September 18.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
389 
this is no more essential than for a husbandman to know 
that the blade of grass he treads under his foot is, in a chief 
measure, composed of flint, charcoal, water, and colouring 
matter; but it does require each to know that there must 
be a sufficient staple and fertility in the soil to carry the 
tree through a succession of years with health and fruitful 
vigor. The right description of soil, I would sum up in the 
following proportions : one-half the top spit (turfy matter of 
necessity included) of a pasture, or common; one-quarter 
ditch and road-scrapings, and one-quarter the natural soil, 
whatever it may be, when the trees are to be placed. If the 
soil, nevertheless, is of a nature inclined to bind, I would 
use with the mass, say one-eighth part each of the following: 
charred wood (this to be preferred), mortar, or brick rubbish, 
from the size of a hen’s egg, downwards. The last observa¬ 
tion as to the size is applicable to the turfy matter; do not 
let the compost be too fine; and again , apropos as regards 
the turf—place a layer of it over the drainage, so that 
the finer particles of soil shall not gain admittance and 
choke it. 
Now, supposing the stake mentioned previously is driven 
firmly into the centre of the hole, then the drainage, and the 
layer of turf upon that; make the tree firm and fast to the 
post, through the agency of hay-bands and stout tar-cord; 
firstly, twisting some hay-band round the stem of the tree, 
and secondly, some cord round it and the stake: do not by 
any means allow the cord to cut or chafe the bark. The 
bole of the tree will exactly point out the depth it previously 
occupied in the soil, it must on no account whatever be buried 
deeper; at least, when I say deeper, a consideration here 
offers itself as regards the settling of the soil. If you form 
a fresh substance of earth two feet deep, it will finally settle 
down to one feet six inches, at least; therefore, in securing 
the tree to the stake, allow the level of the appearance on 
the stem to be even with that level which the surface soil of 
the station, or border, will eventually arrive at. The stem at 
the time will be buried six inches, taking the above depth of 
soil as a paragon; but it will be temporary; or not at 
all, if, when you have completed the planting, you draw 
the soil away a little from around the stem, punch-bowl 
fashion. 
For the same reason that you shovelled out the mould in 
uprooting, bend all you can of the roots back and secure 
them to the stem ; bring them down by degrees as you pro¬ 
ceed in spreading and covering them properly with soil, but 
mind, no jumping; to see a man capering over the roots, 
horrifies me in about the same ratio as that of a sexton, 
when I behold him jumping over the newly-deposited coffin, 
in his process of filling up a grave : both practices are almost 
twin brothers with me, and shew a rude want of thought and 
feeling. The soil is much more effectually made to close 
round the young fibres and roots by the percolation of 
water, applied from the spout of a can, than by the former 
antics; and I pray you, good Mr. Sexton, if you must tread, 
“ tread softly, that the blind mole may not hear a foot-fall.” 
The manner I place the roots when I plant a tree—and I 
think it is reasonable, taking into consideration the settling 
down of the soil—is to lay them by degrees pointing with a 
slight angle upwards; in order that when the soil has finally 
settled they may be carried with it to a perfect level: roots 
once induced to throw off in that direction are notoriously 
inclined to keep it. 
On what terms can I now speak in praise of the post ? You 
are by this time become aware of its importance. There 
can be no pulling, or 
wrenchings which 
hauling, or 
any of those convulsive 
poor trees usually undergo in planting, 
giving one the idea that their roots and fibres should be 
possessed all those stretching and elastic properties 
belonging to Indian-rubber; but as they are evidently not 
endowed with those peculiarities, or capable of the experi¬ 
ment being tried, through the all-protective principle of our 
post, I will, therefore, take this opportunity to relieve it 
from a jiart of that odium which common allusion to its 
patronymic is fain to imply. 
