April 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
neglect watering at the proper time, the earth in the 
pots will contract and leave the sides of the pots-; 
and the next time you water, it will pass off down 
the side—thus not performing the office you design 
it for. The plant, then, will suffer for want of 
nourishment; and, if this is allowed to continue, they 
will eventually perish. To prevent this catastrophe, 
whenever you observe the soil has left the edge of 
the pot, stir up the surface with a pointed stick, 
breaking the lumps of earth, and gently press it 
into the cavity; then give the required quantity of 
water, and the evil will be remedied. We beg your 
particular attention to these particulars about water 
ing. Its proper management is one of the most im¬ 
portant points in cultivating any land of plants, but 
more especially such as we treat of under this head. 
T. Appleby. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
(Mr. Beaton’s manuscript unfortunately had not 
arrived at the time of our going to press.) 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Celery. —The pr'esent is a good season for sowing 
this vegetable, either in some warm sheltered corner, 
upon well-pulverized rich soil, or, what is better, on 
a little bottom-heat, and putting an old light or 
hand-glass over it. Plants may, however, be very 
quickly raised by merely covering them over at night 
with any slight covering, and, to ensure the produc¬ 
tion of strong healthy plants, let the water, when 
water is required, be applied tepid, instead of cold. 
The grower will be well repaid for this extra trouble, 
which hastens the growth of the celery, and greatly 
improves its flavour. If celery of a large size be 
required, prick the plants early on a gentle bottom- 
heat, water them with tepid water until they begin 
to shew signs of rigorous growth, and then add a 
little liquid-manure, which will speedily make them 
so strong and luxuriant as to be ready, as soon as 
the season is sufficiently warm and favourable, to be 
placed out permanently, without any danger of being 
checked and stinted in growth, which is one great 
cause of celery becoming stringy and tough. 
Red Beet. —To produce beet of a high colour and 
strong sugary flavour, the soil is not required to 
be particularly rich. The present is a good time for 
sowing, and if the soil is formed into ridges, thirteen 
inches apart, it is much better for that purpose than 
sowing on flat laid ground. Dibble the seed at six 
inches apart on the top of the ridge, and let the 
plants be thinned out to one foot. This is better 
for the amateur gardener than affording more room 
and producing large overgrown roots; but for the 
cottager, who has either a cow or pig to feed, some 
large roots are very desirable, providing, when 
boiled, a most excellent and nutritious food, and 
one which may be preserved in good condition up to 
midsummer, and, with care, even to a much later 
period. Indeed, all who have ground to spai'e, with 
a cow or a pig to feed, should manage to sow a good 
piece of beet, and also crops of mangold-wurtzel, both 
of the long red and the yellow globe varieties, which 
will give them a succession of excellent keep through¬ 
out the year, if well managed. We always boil either 
beet or mangold-wurtzel together with any other re¬ 
fuse vegetables, adding about 1 lb. of salt to every 
30 gallons of food so boiled, and give it to the pigs 
warm, not hot. They thrive upon it astonishingly, 
and are exceedingly fond of it. Indeed, we do not, 
at the present time, know of anything upon which 
either cows or swine can so economically be fed. 
Routine. —The dry March now passed has done 
all that could be desired in preparing the soil for 
summer crops. A finer month for aiding us in pul¬ 
verizing the soil was never known. 
Herb Beds should be attended to, and put in 
order without delay, and beds of chamomiles, chives, 
and mint planted, if not already done, as well as the 
seeds sown, or beds formed, of pot marjorum, fennel, 
hyssop, penny-royal, lavender, white savory, thyme , &c. 
Savoys and Brocolt. —Full crops of savoys should 
now be sown ; also some of the Early Purple, White 
Cape, and Grange’s brocoli; but the true Walcheren 
White brocoli, when it can be procured, is the most 
valuable vegetable, at the present time, to sow in 
succession at three times within this and the next 
month to come. 
Early Turnips sow now, in small portions in 
succession, on wellquepared soil, in a sheltered situ 
ation. 
Scarlet Runners, too, should be sparingly sown 
in a sheltered spot, ready for transplanting when the 
season is farther advanced. 
Ridge Cucumbers and Vegetable-marrow may 
now be sown in full crops ; care being taken in pot¬ 
ting to keep the plants close to the glass, and freely 
admitting air to establish a hardy and luxuriant 
growth. 
Tomatoes may be taken from the frame and 
plac ed out of doors, in a sheltered comer, but pro¬ 
tected, at first, with some slight covering, until the 
season is more advanced. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
MY FLOWERS. 
_ (No, 23.) 
The beauty of spring scenery is now greatly in¬ 
creased by the busy labours of the woodman There 
is scarcely a prettier sight than a newly-cleared 
copse, with its carpet of moss and primroses, the 
various piles of faggots, rake-ware, and hoop chips, 
that stand so thickly around, and the many voices 
that sound cheerily from the different points where 
work is going on. It is a sylvan scene, indeed, and 
there is nothing uncomfortable to one’s feelings in it; 
there is no whip or spur employed, nothing distress- 
ingUo the dumb creation, so often unpleasing even in 
the interesting acts of husbandly we delight to watch. 
In w r ood-craft all is harmless and beautiful, and we 
can sit on a heap of faggots and meditate in peace. 
What various and lovely wild flowers spring up 
cheerily, when the air and sun are admitted! I have 
seen newly-cut copses like the most glowing gardens; 
when later on in the season, just before primroses 
disappear, the blue-bells and wood anemones have 
mingled their delicate colours also, and formed a 
mass of flowers. The sweet wood violets, too, grow 
thickly in many places; and there are in the “ green¬ 
wood” a multitude of beautiful, though simple, flow¬ 
ers', that charm tire lover of nature, and make the 
morning walk a perpetual treat. The glowing sun¬ 
sets now can be enjoyed by those whose early habits 
admit of evening exercise, and nothing can be more 
soft and golden than the gleams of light that tall 
upon the woods and larch plantations then, giving 
them quite the appearance of golden forests. Late 
hours do not accord with country life—so much of 
real enjoyment is thrown away. 
