September 5. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
443 
were all busily at work, ancl the smell of the new-mown 
hay was most grateful to nostrils long fatigued with the 
odours of the Thames factories. London itself was com¬ 
pletely hidden from view by the hill on which Hampstead 
is built; and up to within a hundred yards of the spot 
frequented by donkey boys, ’busses, and broughams, the 
fields are as quiet and secluded as the most fastidious 
hermit could desire. 
I returned to the Heath with a sincere imprecation on the 
would-be-disturber of this pleasant nook; and as I wandered 
among the cool little villas, with which the hill is dotted, 
catching ever and anon the tinkle of a piano from behind 
the long green blinds, or a glimpse of fascinating muslins 
from some open window, I became more and more convinced 
of the gross iniquity of intruding on this happy land. Not, 
however, I suppose, wholly happy. The occupiers of these 
dear little houses have doubtless their cares. Charles stays 
so long in that horrid city—Bob has been seen flirting with 
a pink bonnet at Richmond, on the very day, too, which the 
wretch averred he was compelled, much against his will, to 
spend with his grandmother—Arthur declares he will not 
buy that silk dress ; and so on. Moralising in this way, I 
reached “Jack Straw’s Castle,” the head waiter of which 
famous house is a model of self-possession and solemnity. 
He brought me a pint of beer with perfect affability ; and 
thanked me,—ay, positively said, “ Thank you, sir,” for my 
gratuity of one penny. He gave the history of Sir Thomas 
Wilson's proceedings with the same, voice and manner as he 
would run through a bill of fare—fatly, gravely, and 
severely. The “Castle” and the “Spaniards” are usually 
thronged with customers on Sunday afternoons in the season, 
of all grades and classes, from the stockbroker, with his 
champagne dinner in a private room, to Bill Sampson and 
his wife, with their tea and shrimps in an arbour. Honest 
Bill’s hands are none of the cleanest, and Susan, perhaps, 
does not buy her bonnets in Regent Street; but they are 
very happy for all that; and what they would do without 
the “’Eatli on Sunday arternoons, lawk a mercy,” they 
observe, “ only knows.” Here, from the reeking alleys of 
Gray’s Inn Lane, from dismal Clerkenwell, from sweltering 
Holborn, pour an unceasing tide of pallid mechanics, whose 
lives it is, perhaps, not too much to say, are indefinitely 
prolonged by this hebdomadal draught of wholesome air. 
Who will have the heart to take it from them ? We re¬ 
joice to find no one will be permitted to do so. The Crystal 
Palace, were it open on Sundays, would doubtless be an 
attractive object to the class I am speaking of, but could 
never obviate the necessity of such places as Hampstead, 
which lies, as it were, at their own doors, and where their 
children can get healthy and unrestrained exercise, without 
fear of damaging plants and statues. Long may Hampstead 
flourish ; and may the first man who encroaches on its boun¬ 
daries be like unto him that removeth his neighbour’s land- 
m ark .—Home Corn panion. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
ASPHALT COVERS.—VINE FORCING. 
“ Can Mr. Fish, or any other person in connection with 
the Cottage Gardener, tell me the probable cost of the 
Asphalt Covers he saw on his visit to Wilderness Park, as 
compared with the straw hurdles he gave directions for 
making last year; and where the asphalt is to be had? Am 
I right in supposing the material felt? 
“ I have seven Vines in a greenhouse Vinery, the principal 
part of them were obtained from Rivers as three-year old 
plants, and this is the second year of their growth with me; 
the rods are the thickness of a good-sized walking cane, are 
said to have done well, and it is my intention to fruit most 
of them next year, and I should like to ripen the wood by 
early autumnal firing, as advised by Mr. Fish. When would 
be the latest time at which I ought to commence the firing ? 
My greenhouse plants are yet in the house, and I should 
wish to drive it as late as I can, for the sake of them ; but I 
would do it at any time.— Amateur.” 
