100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 13. 
well did they answer, that they might have remained 
until now, only that they stood in the way of some 
changes, so that to have them removed, I got the 
promise ot a low brick-pit, to which I must own I had 
an eye all the time. Now I only wished this pit 
to be somewhere about two feet level above ground at 
the back, and from six to nine inches in front, but our 
bricklayer, like most worthies in the profession, though 
the ground had not been moved for years unknown, 
fearful that the mighty wall would tumble down without 
a sound foundation, insisted on getting down to the 
solid clay, some good eighteen inches beneath the sur¬ 
face; and to this, looking beyond my small plants 
of the present, I freely consented, thinking that I might 
want some day to get as deep or deeper than the foun¬ 
dations, which has long since been done. From 
the labour, ever and anon, going on at this pit, 
summer and winter, I had made up my mind to do away 
with a spout and therefore, by means of clay and 
earth, and a little gravel over all, a sloping surface was 
made from a couple of inches beneath the wall plate, 
imagining that this sloping hard surface, in fact, would 
throw oft all the moisture that fell. Little damage 
was done so long as the floor inside the pit was rather 
higher than the external level, hut as the pit inside 
was deepened, the water from the surrounding ground 
found its way into the pit, and in regular spates, it 
sometimes stood to the depth of several inches. In this 
dilemma, having a little gas-tar by me, I had the 
surface-soil, gravel &c. outside, made as smooth as 
possible, and over this the tar was poured, and then 
spread with the back of a trowel, somewhat less than 
the sixteenth-of-an-inch thick, though where easily got, 
I would prefer it thicker than that. On this smoothed 
surface of thin tar, some fine gravel was spread to the 
thickness of from a quarter to half-an-iuch, and this being 
beaten and rolled firmly, though it has now been done 
between three and four years and only extended a yard 
in width from the pit, no water has entered, and the 
place would carry the weight of a loaded waggon with¬ 
out shrinking. If it is so desirable to keep even the 
bottom ot a pit dry in winter, then the same mode would 
alike prevent water rising, and do away with all danger 
from worms, as many years must elapse before they 
would be persuaded to bore it. No farther preparation 
is necessary, than forming and then smoothing, the sur¬ 
face of the soil, and covering thinly with the tar, 
thick if you like, but then it would require all the more 
tar, more stuff to blend with it, and more lime thoroughly 
to consolidate. Anything, such as ashes, would do for 
the inside of a pit, but for waterproofing outside, a little 
fine bright gravel is best, as this conceals the colour of 
the tar. I have done little with it inside, for two 
reasons : First, it would not be safe to put plants in it, 
shut up, until the smell had gone; and, secondly, 
if watering was done at all carelessly in winter, 
every drop that fell would be retained, unless the floor 
sloped greatly, and there was an open drain to convey 
all away. 
More than twelvemonths ago, the mode of heating 
some pits was changed from deep dung-linings, to hot 
water. The linings were filled up, and, as from the in¬ 
cessant work going on at their front, I resolved to dis¬ 
pense with spouts, a similar plan was resorted to ; though 
the wall-plates extended a little farther over the wall 
than usual, so that the drip did not fall on the wall; 
and, here, although the drip falls fully two feet, yet, 
except in a very few places, it has made no impression 
on the waterproofed thin covering of tar and gravel. 
I have found that the soil here, not only sucks, but 
holds water like a sponge, and do what I would, short of 
going to the expense of a regular waterproofed moveable 
covering, I never could get forcing borders, &c., dry 
enough in winter and spring. I tried this thin covering 
of tar on two borders; from one I removed it in the be¬ 
ginning of summer, taking it and a little earth away, 
and the other I allowed to remain—in both cases I have 
reason to be satisfied. The subjects of draining and 
preventing water entering by the surface, both require 
master minds to elucidate, and we need much in¬ 
formation on these subjects yet. 
Though scarce in quantity, I have just daubed over 
some earth pits, sixty yards in length, tire backs ranging 
from eighteen inches to two feet in height; I have only 
done the outside, covering the tar with road-drift, but 
that keeps them well dry; though the frost must not touch 
them until quite hard. There is a sloping surface from 
the front, to prevent water from sashes, or straw covers, 
&c., soaking in there. If these turn out as others have 
done, they might be whitewashed in summer, or take 
any colour you liked best. Probably in a year or two, 
from being so thin, they may want doing again, but it 
will cost very little of either time or expense. From 
one barrel, more than 130 square yards of ground were 
covered, besides the earth-pits alluded to, and some little 
places besides, so that it must have been thin. Though 
cold and thickish, it spreads beautifully with a trowel; 
when a brush is used, it should be heated a little. It is j 
a wasteful plan to knock the head out of a barrel, as it 
is no pleasant thing to replace it; a hole made near the I 
bottom, on the side, for a stout peg vent, and an air i 
vent above, will cause it to run freely; and if the wea- > 
ther is cold, or when it gets thicker from being near the 
bottom, setting the barrel in the middle of a hot dung- 
bed, will cause it to come out almost as quickly as some 
beer. In many places it sells for five shillings a barrel; 
round here, I believe, the average is two-pence a gallon— 
cheap enough where it can be got conveniently. 
I thought I knew something of making walks cheaply 
and substantially. If Mr. Beaton did nothing else by 
the description of his superior and simple mode, he gave 
a sad shake to my self-esteem, for which, as in duty 
bound, I thank him. Let not however, even that hero 
repose upon his laurels, for though I have not made a 
real bond fide walk with tar, yet I see it is now being 
agitated in the pages of a contemporary ; and from the 
success that has attended my operations on a small 
scale by the sides of pits, &c., exposed to twenty times 
more tear and wear than walks commonly meet with, 
while not a single weed has yet presented itself, I feel 
confident that in many, especially in small street and 
other gardens, the employment of tar will be a great 
benefit, both as regards comfort and expense. Though, 
perhaps, somewhat intruding, I may state tor the benefit 
especially of those with small places, and who are sadly 
bothered with weeds, &c., that if there is an existing 
walk, it merely requires solidifying and placing the tar 
over it; if one is to be made, take out no deep gully 
hole, cut out the sides, and place at least part of that in 
the middle, just to round it a little, make all firm by 
rolling, pat it so as to give it a smooth surface by spade 
or otherwise, then when a little dry, place on the tar at 
the least one-eighth of an inch deep, throw on this some 
rougliish material, beat or roll firmly down, then, when a 
little dryer, a layer of fine coloured gravel or even of 
rough hard sand, firm and roll again, but allow no 
walking until consolidated, and you will have a walk as 
firm as asphalt pavement, and better in colour; but the 
tar must touch nothing you wish to live. 
R. Fish. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC STOVE PLANTS. 
Solanum. —A tribe of plants scattered over the greater 
part of the known world. In this genus, is that most 
useful of all vegetables—the potato. Our cottage readers 
