December 27 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
by presenting a greater amount of surface, and the 
atmosphere, enables the soil to empty itself, in some 
degree, of mere moisture; and this, in conjunction 
with drainage, paves the way to a more free reception 
of the renewing powers of the atmosphere or air. 
Other benefits pertaining to ridging were pointed out 
briefly last month. 
Drainage. —Little can be added to our last re¬ 
marks. It may merely be observed that there is still 
time, if hitherto neglected, to carry out such plans. 
Improvement of Texture. —This term will not 
at first sight be thoroughly understood by the ordi¬ 
nary labourer. In plain words, then, we mean adopt¬ 
ing measures to make adhesive or sticky soils lighter 
and more free; and those which are too light and 
sandy, or peaty, as the case may be, more solid. 
Cinder-ashes are at all times within reach of the 
allotment holder, and of these he can hardly apply 
too many, if his soil is too clayey, or too stiff, as it is 
commonly termed. People will perhaps tell him 
they canker crops —this is nonsense: they not only 
do no harm, but much good in such cases. Open 
sand—if to be had—is another excellent material, or 
even old lime-rubbish: any or all of these materials, 
when easily procurable, should be seized on by the 
allotment holder, to open his soil if too close or ad¬ 
hesive. We may again repeat that if stagnant and 
undrained much of the benefits arising from the ap- 
jilication of such correctives will be lost; these mate¬ 
rials should be applied, if possible, before ridging 
the ground; and being equally spread, and trenched 
in, the benefits will be readily perceptible at crop¬ 
ping time, when the land is levelled down. 
Sandy Soils are improved by marl, or burnt clay; 
also by adding much old mellow peaty matter, and 
ditchings, or pond mud, if at hand. 
Peaty Soil must have some drainage to begin 
with, or the labour will be entirely thrown away. 
This done, sandy materials or ashes will open its 
pores to receive the air, and in a second season, when 
the waters have passed and it becomes mellow, marly 
materials will benefit it, for it must be rendered some¬ 
what firm. Burning is here of great service, espe¬ 
cially where the peat is deep ; it produces an ash on 
the very spot, which is of great service in mellowing 
the soil. 
Manures. —A good manager, who keeps a pig or 
two, and it may be a cow, will not leave his manure- 
heap to ferment as it likes, and to become grown 
over with weeds in some portions of it. Of course, 
the cottager’s manure heap is a very small affair, 
especially just after his last spring crops are got in. 
Towards autumn, or Christmas, however, there will 
be something to look at, and a little labour will be 
requisite. Turning becomes necessary; and as there 
will be some at the bottom very old and rotten, and 
some at the top very fresh, some system of manage¬ 
ment must be fixed on in the mind. Now, this de¬ 
pends on two or three mattei-s. If he has a cow we 
may presume he has a little pasture or mowing- 
ground ; in such case we would turn the fresher 
material by itself for the mowing or pasture, and the 
oldest portion by itself for drill cropping of roots, 
&c. Indeed, a portion of the former may at once be 
led away to the mowing-ground; if the pasturage re¬ 
quires any it may not be expedient to cover that as 
yet, as a “ bite” may still be required. With the 
older portion for root crops it would be well to mix 
any old rotting material that can be scraped together 
to increase bulk. Mellow ditchings, old tan, old 
plaster-rubbish, old rotten weeds, burnt or charred 
materials, leaf soil, &c., are all eligible, and indeed 
valuable; and the sweepings of chimneys, or peat 
ashes, may at once be thrown on the heap. All this, 
well-turned and thoroughly mixed, will increase both 
the bulk and the value of the manure, a matter of 
great consequence to the cottager, who should be 
always on the look-out for articles of the kind: for 
many a one iu a less needy position throws away, 
with the utmost indifference, tilings which will prove 
of much value to the allotment holder. 
We take for granted that every cottager is careful 
that all soapsuds, urine, and the house slops, are 
daily thrown on the muck-heap all the year. Surely 
every one by this time is aware of the great import¬ 
ance of this proceeding. 
Rotation of Crops. —Many fanciful schemes may 
of course be devised, but in the present position of 
allotment gardening—which we consider quite in its 
swaddling-clothes—it appears to us that simplicity 
will be best. Besides, the diagram scheme given 
last spring requires carrying out, and being, as we 
conceive, pretty well concocted, it will be best to 
pursue it another summer. Farther remarks on that 
head must therefore give place, until our next, to 
some miscellaneous remarks. 
Hedging, Fencing, &c. —We need scarcely say 
that any fencing repairs, or new hedge making, 
necessary, should be done before spring cropping 
begins : in fact, before February is out. In planting 
new hedges let the soil be well loosened, and all 
coarse weeds, hedge dubbings, &c., may be buried in 
the bottom of the trench. It would be well for all 
those setting out allotments in districts of a cold 
character, to consider the vast benefits arising from 
the use of holly hedges. The only drawback is, that 
they are somewhat longer in making a good hedge. 
We have known holly and quick (mixed) to form a 
good hedge; about one holly in every yard. 
The Cow.—If the cow is dry some straw diet will 
be sufficient for her for awhile, adding a few sliced 
turnips each evening, with a handful or two of bran 
strewed through them. The same treatment may be 
given to heifers or yearlings, although the latter 
should have more generous diet, if possible, in order 
to keep them growing, as their full-grown size de¬ 
pends on this point. Let us advise cottagers against 
letting their cow, or calf, stand out in all wea¬ 
thers ; this is very great folly. We know many who 
will “ turn out ” at one hour precisely, and “ take up ” 
in a similar way, whilst half the time the poor beast 
stands shivering at the gate. It is not the hour of 
the day but the character of the weather that should 
rule this operation. If the allotment holder or cot¬ 
tager has a “ winter’s cow,” that is, one lately calved, 
lie may make some cash of his butter, provided he 
lias persevered in obtaining plenty of roots from his 
plot of ground. Plenty of swedes and mangold, or 
waste carrots and parsnips, sliced, with a little bran 
shook over them, and some sweet hay or good oat 
straw, will force plenty of milk. If he is short of 
roots, we would advise him to use a little linseed in 
cold weather. We boil roots and linseed together ; 
scarcely half a pint of linseed to each meal, adding a 
little bran or other meal. Of course there will occa¬ 
sionally be the refuse leaves of green kale, &c.; all 
these help to keep the bowels of the animal in proper 
order—the one tiling counteracting the extreme ten¬ 
dencies of the other. As before observed, all refuse 
or rejected meats from the cow’s manger should be 
cleaned out every morning the moment the cow is 
turned out, and given to the pig. The cottager’s 
wife or children will attend to these little matters. 
