June 20.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
175 
they should he cut off close to the tuber, taking care not 
to injure it. In this state of rest they must be allowed 
to remain till the season returns at which they were 
started into growth the previous year. 
(To he continued-) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks, —The two first in 
pots, aud the latter in beds, would be greatly benefited 
by a top-dressing of rich compost: remove a portion of 
the old soil, find replace it with the fresh, taking care 
not to disturb the root. Now is a good season to thin 
the buds, especially of the pinks: leave the most pro¬ 
mising one on each stem of the pinks, and two—or at 
most three—on the carnations and picotees. Some of 
the strongest of the latter may now be layered ; for by 
doing this thus early a good stocky plant is secured for 
the next season. 
Ranunculuses will be greatly benefited now by a 
plentiful supply of water. If this is neglected just now 
the bloom will be indifferent. Every third watering, 
mix a portion of liquid manure amongst the water—it 
will strengthen growth and heighten the colours con¬ 
siderably. T. Appleby. 
THE laTCIIEN-GARDEN. 
Asparagus. —The cutting of asparagus will now be 
brought nearly to a close, with the exception of those 
who have old beds, and intend to destroy them as soon 
as this season’s cutting is expired, instead of allowing 
the plants to remain till next season’s forcing. To 
secure abundance of fine heads next season, this is the 
time to give the beds every possible encouragement, by 
the application of salt sown a little and often when 
showery weather prevails. During dry hot weather, if 
it is considered necessary to apply water for the assist¬ 
ance of the plants, give liberal soakings of manure-water 
with salt dissolved in it; it is by far the best method. 
Mulching and surface-stirring should be also well at¬ 
tended to. The ground cleared of old asparagus aud 
trenched over is a famous situation for planting some of 
the varieties of brocolis and borecoles, or a crop of late 
cauliflowers. Sow at this season liberally of cauliflowers, 
for obtaining abundance of plants for successional pro¬ 
duction throughout autumn and winter. This being 
one of the most delicious and useful of vegetables, we 
continue to plant it in every corner we have to spare 
from July to the middle of September, when we com 
mence storing them in temporary-built sheds for the 
winter’s use. As soon as the head of the cauliflower 
shows itself, then, in the dry part of the day, the plants 
are pulled up by the roots and tied into bunches of from 
four to eight, and hung up to the roof of our sheds, 
where they keep very well, and are found very useful all 
winter. 
Storing Sheds. —To give an idea of such home-made 
sheds, or lenhays, as they are called in Devonshire, we 
save any kind of refuse, such as all kinds of evergreen 
prunings, bean-stalks, artichoke-stalks, asparagus-stems 
when cut in autumn, furze-hedge trimmings, &c., and 
these are dried, bound up into small faggots, with two 
withes, and stored. Rough poles, saw-pit scantlings, 
or any kind of refuse wood are also stored until the 
time comes round when a shed is to be put up in some 
corner. A few old stems of trees also have been stored, 
or thick clumsy saw-pit slabs, for posts to form the shed 
with to tire required size, and to support the roof; some 
of the scantlings or poles are nailed to the outside of 
them, when fixed about three feet apart, and enough of 
those bundles are placed close together to fill] up the 
sides and ends, with the exception of the door-way, to 
make it close and warm. These bundles are either tied 
to the nailed scantlings, or other scantlings are nailed 
in on the other side of the bundles, which keep all in 
tight together. The best aud closest of the bundles are 
selected for covering the roof, over which a thin thatch¬ 
ing of straw or reed is placed. A handy labourer and 
boy will, iu a very short time, finish snugly an erection 
of this kind. The floor of such a shed is a good situa¬ 
tion for storing potatoes, carrots, parsnips, aud turnips 
in sharp winter weather. In summer, such places are 
excellent ior mushroom-culture. A flap-window is placed 
either in the side or at the ends, for admitting light and 
air; and a snug, convenient, useful store is thus erected 
with but small cost. 
Shalots and Garlic should be tied up in small 
bunches, harvested as soon as ready, and hung up in a 
shed or other open-roofed situation to dry gradually; 
and the ground they have grown on will be found an 
excellent situation for sowing cauliflowers, coleworts, 
endive, lettuce, dec ., or for pricking out any of the winter 
stuff. Between the earliest potatoes may now be planted 
a crop of Savoys, or some other winter crop. Turnips 
sow in succession; thin those already up in due time, 
and encourage the growth by oft repeated stirrings. If 
attacked by the fly, sow dry wood ashes over them early 
in the morning, aud draw elder-boughs over them in the 
heat of the day. Collect horse, cow, sheep, or deer dung 
where convenient, and some good holding loam, and 
well incorporate them together for making a mushroom- 
bed, taking care to put enough loam to modify the heat¬ 
ing of the dung, which is the most essential matter to 
attend to in musliroom-bed making, for a strong heat 
not only dries and parches up the materials, but destroys 
the spawn. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
ECONOMIZING. 
By the authoress af“ My Flowers." 
A remark in the letter of a very interesting correspondent 
has struck me forcibly, as being exactly what I have so often , 
felt, and which is indeed a painful and embarrassing fact—• j 
“ to pursue economical plans well, one should have plenty of 
money, and time too, to set the machine going !” 
Now it may seem a contradiction or an absurdity to say, 
that to economize well, we should have plenty of money; 
and, perhaps, plenty may be an expression too strong for the 
occasion, but it is perfectly true that we must have some. 
The parents of three children possessing five hundred per 
annum may live with economy upon three ; those who pos¬ 
sess three hundred per annum, may live upon two; but when 
they are so situated as to possess scarcely one hundred per 
annum, exclusive of house-rent, and that “ a lottery, and 
dependent upon others,” how are they to trim and steer their 
little bark among the rocks and shoals of a pitiless world ? 
Not by economizing, but by renouncing. When we have a 
tolerable income, we can manage it with care and discretion; 
