October 31.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
61 
and, by consequence, to ascertain whether the clayey or 
sandy principle is required in addition. Again, whether 
the plot or garden is so meagre as to quality, as to justify 
the improver in resorting to what we term the “ platform 
system; ” that is to say, to improve those portions in the 
immediate vicinity of the trees irrespective of the rest of 
the plot, which, with the addition of manures, may suffice 
to grow the ordinary vegetables. 
Second in order as to garden economics at this period, 
let us name watercourses or drains. We do hope that 
our readers will put it out of our power to say, “ we have 
piped unto you, and ye have not danced.” The constant 
ory of wolf! wolf! is certainly grating to ears polite, 
but how rnuoh more grating to be told on some fine 
j morning, that half the flock is gone? In spite then of 
the charge of iteration, we again say, Drain, if damp. 
Somebody will say, “ How am I to know whether my 
little garden requires draining or not?” Now, we can 
feel for our gardening tyros in such matters, well re¬ 
membering in early days having to grope through dim 
passages, “ dragging our slow length along,” until a 
glimpse of light appeared. Who does not envy the 
' rising generation? chronicled, journalled, and I do not 
j know what else, weekly! and if these should, perchance, 
' shoot over the heads of thousands, a Cottage Gardener 
to unfold horticultural puzzles, and bring mysterious 
j matters—physiological, botanical, &e., &c.—within the 
reach of the most busy or the least learned, with a single 
half-hour’s reading once a-week. 
All matters, then, connected with root-culture being 
carried out, it behoves the cultivator to run his hand 
over the nailed wall-trees, and to withdraw every fasten¬ 
ing which appears decaying, in order that work may be 
provided for wet or frosty weather, and also that nailing 
or training may be pursued at all proper intervals as the 
pruning is completed. We do not advise this course in 
order to hurry the pruning at an improper period, but 
merely that time may be properly economised. It must 
be remembered also, that nailing in severe weather is 
pinching work to both nose and toes, to say nothing of 
the finger ends. In former days we have known many 
a younker spend half his time, whilst at nailing mat¬ 
ting, in buffeting, blowing his fingers, and hunting for 
his kerchief. The bands of matting, too, where the tying- 
down system is practised, should all be cut, for the young 
shoots should all be looked over annually. This, to 
persons not conversant with the practice, may appear 
somewhat tedious; but it is not so; and it is astonishing 
what a number of bands a lad will cut in an hour or two, 
if diligent, with a sharp-pointed knife. It will take as 
much time to draw one nail and shred as to cut nearly 
half a dozen ties of matting. These preliininaides being 
fairly settled, folks will begin to anticipate the approach 
of Christmas; and the leaves being all off, or the re¬ 
mainder brushed off, for the sake of cleanliness and 
system, pruning may at once commence, still taking care 
to time the weather. 
Now, those who are not in a particular hurry with 
their planting, and are content to perform the operation 
in February, will do well to leave the making of stations, 
the preparing of ground, &c., until winter; or, at least, 
reserve such labour for those periods when it is too cold 
to prune or to nail. We name these things in order to 
teach young beginners how important it is to have well- 
digested plans for the winter’s campaign; much valu¬ 
able time is frequently lost by inexperienced persons 
through neglect or ignorance in this respect. 
In commencing pruning, let the bush fruit be the fiist; 
indeed, most of these may be pruned as early as the be¬ 
ginning of November. The raspberries may be classed 
with these; and next in order we would place all young 
or espalier trees which have not been planted above 
a year or two, and in which there was no danger of 
cutting many blossom-buds. 
The Morello cherries against cool aspects may next 
be trimmed, for the fruiting buds of these arc always 
easily determinable; there can be no uncertainty here. 
Trained apples may succeed these, and may be pruned 
on this side Christmas, taking care to deal gently with 
those which produce blossom-buds on the young shoots. 
We may here digress to say, that we had forgotten to ob¬ 
serve, that vines may be pruned the moment the leaf 
is off. 
Thus much carried out, there will have been a thorough 
chain of work in hand, adapted to the weather: training 
when mild, the renovation of soils, preparing stations, 
&c., when cold and dry, and the dressing and preparing 
of all kinds of fastenings whilst rain or snow prevails. 
As to pruning pears, plums, apricots, peaches, and 
nectarines, we do not like to recommend the practice 
until the end of January ; not that it is injurious to the 
trees, for the earlier all pruning is performed after the 
fall of the leaf the better, but because it is sometimes 
difficult, even with a man of long experience, to dis¬ 
tinguish with certainty the bearing wood ; so many ol 
these things, under peculiar circumstances, having a 
tendency to produce blossom-buds on the young shoots 
of the preceding season. Besides, it willbe found that 
by observing such an order of business as the present, 
the hands will be pretty well occupied until the Christ¬ 
mas pudding is ready; after which all the world, by com¬ 
mon consent, instantly turns its eyes to a new year, and 
a new order of business, and the remnant of the old year, 
like old worn-out friends, is not unfrequently slighted, 
or even treated with the utmost disdain. Sic transit 
gloria mundi, “ thus the glory of the world passes away.” 
R. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Planting. —Now is the best time in the whole year to 
plant all kinds of trees and bushes which cast their 
leaves in winter; but all the evergreen American plants, 
as, for instance, the Rhododendron, may be planted now, 
as well .as in July, August, or September—the right 
months for getting in most evergreens. Of course, 
evergreens will be planted every week until next May, 
when the ground is free from frost, with more or less 
success, according to the kind of season which follows, 
and the degree of skill and care in the planters; but 
after all, those who can, should get the best part of their 
planting finished before Christmas. When plants are 
to be bought in from the nurseries, I would have them 
taken home this month, even if I was quite sure that I 
could not get them plauted till next March; first come, 
first served, is not only the standing rule in the nur¬ 
series, but they add to it—first come, best served. I have 
wrought in more than one nursery, both in England and 
Scotland, and I know all about it. One rule more, 
which I would strictly observe myself, if I had a large 
order for a nursery, is this :—after looking out and 
marking what I bargained for, I would see the men who 
were to take up the plants, and “make friends with 
them,” promising that if I got plenty of good roots 
carefully drawn, without cutting through or pulling 
them about, I would give them something for their 
Christmas dinner; or, if I did not go to the nursery 
myself, I would send a message to the same effect to the 
master or foreman. I know very well, from experience, 
that that is, of all others, the best way to insure good 
roots for a large order of plants. You may write to the 
nurseryman, that you will do so and so, or even take¬ 
away your custom from him, if they mutilate the roots 
in taking up the plants; but if your plants are to come 
from a large firm, my promise would be ten times more 
effectual than all the threats in the world—human nature 
is human nature, all the world over! and a little soft 
