THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[August 21. 
324 
but “the everlasting arms” would be beneath us. Our 
parched and fevered lips might covet in vain the cooling 
draught, but our spiritual thirst would be slaked at the well 
of “ living water; ” we should be rejoicing in “wine and 
milk,” that earthly money cannot buy, and feeding on the 
“ hidden manna ” that nourishes and refreshes more than 
all the rich and delicate food that can be set before us. 
Let us sometimes take a lesson from the poor. Let the 
sick-bed of Nancy C- reprove and improve us. When 
we are tempted to murmur and repine at the cup placed in 
our hands by Wisdom and Love, let us go out among “ the 
highways and hedges,” into the cottage and the hut, to the 
! poor and sick, and we may, by God’s blessing upon our 
reflections, return to our comfortable homes wiser and 
better men. 
CURRANTS—GOOSEBERRIES—RASPBERRIES— 
THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 
Now I am “I’ th’ vein” (and the majority of my country¬ 
men and women in bed and asleep), I will detail one or two 
little contrivances that I have been working upon tins 
season,—such as protecting and training my currants, goose¬ 
berries, and raspberries. 
I do not, however, pretend to say that these things have 
not been done before, suffice it in me to affirm I never saw 
or heard of any like them, or did any one that I have come 
in contact with, therefore, if the ideas are not new, they are 
not generally known; which to all holders of small gardens 
infested with birds they ought to be, or some other contri¬ 
vances which may be better. 
I am a great lover of birds, I like to see and hear them 
about me, though not one particle of fruit would they leave 
me here if I did not look strictly after it upon the netting 
principle. 
Training Currants .—In my small garden, 46 yards long by 
30 broad, I dare only allow myself seven currant bushes, two 
of white, and five red ; with a few temporary ones against the 
wall, merely to occupy the space till the young fruit-trees 
fill it up. These seven currant bushes are planted on the fruit- 
border (if Mr. Errington reads this he will say it is wrong, 
but I crave his patience): they stand, as it were, in the angle 
of a triangle, between each fruit-tree; so that they do not 
shade or rob the roots of the trees in any degree to be in¬ 
jurious. The branches of the bushes proceed from one short 
main stem, and when trained, as I shall presently show, appear 
like an inverted cone. Procure two forked stakes three feet 
long, drive them into the ground six inches, one on each side 
the bush, then fasten a wooden lioop two feet three inches 
diameter horizontally upon them, and fasten the branches 
within side the hoop equi-distant around with zinc wire. (If 
I were called upon to subscribe to a memorial for the men 
: who invented zinc wire and blotting paper, I would certainly 
do so.) 
Currant. Protectors. — Procure four stakes one inch in 
diameter, and four feet long : and two strong wooden hoops, 
i three feet diameter; nail the stakes equi-distant firmly to the 
hoops, allowing one hoop to be six inches within the bottom 
of the stakes, and the other even with their tops. Now fasten 
eight smaller rods between the four rods, and even with the 
top and bottom hoop; place the machine topsy turvy, and 
slightly drive some tin-tacks four inches apart all round the 
edge of the hoop ; return the machine to its first position, 
and in a similar manner drive some tacks round the upper 
edge of the top hoop; lay the construction on its side, and 
drive some tacks four inches apart the whole distance between 
the hoops on one of the four stoutest stakes, or now, more 
properly speaking, supports; from this extension motion 
again come to the first position, and see how completely you 
can fasten a net round and over the top, through the agency 
of the tin-tacks. Sharpen the four six-inch legs, and the 
thing is complete. 
Can you fancy anything more to the purpose, or much 
cheaper than this for placing over, remaining firm, and 
thoroughly protecting the fruit from damp and the feathered 
tribe: or, as a lady expressed to me the other day, “from 
the fingers of the bipeds also.” 
