A STROLL THROUGH THE GARDEN. 
13 
being loosened so as not to lay so close, stands 
considerably higher than the part which is not 
dug. Now all this piece is ready to sow or 
plant, as the case may be. We will take 
another walk to-morrow, and see what will 
be done with it ; but it will take no harm if it 
remain uncropped for a considerable time ; 
but as it is usual to leave the work rough, just 
as it turns up in lumps, when it is to be empty 
some time, it will most likely be cropped to- 
morrow or next day. The reason why ground 
is left rough when it is not to be filled directly, 
is because the weather shall penetrate it better. 
If a frost comes on while the earth is pur- 
posely laid rough, it freezes the lumps, and 
when it thaws they are completely rotten, as 
it were, and pulverize almost without touch- 
ing. Nothing is more beneficial to the earth 
than seasonable frosts, and the more they 
penetrate the soil the better the eflfect. We 
will go round the other side of the garden 
homeward, to see what they have in those beds. 
Tliese are all young cabbage plants, ready for 
planting out ; they were sown at the end of 
the summer, and as soon as they were large 
enough were pricked out in their beds six 
inches apart, as you see them ; they have now 
gained strength enough to be planted anywhere 
for the completion of their growth. Under these 
glasses there are cauliflower plants, which will 
be planted out as soon as the chief of the cold 
weather has gone. You see the glasses are 
taken oif this mild weather, but at night they 
will all be closed up, and if there be any signs 
of frost the glass will be even covered with 
mats. Those hand glasses that are tilted up 
on one side with bricks, cover over cauliflower 
plants that are forwarder than those in frames ; 
they have been planted out these two months, 
and being covered with those glasses they 
have not been checked by frost or cold winds. 
If you notice, there are three under each 
glass ; these are tilted as you see them, in 
mild weather ; and when very fine, and the 
sun out, the glasses are taken oflT. There is 
plenty of room to put the glasses between the 
patches In windy weather the glasses are 
tilted on the side opposite the wind, so that 
they get air without being dined or checked by 
the wind. That large heap of smoking dung 
is to make a hot-bed with. We shall see in a 
day or two what that is intended for. Here 
is a large piece of ground that has been laying 
in ridges some time ; this is done that the 
frost may get through it more completely than 
it can when it is only left rough. It is not 
always necessary; but if you notice, you will 
see that the ground is very stiff and clay-like 
compared with the other part of the garden. 
It has been only lately taken in, and was only 
grass-land two months ago. We will now 
return : we have seen enough for one day. 
Recollect that in gardening nothing is done 
without an object, and I shall endeavour to 
make you understand what the object is for 
every operation we see performed. 
As the weather is frosty this morning, we 
shall find every thing that is at all tender 
closely covered up ; and this sudden change 
shows the necessity of covering up at night 
even when the temperature is mild, for we 
cannot calculate on the continuance of warmth, 
even for an hour, after sunset. There is no 
digging or sowing going on, for the ground is 
quite hard, but I see the gardener is about to 
make his dung-bed. You observe that the 
wooden frame which is to go on the top, lays 
on the ground; he has placed it there that he 
may mark out the size he wants to make the 
pile of dung on which it is to stand. Take 
notice now that he is measuring a space just 
one foot all round larger than the frame itself, 
and he drives a stake down at each corner, 
leaving as much out of ground as the height 
of the dung is to be ; now he takes the frame 
out of his way, and from the large heap he 
shakes out the hot dung evenly over the square 
place confined within the stakes. He will 
continue this until he has piled up the dung 
four feet high, patting it down with the fork 
which he uses, but not treading on it or 
compressing it too much. As it will take him 
some time to finish his job, and the process is 
only a continuance of what we have just seen, 
we will move onwards, for it is too cold to stand 
about. The heap of dung from which he is 
taking all he uses, is not as it comes from the 
stable, for the heat is always irregular, but it 
has been shaken out, just as he does it for the 
hot-bed, four or five times ; and where it has 
been very hot, and therefore become dry, it 
has been wetted ; and when the heap has been 
lying together a few days, it has all been 
shaken out again and sprinkled with water 
every foot of thickness, that the whole body 
may be damped or rather kept damp. After 
four or five turnings over and occasional 
waterings, the heat becomes alike all over, 
and it is in the state you see it. This frost is 
not severe enough to kill the brocoli, for that 
plant will bear a good deal. You see a good 
deal of it may be cut for use, as the sprout- 
ing sort is showing flower buds. These savoys 
also are not easily affected ; they are said to 
be better and more mild and tender after a 
good hard frost than they are before it or 
without it. Observe, there are several differ- 
ent crops of this useful winter green, some 
well hearted and quite hard; some smaller, that 
are hearted but not hard, and the most back- 
ward are only turning in their centre leaves 
and beginning to heart. This border, covered 
with litter, contains radishes and cabbage 
