4 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 
soil and subsoil, endeavour to procure eligible mate¬ 
rials for correcting faults in the staple. Where sur¬ 
face soils are naturally inclined to sand, either marl 
or clay will prove eligible to mix with them; or, what 
is better by far than either, the furrowings from old 
pasture lands of a strong or stiff loamy character. 
The latter, however, is only within reach of a few, 
and marl is the next best thing, hut this also is not 
found everywhere. Where clay is very stubborn, we 
think that a burning process might be applied profit¬ 
ably. In addition to these materials, any old vege¬ 
table matter, whether it be rotten weeds, leaves, old 
tan, or, indeed, anything that carries the appearance 
of humus, may be blended with advantage. If, on 
the contrary, the surface soil is very adhesive, pure 
sand, sandy soil of a loose character, and even coal- 
ashes, may be incorporated with the volume of soil, 
and, indeed, a proportion of the decomposed vege¬ 
table matters suggested for the sandy soil. On such 
heavy soils we would, by all means, recommend spring 
planting: and, in that event, the holes should be 
excavated immediately, in order to undergo a long 
winter’s action for the sake of breaking down the ad¬ 
hesive material. If the whole plot is to be improved, 
trenching and ridging should be resorted to; here, 
again, the winter’s .frost will amply compensate for 
the difference of a few months, and save labour. 
In rendering boggy soils eligible for fruit-tree cul¬ 
ture, a somewhat different course must be pursued. 
Here, however, it is necessary to distinguish nicely 
the character of the dark material. Some boggy soils 
are of an elastic character; that is to say, they will 
rebound on a stamp of the foot; this merely shows 
that much organised matter exists, in the main com¬ 
posed of by-gone generations of sphagnum, mosses, 
together with weeds, and grasses, in a state of decom¬ 
position. This is above all, peril aps, the most ineligi¬ 
ble character of any for fruit-tree culture; neverthe¬ 
less, it is not a hopeless case; albeit, much culture 
is requisite. Where a considerable depth of such 
material exists, burning may be had recourse to; 
this will correct the acidity and produce ashes, which 
will he of much utility in opening the texture of the 
soil. However, before other operations take place, 
the most complete drainage must be had recourse to. 
Without this, all other operating will be totally in¬ 
efficient. Such soils require both sand and clay, or 
marl, after being rendered tolerably dry: these mate¬ 
rials, well incorporated witli the native soil, will, with 
culture, remove the spongy character of the mass, 
and produce a degree of solidification, which will give 
a permanency and stability to the crops. 
A e have been making these remarks with a view 
to assist those who are about reclaiming ungenial 
plots ol land ; lor, in going through the country, how 
many such inclosures we see, some taken from the 
sides of commons, others from the road sides, left 
uncultivated in days when land was of less value, 
and when the population question did not press so 
heavily. Moreover, hundreds of little nooks have 
been split from out-of-the-way corners of farms, and 
not uufrequently composed of a soil of somewhat 
sterile character. Most of such little enclosures, as 
we have seen them, are placed under culture without 
due preparation; too little attention is paid to the 
amelioration ol the staple, and, as a necessary con¬ 
sequence, fruit-trees in a number of cases do not 
succeed and prove as remunerative as they ought; 
for we would not only have the cottager to secure his 
own dumpling apples, but to pay a portion of his 
rental annually by the sale of apples, pears, black 
currants, &c., as the case may be. 
Our hints here, then, will, we trust, put people on 
the alert to obtain forthwith some material to improve 
the texture of their soils according to the principles 
here explained. One thing we had almost forgotten: 
those who are improving stubborn plots in the vici¬ 
nity of towns should always keep a look out for the 
old mortar or plaster from the pulling down of old 
buildings : this is a capital ameliorator. 
We shall shortly resume the subject of “station” 
planting, for the majority of our friends, no doubt, 
merely want to pop in a tree or two; and we will 
show them how to carry this out both economically 
and successfully. R. Erkington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Wintering Border Geraniums, &c. — I have 
already said, the most pressing questions which are 
asked of us just now is, “ how am I to keep cuttings of 
so and so over the winter? also the best way to 
secure favourite plants of scarlet and other gera¬ 
niums, now out in the beds or borders; in short, 
how am I to secure from frost the greatest quantity 
of young and old plants for the flower borders and 
verandas next season, having neither greenhouse nor 
pit?” This, then, we are to consider to-day: When 
we have received a cutting of a fine geranium from a 
kind Mend, or valued relative, or in any other way 
—have struck it in the window, potted it, and after¬ 
wards seen it expand to a large size in the border, 
blooming most profusely, and covered down to the 
ground with such beautiful green large leaves; and, 
besides all this, having become acquainted with such 
a nice cheap gardening work as The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, in which they answer all sorts of questions, 
I say, looking at all these circumstances, who can 
say that a question about such a plant can be frivo¬ 
lous, or not worthy of notice ? I very well recollect 
the time when I was just at this stage of gardening, 
and to the present moment I entertain warm recol¬ 
lections of an older schoolfellow who used to assist 
me and give me advice about my plant experiments; 
and I dare say all the writers in these pages recollect 
something of the same kind. Who, then, need be 
afraid to ask us the most simple questions about 
such things, when we ourselves well recollect the 
time when we ourselves were in want of similar in¬ 
formation ? All questions, whether simple or other¬ 
wise, we, therefore, look upon as of equal importance 
—but the fewer words they are put in the better. 
We like these questions asked briefly, because then 
they are much plainer and more easily answered. 
The greater part of my writing in the last two 
volumes was suggested from the columns of “ An¬ 
swers to Correspondents; ” and, with reference to 
the subject of this letter, all geraniums, fuchsias, 
salvias, heliotropes, and a few others for beds and 
borders, may be kept over the winter without a 
greenhouse or pit, in any dry room, or shed, from 
which the frost can be kept out, and now is the pro¬ 
per time to prepare them for the change. 
All the larger leaves of geraniums, round the bot¬ 
tom and the centre of the plants, ought now to be 
cut close to the stems—not torn off; this will check 
their vigour, and let in light and air to dry and ripen 
the soft parts. All the young shoots issuing from 
the bottom, or about the collar of the plants, should 
also be cut clean out, as they are too soft to stand 
the winter, and any other very young side shoots 
should be cut in to the last leaf or bud, and the main 
