164 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 28. 
scoria, and stumps bf trees, with a plot of ground in 
front, in which to plant such as are found in wet, or 
j shady places. This rockery, if judiciously formed, will, 
' of itself, bo a pleasing object, and in many situations, 
where the materials are plentiful, will not bo very 
expensive. 
The other method is to grow them in pots, plunging 
the commonest and hardiest species in ashes, or old tan, 
and placing the more tender, or rock-inhabiting species, 
in a cold pit, or frame. This plan has its advantages 
and disadvantages. The first is, that a greater number 
may be grown in a small space, and the tenderer kinds 
protected both from the cold and damp of winter, and 
tho scorching rays of the sun in summer; the draw¬ 
backs on this method are, that they cannot possibly 
make such fine fronds in pots, unless grown in a green¬ 
house, as they will in the open air, on a Fernery formed 
purposely for them. Now the choice between these two 
ways of growing them rests upon tho space the cultivator 
has at command, if ho has a place in his grounds 
where a Fernery can be formed, l would say, by all 
means set about it at once, if you wish to see them 
thrive woll; but if your space is limited, and a rock- 
work impossible to be formed without interfering with 
the arrangement of the garden, then, if you are still 
desirous of having a collection of Ferns, grow them in 
pots; but, for your comfort, let me tell you, that a great 
number of species will grow in the common soil and 
borders of your villa garden. 
I saw, a few days ago, in the garden of Mrs. Priestley, 
the Grove, Cbalfont, Bucks, the finest specimen I ever 
met with of that beautiful l'ern, tho Orammitis ceterach, 
growing in tho open border. It was nine or ten inches 
high, and six or seven inches across, forming a dense 
little bush of exceedingly line fronds. The soil is stony, 
but had been mixed with heath-mould, and tho plant 
had thriven woll in it undisturbed and unprotected for 
many years. Now, this species is generally found wild, 
growing in croviccs of rocks and on old decaying stone¬ 
walls. 1 have seen and gathered it in the latter, situated 
on the road-side leading to and from the railway-station 
at Tetbury, in Gloucestershire; but the wild specimens 
were pygmies compared with the one in the border of 
Mrs. Priestley’s garden. I, from this fact, am inclined 
to think that a dry border would grow many species 
that we usually consider require rockwork to grow them 
on; but, as every rock species has not been tried in 
such a border, it would not be advisable to risk the 
entire stock in such an experiment. More common 
species, such as Polypodium vulgare, Scolopendrium 
officinarum, and the common male and female Ferns, 
and many others, where the stock is plentiful, might be 
planted out at once in common borders. 
A third method of growing a collection of Fetms may 
be adopted, where rockwork cannot be formed, and the 
trouble of growing them in pots is objected to, and that 
is, to throw up a bank of earth, three or four feet high, 
either in a circle or longitudinally, forming it into, as it 
were, narrow terraces, some nine inches or a foot wide. 
The face, or upright part, to be built with small stones, 
or Hints. If the circular form is adopted, then an 
opening should bo left through tho bank to enter within 
the circle, and tho inner sides of the bank should be 
planted with Ferns loving shade; and a circular flat bed 
within the walk, formed at the foot of the bank, would 
be an excellent place for Ferns growing in wet places, 
the Osmunda regalis, for instance. The outside terraces 
of the bank would be an excellent position for Ferns 
found wild oti high grounds or rocky situations. 
If a long, straight bank should, from choice or space, 
\ be considered preferable to a circle, then let it be formed 
to run east and west, the south side to receive Ferns 
that are naturally found on rocks exposed to the sun; 
l but, as these are few in number, compared with such as 
grow in shady, moist places, the bank should be formed 
much broader on the north side than the south, a thing 
easily done by carrying it out further on that side. 
Tho material of tho bank may consist of almost any¬ 
thing; even clay would not bo objectionable, only let 
there bo a sufficient bod of good, proper soil for the 
Ferns to grow in. The soil for each species 1 will 
mention when I describe them; but a general compost, 
which will suit the greater part, consists of sandy-pcat, 
leaf-mould, and loam, in equal parts Great care, how¬ 
ever, must be taken, that neither in the material of 
which the bauk is formed, nor in the soil, there are any 
roots of perennial weeds, such as 'Thistles, Nettles, the 
Creeping Convolvulus, Coltsfoot, or Couch-grass. When 
any of these are left in, they are very difficult to 
eradicate. Avoid them as you would the plague. 
T. Appleuv. 
C To be continued .) 
PREPARING MANURE. 
The autumn of each year forms an excellent time to 
collect tho various materials which are to compose 
the “ compost-heap.” Decayed herbage of various kinds, 
as well as vegetables and flowering plants, no longer 
worth a place in their late quarters, as well as weeds 
and other matters, ought all to be collected together; 
and all such as decay readily may at once be thrown 
into a heap, while other things, which take a longer 
time, as the stalks of Asparagus and all woody matters, 
ought either to be allowed a longer time, or disposed of 
another way, by burning, or charring, which means only 
half-burning This latter process is somewhat difficult to 
accomplish, so that it will be well to treat of it separately; 
but the mode of dealing with the compost-heap is so 
well known, that it need only be slightly referred to 
here; but, at tho same time, it is proper to urge on all, 
having the means at their disposal, to make it as large 
as possible, for they will find its uses all but universal. 
To the compost-heap we, therefore, direct all the gar¬ 
den refuse to be at once conveyed, except such as may 
be dealt with in a more summary way, as, for instance, 
such crops as Lettuce, Spinach, and other things, which 
may as well bo dug in when they are taken off, as also 
the leaves of Cabbages, &c.; but their hard, woody stalks 
had better not be dug into ground intended for a similar 
crop again, for they frequently become the means of fos¬ 
tering a multitude of insects of various kinds, to the 
detriment of tender plants that may follow them. These 
stalks it would be better to take to the heap where the 
charring or burning is intended to take place, and con¬ 
vey only such to the compost-heap as a few months will 
suffice to reduce into a condition fit to go back again; 
for that purpose, it would be well to keep away as many 
of the noxious perennial weeds as can be done, as Net¬ 
tles, Docks, Dandelions, Horseradish, Jerusalem Arti¬ 
chokes, and the like ; but all annual weeds, Grass, use¬ 
less vegetable matter, cuttings from the flower-beds, 
refuse from the potting-shed, and many other things, 
had better bo at once carried away to the compost-heap, 
where they will decay, so as to form an excellent material 
for manuring purposes, of which there will always be 
plenty. The compost-heap had better also be divided 
into two or more parts, one to contain the best or richest 
portion, the other the more coarse or stony ; both being 
accessible at all times, will be continually receiving 
accession of matter; so that, in fact, the portion of abso¬ 
lutely useless stuff will be comparatively small, and 
must depend on what the place consists of; large, rough 
stones are inadmissable in a place where such abound 
already, while they may be very useful on ground of an 
opposite character; the purpose of the compost-heap, or, 
in fact, of all manuring, is to supply the ground with 
