December 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
107 
weeds, such, as groundsel, duckweed, grass, &c., rise up, 
and grow amongst the various crops in the kitchen- 
garden, which, independent of their unsightly appearance, 
are sad robbers of the proper crop. Now in beds with 
alleys between, the operation of hand-picking them may 
be easily performed without injury to anything, but it is 
certainly wrong to trample on, and tread the ground 
between rows of cabbages, coleworts, or even winter 
spinach; therefore,whenever any quantity of these depre¬ 
dators make their appearance amongst these crops, in 
which there is room to use a spado, let advantage be 
taken of a slight frost, and dig these marauders in. Of 
course it must only be done very shallow, but the stirring 
of the soil will be beneficial to the proper growing crop, 
as well as fatal to the spurious one, and the whole will 
have a more tidy appearance. See that the mice have 
not found their way to the new sown peas ; usually they 
aro most destructive when the peas are just showing 
themselves above ground, but trap and kill all that 
come in the way. It will now be advisable to sow a few 
more Peas, to follow those sown in November, and if 
very severe weather occur in March, we have known 
this Christmas-sowing become the most useful. Potatoes 
must also be got ready for forcing, and may, in fact, be 
started in pots. Those we recommended to be placed in 
some warm medium some time ago, may now be put 
singly into five-inch pots, to be planted out in hot-beds 
in the middle of January, and as some mishap often 
befalls French beans at this untoward season, a few more 
may be put into heat at intervals of ten days or a fort¬ 
night. Keep those that are in a healthy state as near 
the glass as possible, but not so as toj touch it, there 
being a great amount of impure exhalations at this 
season, which, reaching the glass, run down and injure 
the foliage of anything in contact with it. Vegetables in 
general use may be housed and protected, as recom¬ 
mended in former Calendars,—in har'd weather let in¬ 
creased attention be paid to things in the course of 
forcing, and let the ordinary routine work of the garden 
proceed in accordance with the season, always bearing in 
mind that a much busier time is coming, and everything 
that can now be done to facilitate work in the spring, 
ought to be done,—do not therefore delay on the score 
that another time is as good as this. In gardening every 
season has its duties, and if those at the present one be 
less pressing than at another, do not let rrs aggravate 
the busy one by that thief of time “ procrastination.” 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
ALLOTMENT FARMING— January. 
With right good will we wish our allotment friends 
“ A happy New Year,” in conformity with the long-esta¬ 
blished usage, a custom in Britain, and more than a 
custom, for it is a household form of blessing, closely 
identified with cheerful and contented hearths, plum- 
puddings, blazing logs, and holly boughs. Although our 
chief duty is to say useful things about the oul-door affairs 
of the cottager, yet surely our labours are not of so grave a 
character as to hinder the “ God speed ” of the olden times, 
or the congratulation of the English cottager on his advanced 
position. 
“The cottage homes of England, 
By thousands on her plains, 
They arc smiling o’er the silver brooks, 
And round the hamlet fanes.” 
That the cottager has advanced, no one acquainted with the 
past and present state of society will deny. Exceptions 
there may be, deep shadows in the portrait, but they only 
serve to place the main features in brighter relief. It is 
almost needless, in confirmation of this, to urge the fact, 
that the working classes enjoy plenty of good wlieaten bread 
at half the price of former days; indeed, such was out of the 
cottagers’ reach less than a century ago. Wearing apparel, 
too, in general, is nearly thirty per cent, cheaper; whilst 
his tea and sugar have decreased in a similar way, and still 
better days dawn upon him. It is evident that the well- 
conducted labourer is one prime consideration of the ad¬ 
vancing age. Sanitory measures, as connected witli the 
dwellings of the labourer, are constantly before the public; 
and, indeed, everything argues that all classes of society 
feel in the most lively manner that the welfare of the whole 
social machine depends on each part, even the most humble, 
receiving a full share of attention, and a thorough investi¬ 
gation. In moral and educational matters, too, the same 
advance is to be plainly seen; every movement of any conse - 
quence being marked by a humanising tendency. 
We merely point to these facts at the commencement of 
a new year to incite to renewed energies; for nothing is 
more likely to accomplish such than an assurance of real 
progress; which is, perhaps, best attained by a consideration 
of the condition of the labourer now as compared with his 
position in the earlier days of some of the oldest living 
neighbours of our cottage friends. 
In again offering practical advice on allotment and cot¬ 
tage-gardening-matters, we must advise our old readers 
that they must not expect great novelties hi this way ; much 
that has been said must, at times, be repeated, for lack of 
better material. Moreover, new readers may not have 
access to the back volumes, and such must not be kept in 
the dark as to the principal matters in cottage garden I 
economics through an affectation of novelty. 
Drain well. —This advice, the fundamental step to all real 
progress, whether in small farms or large ones, is but too 
often considered as “ an old song.” The little holders will be | 
ready to cry out, “ Everybody knows that.” Well, but every¬ 
body does not perform it when necessary; and two-thirds of 
the holders of land consider their soil as scarcely needing it, 
when the very reverse is the case. 
Stagnant soils are, doubtless, in general, some five degrees, 
at least, colder than mellow and well-drained soils, and this 
is a most important affair. Hasty observers may think 
that this only concerns the mere earliness of the crop, but 
they arc much mistaken. It need scarcely be named here 
that the more the average ground-heat is in advance of the 
air-heat, by natural means, the more luxuriant is the crop ; 
for the rooting is more rapid, and this argument applies to 
three-fourths of the year at least. Here, then, a double 
reason for drainage. We know that difficulties may have to 
be. met; but who accomplishes anything great or good with¬ 
out both meeting difficulties, and courageously grappling 
with them ? 
If the allottee is pressed for material—pressed for time, 
let him respectfully make known his impressions to his 
landlord, and the convincing and persuading him may also 
prove of service to his brother allottees if this kind of co¬ 
partnership exist. That neighbourhood is very strangely 
situated which neither furnishes gravel, furnace clinkers, 
cinders, nor any kind of stone. Certainly, tile-draining is 
the thing; but we name these other materials to show that 
if tiles be wanting, it is by no means difficult, generally, to ; 
accomplish draining. The worst thing with small holders 
is the horse-labour part of the proceeding; let us hope that 
landlords in affluent circumstances will not hesitate gra¬ 
ciously to confer such a boon, providing his tenant show so 
much spirit. 
Next in consequence to good drainage may bo placed 
deep culture; indeed, this is but a complemental part of 
high culture, following in its wake. Certainly, if the plot he 
on a sour subsoil, and is shallow above, although the tempta¬ 
tions to deepen it are strong, yet such must be done with 
caution. 
After draining thoroughly, subsoiling should be practised; 
for be it remembered that subsoiling is not confined to the 
plough. The aim of subsoiling, according to the doctrine of 
