396 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAQE GARDENER. [ November 15, 1864. 



boon, and with scarcely an exception the great myriads act 

 thoroughly as if they felt their sense of right and honour 

 appealed to. We have lately heard a good deal of the axiom, 

 that "Property has its duties as well as its rights." It is 

 characteristic of our times, that so many of our nobles and 

 gentry go far beyond the stern demands of duty in the sym- 

 pathy they manifest for all that will interest, amuse, instruct, 

 and elevate their humbler brethren. The standing aloof 

 in solitary dignity, the attempt to live for ourselves alone, 

 will ever be found a mistake and a failure, whether tried by 

 the peer in his palace or the peasant in his cottage. We have 

 heard some would-be independent people sing until they 

 were hoarse — 



".I care for nobody, no. not I, 

 And noboJy cares for me." 



But the louder they sang the more did they confirm the im- 

 pression that they did care, just as the schoolboy who has 

 learned enough to mate him superstitious, " whistles the 

 loudest to keep his courage up," whilst shaking like an 

 Aspen leaf at every wind rustling among the grave-stones 

 at night, as he passes through the churchyard. No man, 

 however much he may wish it, can stand alone uninfluenced 

 or uninflueneing, or escape if he would the attendant re- 

 sponsibility. A great step in human progress would be 

 gained were there a more general practical recognition of 

 the fact, that one of the very best means of securing happi- 

 ness for ourselves, is simply to be engaged in making others 

 happy. 



And, lastly, whilst such means as these are presented for 

 the gratification of the inhabitants of the surroundino- dis- 

 tricts, the best interests of the villagers of Enville have not 

 been neglected. The last place we visited was a very elegant 

 school-house, and residence for the schoolmaster, erected 

 by Lady Stamford, and presented by her ladyship as a free 

 gift to the village. Before seeing the master, we had a 

 walk through the garden, and found that he was as fond of 

 the garden as ourselves, although the hares had tried hard 

 to lessen his enthusiasm by nipping the points of his 

 favourite fruit trees. We hope that by this time they are 

 thoroughly excluded by a close fence or wire netting. .Every- 

 thing in the school, from the stained and varnished open 

 roof, the maps and illustrations on the walls, the tables and 

 forms, and the unique desk of the master, spoke not only of 

 comfort, but elegance, and in this respect contrasted strongly 

 with what we had lately been reading of the dirty, hacked, 

 and whittled appearance of the forms and tables, and even 

 what served as tutors' desks, at Eton. We are not in a 

 position to say what effect such appearances of the untidy 

 and the*dismal may have on the young gentlemen who con- 

 gregate there, but we do know that a dirty church or chapel, 

 and a miserable-looking schoolroom, exert a deteriorating 

 influence on the rising generation amongst us of the workino- 

 classes. At Enville we can fancy many an urchin curiously 

 scrutinising the wonderful rostrum of the teacher, with its 

 many distinct boxes, and next to countless drawers, all so 

 bright with their varnished handles, until he feels that 

 everything approaching the untidy and the slovenly would 

 be quite out of place. We are not disposed, without a 

 proviso as to the kind of beauty, to join thoroughly in the 

 proposition, " A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," but we 

 do maintain that all beauty does exert a softening, refining, 

 and elevating influence. We hope the villagers will suffi- 

 ciently appreciate their advantages, as that will be the best 

 compensation they can give for such kindness and liberahty. 



We take this opportunity of correcting a misprint which 

 occurred in the third paragraph of page 376, in which the 

 first bed in the third row is said to be edged with Lord 

 Stamford Verbena, instead of the Geranium of that name. 

 — R. F. 



