November 28 .] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
to neutralise its almost murderous effects. Various 
schemes have been devised for the purpose, such, for 
instance, as gutters cut in the rafters and ribs of the 
lights, to convey the accumulated drops to a front pipe, 
and by this to be conveyed away outside ; but the 
grand preventive is good glazing, and such an inclina¬ 
tion of the lights as will send the condensed water off 
I quickly, before it has time to collect into drops. If, 
therefore, the drip is observed to fall upon the plants, 
let the glazing be carefully examined and repaired ; aud 
| the elevation, or angle of the glass, raised to the carry¬ 
ing-off pitch. Admission of air, on every favourable 
day, will dry up the drip, and help to cure the evil if it 
has occurred. T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Forcing Asparagus, &c. —Especial care must be 
taken in the forcing ol' asparagus at the present season, 
so that the shoots may be produced large and of a good 
colour. At first, as previously recommended, a very 
moderate heat must be applied at bottom, liberal airings 
should be given, and tepid water applied when required. 
Suceessional beds should be made to keep up a good 
supply. Fresh roots, also, of sea-kale and rhubarb 
should be taken up carefully and added to the forcing 
stock. 
French Bean. —Those who have any convenience for 
forcing this excellent vegetable, should at this season 
adopt a careful system of potting. Our plan for the 
short dark days’ culture, is to form a hillock in the pot 
and plant round it, as we find this a good preventive 
against shanking. 
Mushroom-beds. — Make these in succession by 
placing a good portion of holding loam amongst the 
well-selected stable dung, &c., well incorporating it 
together by frequent turnings, until quite ready to form 
the bed, which should be well trodden and rammed 
firmly down, and spawned and cased while it maintains 
a moderate heat. If the mushroom-beds are made in a 
warm close structure, or where a little warmth can be 
commanded by hot water pipes or flues, no coverings 
need be added to the beds, the mushrooms will have 
more substance, and be produced short-legged, firm, 
and weighty, and altogether of good quality. Where it 
is necessary to cover with litter, it is better not to 
make use of much hay, on account of its tendency to 
make the mushrooms spindle. When we find it needful 
to cover, we like a mixture of soft mulchy straw litter, 
in the proportions of about two-thirds of this to one of 
hay, well shaken and incorporated together, taking care 
that all dust and short mulch is well shaken out of it, 
and never allowing it to lie too long without turning, 
but, at the same time, keeping the surface of the bed 
clear from short mulch. When a mushroom-bed be¬ 
comes so cold that the spawn seems tardy in running, 
the best plan to make a. safe and speedy movement is to 
take a stake, bore a row of holes through the middle of 
it, and, with a watering-pot, pour scalding-hot water into 
each hole quickly, and stop it in immediately with a 
wad of soft mulch, cover down the bed at once with 
litter, and water it with hot water; a genial heat will at 
once be established, the spawn will run kindly and 
strong, and an abundance of mushrooms will soon be 
the result. We, also, always water the surface of our j 
beds with boiling water as soon as the mushrooms begin ; 
to show, which is a safe and sure remedy for clearing all ' 
wood-lice, slugs, and other troublesome pests. 
Keep in mind at all seasons the collecting together of ! 
plenty of half-dried fermenting materials for making 
beds in succession; but wet, sour materials will not 
answer for muslnoom-bed making. Everything that is 
suitable for mixing for fermenting purposes, should now 
be collected, and be kept turned often, and well incor¬ 
porated together, so as to be in readiness for the many 
purposes for which it is likely soon to be required. 
Sea-kale. —If a few roots at a time have been taken 
up and placed in the mushroom-house, cellar, close shed, 
room, or other convenient situation, placed in boxes, &c., 
tepid water should be applied occasionally, and a suc¬ 
cession of roots placed in. Those who have not such 
conveniencies may cover the crowns, where they are 
growing out of doors, with three or four inches of fine 
cinder ashes, or charred dust, and then place pots or 
boxes over a small space at a time, placing about them 
a sufficiency of fermenting materials to command only 
a moderate warmth to start the growth at first, and 
increasing the warmth a little afterwards by adding more 
materials. Care should be taken not to hasten it too 
much, or the kale will be produced of a bad quality, 
weakly, and possibly cankered. There is no plan for 
producing good sea-kale in succession for the next two 
months equal to that of taking up the roots carefully, 
and placing them, as we have previously recommended, 
in boxes, pots, &c,., inside a mushroom-house, or other 
close place; of course it would not answer to have them 
placed where light and air can to any extent get at them. 
We have produced excellent sea-kale in boxes at the 
back of pine stoves, early vineries, and such places, by 
having rouglily-made covers to the boxes ; and great 
indeed is the saving of trouble aud expense by this 
practice in the dead of winter, when a regular uniform 
heat by fermenting materials placed round the roots out 
of doors is scarcely to be obtained. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
OUR VILLAGERS. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers," &c. 
There is in our neighbourhood one old woman who is a 
picture of the olden times, and gladdens my eyes and heart 
too, every time I see her, for she is in every way what an 
English cottager ought to be. She is a widow, haring lost 
her husband suddenly many years ago, through an awful 
accident; and she has since lived quietly and contentedly 
close to the scene of her painful bereavement, and near to 
those who know and respect hex - , and aid her occasionally in 
her advancing years. Her little cottage stands alone in a 
large piece of ground, half field, half garden. It is the pro- 
pei-ty of a very neglectful landlord, and is a sad tumble- 
down place, for it is all that remains of what was once two 
tenements, and the black relics of a fire place, and other 
ruinous appearances on the outside give an air of exti'eme 
desolation to the little dwelling. Although there are many 
cottages very close to the field in which it stands, yet it 
looks so lonely and so sad, that I never see it without think¬ 
ing of “ a lodge in a garden of cucumbersand on passing | 
up the narrow path that leads from the wicket, a stranger j 
would almost expect to find dirt and desolation within. But , 
on opening the door a smiling scene appears. There sits 
the quiet widow, in her neat well mended dress, the very 
image of cleanliness and order. Her cottage and its old 
furniture are refreshing to the eye—her little work-table, 
