October 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
65 
to each hoop with either copper-wire or tar-twine. This 
is to form, with mats thrown over it, a shelter from 
severe frosts, should they come after the planting 
season, and also from heavy snow-showers, which some¬ 
times visit us late in the spring. This shelter will also 
serve to protect the blooms from the bright sunny days 
when they are in flower. We, however, earnestly warn 
our florist amateur friends against too much shelter in 
early spring. Let the ranunculus have all the benefit of 
full exposure to the influence of kindly weather, both 
night and day. Too much covering up is quite as in¬ 
jurious as none at all. Even heavy showers of rain will 
be advantageous. All the shelter they require in early 
spring, is protection from very severe late frosts, heavy 
showers of snow, or from heavy storms of hail, all which 
calamities sometimes visit us in this our variable 
climate, and would almost ruin our charming ranuncu¬ 
luses if they were left unprotected from their baneful 
effects, especially after they have made their appearance 
above ground. T. Appleby. 
(To be Continued.) 
THE KITCHEN-GxVRDEN. 
Lettuce. —The quality and regular supply of this im¬ 
portant vegetable being attended with some anxiety on 
the part of the gardener, aud those periods of dry 
weather we generally have in greater or less quantities, 
every summer, being so liable to derange that order by 
which the “ supply and demand” is regulated, we make 
no apology for here devoting a portion of our Calendar 
to the general culture throughout the season of this 
necessary appendage to our tables. Without going back 
to the history of its first introduction to our gardens, or 
even to notice varieties now obsolete, we at once go to 
the cultivation of those kinds, which modern science 
has pointed out as being the best suited to the various 
wants of the present day, and shall begin with those 
more especially useful for winter or early-spring supply; 
a considerable portion of which we presume to have 
been planted at various times since the middle of Septem¬ 
ber, and even now a few more may be yet put in, on any 
dry border that can be made available for that purpose. 
But to the kinds—we unhesitatingly point out the 
Hammersmith Hardy Green, as the very best for winter 
work. This useful little lettuce is, when true, of a deep 
green; the leaves thicker than most of the cabbage 
varieties, and less undulating also; it never gets large, 
yet forms nice little heads, which in April are very use¬ 
ful, being crisp, tolerably white, and sweet. It may be 
planted closer than most other kinds, and we strongly 
advise its use for the principal portion of the winter 
crop,—nevertheless, the Brown Dutch is also a very good 
lettuce, being larger than the Hammersmith, though not 
quite so hardy, its leaves have a rusty tinge, and near 
the base are much wrinkled, which unfortunately is 
taken advantage of by the slugs taking up their abode 
there, causing a great destruction to this useful kind. 
The outer leaves are more plain than most of the 
cabbage kinds, hut they form a nice compact heart, 
which in spring eats very well. This kind may be 
treated in every respect the same as the last, only in 
planting out allow a little more room, as it gets larger. 
Some years ago this was thought the hardiest Lettuce, 
and in cold bleak districts no other was attempted to be 
grown, until some one conferred a boon on the garden¬ 
ing world, by introducing the Hardy Green sort above 
alluded to. Next in importance to these two is (when it 
can be obtained true) a good, useful, Brown Coss variety; 
unfortunately that praiseworthy skill which has im¬ 
proved the qualities of so many of our garden vege¬ 
tables, has not added anything to this ; on the contrary, 
we think the Brown Coss lettuce of some twenty or 
more years ago, was better than those of the present 
day; perhaps there may be some useful kinds of it found 
in remote parts of the country, but certainly the gene¬ 
rality of that called Brown Coss by the seedsmen of the 
present time, is an inferior variety, loose, open, and 
spreading, while the improved kinds, as they call them, 
partake more of the appearance of the Green or 
White Coss varieties, and like them, are less able 
to endure the rigours of winter, or the scorching 
sun of the dog-days. So that we have often heard 
old gardeners lament, that amongst so many im¬ 
provements in other departments, that of Brown Coss 
lettuce has certainly degenerated; the best kinds that 
we have ever been able to obtain of this useful article 
(as well as some other things which will be mentioned in 
their places) have been from cottagers, with whom Brown 
Coss lettuce has ever been a favourite, and we shrink 
not from avowing that we have often been very much 
indebted to this class of cultivators for some of the best 
varieties of vegetables that we have ever grown, and we 
are glad to hear our worthy coadjutor, Mr. Beaton, pay¬ 
ing them a similar compliment. While we recommend 
our readers to plant a portion of this useful kind for 
winter, we advise them, in their several localities, to 
see if good varieties are to he had, and we doubt not 
but they will be thankfully received by those having the 
advancement of horticultural objects at heart. 
We now come to some of the Green or White Coss tribe, 
aud the best for winter use is the Bath, or some of its 
offspring. This is a Green Coss, and is sometimes black 
seeded, and sometimes white. The former is unquestion¬ 
ably the hardiest, but the latter is the finer when it does 
stand; it seems singular for two varieties to be both 
called Bath; certainly one must be wrong, but the means 
we have taken to discover their origin have been hitherto 
futile. As we have had them, however, both very good, 
their names are of less moment—we need hardly say they 
are both less hardy than the three first-mentioned, but if a 
mild winter ensue they are better flavoured. In planting 
this lettuce in September, or the beginning of this 
month, it is advisable to drag drills, so that the plants 
may be a little below the ordinary level, otherwise they 
get so “leggy.” In giving the above details of winter 
lettuce, we hope the instructions given in the Calendars 
of the last few weeks, have been duly attended to, and 
that a considerable breadth of each kind has been 
planted on dry borders, and all casualties made good 
from time to time, besides a bed or two in some 
sheltered place, which are yet too young to handle;—if 
the quantity already planted he not thought sufficient, 
a few more may he yet planted, taking advantage of dry 
weather, and work a little lime, soot, or wood ashes into 
the ground, previous to planting, otherwise the slugs 
will make sad havoc of your plants, and, as a partial 
preventive, we also like dry weather on that account. 
We will defer our remarks on other lettuces until 
another opportunity. 
French Beans. —When there are conveniences 
whereby this vegetable may be forced, it is time now 
to put in a few seeds; we generally allow them to vege¬ 
tate in a pan, and plant them out afterwards. Some 
shelf, or other suitable place, near the glass, in a pine- 
stove, is best; and great care must be taken, at this dull 
season, that they do not shank off, therefore do not pour 
large quantities of water over them, rather take the pot 
or pan the seedlings are in, and dip it in water, holding 
it in a few minutes, not so deep as to allow the water to 
rise any higher than within two inches of the level of 
the soil in>the pot; this is better than watering at top. 
If any canker does show itself let it he dusted with 
charcoal dust, or very lightly with lime ; and if the at¬ 
mosphere be very dry, occasionally very slight syringings 
will be useful, but at this dull season there is generally 
sufficient moisture in the house for healthy vegetation, 