WOEZ FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Wheeling out manures, composts, earths, mud, &c, 

 trenching, draining, making new walks, and repairing old 

 ones, are amongst the principal operations at the present 

 season in this department. Always make choice of suit- 

 able weather for performing each, with a view to cleanliness 

 and good order. Asparagus, some of the earth may be re- 

 moved from the surface of the beds, and its place supplied 



with strong, rich, decomposed stable-manure, to which may 

 be added, with good effect, a sprinkling of salt. The fine 

 dry weather we have had lately has been particularly favour- 

 able for taking up Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet, and if not 

 already done, let the ground they occupied be trenched ; and 

 where the soil is clay or strong loam, let it be ridged, that 

 the frost and air may act on as large a surface of it as pos- 

 sible. If the ground is required for planting Potatoes, 

 the ridges may be made 2 feet apart from the centre, and 

 the Potatoes may be put 3 or 4 inches under the surface of 

 the soil between the ridges, and the ridges will crumble 

 down as frost approaches, and protect the tubers from its 

 action. Jerusalem Artichokes, a bushel of them may now be 

 taken up, and placed among some mould in any convenient 

 corner, for use when frost renders it difficult to get them 

 up in the open gTound. The same applies to Horseradish. 

 Onions, the ground intended for them next year to be 

 trenched up, and some rich manure laid on the top, which 

 must be well knocked about in dry frosty weather during 

 winter. Peas, about the 20th of the month is by many con- 

 sidered quite soon enough to sow them, as also Broad Beans, 

 to stand through the winter. Sea-kale, clear off the decayed 

 leaves, and cover a portion with pots, to be ready for cover- 

 ing with leaves and fresh manure, or leaves alone if the 

 other is not attainable. Ground may now be made ready 

 for new plantations of this, Rhubarb, and Asparagus, and as 

 these are what may be termed permanent crops, every care 

 ought to be bestowed on the thorough preparation of the 

 soil for them. The ground to be trenched 2i feet deep, ma- 

 nured, pulverised, and drained, and where it is exhausted in 

 some of its essential qualities — as nearly all old garden soil 

 is — there ought to be an addition of new loam; for real 

 success this is imperative. Clear away dead leaves from all 

 growing crops, and fill up blanks a3 they occur. 

 fruit garden. 

 Continue to prepare for fruit-tree planting by draining, 

 trenching, and pulverising the soil, and after planting stake, 

 tie securely, and mulch them in good time. Clear away all 

 dead leaves from wall trees, and remove the green fruit 

 from Pigs. The established strong-growing fruit trees that 

 are tardy in producing fruit should be root-pruned ; but this 

 must be performed according to circumstances, if the trees 

 are planted too deep, or the soil has been raised above or 

 about them since planting, by all means fork the roots out 

 carefully, and plant them again on the surface, spreading 

 out the roots judiciously, and then mulch them. If the trees 

 to be operated on are planted high and dry, fork about 

 them at a reasonable distance, and prune back the main or 

 strongest roots as you find them. Raspberry plantations 

 to be cleared of the dead canes and superfluous wood, the 

 suckers taken off, and, where required, the strongest to be 

 at once planted for succession. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



To keep the walks, lawn, flower-beds, and borders clear of 

 the fast-falling leaves, when all traces of the labour and at- 

 tention of one day may be effaced by the next, will now 

 require unremitting attention, if the garden is daily visited 

 for amusement and fresh air, or if it is seen from the 

 windows. Now, that the frost has transformed the gay and 

 lively tenants of the garden into blackened spectres, it is 

 advisable to remove them out of sight, and to fill up their 

 places with bulbs or evergreens, as recommended last week. 

 We have seen small branches of evergreens stuck all over 

 the beds as "make-believes" that they were plants in pots. 

 The difference to the eye of taste is as great as the difference 

 between mock turtle soup and real turtle soup to the taste 

 of an alderman. Flower-borders of a stiff and unkindly 

 nature will be improved by an admixture of road sand, leaf 

 mould, wood ashes, or any other light soil dug in, leaving the 

 surface to be fully exposed to frosts, when it will be in a 

 more pulverised and fine state for planting or sowing at the 

 proper season. Many trees and shrubs that had been at first 

 planted to produce an immediate effect, are too generally 

 left to spoil each other. The reluctance to prune and thin 

 shrubberies is particularly conspicuous in the gardens of 

 amateurs, but by removing such trees or shrubs as are too 

 near, and by giving more space to the more valuable varieties 

 a more natural and delightful effect would be produced. 

 greenhouse and conservatory. 



The frosty nights will render a recourse to fires absolutely 



