THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 15. 
to intending purchasers; but except under rare con¬ 
ditions, few will desire to exhibit a single male bird. 
Supernumeraries of this sox are not abundant, and if 
the usual number of hens are wanting, the class for 
“ a cock and one lien ” is the best substitute. 
Tlio 18th rule declares that “ dogs, sticks, and um¬ 
brellas, will not be allowed in the Exhibition-room.” 
The word “ umbrellas,” wo trust, may be understood in 
its widest signification, and so include the infinitely 
more dangerous "parasol," and though we tremble at the 
audacity that induces this remark, yet the many injuries 
thus received by valuable birds should be diligently 
guarded against by such a procaution. 
SUGGESTIONS—THE BLACK CURRANT. 
In order to afford a little wholesome variety to that 
class of readers, who, besides being in a position to 
appreciate present practices, are desirous of making 
further advances or trying experiments, I intend, now 
and then, if all be well, to offer a few remarks under 
the head “ Suggestions.” 
This will keep matters from becoming stagnant, by 
opening a wider field for enquiry, and setting other 
minds in motion. As a commencement, I choose the 
present subject, which, although not of high conse¬ 
quence on our exhibition tables, yet occupies a high 
place in the kitchen, the preserve department, and in 
the invalid’s room. It is well known that the Black 
Currant is in many gardens a failure; and although, 
possibly, the bushes grow with freedom, yet that small 
success is met with at the ripening period. This, I have 
long since proved, proceeds from weakness in the soil—- 
a Red or White Currant would frequently thrive in such 
cases where the Black failed. 
Now, by weakness of soil, I do not simply mean soil 
short of manure, although this bush loves liberal ma- 
nurings, I consider the texture of the soil of by far 
more importance; the manure applied being a secondary 
consideration. 
What is termed a sound loam, that is to say, a loam 
which possesses a considerable amount of adhesivoness, 
is the very best, as far as my experience reaches. This 
character of soil seldom suffers from drought if deep 
enough, and this is the chief point in the culture of 
the Black Currant, which absorbs moisture like a 
willow. I do not know what our physiologists may 
have to say about the peculiarities of its foliage, but I 
should imagine it must, from the above circumstances, 
be of a highly perspiratory character. I do not, how¬ 
ever, mean to say that they will only thrive exclusively 
on such soils; I have known them to succeed to admi¬ 
ration on a dark, fatty alluvium, and, indeed, on other 
classes of soil, excepting always those liable to droughts. 
In order to pave the way to the suggestions I have 
to make, let me observe, that this bush loves the occa¬ 
sional application of rotting vegetable or manurial mat¬ 
ters, and this premised, and the case fairly opened, I 
may at once proceed to my suggestions. And, first, I will 
show forth principles based on the foregoing considera¬ 
tions; and this is, so to lay the foundation of the matter, 
as to sustain, with little extra trouble, an annual re¬ 
newal of their energies, and instead of exhaustion (con¬ 
sequent on heavy bearing, inducing premature old age), 
an amount of vitality of a long enduring character. 
Let us suppose, then, a trench of five feet in width, 
excavated lialf-a-yard or so in depth, on a soil tolerably 
fitting for their culture, and so as to allow at least six 
inches of the natural soil beneath them. 
We will suppose, also, not to isolate the case, that 
199 
the subsoil is not marvellously good, only it must not 
bo a mere swamp, nor a body of dry and poor gravel. 
Let, then, the experimenter wheel in somo weeds, &c., 
from the rubbish-yard—half-rotten it may bo—to the 
depth of about six inches, and then cover this over two 
or three inches with a cool and adhesive loam, unless 
the subsoil be of that character, when he may use a 
similar portion of the excavated soil. He may now 
plant a row of Black Currants on this curious basis, 
and after applying a little of what some gardeners term 
“ priming,” just to start and excite the young fibres for 
the first season, he may fill in just as much of the 
excavated soil, and no more, as will serve to protect the 
roots. 
Here I may digress sufficiently to observe, that by 
“ priming ,” old gardeners mean a mixture of some kind 
from the compost-yard, generally, with such profes¬ 
sionals, composed of several materials, for instance, any 
or all of the followingold Cucumber-bed material, 
become almost a “mould,” old tan, old leaf soil, the 
rejected soil of the potting-sbed, &c., &c.; such blended 
well together constitute this "priming" and, indeed, it 
possesses almost magical powers. But it will be said, 
“hundreds cannot avail themselves of this material; 
true it is, but then any old remains of the muck heap, 
the wood pile, old turf, &c., will well supply its place. 
And now the Currants are planted, and they will be 
about six or eight inches below the ordinary ground 
level, with a ridge of excavated soil piled in a neat line 
on each side, which will, of course, cause our “ men of 
one opinion only ” to wonder what the deuce it all means. 
Now, to affirm that “ means are justified by the end in 
view,” would, we know, be justly considered a false 
axiom bv our great moralists; it, nevertheless, may 
answer for Currant bushes. Here, let it be noted, that 
the rubbish-yard material, weeds, &c., will prove trea¬ 
cherous to the Currant bushes—instead of rising in the 
world as ambitious Currants would naturally wish to 
do, they will go down; but there is really no room for 
despair here. This sinking will, indeed, further the 
after-culture I have to suggest. 
To come to the gist of the after-culture, I have to 
recommend that this trench or excavation be made, as 
summers return, a receptacle for weeds, &c., the waste 
of the garden; and they may be wheeled in as they 
come to hand, spread equally, and once or twice during 
the growing season receive a slight covering of the 
excavated soil at the sides—just as much, in fact, as 
will serve to prevent the weeds from drying, or from 
seeding the neighbouring crops. 
By this time our ingenious readers will have perceived 
that the object is to create aud encourage a new layer of 
fibres, mouths, or feeders, which will promote an annual 
renewal of the energies of the plant, and quite equal to 
its enlarged capacities. 'Ihis system will be found to 
have progressively increased the amount of healthy 
fibres, and to have created an annually rising mass of 
compost of a most congenial kind; and which has the 
merit, by a continuous decomposition, to still form a 
vaccuum on the suface of the excavated portion where 
ready to receive fresh material, and consequently to meet 
the rising demands of the bushes. And the matter will 
not end here; a ready receptacle ot an off-hand chaiacter 
will be fouud, which will work up the weeds of summer 
to advantage; all that may be complained ol is, that a 
little of system is requisite; hut surely this should form 
no just ground of complaint in the year 1854 ! 
It will be noticed here, that this top-dressing will be 
alternate layers of rotting weeds and soil; and that it j 
would, in all probability, be several years before the j 
trench became filled above the ground level; conse- [ 
quently, all this time the hollow surface would encourage 
decay and an amount of moisture of much benefit to the 
bushes. I do not think that there would be any occa- i 
