Novejibeu 25, 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 
147 
I 
treatment to that given for Sea-kale. A few old plants, 
taken up and planted out in some heated situation, will 
produce fine useful stalks some time before that growing 
in the open ground can he urged into action. The deep 
roots of this plant extending beyond the depth of the heat 
applied, render its progress more slow than Sea-kale ; 
thus, in most cases, a few roots taken up in November, 
and put into some warm corner, will produce stalks long 
before that in open ground, although covered up. So 
that for ajl purposes, where an early supply is wanted, the 
quantity put in as above is attended with better results. 
It is almost needless to observe, that a well-prepared 
hot-bed, or one that can be heated by linings, &c., will 
answer the purpose for Sea-kale, Asparagus, and Ilhu- 
barb; but as frames may be all otherwise engaged, a 
less troublesome mode may serve the first and last of 
them. Asparagus must be accommodated with a frame 
and hot-bed, as it is important to allow it light prior to 
its being cut for use. But more of this anon. 
J. Eobson. 
IT.OWEE-GAEDEN PLANS. No. II. 
a. 
This plan was only sent to us this week; but it is so 
appropriate for what a large class of our readers, in the 
vicinity of large towns, have been asking for, that I made 
choice of it in preference to another plan I had ready, hut 
for a different class of subscribers. 
I had a veiy sensible letter the other day from “Grum¬ 
bler"—the last word in our language tliat I would use for a 
signature—in which he urged the great demand that is now 
made for such plans as are suitable for “block buildings,” 
of whicli there are three hundred now in his own neighbour¬ 
hood, not far from London, ready to be laid out. Block 
buildings, it may be necessary to tell our coimtry cousins, 
are merely the ordinary villas, or suburban retreats; or, if 
you like it better, the “ country houses ” of nine-tenths of 
j our great city chieftains, as they would say in the Highlands; 
every trade and calling having its own chief or chieftains, 
and among the rest of them om’ own correspondent, the 
“ Grumbler.” Why such villas, &c., are called “ block 
buildings," is best known to the speculative builder himself. 
He buys a field one hundred feet wide along a main road, 
and two hundred feet the other way; he runs a fence down 
the middle of it, and each division he calls a “block” of 
fifty feet. In the centre of each block, and twenty feet from 
the road, he builds a handsome villa, and sells the two to 
get some money to enable him to buy or lease a larger 
“ field ” next time. 
Here, then, we have two chieftains and four gardens—two 
back and two front ones. The front garden is twenty feet 
one way, and fifty feet the contrary way. The back garden 
may be about one hundred feet; so that each block needs 
two plans; a iilan for the front garden next the road, and 
another for the back, for flowers and vegetables, and “ all 
manner of things.” The all manner of things are already 
on the place, standing bolt upright and as green as leeks; 
the block builder took care of all that to make the best of 
his bargain; and here we are in a great bustle to put all 
things straight. 
To make anything of a country life we must have flowers, 
and to show them off to the best advantage we must have 
“plans;” and while Mr. Eobson is working in the back 
ground, preparing for getting vegetables “ fresh and fresh 
like,” here is our No. 2 plan for the front flower-garden, or 
for the front part of the back garden; and it is the very 
thing for such places. 
Our worthy friend who kindly took the trouble, for the 
use of our new settlers, remarked, “ notwithstanding its 
simplicity, I venture to send the inclosed plan, as I have a 
small flower-garden so laid out which looks exceedingly 
well. The beds are confined by box edgings, and being 
near the sea-side the walks are covered with shell-gravel.” 
These are the “ white shells ” which Mr. Eobson recom¬ 
mends for the surface-coat of liis new walks (page 108), and 
capital tilings they are. They are as brittle as egg-shells, 
and crumble under the tread like “ short cake ” under the 
double teeth of a school-boy coming home from a coimtry 
fair. The best use I ever saw made of these shells was one 
day last summer, on the spur of the moment. It was at 
one of the flower-shows at the Eegent’s Park. Her Majesty 
was expected, and the ground was soapy under the tents 
with so much rain, so, instead of laying crimson cloth all I 
over the paths, as they usually do at the entrance when they i 
expect the Queen, what did Mr. Marnock do but set a whole 
lot of able fellows with large bags of these shells, to strew 
them along the paths riglit round the tents, and they 
scattered them with their hands, just as Anster Bonn would 
deal out so much barley to a covey of the true Shanghae 
breed. In less than ten minutes the royal suite passed 
along, as dry and comfortable as any of you could wish. 
After seeing all this, and knoAring my relish for comfortable 
walks, you will not be surprised to hear me chime in with 
Mr. Eobson, “ I would strongly advocate the use of shells 
to all who are within reach of them.” 
After plans for villa gardens, the next greatest demand 
has been for howto get the best contrivance for disposing 
of a coUeclioit of herbaceous jilants, and how herbaceous 
plants might be made to do the work of bedding plants, for 
which sufficient accommodation could not be jirocured; and, 
last of all, the best shape for a flower-bed has been asked 
for. Now, it is certain that all these points depend entirely 
on taste ; yea, what we call the principle of planting, whether 
it be flower-beds, cabbage-plots, iilantations, or park scenery, 
is no principle at all, if we except the proper distances and 
soils for the different things we plant; all the rest is, as it 
ought to be, governed by taste. Therefore, how is it pos¬ 
sible that one generation can lay doAvn rules of taste for the 
next generation, or be itself governed by that of the past ? j 
It is just the same with individuals ; and an individual who | 
aspires to lead the public in any branches of taste, or 
branches governed by taste, ought to show no pnrlkiilnr 
taste of his own, farther tliau that certain means are better 
for certain ends than others ; anything beyond this narrows 
the channel through which taste flows, according to the 
influence of the leader. If The Cottage Gaedener were 
to take up a certain notion, and say that such-and-such ivas 
the most tasteful way of arranging a garden, it has influence 
enough to do a vast extent of injui-y, by thus contracting 
the means of improvement. Let individual taste, therefore, 
have fuU play only in private, and it will soon improve on 
