay on the straw covers just as it had fallen, not a bit 

 of it showed any signs of melting. We attributed this to the 

 air enclosed imperfectly between the glaBs and the cover, and 

 the air bo far shut up in every tube of straw. For Buch a 

 purpose, the less mutilated the straw by flail or machine the . 

 more suitable it would be for such a purpose. We regret 

 we are getting out of straw covers. Made as recommended in 

 former volumes, there is no protection cheaper and more 

 effective. 



Secondly, We have a pit which we had built 'with hollow 

 walls — that is, a 14- inch wall used-up little more bricks than a 

 9-inch wall. In the most severe frost we have never known 

 the inside wall at all frosted. In the hottest summer weather 

 the inside wall, unless where the sun beats upon it, is com- 

 paratively cool. 



Thirdly, A gentleman was obliged to build a dairy in a rather 

 exposed place. As far as we recollect there were double walls, 

 but we forget whether they were 14-inch or 18-inch, double 

 ceilings, and a double roof ; but like our correspondent, 

 " G. T. M.," he would insist on there being a thorough cir- 

 culation between the walls, ceilings, &c. The circulation of 

 the air was to keep all right, and in the hot summer the milk 

 soured, the cream moulded, and the butter run to oil. When 

 the air became thoroughly confined, visitors on going into the 

 pretty place in August and September exclaimed, " Oh, how 

 nice and cool ! so like an ice house ! " 