[The chief advantage of the straw hurdles is being able to 
get them on the place when the owner of a garden is also 
the owner of a farm. It is the Asphalt Felt that is used at 
Wilderness Park; and if you calculate the pieces of wood 
necessary to support it as a covering, you can at once calcu¬ 
late the whole expense from a penny per foot to ninepence 
per yard. The appeaiance of these at Wilderness Park 
gave hopes that with proper attention they would last a 
number of years ; and there seemed a great quantity for an 
outlay of some seven pounds for Felt. As they were made to 
secure a wide vine-border, as well as for cold, straw-walled 
pits, and covering glass sashes, the wood was stronger and 
heavier than there would be any occasion for when used 
solely for covering pits, one light at a time. 
The wood of your Vines is not yet mature ; do not lose a 
day in giving them a little fire with air to assist them. One 
such fire in the end of August and the first part of Sep¬ 
tember is worth two or three during October. Unless you 
go to excess, you will not much injure the plants, for all 
those intended for winter and spring, or nearly all, would 
ripen their wood more perfectly in a sheltered place out- 
of-doors, or in a cold pit. With plenty of air on in the 
house, and plenty of light, you will do little injury by fire- 
heat, unless to the plants in bloom. Be moderate in your 
crops next year We can speak feelingly ourselves, and could 
tell of instances where a heavy first crop prostrated for ever 
the constitutional energies of the Vine.] 
ERECTING A GREENHOUSE ADJOINING A 
RESIDENCE. 
“ I see your patience so inexhaustible in answering ques¬ 
tions, that I am induced to hope you may find time to afford 
me some of your esteemed advice upon the subject of a 
Greenhouse which we wish to build. I must first say, our 
wish is that it should serve for a Vinery as well as Green¬ 
house. The front of our house stands as nearly as possible 
due south ; and our wish is, to have the Greenhouse on the 
lawn, at the east side of the house; the wall at this part of 
the lawn stands back from the front line of the house thirty 
feet; we wish this wall to form the back of the intended 
Greenhouse, the latter to face the south, and we fear, j 
perhaps the house may shade the Greenhouse too much, as j 
the greater part of it would lose the sun after two o'clock in i 
the day; and again, we fear the vine-bed may be a very j 
unsightly thing upon the lawn. Can anything be done to 
remedy this ? 
“The end of the house would be an admirable place for it, 
so far as convenience goes ; but then it faces the east, and 
this, I am told, is highly objectionable. 
“ Supposing you to be kind enough to give me your advice 
as to situation, I should, I fear, have to trouble you for some, 
as to what you think would be a good size (the end of the 
house is thirty-five feet in length), the height, depth, length, 
Ac.; whether iron or wood is most economical; and which is 
best for flowers and vines. 
“ I have just measured the ground, and fancy that twenty- 
six or twenty-eight feet either way, east or south, would be a 
convenient length for the Greenhouse. 
“Can you name any one that would give us plans, and 
estimates economically ; or give me the slightest idea of what 
the expense would be likely to be ?— Marianne.” 
[It is a very difficult thing to combine several advantages 
in one position. After all we could say, you must, in a great 
measure, decide for yourself. A few observations, will, 
perhaps, enable you to do so with more present and ultimate j 
satisfaction. 
1. As we understand it, there is at present a wall facing 
the south, running iu the same parallel with the back-wall 
of the house. It is advisable that Vines should have as 
much of the midday sun as possible; but if against this 
wall you constructed a house from eighteen to twenty-six 
feet wide, and had a glass end for the sun from the east, 
the Vines would answer pretty well, as after two o'clock 
they would receive a fair amount of diffused, though not 
direct, rays of light. 
2. Following out such a plan, with a house, say thirty feet 
long, and twenty or more wide, the border would not at all 
disfigure the lawn, because, if well drained, it need not rise 
above the lawn-level, and if you should deem it desirable to ! 
raise the border at the house, to give it a good slope, alike j 
