TITE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
300 
the lower the temperature of the house, compatible with 
the well-doing of the plants, the better it is for them. 
In conjunction with the above, I will now adduce the 
theory of another subject, namely, that a question has 
arisen in my mind, whether the application of double 
glass would not be effectual in preventing the sun’s rays 
from scorching the leaves of plants, upon the same prin¬ 
ciple that the rays of light are concentrated and dis¬ 
persed in an optical instrument; and although common 
Hat window glass is not to be supposed to have the same 
power, and produce the same results as the concave and 
convex lens of a telescope, still it does do so in a small 
degree; tor wliat is termed Hat glass is not so—and I 
think I may say there is none Hat but plate, which is 
ground and polished, and that possesses a large radiating 
and reflective power—and according to the convexity or 
concavity of the common window glass, so the sun’s rays 
are either concentrated or expanded; and when brought 
to a focus, the result is the blistering of leaves. 
1 hope T shall see this subject taken up, and expatiated 
upon by some person better qualified than myself. 
A few words to amateurs and cottagers respecting pro¬ 
tective materials with which to cover their pits and 
frames. Canvass, felt, hurdles, matting, Ac., are all 
more or less good as a covering in inclement weather, 
but there are some disadvantages attending them; for 
instance, sometimes when they are drawn off in the 
morning, after rain or snow, they w ill be frozen by the 
time you v r ant to cover up again, which, if you do in a 
hurry, and they happen to be in a crumpled imeven 
state, away goes the glass. The best covering is half- 
inch boards cut to the length of the frame, and either 
nailed together by two cross pieces, or laid on one after 
the other. Here we have a non-conducting material, 
presenting an even surface and an equalized restrictive 
power, which our ordinary frosts will not penetrate; it is 
cleanly, and with care will last for years. At some of the 
timber yards about London, w'here they cut hoards into 
different lengths to suit their customers, the odd lengths 
that are left may he bought very reasonable. 
-Fuchias, geraniums, mimulus, and verbenas, have 
done exceedingly well this winter in cold frames, well 
lined round with litter, both under the hoarded covering 
and the double glass system. 
G. Hap.ker, Balls' Pond, Islington. 
Night-Soil. —The valuable properties of night soil 
have for a long time been known to the experienced 
gardener, who has not hesitated to avail himself of any 
opportunity that might occur, of getting this excellent 
manure into his possession. But the cottager, to whom 
any addition to his refuse-heap is of the utmost import¬ 
ance, usually knows very little of the real value of this 
description of manure, of the method of applying it. to 
the land, or of the best means of securing it from loss or 
damage, in the course of its formation. Some years ago 
there was a prejudice against its use, and, if used at all, 
it was ahvays allowed to lie at least a year in the corner 
of a field, with no other protection from the weather 
than a thin coating of cinders. In this way, no incon¬ 
siderable portion of its valuable gases were evolved. 
But a practice still prevails, almost universally, I suppose, 
of diluting it daily, while its production is going on, with 
every sort of liquid refuse from the house. Now, what I 
would recommend to the cottager is this :—Let him pour 
the soapsuds, and all other slops, upon that part of his 
garden that does not happen to he occupied with crops. 
Such liquid is ahvays best applied at ouce. But if there 
be no ground vacant, then let them he thrown over the 
refuse heap. A few ashes from the hearth will always 
stop sufficiently any unhealthy vapour that may arise. 
No sort of liquid refuse should ever he poured iuto the 
soil-pit, and then what accumulates there will be both 
more valuable and less offensive, for the following rea¬ 
sons :—If the land upon which the cottage stands be a 
stifi clay, impervious to water, and the ordinary practice 
be pursued, the daily additions of liquid refuse will soon 
cause the accumulated mass to be liquid, rendering it 
exceedingly offensive ; and the escape of noxious vapour | 
[February 28. 
will both deteriorate the quality of the manure, and 
render the air around it proportionably unhealthy. 
On the other hand, if the sub-soil be light and porous, 
these effects will not follow; but there will be even a 
greater loss, in consequence of the liquid percolating 
t hrough the bottom of the pit, and carrying with it much 
valuable matter. But be the nature of the land what it 
may, il’ the pit is supplied by nothing save the calls of 
nature, there need be no fear of loss by too great evapo¬ 
ration, and its bad consequences to the health of the 
locality. Weeds, ashes, and even the carcases of rats 
and other vermin, may he occasionally added with ad¬ 
vantage ; and the weeds from the garden might be dis¬ 
tributed equally between the refuse heap and the soil-pit, 
putting into the latter all the hard-rooted and most 
noxious weeds, such as nettles and dandelions. Gobbet, 
who in liis day was no despicable authority, advised the 
cottager never to burn his weeds. I believe this advice 
wall, in most cases, he found to he good; they may cer 
tainly be most profitably disposed of in the way here 
recommended. In the course of a few years, when the 
pit will have to discharge its contents, the soil may be 
applied to the land at once, with perfect safety, for the 
very obvious reason—that at least seven-eighths of the 
mass will have been thoroughly decomposed, and the 
portion that is not so will be so small, that it can do no 
serious mischief by contact with vegetation. But. it is 
certainly the best plan to mix it with at least half its bulk 
of earth. Being exceedingly powerful, a little of it goes 
a great way; and it should be used with caution, since it 
is too valuable to he wasted. As for the soapsuds and 
the slops, if always pouring them upon the ground and 
over the w'aste heap be objected to, it should he borne in 
mind that fruit-trees of all descriptions rejoice in having 
the former applied to the branches as well as to the roots, 
while the latter poured frequently over a well-dug border 
in winter, will insm'e the cottager a fine crop of onions in 
the following summer—a fact of which every person who 
cultivates a light dry soil ought to lie informed. I have 
found the artichoke to benefit greatly by the application 
of slops in spring, immediately after ground about them 
has been dug. 
But if the above arguments fail of gaining the attention 
of some among those to whom they are principally ad¬ 
dressed, there are others whom the force of circumstances 
will perhaps incline to listen to them. Who has not 
known instances of wells containing water unfit for use, 
in consequence of their being too near the neighbouring 
soil-pit ? And what is it. that causes the mischief, unless 
it he the constant dilution that is going on in the latter, 
by the practice which it has here been my object to con¬ 
demn ? If the cottager can he persuaded of the value 
of night-soil, lie will feel that it is his interest to make 
tlie most of it, and he will not think it an unnecessary 
trouble to add occasionally, from his garden or the road, 
a small portion of earth; for every substance that tends 
to “ sweeten,” tends also to improve the quality of the 
mass, and to render it more solid. Earth, as Professor 
Wav's experiments have shewn, is no had fixer of am¬ 
monia, that valuable gas, the escape of which it is always 
the object of the cultivator to prevent as much as he 
can; and it may he w T ell here to advise the cottager, 
should he wish to reserve a portion of the manure for a 
future garden operation, to he careful, not only to mix it 
with earth, but also to add a thick coating of earth at the 
top, and protect the whole from rain by a good thatching, 
or other waterproof covering. ^ Bev. C. B. 
Planting Potatoes — Saving of 00 Per Cent. 
—Presuming all persons to have availed themselves of 
the opportunity of securing early lands, the most, impor¬ 
tant consideration which still commands attention, is 
combining precocity in the cultivation of selected varie¬ 
ties. In preparing sets for potato planting, single eyes 
are undoubtedly the most proper to produce early and 
fine productions. 
Objections to this rule, however, may he fairly urged, as 
by planting unusually early, they are subject to rot; hence, 
as a preventive, planting whole sets have been universally 
