34 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
OcTOBEn 16. 
that occasional surface-dressings were given, and the 
spade was never used over their roots. It such practices 
were well carried out, we should bear tiiuch less luss 
about stocks. . , . 
Let me here warn tho amateurs against planting trees 
in the same soil,unimproved, that decayed tiees have been 
removed from; they will seldom succeed. hethei it 
be on account of the exuvise of the former tiee, or that 
certain qualities have been abstracted, I know not, 
probably from the two combined ; but certain it is, that 
the practice is bad. 
It is very easy to exchange such exhausted soil for 
that of some bed or border contiguous. Where soil 
is very hot and loose, I have several times used, and 
recommended, lumps of marl and clay to be placed on 
the impervious material which forms the base^ of the 
station; this serves to retain moisture during tho 
summer droughts; and I have ever found, that uuclei 
such circumstances, they cling to the fatty material with 
the utmost tenacity. 
As before observed, surface-dressings are most im¬ 
portant. I collect a huge heap of materials foi this 
purpose every season, and half-rotten leaves and shrub¬ 
bery rakings form more than half this mixture. 1 he 
best way is to collect, the moment the leaves fall, all 
rakings, garden clearings, and rubbish of any kind, and 
at once place it in some sheltered spot to ferment. All 
coarse grass, lawn mowings, &c., which can be come at 
may be blended with the mass, and the whole thrown 
into a high state of fermentation; and as soon as a fair 
amount has been got together, say by the beginning of 
December, my practice is, to coat the whole over a 
foot thick with old hotbed linings, which had originally 
been about two parts leaves and one part dung, but 
which, having been used for the above purpose in the 
last spring, have become nearly rotten. This shuts in 
the fermentation, and the heap may thus lay, with any 
additions, until March, when it is turned and mixed 
thoroughly, and well broken by forks. 
Such a surface dressing I would give every second 
year to all choice fruits planted above the level, as here 
described. If such practice is carried out, and no spade 
or hoe-work is permitted over the stations, it will be 
found that trees will come into bearing earlier, will 
continue bearing more steadily, will make little surplus 
spray, and at all times ripen well both blossom-buds 
and fruits. 
W^ere such well carried out. Orchard-houses,—albeit, 
useful adjuncts of high gardening,—would lose half their 
importance. 
As to Orchard-houses,! much fear,that although they 
may prove of much service to families of affluence, that 
our market-gardeners will be slow to adopt them. 
R. Eurington. 
(Admiral) was knocked down to the Right Hon. King 
Harman at I -'jO guineas, after strong competition from 
Mr. W. Yerner and Mons. Trehonnais; a two months’ 
old calf realised as much as 20 guineas. The whole of 
tho stock was in fine condition, and obtained very satis¬ 
factory prices. 
The Side of the Farming Stock of the late Mr. Philip 
Pnsey took place at Pusey Lodge, on Oct. 1 and 2, under 
the able management of Messrs. Eidel and Dyke. The 
attendance of agriculturists and breeders from various 
parts was exceedingly large. The sale commenced with 
the sheep, when a very spirited competition was kept 
up. The 600 cross bred ewes, which were not in a first- 
rate condition, averaged 5 guineas each. Tho ram 
lambs realised from 2 to 5 guineas each. The Alderney 
cows, horses, and pigs, after considerable competition, 
sold at very high prices. Among the purchasers of the 
sheep were the following gentlemen ;—Mr. J. Hilton, 
Mr. 0. Barnes, ]\Ir. Starkey, Captain Wyndham, Mr. C. 
Hitchings, Lord Berwick (by commission), Mr. J.Druce, 
Messrs. J. C. Gillett, and Messrs. T. Newton, A. Ed¬ 
monds, C. Belcher, C. Hobbs, and R. Chillingworth, 
The second day’s sale—in which was included the corn 
(being the produce of about 150 acres), and a splendid 
collection of agricultural implements—was still more 
numerously attended than the first day’s. The competi¬ 
tion was also stronger, more particularly for the im])le- 
ments. 
Sales of Valuable Stock. —Lord Berners Sale of 
Short-horns, by klr. John Holland, jun, took place at 
Keythorpe Hall, on Sept. 28. The company was large, 
and consisted of some of the nobility and leading agri¬ 
culturists of the county, and the purchasers included 
Mons. F. R. de la Trehonnais (who was purchasing for 
tho Emperor of tho French), Right Hon. King Harman 
(Ireland), Mr. W. Yerner, (Yerner’s-biidge, IMoy, Ireland), 
I^ord Denby, Sir John Palmer, Sir George Palmer, Mr. 
W. P. Herrick, Mr. Charles W. Packe,&c. The first lots 
of dairy cows were sold at prices varying from 15 guineas 
to -10 guineas; lots 12 and 13, dairy cows, were knocked 
down, after smart competition between Mr. W. Yerner, 
M. de la Trehonnais, and the Right Hon. King Harman, 
who purchased them, at the sums of 65 guineas and 75 
guineas. There were eight bulls sold, realising an 
average of 50 guineas each ; the 16 months’ old bull 
CRYSTAL PALACE. 
{Continued frotn page 10.) 
Dahlias. —There is a large piece of ground opposite 
the bottom of the colonnade, not round, nor pear-shaped, 
but between the two. Round the margin of this are 
nine circular beds of Dahlias, with an edging to each. 
The Dahlias are trained down ; they are kept as regular 
as a bed of Verbenas, and may average thirty inches 
high ; and there are three or four distinct kinds in each 
bed, each kind in distinct order,—a mass in the centre, 
then rings all round. To manage Dahlias in this fashion 
requires a knowledge of the strength of the soil, and ol' 
the habits of the different kinds of Dahlias employed; 
and then a “ forecast,” or a judging of what kind of sea 
son is to come, in order to train and prune, so as to get 
a good effective bloom, without rambling, crowding, or 
confusion among the plants. Seeing these hindrances, 
one may say, that these nine Dahlia beds are exceed¬ 
ingly well managed, as an experimental trial, for it is 
nothing else, anywhere, in a new garden. If this was an 
old garden, where the Dahlias were grown from year to 
year, I should not be at all satisfied with the present 
success. They have six times too many leaves, and not 
more than one-half of the number of flowers which they 
might have had if they had been thinned and pruned 
harder earlier in the season. The way they were ar¬ 
ranged is unexceptionable. The first bed, being planted 
with a mass of white, or nearly white, in the centre, this 
is circled by a broad I'ingof different shades of buff, and 
a border of blue Larkspurs round the outside. The 
second bed is a mass of yellow in the centre, round 
which is a ring of dark purple, and an edging of 
Ageratum, a plant they manage exceedingly well, 
by early training down quite close to the ground. 
'Pile third bed has a bluish centre, dark blue round it, 
and blue liarkspur edge. The fourth, a veiy dark 
r centre, a ring of yellow, and an edge of Zelinda Dahlias, 
I which is a lighter purple than that in the centre,—a very 
efl’ectivo bed. No. 5.. White centre, scarlet round it, 
and blue Larkspur. No. 6. Crimson centre, a ring of 
yellow, another ring of white, and edge of blue Lark¬ 
spur. No. 7. Crimson centre again, dark purple round, 
and tipped lilac round again; edge of Compactinn 
