THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— June 17,1850. 
207 
much of it cannot, with safety, be disturbed without 
injury; but if it contain nothing that is injurious to 
vegetation, we may, with perfect safety, trench up a 
certain quantity of it, and mix it with the upper surface- 
soil, and if we were to loosen some more of that sub¬ 
stratum, and allow it to remain at the bottom, there is 
every likelihood that it would shortly become sweetened, 
and fit to receive the roots of plants, and support them 
in health accordingly; for it is only where the upper stra¬ 
tum gets over-filled with roots that they, of necessity, 
descend lower in search of food, and if their progress 
that way be arrested, or nothing wholesome to obtain 
there, then the plant must either hastily conclude its 
growth, or its further progress in size must depend upon 
the air and the addition of manures to the surface. 
Active roots supporting a fast-growing plant withdraw 
moisture from the ground faster than the sun or any 
other natural cause; therefore it would be well, on very 
dry soils, not to plant so thickly as on those where there 
| is a greater depth of healthy, moist earth, as the plants 
i by that means, will have a greater breadth of pasturage; 
| yet it would be well, also, to prevent any escape by evapo¬ 
ration, which may be done by covering the surface with 
some substauce that will, in a measure, prevent moisture 
i escaping. Between rows of Gdbbageworts and similar 
things this may be done by covering the surface with leaf- 
mould, or litter of some kind that is not unsightly; but, in 
fact, this latter objection must not be too much insisted 
on, as utility is tlio chief object in the kitchen-garden. 
Old tan may be laid on amongst smaller-growing things; 
but 1 would advise it to have been well sweetened by 
exposure to the atmosphere, and to have been well 
watered, so as to divest it of much of that pernicious 
matter which tan is often now-a-days charged with. 
Tan is, certainly, not what it used to be in all cases, 
aud if it be soaked in poisonous chemical ingredients, it 
cannot be expected to part with them very quickly, 
otherwise its convenient handling might adapt it to 
many purposes to which it is a stranger; but when it is 
in a healthy condition, I see no harm from its general 
adoption as a coating to all ground liable to rapid 
evaporation, and, as it allows water to pass freely through 
it, there is the additional advantage of what water is 
poured on not being wasted by evaporation. 
It is somewhat surprising what simple means may 
assist the various crops suffering from dry weather; a 
loose upper surface for an inch or two, and the ground 
beneath that beiug rather firm, though not sodden, is, 
perhaps, the best condition for resisting dry weather; a 
good depth of sweet, healthy soil for the roots to 
penetrate down into is also necessary ; but I would, 
at all times, advise the surface-soil to be ofteu loosened, 
and there is the less danger of injury from heat, for the 
air in the loose soil conducts heat slowly, and the ground 
underneath becoming warmed, instead of baked, by the 
suu’s rays, a healthy instead of a hasty vegetation is 
kept going on. 
The season has now arrived for sowing and planting 
certain crops required for another year. Endive may 
he sown at various times after the middle of June. At 
(hat time, but not latar, the last batch of Gape and 
Waleheren Brocoli seed may be put in, and Celery 
planted in succession, as well as the various Coleworts, 
late Brocoli, Brussels Sprouts, &e. Turnips, also, may 
be sown; but some of this may be put in at various 
; times up to the beginning of September. Care, however, 
i must be taken to ensure a good succession, aud in very 
dry weather all these things require to be shaded on the 
| seed-bed while they are just coming up, as bright, hot 
i sunshine is better calculated to preserve the seed than 
to germinate it; aud, as many of these crops are ex¬ 
pected to come into use at a certain day, and must, con- 
sequently, bo in existence at the proper time, a little 
extra exertion must not be denied them at the com¬ 
mencement. The last crop of Teas may also be put in 
towards the end of June, although I have seen a very 
good crop from some sown as late as August; still, the I 
liability the plant has to be attacked by disease when I 
sowu at a season so much at variance with its natural 
period of growth, too much success must not be depended 
upon. In general, the North of England and moist 
situations in the West produce good Peas without being | 
so late sown as directed above. A cool, moist atmo- 
sphere suits them best. Where Potatoes are wanted 
young, these may also be planted now, using sets of | 
last, year’s produce, which speedily emit roots and form j 
a crop; in fact, 1 have seen three crops of Potatoes 
from the same piece of ground in one year; the first j 
one being dug up early, and the second one not occupy- j 
ing it more than a month, when the third oue was put | 
in. Of course, manure was added each time, and other ! 
stimulating agents, as liquid-manure, &c., assisted in | 
improving the crop, not in hastening it on ; and, 1 dare ; 
say, if the first crop had been dug sooner than it was, a 
fourth crop might have been obtained ; but, usually, it 
is better to change the position every crop, the experi¬ 
ments above being only for novelty. 
I may here observe that I do not advocate much water¬ 
ing in dry weather; but if a dull, hazy day occurs without 
there being much rain, I would then recommend all'crops | 
to have a good soaking, and before the sun cakes the 
ground again, let the surface be well broken up as before, j 
and by adoptiug such simple means as these the watering 
pot may, in a great measure, be dispensed with, \ 
especially where cold spring water has to be applied; 
for, besides its unduly cooling the ground, I am far 
from certain that plants derive much benefit from such 
a liquid. Certainly, its passing through the upper strata 
of earth filters it; still it is not the kind Nature intended 
for vegetation to subsist upon. J. Robson. 
HEATING TWO HOUSES FROM ONE BOILER. 
In answer to the correspondent at page 176, I would say, 
your two houses being divided, place your small cistern 
near the centre of the two houses, and let it be about a foot 
or fifteen inches square; let your flow-and-return-pipes run 
into that cistern ; you need plug only the flow-pipe. To 
make it air-tight, wrap some rag round the plug, which must 
have a shoulder, to prevent the hot-water from forcing the 
plug out. Get a Hat piece of wood, place it against the plug 
and side of cistern, which make of wood, the sides and 
ends gloved in about 1J inches thick; set your pipes, say, 
four or five inches bore in the same cistern for the second 
house, and to run through into another cistern of the same 
dimensions as the former one. You can feed your boiler 
from these, and also have tepid water for your plants. This 
is the plan I adopt. Let the How-pipes be level with the 
top How-pipe.—J. Anna, et, Walsall. 
NEW LATE WHITE BROCOLL 
Ar page 171, you give a description of a new late white 
Brocoli, which 1 find, on comparing notes, exactly cor¬ 
responds with one I have in my possession, and of which 1 
am not a little proud, knowing the value of such an 
acquisition, more especially in the neighbourhood of London. 
Without in any way wishing to detract from the merits of 
the “ new white May,” I will observe, that mine is, in form, 
very much like a beautifully-grown sugar-loaf Cabbage, 
very dwarf and compact; some who saw it thought it more 
to resemble a Cabbage than a Brocoli. It was good up to 
the third week in May. During the last twenty years I 
have not seen anything to be compared to it, although, I 
believe, I have had almost overy sort in cultivation. 
1 shall he most happy to send a small packet for trial to 
either Mr. Beaton, Fish, or Robson, so soon as I am 
prepared, should they feel disposed to test its merits in 
conjunction with other sorts.— Geo. Fey, The Gardens, 
Manor House, Lee, Kent. 
