July 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
Red Pine).—Native country, Nova Scotia and about 
Hudson’s Bay. Average height, seventy to eighty feet. 
Habit: the same as A. nigra, excepting the leaves are 
of a bright green. This is a very useful and valuable 
tree in its native country, yielding line, sound timber, 
useful in various ways. This timber is a great rival to 
what are called the Baltic deals, which are formed prin¬ 
cipally of the A. excelsa (Norway Spruce Fir). "Like 
that tree, it is very ornamental, even in the highest- 
dressed ground, and is quite as hardy. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
INFLUENCE OF DRY WEATHER ON CROPS. 
It cannot have escaped the notice of the most care¬ 
less observer bow fast all nature's operations are 
hastened on during a period of hot, dry weather. It 
may be true, that the scorched-up soil denies the thirsty 
plant those generous juices requisite to augment its 
vegetable bulk in the same proportion as it did in a 
moister atmosphere, yet it affords it sufficient nourish¬ 
ment to hasten on to its ultimate destination—that of 
producing seed for a future progeny. That the present 
season has been equally fruitful in these premature 
ripenings, we believe all who have had a dry, hungry 
soil, in a hot situation, will give evidence; as the many 
reports we have heard of the extraordinary heat of the 
early part of this month must have told on the vegetable 
as well as the animal creation; and it is no unusual 
thing to find those, who, at other times, display great 
•energy and activity, giving way to the relaxing influence 
of unclouded sunshine, when the thermometer, instead of 
themselves, attains the unusual period of four-score and 
upwards. Now, though nature, unassisted, does wonders, 
still, if there is a time in which our aid is more necessary 
than at any other, it is when the rapid progress of every 
thing threatens that some or other of them will attain a 
premature ripeness, from the fact of their being in so 
crowded a condition as to have to struggle with each 
other for the little food which the earth is capable of 
supplying them with. A bed of Lettuces forms a very 
good example of this, allowed to remain where sown 
and untliinned, the outside plants are the only ones that 
become of any size, while the centre ones, stifling each 
other, speedily terminate their existence, without ever 
reaching a state of maturity at all approaching per¬ 
fection. 
Now, Lettuces are not the only sufferers in dry, hot 
weather. We have sometimes been pained to see crops 
that had passed the stage of usefulness, left to tyrannize 
over a struggling young brood of something else, 
destined to become the occupants of the plot. This is 
too often the case when a mixture of crops takes place. 
We have said, elsewhere, that we are not friendly, in a 
general way, to the mixing of crops; yet wo often plant 
Brocoli, &c., between rows of Peas, in such a way as to 
occupy the whole ground when the latter are removed, 
and most of the summer crops of Peas are cleared away 
in time for the Brocoli to strengthen before the hard 
weather of autumn sets in; but the latest sowings of 
Peas have all the space to themselves, they being ex¬ 
pected to continue in bearing until the growing season is 
about over. But referring again to struggling crops, 
how often do we see Spinach running to seed to the 
detriment of a neighbouring crop ; Turnips of the early 
sort, perhaps the same; and Radishes, which are often 
a sort of catch-crop, are sometimes overlooked, until 
they are able to look over the cultivator. These are sad 
robbers of the soil; rooting deeper than many other 
things, they extract from the soil that moisture which 
ought to have been withdrawn by capillary attraction, 
to supply the wants of some less robust family living 
nearer the surfaco. 
275 
Having said sufficient in condemnation of superfluous 
crops occupying the ground, let us turn to the more 
legitimate ones, and see in what way they can be 
benefited during this dry weather. Salutary waterings 
will be of service to all gross feeders, and still more so 
if that water be impregnated with some stimulating 
matter. Liquid manure will now be of infinite service, 
and the cultivator will do well to treat bis advancing 
Celery with occasional doses of it, and the morning 
after to crumble a little earth over the ground so watered, 
which will check undue evaporation, as well as pre¬ 
vent that hardening and cracking of the surface so com¬ 
mon after repeated waterings in dry weather. Ridge 
Cucumbers, Cauliflowers, Lettuces, and many other crops, 
will be equally benefited by this seasonable liberality, 
while Tomatoes, Chillies, and perhaps Scarlet Runner 
Beans, would be as well without it, unless in very dry 
situations, where atmospheric or artificial moisture forms 
the only food they have to livo upon; but such 
situations are exceptions to the general rule, and in 
most gardens the last-named articles become more 
robust than fruitful, for the hot, dry weather (so con¬ 
genial to them in their native habitats) is not likely to 
be equalled in this country to an extent hurtful to then- 
welfare ; but, in a usual way, nature points out what, and 
what not requires our aid; the stunted growth of a vege¬ 
table in that period of its existence, when its progress 
ought not on any account to be arrested, is itself ! 
apparent to every one as being in need of nourishment 
suitable to its wants. 
Next to watering growing crops, Shade is required to 
arrest undue evaporation, and in case of newly planted- 
out things this is still more necessary, as the scorching 
sun of the dog-days would withdraw more of the juices 
of the lately-disturbed vegetable than it could well 
spare. Where it becomes a matter of necessity to plant 
in dry weather—and it very often is so—utility must be 
consulted rather than appearances; we say, therefore, 
shade by all means, if in ever so bumble a way. The 
object may be attained the same by a sprinkling of the 
haulm of peas over a newly-sown bed, as if the same 
were covered with slight canvass, or fine linen—certainly, 
the one would look better than the other at the moment. 
A slight shade is also necessary to plants which have 
beenpricleed-out to strengthen on a nursery bed; and, 
in fact, most plants which have not tissues to ripen for 
another year’s use seem more at home when slightly 
shaded, or, shall we say, protected, from the fine rays 
of sunshine at this season of the year. 
Many things will now require to be sown and planted; 
but as we propose to devote our next week’s article 
exclusively to calendarial matters, we only now remind 
the amateur to sow, without delay, a little of the best | 
kind of Early Cabbage, some Lettuce, and Endive, and 
to plant out a good breadth of the latter, if favourable j 
weather occurs. Brocoli may yet be planted, but we 
expect the various kinds of greens, &c., to have been in , 
some time ago. Turnips may also be sown for winter use, 1 
and advancing crops of the same thinned, and other- [ 
wise attended to; and a sharp look out kept that > 
weeds, sheltered by tall crops, do not sometimes adroitly | 
escape notice, ripen their seed, and lay the foundation 
for future annoyance. J. Robson. 
ALLOTMENT FARMING.— August. 
We have now arrived at that part of the year in which 
almost every crop is in possession of its full digestive 
powers, more especially the root crops, and henceforward 
they should he so situated as to he enabled to enjoy a full 
share of light, for on this depends both their bulk and 
nutritious properties nt housing time. The latter is a point 
but too often lost sight of; how frecpiently do we see plots—■ 
yea, extensive fields—of such things as the swede, or other 