Now the tree is planted (and a mulch, if it is planted in 
March, placed upon its surface-soil), do not suppose, for a 
moment, that you have done all that is required of you; watch 
and guard it, or them, carefully from all the ills and blight 
that trees are subject to. We all know that prevention is 
better than cure, so I would advise an instant brushing with 
lime, clay, cow-dung, and water, brought to the consistence 
of thick paint, and to a sombre colour by adding soot to the 
mixture;—if expense is not an object, add half--a-pound of 
sulphur vivum to a bucket full of the aforesaid. If the bark 
is rough about the stem of the tree, scrape it smooth before 
you begin painting. To scrape off’ the loose, jagged bark is 
one of the chief operations to disperse the innumerable worms 
“ i’ tli’ bud; ” and a second disperser in this respect is to tho¬ 
roughly syringe the tree before, and as soon as possible 
after, the bloom is faded, with soap-suds, diluted, if they 
are very strong, with warm water ; operating again with 
clean warm water the following evening. 
When the wind is in the east, dark murky clouds move 
sluggishly over the firmament, and the skin on your face feels 
as tight as a drum ; know by these presents, if you wish for 
fruit, and a healthy foliage, you must indefatigably syringe 
your fruit-trees, or otherwise set fire to any description of 
rubbish underneath, and give them a thorough smoking. 
By attending to these matters, and keeping the young breast- 
wood, or head-wood, as the case may be, thinned out 
properly, and, by degrees, those shoots left not allowed to 
cross each other, look for a handsome tree, equally and on 
each side proportionate, free, and flowing. Do not allow 
them to bear fruit the first year after transplanting, and 
pinch off the points of the young shoots, by degrees, about 
the middle of August : young leaves do more harm than 
good after that time. 'When the trees are become well- 
established, if you find them growing to too much top, root- 
prune them; be cautious, however, and do the thing by 
degrees ; nature never likes a sudden check: in all your 
proceedings, let the eye of the mind govern the eye of the 
man. 
What I have written applies chiefly to trees planted out in 
orchards, in contradistinction to those planted in borders, 
or as espaliers in a garden, though the whole article is 
applicable to one as the other, as a base.— Upwards and 
Onwards. 
(To be Continued .) 
DOMESTIC MECHANISM. 
Fast-Boiling Stew-Pan. —This form of pan, invented by 
Mr. Deakin, is admirably adapted for quick boiling; the 
principle is easily applicable to all other forms of cooking 
utensils. The mode of applying it is simple, and may be 
easily understood by a glance at the figure. A thin outer 
case of metal is applied all round, in 
the manner shown in the sketch; the 
heat in the upper part of the cavity 
thus left, becomes shortly so intense 
that glass can be melted almost in¬ 
stantaneously. We consider this a 
truly admirable and philosophical in¬ 
vention, and is well worthy of a trial 
in families where economy is practised, not merely talked 
about. B. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London. 
Ranting Widow, Wandering Sailor.—A correspondent ( Vashti ) 
says, “ In the midland counties, the beautiful Epilobium angustifolium 
is frequently termed ‘ The Warwickshire Lad ; ’ certainly a more pleas¬ 
ing title than that of the ‘ Ranting Widow,’ as mentioned in several of 
your always valuable and amusing numbers. I have known a poor cot¬ 
tager, near Coventry, call the Saxifraga tomentosa ‘The Wandering 
Sailor,’ but of course I cannot tell whether this is the plant alluded to by 
your correspondent, T. M. W .” 
Brewing. — W. K —, W., says, “Permit me to caution your readers 
against one great mistake in the receipt for brewing, at page 342. 
Your correspondent recommends the water to be put on the fire the night 
before brewing, that his pleasant dreams may not be disturbed by early 
rising. This one mistake has spoiled many a brewing; and I know of 
one particular case where a servant never could brew good beer, although 
he had an excellent teacher and first-rate materials, and had assisted his 
master in making many a first-rate brew, until he confessed to the lazy 
trick of boiling (and spoiling) his water during the night. He never did 
