THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 31.] 
is the one that is chiefly troublesome as an agricultural 
weed, and the difficulty of eradicating its perennial roots is 
■well known to the farmer. It. acetosella is most common as 
! a garden weed, although by no means very troublesome ; in 
: dry soil, however, where it is once allowed to spread, it is no 
easy matter to get it eradicated. Its near ally, the Common 
Sorrel (R. acetosella), is sufficiently familiar as a native 
hedge-bank salad. The Alpine Dock, or Monk’s Rhubarb as 
it has been called, although found in various places, is not 
admitted into our Floras as a native plant. Having in early 
days been cultivated to a considerable extent by the Monks 
for the sake of its root, which was used instead of Rhubarb, 
it is supposed that this plant is only an escape from cul¬ 
tivation at all of the stations where it is found, a supposition 
which is especially rendered probable by the circumstance 
that the Monk’s Rhubarb is seldom found at any great dis- 
j tance from some ancient ruin. The species of Rumex, although 
they have recently had the attention of British botanists, are 
by no means free from confusion, and Sir J. E. Smith, whose 
general authority in English botany we consider almost un¬ 
questionable, does not seem to have had any clear under¬ 
standing of these plants. It seems of great importance in 
this genus to attend to the form, relative size, &c., of the 
I enlarged sepals of the perianth, which in many cases bear 
! prominent tubercles, also affording important and convenient 
characters of distinction. 
The Common Chickweed (Slellaria media) is abundantly 
diffused, and assumes somewhat of the cosmopolitan cha¬ 
racter of the Shepherd’s Purse, following the footsteps of 
man in his wanderings to distant lands. It is sufficiently 
troublesome as a garden weed to be familiar to the gar¬ 
dener ; but, independent of its importance in the economy 
of nature, it is not entirely without its direct uses to man 
and the lower animals. Every cottage gardener knows how 
gratefully the cage bird relishes the Chickweed's seeds; and 
we have the authority of Hooker and Amott, in the new 
i edition of “ The British Flora,” for stating that this plant is 
( “ a good pot-herb." 
The Goosefoots are not by any means a very inviting 
family of plants, but one species, the Chenopodium Bonus 
Henricus , Mercury Goosefoot, or Good King Henry, de¬ 
serves notice here on account of its economical qualities. 
It has been long noticed in botanical books as affording a 
sort of spinach, which, however, we have not been able to 
learn has been actually used to any extent, and concerning 
the good qualities of which some botanists of high authority 
have ventured sceptical suggestions. Having met with a 
quantity of this plant growing by the wayside while taking 
a botanical walk some days ago, I determined to make trial 
of its applicability for spinach, and accordingly pulled a 
quantity of its leaves. The result was highly satisfactory; 
and although I will not venture to characterize the Mercury 
Goosefoot as superior to the best garden spinach, yet I can 
confidently recommend it to attention. It seems peculiarly 
suited for the cottager; in its wild state it is almost always 
i found growing by the cottage door, planted there by 
nature ; and the circumstance that it is freely offered to 
us by the waysides, ought not to prevent our planting it as 
an economical plant. G. Lawson, F.B.S., Edinburgh. 
EXTRACTS PROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Couyf. Tronchdda Cabbage is said to be too delicate 
to stand our winters; but with me the stumps of four re¬ 
mained strong and healthy in a very exposed situation, and 
without any protection beyond a layer of ashes over them 
roots, during the winter of last year. In the spring I had 
them planted in a vacant spot, well manured, and they have 
produced abundance of seed. — H. K. 
Vinegar Plant.—T here is an observation I beg to make 
as regards the vinegar plant, and that is, that in order to 
propagate it or make vinegar, instead of putting a whole 
one in, as recommended in one of your numbers, it is suffi¬ 
cient to cut it into three or four pieces (these we call sops), 
use one, and give the others away. A great part of the 
vinegar in use amongst my neighbours is made from this 
plant.—J ohn R. Wood, Thornton Rust. 
Household Hints.—A baby should be “ brought up to 
! give as little trouble as possible.” How is this to be done ? 
