182 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 5. 
the usual depth; but the earth was drawn up, or rather 
cast up against the collar, or stem of the tree afterwards; 
and the reasons for so doing seemed not altogether 
without some show of merit on its side, which the parties 
who adopt the plan seem to know tolerably well. 
In the first place, we all know that ground turned up 
into ridges increases the amount of surface; and I 
believe that this principle is still further carried out 
when it is turned up into mounds, such as those I speak 
of. This is one very excellent reason for the plan; for 
no class of cultivators know the value of frequent 
stirring the soil better than the Kentish Hop and Fruit¬ 
growers ; and although the former of these may carry 
the plan out more than the last, yet, as they are often 
seen in close contact with each other, the surface-soil of 
a well-managed fruit orchard is pretty often turned over, 
or moved in some direction; and if, as I have said, the 
increased amount of surface enables the ground to 
benefit in like proportion, it follows the plan is recom- 
meudable on that account. 
Another, and, probably, a more tangible reason is, 
that the heaping of the earth around the collar of each 
plant necessarily removes the earth from the tips of the 
roots, which are thereby brought nearer to the surface, 
and will derive a corresponding benefit from the action 
of the sun and air around them. This is, perhaps, the 
most important of all the advantages which the plan 
presents, for the warmth and exhilirating effects of sun¬ 
shine, even to roots, is of more consequence than many 
people are aware of; for they tend to ripen and improve 
the quality of the fruit, and, in the autumn, to hasten 
the growth and maturity of the wood. 
Another, and not the least useful result, is in the 
support the earth gives to the plant; for how often do 
we see Gooseberry and Currant-trees hang on one side, 
to the great disfigurement of the tree, or plot in which 
it is placed. This is seldom or never the case where 
the stem is supported with a mass of earth as described; 
for, as with Cabbage-plants, the “ earthing-up” tends to 
steady them. 
Probably, some other benefits may accrue from it; 
and, no doubt, some parties will see, or imagine they 
see, certain defects or evils in it. Of the latter, I am 
unable to say more than that the general appearance of 
the trees so planted and managed was good ; and that is 
always a partial proof of the utility of a plan. Never¬ 
theless, there may be cases wherein it is not applicable; 
but I would earnestly advise some of our fruit-growing 
friends to give it a fair trial, and publish the result. 
Observe, the cases I speak of were those in which an 
open, stony soil was operated upon ; such a soil, in fact, 
as I believe most of timber, and a good many fruit- 
trees, delight to grow in. I am inclined to think there 
are some merits in the plan; and the fact of its having 
been practised something like a century, or more, is 
assuredly a something in its favour. R. Robson. 
THE FEATHER-HEADED. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers." 
No. 1. 
Will any of my readers understand me, when 1 talk 
of a person being Jcathcr-headed f Can they comprehend 
my meaning? I was greatly pleased, many years ago, 
with the expression of “ canary-headed,” used by a clever 
Scottish writer to describe a silly, vain woman; but I think 
feather-headed is still more expressive; and I am going to 
talk a little about a person who illustrates that term so 
fully, that if my readers do not know what it means now, 
they will before I have done. 
Lydia Parsons was the daughter of very respectable 
parents ; all her friends were respectable, and one of her 
brothers was connected with the country residence and 
household of a nobleman. Lydia began life by a sad and 
wicked step. She became acquainted, some how or other, 
with a smart stage-coachman ; it was in days when railways 
were unknown. Of course, it was a match Jier friends did 
not approve; but she chose to do her own way, as many a 
young woman has dope before her; and the usual conse¬ 
quences ensued. She secretly kept up her intimacy with 
him, and when their plans were settled, he put her into his 
coach, and drove off with his worthless prize. They were 
married ; and from subsequent knowledge of Lydia, I should 
imagine that both repented the day they first met. No 
man can ever respect or trust the woman who runs away 
with him. Let young women deeply consider this. The 
man who proposes the step, and the girl who consents to it, 
are neither of them trustworthy. How can either of them 
trust the other, when they have both begun matrimony with 
cunning and wilfulness, to say the best of it, if not of dis¬ 
obedience to parents, which is a breach of the Law of God? 
Lydia had parents, and, therefore, she committed a great 
and special sin. 
The coachman was profligate and extravagant; Lydia, 
vain, thoughtless, and remarkably wanting in good sense 
and judgment. Without actually meaning to do wrong, she 
was always wrong-headed and silly in after-life, therefore, of 
course, she was the same in her youth. She had no ballast, 
as sailois say, and cockled about any how. She was a 
miserable wife ; and when her wild and dissipated husband 
died, which he did young, she was a comfortless, helpless, 
sickly widow. 
Having to support herself by her own means, Lydia now 
turned her thoughts to service, and obtained a situation as 
lady’s maid in a family of a gentleman, whose age and 
failing sight required frequent assistance, both in sick¬ 
ness and health. He was obliged to be constantly rend to, 
and his wife’s personal attendant had a great deal of this 
duty to perform. Lydia, having had a better education than 
many of her class, was well fitted for this employment; but 
her health was so bad, and she wanted so much waiting 
upon herself, that she was of little use, beyond reading the 
Newspapers to her master, and gave a great deal of trouble 
in her turn. In consequence of this, her mistress was 
obliged to part with her, which she did with regret, because 
of her respectability, and the honesty of her conduct. 
Lydia’s next step in life was marrying again; and she set 
herself to inveigle a dirty, vulgar, common working-man 
into taking her for his wife. Except that he had a little bit 
of freehold, he was no better, but rather worse, than many 
labourers we see around us. Old, rude in manners, and low 
in feelings, the delicate, sickly lady’s maid was not at 
all to his taste; but believing she had money, he had 
fancied it would be a good thing for himself, and they 
married. Nothing could persuade her, beforehand, that this 
old man had really nothing. His property was mortgaged, 
and lie had not a penny to spend, hut what he earned; this 
she was assured of by a resident gentleman, who knew his 
affairs, and regretted her bitter folly. But no; nothing would 
undeceive her, but her own bitter experience. When they 
began to find each other out, after the flutter of novelty had 
subsided, the unhappy truth stood before them. He had 
gained nothing, but a useless, ignorant, fine, lialf-genteel 
wife; and she had gained nothing but a violent, brutish, 
low-minded husband. 
I would here beg every reader of the sisterhood to which 
I belong, to pause and meditate for a little while. Many 
young women, and elderly women too, may learn a deep 
and very useful lesson from Lydia’s experience. I would 
impress upon them the necessity of cultivating sober-minded¬ 
ness , so that in their passage through life, they may not go 
cockling about, first after this thing, and then after that; 
giddy, wrong headed, wanting in sound judgment, and unfit 
for everything they undertake to do. I would entreat them 
to remark the two wild and headlong steps Lydia took. Her 
first marriage was for girlish love; the second for mature 
worldliness. Both were sinful, because she first disobeyed 
and cheated her parents ; and, in both cases, she disobeyed 
the precepts of the Lord. Setting aside, for one moment, 
the Scriptural view of these things, what do such acts, in a 
worldly sense, bring forth ? Do they ever turn out well and 
happy? We may make more worldly allowances for young 
and thoughtless girls; but are they any the happier for that? 
