432 
HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 
a singular advantage arises. Every shower of 
rain that falls, gives a greater supply of the 
ammonia, salts, &c. contained in that rain, to 
the charcoal. Hence it is not only the means 
itself of giving health and strength to the 
plant, but every little grain becomes a reser- 
voir, not alone of manure, but moisture, both 
of Ts^hich never cease to act upon and invi- 
gorate the vegetable." 
Mr. Rogers then enters into some very sin- 
gular calculations as to the value of the refuse 
which is at present permitted to enter the 
sewers of the metropolis, and to pollute not 
only the river into which they empty, but the 
atmosphere, into which they evolve gases of 
the most deleterious nature. "We shall quote 
some of his statements upon this matter : — 
" If these be facts, why should we permit 
one ounce of that which now produces disease 
and death amongst us, to be lost? Why 
should we, for health sake — and why should 
we, for the sake of our pockets ? For I shall 
undertake to show by a few figures that every 
one who has a family of six, may, if proper 
means be made use of, not only increase their 
health, but add to his wealth to the extent set 
forth. 
" The average of excretive yielded by a 
human being per annum is 10 cwt. Six 
will therefore yield three tons : add to this, say 
three tons of charcoal, and you will have of 
manure six tons. Now although this manure 
must be infinitely superior to guano, which 
sells at lOZ. to \2l. per ton, suppose we esti- 
mate it at 5Z.; the gross value of the manure 
will therefore be 30/. per annum ! 
" From this we have to deduct the cost of 
the charcoal, which can be produced in London 
at from 21. to Zl. per ton, say at 21. 10s. 
Therefore 7/. \0s. and the expense of collect- 
ing and intermixing will be the whole de- 
duction from the 30/. In order to be entirely 
on the safe side, add 11. lOs. for these expenses, 
and by this very fair estimate it will be seen 
that the smallest possible value of the house- 
hold produce will be at least 15/. per annum. 
" That you would perhaps laugh at this 
I anticipated, for I smiled at it myself when 
I first worked out the figures ; but though 
laughable, this is, nevertheless, fact, and I am 
willing to submit the whole to any public test 
that may be suggested. But figures in the ag- 
gregate are more startling still. 
" The average number of houses within the 
districts of London, assessed above 10/. per 
annum, may be assumed as 200,000 ; conse- 
quently, the total of assessed taxes of that 
class may be taken as 2,000,000/. Now^ if 
the inhabitants only determined on ridding 
themselves of the evils that encircle us by the 
present fearful sewage system, and saved that 
which nature intended as a means to produce 
food in abundance, they would not only con- 
fer a great boon upon the population generally, 
but the profit to be had in money would 
amount, at 15/. per house, to 3,000,000/. per 
annum ; or, in other words, that class of the 
citizens of London who pay those taxes, may 
save them, and perhaps put into their pockets 
1,000,000/. yearly, at the same time that they 
preserve the health of the city, and prevent the 
disgraceful and death-dealing foct of their 
noble river being converted into a monster 
cesspool." 
Mr. Rogers has, it appears, placed before 
the Sanitary Commission a proposition founded 
on the facts above named, and has pointed out 
how, in his judgment, the whole of London 
may be freed from its present dreadful sewage 
evils, most ample profits being returned, in 
place of millions being expended in trying 
to get rid of that which should be carefully 
saved. 
HORTICULTURAL NOTES. 
Roses in Woods, — Many of the climbing 
and trailing sorts, and particularly the ever- 
green varieties of these, are well adapted for 
undergrotvths in open woods; but in this case 
the timber trees should not be so close as to 
touch each other with their branches, and 
consequently exclude the direct rays of the 
sun from the roses. These should also be 
allowed in some places to climb to the tops of 
the highest trees where they will flower pro- 
fu.'^ely, and in a few years hang down, occa- 
sionally forming festoons from one tree to the 
other^ in a manner singularly beautiful and 
picturesque. The different varieties of Rosa 
arvensis, especially the Ayrshire and evergreen 
roses, are particularly well adapted for this 
purpose. — H. 
Cabbage-stumps, left for sprouts, should 
be treated according to what you require. If 
you want a quantity of small sprouts, leave 
them all to grow ; but if you would rather 
have a second crop of good cabbages, break 
off every sprout while small except one, and 
that must be the best. Your second crop 
of cabbages will in some cases be better than 
the first. They will even then do to plant 
close together in some niche, where they will 
furnish, in the winter, several good pickings 
of greens. — G. 
Lettuce-sprouts make as good a salad as 
the lettuces themselves ; but they do not go 
to hearts like the old ones, and thei'efore have 
to be shredded up before they are sent in. 
They do best for salads sent in dressed. By 
rubbing off all but one, they can be had larger 
than they would otherwise come. — G. 
