80 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 31. 
more shelves are to he temporarily placed against the 
hack wall of a house, a staple is securely fixed in the 
wall, standing out an inch or so with an upturned front, 
an iron rod with a hooked turned end goes over this 
stapde, and the other end is made horizontal for the shelf 
to rest upon. In either case, when the shelves are not 
wanted, the irons are instantly removed. Perhaps I 
i speak feelingly on the subject. These irons, when nailed, 
or otherwise fastened permanently, are often more than 
a nuisance, especially in low houses. If I was not once 
thoroughly stunned, by bringing my head with great 
force against one, when moving a large plant, it was 
from having my head handsomely cut, and plenty of 
the crimson fluid let out. 
Fig-house .—This is just such a house as will be used 
for many things if the Trentham upright houses are 
not preferred instead. This house is seventy feet long, 
seven feet wide, nine feet high at back, and three feet 
high in front. There is only one sash for the width of 
the roof, and that is let up and down easily, by a weight 
attached to the end of the pulley, and a peculiar help in 
the shape of a fulcrum, but the peculiar mode of action 
of which I do not recollect. The house is heated by a 
fine close to the front wall. Above this flue there is a 
widish shelf, now filled with pots crammed with cuttings. 
In spring, this must be a rare place for Strawberries 
and French Beans. The Figs are planted against the 
back-wall, and have but a narrow border to grow in. 
Fruit have been gathered since March, and there were, 
on the 20th ultimo, some fine fruit of the Brown Turkey 
and the Pregussata, the latter a beautiful blue-coloured 
Fig, and which forces well. The other sorts were 
chiefly Lee's Perpetual and Bacifico , a beautiful small 
white Fig, that has many aliases, but which seems to 
have been chiefly diffused from the late Lord Melbourne’s 
gardens at Brockett Hall. Mr. Judd had a good deal of 
trouble before he got the Figs at all to his mind. This 
is, however, too large a subject to be introduced here, 
the great points are, good drainage, border about two 
feet deep of good loam, above open rubble, surface- 
dressings, and abundance of water the whole timo the 
plant is growing and swelling its fruit. Mr. Judd also 
lays great stress on having a firm concrete bottom 
beneath the open rubble. It will be seen that the border 
is very narrow—some four feet. The wood was healthy, 
luxuriant enough, but firm and short-jointod. There 
was no difficulty with the early crop, and if not rested, 
but heat applied, there would be continuous bearing, 
though I think a Fig in winter a most insipid concern. 
(To be continued.) 
YOUNG GARDENERS. 
(Continued from page 43.) 
I hope my young friends have carefully read my 
opening remarks, and are longing to see and con 
over what I intend to write on this occasion. Every 
right-feeling gardener that has arrived at my years, feels 
an interest in, and wishes for, the improvement of his 
younger brethren. I was very much pleased with what 
Mr. Shuter has done'at Heaton Park, near Manchester, 
for the improvement of the young men under him. At 
his solicitation, Lord and Lady Wilton have had a com¬ 
fortable room fitted up in the gardens as a study, and a 
fair collection of books placed in it as a gardener’s 
library, to which, I believe, Mr. Shuter has contributed 
; also. No doubt there are many places in the country 
! where such privileges of improvement arc put in the 
J way of the young men, to improve themselves, though 
j I have not observed them. I had half a promise from 
Mr. Shuter to send mo the list of books, rules, &c.; and 
I trust, if this meets his eye, it will remind him of it. 
I heartily wish that every, place in the kingdom had 
such advantages and inducements to the young men in 
the establishment as the one I have referred to. But 
whether there are, or there are not, a room and a library 
on the sjrot, it is no less incumbent upon a young man 
to strive, under all disadvantages, to improve and in¬ 
crease his knowledge by all the means he can possibly 
command. 
I mentioned in my former communication that a 
division of time, or, in other words, a method of self- 
education, at stated periods, should be adopted. This is 
absolutely necessary, and will, if perseveringly acted 
upon, bring forth fruit in due season, and that fruit will 
be a well-improved man. 
My first division of time, I propose the young man 
should devote to reading, and as that is the first, let it 
be on the first evening of the week, Monday. And 
here allow mo to give you a few hints on the manner of 
reading so as to be profitable. Merely reading a book 
without studying it is almost a waste of your precious 
time. Many young men complain they have a bad 
memory. It is quite true that all have not that useful 
gift alike, but the fact is, the memory is blamed when 
it is the will that is in fault. If your memory is bad, 
then you must be the more diligent to fix the ideas and 
instructions of the author you are reading in your 
mind. Just glance at the great effort of memory public 
speakers have to practice; men who once had their 
memory as clear of the ideas they so fluently pour out 
for the benefit or amusement of their hearers as this 
sheet of paper was when I commenced to write on it. 
Read slowly and distinctly, and pronounce in your mind 
every word, and then, when you have read a fair portion, 
shut the book and think it over. If you cannot re¬ 
member the mattor sufficiently to give any one a good 
idea of what you have read, go over it again, and if a 
second reading is not sufficient, then take notes with 
your pen, and endeavour to condense the matter in less 
room, or, as it were, to give a table of the contents of 
the chapter, or other portion of the book you are read¬ 
ing. By thus practising your memory for a few weeks, 
you will find it strengthen and improve greatly. A still 
more ready way of improving reading, will be to practice 
what is called short-hand, an art that you should study 
and learn. You will find it useful in numberless in¬ 
stances, both in reading, hearing lectures, or sermons, 
or speeches, or even taking notes of exhibitions or 
gardens. I must confess I never learnt it, but I have 
often deplored the want of a knowledge of that useful 
art, and I strongly advise every young man to procure 
a work on the subject, and practice its rules, till he 
acquires a sufficient knowledge of it to be able to read 
his own notes. 
To return to Reading. Perhaps many young men will 
say—“ Where am I to procure books; and what kind of 
books, if I could get them, should I procure ? ” I know 
that young gardeners are not overburthened with wages, 
and, therefore, they cannot, individually, purchase many 
books, especially those on gardening, which are gene¬ 
rally expensive, but many may be borrowed. No head- 
gardener will refuse, if properly asked, to lend his books 
to those under him, if he sees that they are read, taken 
care of, and punctually returned. Others will, probably, 
say, “ I have no time to read.” Oh ! my young friend, I 
fear this is a false excuse, as I will prove. The hours 
for work are generally from six o’clock in the morning, 
to six at night, breakfast and dinner included. Then 
say, one hour after work-time is spent in the evening 
meal; in cleaning yourself and your clothes; have you 
not three hours to bed-time. Even confining yourself 
to one night to reading, you have one hundred and 
fifty-six hours in the year to dovote to this pleasant and 
improving art. Never make that excuse, even to yourself, 
again; for you must see plainly, that if you only read 
