April 27. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
59 
tendency on others. In such cases as those where the 
latter is of least importance, wo all know that most of 
our fruit—Strawberries, perhaps, excepted—delight in a 
dry, fine, sunny, summer; and most of them are only 
good when the season is thus favoured, as it accords 
with the clime to which many of them owe their origin. 
However, as I purposed to make some observations on 
the cultivation of the soil when an unexpected dry 
season sets in upon us, I herewith abandon the fruit- 
trees to their fate in this matter, and commence that of 
digging and breaking up the ground on all hard places. 
It has been often said, that a summer’s fallow is quite 
as good as a winter’s one in regard to mellowing down 
the ground. This, of course, is much better performed 
ivhen a continuance of dry weather has penetrated the 
ground ; and, by its absorbing or withdrawing much of 
the moisture by which it was charged, has left it in that 
porous condition whereby the beneficial effects of the 
atmosphere is made to act upon it to more effect than 
before, and the consequence is, that after such a period 
the groundworks beautifully; but then it often happens 
we are compelled to work it, or rather to crop it, while 
the dry weather continues, and the question is naturally 
asked, what is to be done then? This is attended with 
some difficulty—stiff, heavy ground, that has just been 
turned up sufficiently long to become very hard and 
lumpy, is not so easily reduced to a fine pulverized con¬ 
dition, neither is it so good as when nature performs 
that operation; but as the ordinary routine of things 
renders it necessary to put in certain crops at fixed 
times, forcible means must be adopted to render the 
ground fit to receive such crops, and not the least 
effectual way is to secure as much fine earth as possible 
about the roots of plants that may be planted, pre¬ 
suming the crop to be one of that sort; and if it be of the 
Cabbage or Brocoli tribe, when there is sufficient room 
to keep working the soil, the clods at top might remain 
some time in a rough state after the plants are put in, 
as they will be in a condition to receive more fully the 
benefits of a good scorching; but be suro the roots are 
treated to something firm, and, if possible, more 
matured. 
Dry weather usually cakes all wet or heavy grounds 
into such an impenetrable mass that no little difficulty 
is experienced in separating it again; but, if it be 
rendered thoroughly dry it will break with a little force, 
and I would certainly prefer that plan to using water, 
unless in certain cases where other reasons rendered 
that necessary. A roller is a good thing on such soils 
as it will affect, which, however, is not every one. 
When not able to accomplish the work with this im¬ 
plement, wooden mallets must be resorted to, and some¬ 
times a tool like the “ turf beater ” is made use of with 
good effect, the object being to get a little fine earth, 
and the whole made finer than it bad hitherto been. 
When it is necessary to sow seeds on such ground, a 
little fine earth from some other place will bo of great 
service in covering it, and is less likely to tempt the 
birds and other depredators of a dry season than a 
heavy watering; but, if watering seem indispensable, 
which it sometimes is, it is better to cover it afterwards 
with dry earth, as well to keep in the moisture and 
prevent birds troubling the seeds, as also to prevent the 
sun from acting on the newly-watered ground, which it 
would certainly do to its hurt. If dry earth be not 
obtainable, some other shading substance ought to be 
put in requisition, as it is essential that the hard caking 
surface common in hand-watered ground should be 
avoided. 
In stiff, heavy soils of the above description, newly- 
planted trees and shrubs are also liable to injury; in 
a dry season these, however, may be watered thoroughly 
at times, and the ground then covered with litter, or 
short dung, or something that would prevent rapid 
evaporation. The practice, in a technical way, is 
called mulching, and its performance may be extended 
to established trees when growing under circumstances 
likely to require additional moisture, which is given to 
them through the mulch noted above ; but this is more 
likely to be wanted on a dry, sandy, or gravelly soil 
than on a clayey one; nevertheless, the operation is the 
same, and the principle of shading in that way may be 
carried to a great extent. 
On dry, hungry soils, the evils of a dry summer are felt 
to a much greater extent than on a heavy, clayey one, the 
former being then incapable of itself of supporting vege¬ 
tation in a healthy condition ; this, of course, does not in- j 
elude the generality of garden vegetables and flowering { 
plants on such soils. Hand-watering must be resorted to , 
in earnest, and due care that it is made to perform its duty 
well; the anti-evaporating contrivance mentioned above 
being especially wanted here; and in places where 
heavy cropping is resorted to, something better than 
plain water must be now and then administered, and 
the full advantage taken of such dull or partially- ! 
showery days that we have to give the various crops a 
good watering, such as, in fact, will reach the roots 
thoroughly. This, with other judicious treatment, in j 
not allowing the ground to be over-cropped, will 
usually ensure as fair a share of success as can be 
looked for where the principal elements to it are supplied 
artificially. 
The rapid growth, and, not unfrequently, the prema¬ 
ture ripening, of various products of the garden in very 
dry, hot weather, ought to be guarded against if possible. 
Lettuce and Cauliflower running to seed, Onions and 
Cabbage looking blue, and the former beginning to die 
off at the ends of the blades, are not uncommon 
occurrences at such times; the only way, therefore, to 
guard against them, is to thin the crop well, w'ater 
freely, and shade as above. Seeds will germinate very 
well when partially shaded, which refuse to do so 
in full sunshine; and as the ground is at such periods 
usually warm, the process is facilitated rather than 
delayed in consequence. Very homely contrivances will 
serve a good purpose ifi shading the ground and crops, 
and many important beds of flowering plants, &c., have 
been covered over with short grass. This article is 
especially applicable to the American beds, where it 
is but little seen; in the kitchen-garden, and other 
places, I would prefer a half-decayed leafy-mould as 
better, or anything that will bear water poured on it 
without hardening at top ; and as the ground will again 
require moving underneath it at times it can be dug in 
to advantage. J • Robson. 
ALLOTMENT GARDENING.— May. 
As it is but too probable that during the ensuing winter 
and spring the ordinary provisions, such as bread, bacon, 
cheese, Ac., will be at what is termed war prices, I most 
strenuously advise every one holding a small plot of land 
to be unusually active this summer ; more especially during 
the present month, when the least neglect or dilatoriness 
will tell sadly on the fare of the ensuing winter. We have j 
had a capital March and April over most parts of the , 
kingdom ; the dryness of this period, together with a good ! 
deal of sunshine, has been the very thing wanted to | 
dissipate the extreme cold and dampness engendered by a 
serious winter, accompanied by an unusual amount of snow. 
The latter, however, is generally understood to be a fer¬ 
tiliser, and, with regard to existing vegetation, it is assuredly j 
a protector; we have generally found an unfluctuating 
covering of snow equal to a covering of litter, and, indeed, 
in some- respects, superior, as the snow falling in small 
flakes, in a progressive way, does not crush vegetation like 
litter. During a dry and sunny period the warmth of the 
soil increases more and to a greater depth than in wet and 
