132 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
ness is conducive to health, is a maxim that applies 
to plants as well as animals; and the more frequently 
the leaves of a plant are cleansed from dust and dirt, 
the more healthy they will be. A gentleman of strict 
veracity once assured us that lie had kept some laurel 
bushes perfectly healthy by the simple operation of 
sponging the leaves three times a week, though his 
plants were situated in the very middle of smoky 
London. This may sound like a thing doubtful to 
some of our readers, but it is, we think, not at all un¬ 
likely, though we must confess it is not at all pro¬ 
bable that many persons will be at the trouble to 
copy his example. The anecdote is mentioned to 
show the good effects of cleanliness upon plants. By 
frequently washing the leaves the pores are cleared 
from obstruction, and the plants breathe freely and 
healthily, for the leaves are the lungs of plants. 
T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Globe Artichokes. —If the winter protection of 
this vegetable has not already been attended to, no 
time should be lost in mulching the plants sepa¬ 
rately, with dry leaves, mulch, decayed rubbishy 
hay, straw, fern, heath, or any other dry and rcadily- 
procurable material, and placing a light coating of 
earth over it, taking care at the same time to finish 
it up in a conical shape, so that the water may run 
off, instead of into, the plants and the material that 
protects them; for if the latter is applied dry, and 
placed in a position to enable it to remain free from 
moisture, a very small quantity is of much greater 
benefit for protecting purposes than large quantities 
of damp materials badly placed, and which', indeed, 
prove sometimes very injurious. A dry day, too, 
should always be chosen for the operation. 
Cauliflowers. —All plants under protection of 
any kind must be well attended to now. If tine 
heads of flowers at an early season are desired, those 
pricked into small pots, and intended for placing out 
in February next, should now have a shift into larger 
pots, as care must be taken not to. suffer them to be¬ 
come pot-bound. The plants in frames, or under 
temporary protection, should be kept clear from de¬ 
caying leaves, be well surface-stirred, and constantly 
aired ; no covering should be over them by day, ex¬ 
cept in very severe weather; and at night the lights 
should be tilted both back and front, to keep up a 
regular circulation of air, except in frosty weather. A 
little dry dust shaken occasionally amongst them will 
keep them in a healthy condition. 
Endive should either be taken in to blanch, or 
should be protected and blanched where it grows. 
Choose a fine day for covering a portion with thin 
boards, dry straw or fern. 
Small Store Lettuce Plants must be carefully 
attended to at this season, or many of them may 
be lost by canker or mildew; to save them from 
which, they must be kept pretty dry, and at all times 
well aired, sifting frequently a little dry dust carefully 
amongst them; but should mildew, in spite of all 
precautions, make its appearance, lose no time in 
dredging them slightly with flowers of sulphur, and 
repeating the dose if necessary. A piece of thin can¬ 
vass, with a handful of sulphur placed in it, is a ca¬ 
pital mode of applying it, enabling one to dust a 
large space lightly and thoroughly without smother¬ 
ing the plants with too much at a time. Little and 
often will be found the best mode of application : 
dry fresh-made wood-ashes will also stop the mildew, 
December fj. 
as well as dry fresh-made charred dust applied as we 
have directed. 
Parsley and Spinach. —If inclined to canker at 
this season, parsley should be dredged with chimney 
soot, charred dust, &c. Spinach is also now very 
liable to this disease if growing on a cold wet soil, 
but the timely application of charred dust will pre¬ 
vent its ravages and keep the crop in a healthy state. 
Peas and Mice. —Those who may not possess the 
convenience of frames or houses for the purpose of 
forwarding this vegetable for transplantation, may 
now sow on warm dry banks or borders in full crop, 
taking care at the same time to set plenty of mouse¬ 
traps, baited with peas softened and started into 
growth; for mice do not attempt to dig up and de¬ 
stroy the newly-sown peas, beans, &e., until they are 
softened, and growth has commenced. Peas always 
suffer to the greatest extent from mice when their 
sprouts are from about a quarter of an inch to one 
inch long. Our plan for catching these little animals 
is both simple and inexpensive. We throw a few 
peas into a little water or moist earth, and allow 
them to swell and make a shoot of about a quarter 
of an inch in length. A long thread is put through 
a needle, and as many peas strung upon it as will 
allow two to every 10 or 12 inches of thread, which 
are the lengths into which it is to be cut, with two 
peas on each length. A knot is tied at each end of 
these lengths ; some stout currant shoots, old rasp¬ 
berry canes, or any other straight sticks of the same 
si/e, are cut into pieces, each about one foot long. A 
slit is made at one end of each stick, and an end of 
one of the lengths of thread is drawn into each slit. 
The two strung peas are placed in the middle, at 
about half an inch apart, thus allowing room for the 
mouse to thrust its nose in between the brick placed 
on the thread, and gnaw the thread asunder, which 
it is sure to do, instead of touching the peas. If the 
sticks, thread, and brick, are placed at the right 
height and angle, the brick then immediately falls 
and crushes the mouse ; to aid which, the brick 
should be set upon a slate, tile, or piece of board. 
The thread may again be tied, and the trap reset. 
We find no dilficulty in keeping clear of mice by this 
simple plan. A boy attends to the whole, and quickly 
prepares several dozen of these traps, going round 
first with the stakes and baited threads, and then 
with a wheelbarrow of bricks and tiles. Next morn¬ 
ing he looks over the whole, removing the dead mice, 
and resetting the traps. At this season, when the 
hedge and forest fruits arc nearly over, and rough 
weather is set in, mice are most numerous in the 
garden. 
Rhubarb. —Clear away all the weeds from the 
rhubarb quarters or beds, and then, with the dig¬ 
ging-fork, stir the earth carefully round about the 
plants, without injury to either crown or root. This 
being done, give the beds a good top-dressing with 
strong manure, the fertile parts of which will soak 
down to the roots during the winter months. 
Celery, late planted, should be well earthed up 
before any severe weather sets in. A dry day should 
bo chosen for such work. If the spaces between the 
rows should be weedy, let them be hoed lightly, the 
weeds raked off, the earth forked up and broken to 
pieces well, and, as soon as the rows of plants are 
thoroughly dry, draw the stalks up regularly with 
the hand, and steady them close together with a 
little earth ; after which, with spade or shovel, give 
the whole a good earthing up. 
Turnips grown as large as required for use, may 
be taken up and stored away in sheds, or buried in 