Last, and by no means the least, the foliage, by this con¬ 
trivance, is preserved fresh and green. Everybody knows 
how soon the leaves turn yellow 7 if the trees are matted up, 
and everybody knows, or at least Should know, that if this 
is the case they cannot expect a good crop of fruit the follow¬ 
ing season; and as regards the look of the thing, behold 
the bright red fruit and the dark green foliage—and contrast 
a tree matted up as if it was in the last stage of consumption. 
These netted machines will be of immense service in the 
spring to pop over the bushes when frosts, as well as birds, 
prevail. 
Gooseberry Training. —I had been worrying myself many 
months about my gooseberry bushes; I wanted to train them 
as espaliers, but I v T as obliged to halt in this opinion, for the 
tremendous broadsides we get here in the shape of wind, is 
something a storm at sea might envy. At the moment I now 
write, the wind is cracking its cheeks over my Horticultural 
productions in style; and I fear bent on mischief. I have 
everything, however, on the post-aitd-rail principle, so I can 
in a great measure defy it. 
A very famous gooseberry cultivator in this town, trains 
his bushes on the table-trellis system ; but the enormous 
quantity of hooks, crooks, stakes, and props, that he brings 
into play in order to effect it, frightened me completely, and I 
was on the eve of letting my bushes grow in their natural 
way, which, witlithelarge sorts now in vogue,means sprawling 
on the ground; but Mr. Errington, in an article on trellises j 
some time ago, brushed up the idea again, and I think I 
have mastered myself. 
Take two forked stakes one foot six inches long, drive 
them into the ground six inches, one on each side the bush ; 
then fasten a wooden hoop two feet three inches diameter ; 
horizontally upon them. Attach the branches of the bushes 1 
to the upper edge of the hoop with zinc wire, placing them 
similar to the spokes of a wffieel. 
This is really a very simple proceeding, and I do not think 
I should have mentioned it here, were it not that most j 
people who see the plan pronounce it something that they 
never saw before, and approve of it mightily. The bushes 
certainly have a very compact appearance; and I must say, | 
that until I see a better system, I shall continue to train j 
them in this manner. As to the fruit, it hangs suspended in I 
the safest way possible, not a splash can reach, not a thorn 
can prick them ; and this is saying a great deal. I w r ish I was 
in a similarly safe position. 
My gooseberry bushes are planted in a parallel row along¬ 
side the garden walk, the width of border I allow for them 
is four feet. I intend to net them in exactly the same manner 
that I do the strawberry (barring the faggots, See page 278), 
and using two nets instead of one, to hang down each side. I 
The same nets that are on the strawberries will always be 
done with in time, and be at liberty for the gooseberries 
just as they begin to ripen, and again in the spring when 
frosts and birds prevail. 
I train my Raspberries along a single rail: this is much 
better, I think, than tying them to stakes, they have more 
freedom: and this fruit, like ourovvn country, flourishes better 
in such a state than some other nations of Europe which I 
could mention. Raspberries are difficult to net, at least, so 
far as expense is concerned; but the thing could be done 
easily enough by making a temporary frame-work sufficiently 
high to walk under, and straining a net entirely over it. I j 
think it was Mr. Errington who mentioned two pieces of ; 
glass as a scarecrow, and finding that as fast as my rasp¬ 
berries began to ripen the other day, they disappeared ira- j 
immediately, I procured three tapering rods eight feet long, 
[-inch diameter at their base, placed them slanting and 
firm in the soil between my canes, fastened two pieces of 
string three feet long to their tops, about an inch apart; j 
made fast two pieces of glass to the ends of the string, and 
the result is, that not a bird has shewn its beak amongst 
ray raspberries since. How long this state of things will 
continue remains to be Seen; birds soon get accustomed to 
scarecrows. 
Apropos to glass,—not one pane of the Great Exhibition 
must be removed, unless it is for the purpose of ventilation. 
Perhaps “ a cottage gardener” may be allowed to express an 
idea upon this subject, and if so, I for one, instead of voting 
to remove the Crystal Palace, would vote for the centre 
aisles to be arched over similar to the transcept; then it 
would be a glorious thing. We should have a centre and two 
side transcepts to contain all that is beautiful and rare in 
