October 20. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I of entirely keeping out frost, it would soon become, if 
the frost was of a protracted character, doubly tender. 
Covered up in a frozen state, we endeavour to keep it 
from the fluctuations of any temporary thaw, for doubt¬ 
less these do more to harm than anything else. Indeed, 
these maxims will ho found to apply to almost any 
description of plant, which, although somewhat tender, 
is required to stand out-of-doors altogether; even to our 
half-hardy shrubs. We have had Celery beds thus 
covered for several weeks without any harm that we 
could perceive. It sometimes happens that snow falls 
before we can get our cover on; this we heed not, hut 
regard the snow as part covering. 
Lettuces. —These are by far more difficult to protect 
than Celery; they are more tender in a blanched state, 
being, of course, unprotected with soil. Pits, or 
frames, arc the best preservators, hut few can spare 
them. In the open ground it is a good plan to have 
plenty of highly-grown Brown or Batli Cos of full size 
by the end of October, and then to take them up with 
good balls of soil, and place them in a close row under 
the garden walls, touching the latter. Here they may 
be covered readily with plenty of dry litter, and in very 
severe weather a board may be placed before the litter, 
sloping from the wall, to throw off rains and snow. 
Another plan is to knock up an enclosure, surrounded 
by slabs, and so constructed as to receive old spare 
lights, shutters, doors, or anything of wood that will 
exclude wet; hero the Lettuces may be inserted thickly 
together, with their balls entire, and covered at night 
and in severe weather. Those who resort to such plans 
should tie the Lettuces slightly before removing them, 
as they move safer, and pack more closely together. As 
soon, however, as they have been taught to avoid 
elbowing each other, the bands of those wanted to keep 
some time may be cut; for if blanched, they will, of 
course, not keep so long. Where huge Bath Cos Lettuce 
are to be met with in the middle of October, thoy may 
be both preserved and blanched by inverting a garden 
pot over them. When it is desirable to attempt to 
preserve Lettuces in open situations, under ordinary 
culture, it is no bad plan to place pea stakes amongst 
them, to sustain mats, which may be thrown over them 
nightly after the third week in October, or sooner, if the 
necessities of the season require it. In addition, they 
may, when slightly frozen, as the winter advances, have 
litter strewn over the mats, and bo kept in a frozen 
state as long as possible. They will thus endure some 
eight or ten degrees of frost tolerably well, especially if 
kept dry. 
And here another, and, indeed, complemental, procedure 
becomes imperatively necessary; and the question of thaw¬ 
ing conies in view. E very cook, from Soyer downwards— 
and there are many grades—knows lull well that judi¬ 
cious thawing is not an off-hand proceeding. All other 
things being equal, I should say that he was the best 
gardener who thaws his long pent-up and frozen vege¬ 
tables the slowest. It must never be forgotten that it is 
a question of light as well as of temperature. Living 
vegetables, although in a somewhat torpid state, some¬ 
how acquire a slight degree of etiolation (or blanching, 
as the gardeners term it), by being covered up some 
time; and the plant becomes impatient of sun-Iiglit. 
Every gardener knows that in summer time it is not 
judicious to expose to sunshine choice plants which 
have been a week on a journey, closely packed; and 
just so with vegetables. On the arrival of a thaw, 
therefore, after days—it may be weeks—of confinement, 
much caution must be observed: such things should 
j not be uncovered until fairly thawed, and this will 
commonly be the case a couple of days after every thing 
j around them has been fairly influenced by the altered 
condition of the ah-; and, when uncovered, it must be 
j by slight instalments, admitting light cautiously; this 
weaning process will, of necessity, occupy some three 
days. 
Endive. —Here wo have a dainty subject to manage 
in the depth of winter; more so even than the Lettuce, 
for Endive is so liable to a gangrenous rot; is, indeed, 
more susceptible of damp, especially if in confined foul air; 
hence it has been a practice with many good gardeners 
to bury their Endive in dry soil, in order to avoid the 
vicissitudes of the atmosphere. There are so many 
ways of preserving Endive, that 1 need not enlarge on 
the subject here,' any more than to observe, that those 
who have not pits or frames to plant a winter’s stock in, 
should provide a lot of well-grown, l'ull-hearted plants 
by the middle of October, taking care to protect them 
from the early autumn frosts; these may be tied to 
blanch in succession, bearing in mind that a continued 
protection is necessary. I have known such placed in a 
drill, close to the foot of a wall, after the manner of 
Lettuce, with very good success, and protected in like 
manner. Of course, those who can place quantities in 
pits or frames, and give them all the minutiae of free 
ventilation, with proper protection when necessary, may 
have Endive all through the winter. There are, how¬ 
ever, some secrets in Endive-growing with our market- 
gardeners, with which I must confess myself not well 
acquainted; for I always find Endive quoted in our 
Covent Garden reports in the month of March and 
April; and this is what not one gardener in a score can 
boast of: and what is it that this celebrated market can¬ 
not boast during the London season? But then, the 
attention of such men is of a highly concentrated cha¬ 
racter; they have little of the daily iiddle-faddle of the 
general gardener to distract their minds, the latter being, 
like Gulliver amoDgst the Lilliputians, tied down by 
every hair of his head, 
Radishes. —Those sown in the end of September will 
bo in use all the winter, if protected; and little of this 
they need. Nothing more is necessary than a straw 
covering alluded to as in spring crops. These things 
may bo drawn youug all tbe winter, but few care to eat 
them after November, for, although delicate looking, 
they eat tough. Those who have a moderate temperature 
in a frame or greenhouse near the light, might sow a few 
in boxes, anil introduce them in the beginning of 
November; they would, doubtless, be much more tender. 
Cresses. —Of these, the old American, or broad Cress, 
is the most common, and is perfectly hardy. The Curled 
is the liuer flavoured by far, as I think; and, indeed, the 
best Cress in the country, but it is slightly tender; sown 
on an elevated bed, in a warm situation, in tiio end ol 
August, fine leaves may be picked through the whole 
winter. This must be protected, and being impatient of 
pressure, the covering should not bo on it. A little 
frame-work may be placed over the bed, and mats 
stretched over it. In addition to the mats, a covering 
of litter should be added in severe weather. 
I may now add, that many other modes of secur¬ 
ing winter salads may be found among gardeners, and 
many of them excellent, so that 1 by no means would 
have our readers confine themselves to the modes herein 
laid down, for I do iiot pretend to a monopoly of ideas 
on this subject; my desire is rather to direct attention 
to principles. B. Eiuuncton. 
BEDDING-PLANTS. 
Whoever owns a Flower-garden ought to have the 
following notice, from The Cottage Gardener, put up in 
some conspicuous place near the garden, and in the pot- 
ting-shed, as a warning to grey heads not to trust to old 
experience on taking the duties of a now situation, and 
to youngsters not to burn their fingers in trying ex¬ 
periments before the landmarks ol experience itself are 
on their foreheads :— 
