THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 27. 
178 
subject of liquid manure is calculated to mislead; 
my experience with reference to the liquid manure 
teaches me the possibility of giving it “ a dose too 
much. liquid manure is to be supplied to growing 
crops as a “ stimulant,” always considering the pos¬ 
sibility of over stimulating. 1 am ready to admit 
that celery requires a great deal of moisture in its culti¬ 
vation, but am of opinion that “ too frequent aud 
plentiful" supplies of liquid manure may be given. 
Your correspondent says, with regard to the different 
methods of growing celery, “that of Mr. Nutt is, 
perhaps, the best calculated to bring the plant to the 
gigantic proportions for which he is so celebrated.” 
I wish, in reference to this, to say, that I have been 
a cultivator of celery nearly 20 years, but have only 
cultivated for competition one year (1818), and then 
I only cultivated six plants ; out of the six plants I 
took prizes with five out of the six, being only allowed 
to show five plants. Two of these plants, when di¬ 
vested of lateral shoots, &c., weighed iiOlbs. lioz., 
being 51bs. heavier than any two grown by Mr. Nutt. 
Which of the two methods is best I will leave it to 
your correspondent and your readers to decide.— 
John Turner, Neepsend . Sheffield. 
To Build a Yine Pillar. —Procure some bricks 
from a brick-yard, which have been made in a mould 
which is the segment of a circle. Having laid founda¬ 
tions, cover them with a large flag-stone, or slate, to 
prevent the roots penetrating downwards. Procure 
bones, lumps of charcoal, soft bricks and old mortar, 
all broken to a size equal to that of stones for mend¬ 
ing roads, and mix them well together in equal 
quantities. In the spring, as soon as the strong 
frosts are over, begin to erect the pillar, which is to 
be hollow, and one brick’s width in thickness. When 
four bricks in height, fill it level with the composi¬ 
tion abovementioned. Turn a strong vine out of its 
garden-pot—taking care not to break the ball of 
earth,—and plant it side-ways within the pillar, 
leaving two buds of the stem on the outside, where 
a hole is to be left in the brickwork large enough to 
allow for the swelling of the stem. A small quantity 
of rotten leaf soil may be put under and round the 
ball, and then the pillar may be erected, filling it 
with the composition as the work goes on. When 
the wall is about seven feet high, cover the composi¬ 
tion closely over with bricks, using no mortar, or 
cement. The brick-work is to rise about another 
foot, and the space above the covering to be filled 
with good garden soil, and any flowers planted in it, 
according to the taste of the proprietor. A draining 
pipe may be placed vertically through the soil, so as 
to give opportunity of watering the composition in 
the pillar, when necessary, from long dry weather. 
Two or three vines may be planted in the pillar, in 
the way described, according to its extent of outward 
walling. The hardiest vines for this purpose are the 
Sweet Water, White Muscadine, Miller's Burgundy, 
Esperione, and the Black Cluster. It is advi¬ 
sable to prevent the cold water of winter having 
access to the inside of the pillar. The writer of this 
paper has two vine pillars, each of them nearly five 
feet in diameter (outside measurement); but they 
may be made of any size, not being less than three 
feet in diameter.— Rev. C. A. A. Lloyd, Whittington, 
near Oswestry. 
P.S.—I have in my garden, two of the pillars I 
have described, and the vines grow quite healthy on 
both of them. Young vines require rich soil, but 
when older, do better in the conrposition in the 
pillar, which causes the wood to be short-jointed, as 
vines are in those countries where they flourish 
best. I raise a great many vines to give away to my 
neighbours, and I find the most expeditious way is 
by long branches, which are cut from vines iu the 
autumn, managed on Mr. Hoare's plan. These are 
deprived of all buds but two, and the whole branch, 
is buried but the top bud, which should be near the 
wall on which the vine is to grow. In this way 
vines soon become fine plants. 
Removing Old Fruit-trees. —Having occasion to 
take down an old wall, against which a Chaumon- 
telle pear-tree had been planted about forty years, 
I tried the experiment of removing it to another 
situation. This tree was about twelve feet high, and 
wide in proportion. Tt was carefully taken up, so as 
to injure the roots as little as possible, the branches 
tied together, and then carried by several men and 
planted against another wall, which was lower, so 
that the tree was cut off at the top three feet. This 
removal took place in the winter. The following 
summer the tree looked but poorly. The second 
year it bore seven or eight pears, and made some 
wood; the third year it made a good deal of wood, 
and bore half a hundred of fine pears; the fourth 
(which is the present year) it has made some vigor 
ous shoots, and borne fourteen pears: all pear-trees 
have been very unproductive here this year. I am 
now, by degrees, cutting out some of the old wood, 
and training in the new. This is a proof that with 
care, old trees can be removed, and do well after¬ 
wards.—M. R. 
Mode oe Making Drills. —Some time since I 
noticed a letter in your publication with reference 
to the drill system of sowing seed, and recommend¬ 
ing Cobbett’s suggestion of a drill rake. I remember 
trying it some years ago, but from the nature of the 
soil, and, may be, a little awkwardness on my own 
part, I could never succeed. I then adopted, and 
have since continued, the following plan. I should 
premise that all my beds are four feet wide; wider 
than which will be found inconvenient in weeding 
and thinning. I use a straight pole, the size and shape 
of a common rake handle, about five feet long, with 
a cross piece of lath nailed on at about a foot from 
each end, so- 
This is placed 
across the bed, in the situation of the first drill. I 
stand myself at one end, and place a boy at the other. 
We both place one foot on the pole, and at the same 
time press it moderately into the soil: we then 
take it off the bed, by the part projecting over, and 
slide it on to the place of the next drill (having first 
ascertained this by means of the cross piece, which 
may be graduated), where the pressure is repeated, 
and so on to the end. It is astonishing how fast 
this may be done, with a little practice; and the 
drills thus made, are easily distinguishable, and must 
be drawn correctly; indeed, the eye would soon be 
educated sufficiently to dispense with the cross piece 
altogether.—H. W. Ltvett. 
Cheap Drill. —Turning over the leaves of the 
first volume of The Cottage Gardener the other 
day, I observed the remark, that you were not aware 
of there being any cheap drills to be had. It may 
appear out of season to name this now, but I may 
forget it before another seed-time arrives, and, if you 
think the following, which I found answer, will be of 
any service to your readers, they are welcome. Pro¬ 
cure a sound cork, burn a hole through it, then 
insert a medium-sized quill in this hole, so as to pro¬ 
ject very slightly at the small end of the cork; take 
a dry bottle (a soda-water bottle answers very well), 
put your seed into it, but not more than will half fill 
! 