To save the tiresome, and wearying method of lulling or 
walking an infant to sleep, let it, before it is a month old, be 
laid down awake at the proper hours, and learn to go to 
sleep of itself. This the nurses call putting it to sleep 
awake. It may cry a few minutes, perhaps ten of more, for 
a day or two, and then the trouble will be over; if allowed 
to stay for another month, it will cry for an hour, and this 
for many days. At the same early age lay it down after 
dressing or feeding, on a blanket on the floor, while the 
nurse or mother puts away the things. It will soon come \ 
to lie for an hour at a time (but care must be taken not to i 
allow it to tire of the floor at first), while any occupation 
within hearing may be pursued. It will, as it strengthens, 
stretch and kick, and exercise its little limbs in a way it will 
not on its nurse's lap; and the plan will almost make a 
weak back a strong one. Then it will turn about and over, 
and learn to crawl,—nothing can be better; put it on a 
round dark pinafore, and never mind the dirt. Then it will 
get to a chair, next pull itself upright, and presently, to 
your delight, run fairly away. See how strong and straight 
its little legs are, and how merrily it laughs at its own 
newly-acquired powers ! A nursery should have no carpet, 
except, perhaps, a couple of yards, or a rug, just before the 
fire; and the furniture, which should be as spare as possible, 
should be ranged against the wall, in order that the entire 
centre, whether large or small, may be free for play. 
Now I will give you one or two receipts. A nice way of 
warming up cold meat is done by chopping it rather small, 
moistening it with a little catsup, seasoning with salt and 
pepper, and putting it like mince-meat into a crust made of 
flour, a small portion of its own land of dripping, and 
water; then fry in some of the same dripping. 
White Broth : an excellent winter dish.—A whole, or part 
of a neck of mutton, just sufficient water to cover it, plenty 
of carrots, turnips, and leeks or onions, pepper and salt, 
and now and then, for change, a few herbs or some rice. 
Stew well; and fifteen or twenty minutes before serving take 
off the grease, and add a quart of skimmed milk. 
A cheap short crust fur fruit pies. —§ !b of flour made hot 
in the oven or before the fire, d or 4 oz. of clarified suet or 
dripping (if the former, it must be warmed sufficiently to 
rub in easily), a small teaspoonful of moist sugar. Rub 
these well together, and mix with a little tepid water—milk 
is better; knead as little as may be, and roll it out. Pastry 
should be baked as soon as it can after it is made. Pud¬ 
dings made of flour and suet, or dripping and fruit puddings, 
should be boiled very fast. A large apple pudding, boiled 
in this way an hour and a half, will eat better and have more 
syrup than if boiled slowly three hours. Plain plum and 
suet puddings eat quite as well without eggs, if boiled long 
as well as fast—say five hours, at least—and be quite as 
firm. 
Milk Bread .—One lb flour, 1 oz. butter, melted in a little 
milk, a tablespoonful of yeast (if thin a little more), and a 
little salt. Mix well, and let it rise two hours. 
Tea. —After reading one of your articles on tea I procured 
a black pot, and much pleased was I with it; but I have 
now adopted a far superior plan. I put into a common tin 
coffee pot the quantity of water I wish to make into tea, 
make it boil, and then throw in the tea, and with it, whether 
the water be hard or soft, a very small quantity of washing 
soda. When the leaves have sunk it is fit to drink. 
I have found, this summer, that rubbing the parts of the 
body infested with the harvest bug with vinegar, will keep 
them off. Rubbing the bite with vinegar will kill the insect, 
and then the irritation, if not indulged, soon ceases; so will, 
and much more speedily, common spirits of camphor. All 
applications should be made before the part is rubbed or 
scratched ; they are nearly, if not quite, useless afterwards. 
By well mixing a small quantity of carbonate of soda 
with milk or cream, it may be kept sweet much longer— 
double the time.— Marian. 
Sulphur and Insects. —In both old and new receipts for 
destroying insects on plants, sulphur is one of the chief 
ingredients; indeed, it seems to be the sheet-anchor for the 
escape from every pest, from the white scale and mealy bug 
on the pine apples, to the endless browm scale on orange 
plants, nay, the greatest plague of all, the red spider on 
vines, &c. Although most of our leading writers advocate 
