220 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
J ULY 
bore notliing but crops of nettles and thistles, are 
now clothed with the gayest beauties of the floral 
kingdom, or groaning under their loads of the finest 
vegetables that can possibly be grown. It is asto¬ 
nishing that in such a short space of time such a 
revolution could take place. The bouses, which were 
once dens of poverty and filth, are now changed into 
neat white-washed cottages. The public-house is i 
giving way to the reading-room, aud the cock-fights j 
to the shows. And all this I believe to have been I 
caused by the establishment of a horticultural so- j 
ciety, which was first started hy the father of the 
writer, and sustained by the liberality of a noble 
lord (F. Eitzclarence) and his amiable lady and 
daughters. The village is now a glorious example 
of what may be done if the rich would but lend their 
aid.—J. L. Middlemiss, Gardener to A. Pott, Esq., 
Tunbridge Wells. 
Pybus Japontca.— In The Cottage Gardener, 
June 21st, page 147, in answer, I apprehend, to 
Robert French, it is said, “ the seed of the pyrus japo- 
nica is useless.” Three years since I raised a large 
potful of seedlings of the pyrus japonica from seed, 
ripened on a south wall, at Ashley, Hants. The 
ripe fruit of this pyrus makes an exquisite preserve, 
much superior to quince marmalade; but the fruit 
itsell is very hard and harsh, and requires more 
stewing by far, to make it tender, than the common 
quince does.—W. P. T. 
[When we said that the seeds of the pyrus japo 
nica are useless, we only meant that other modes of 
raising it are more unfailing and rapid— Ed. C. G.] 
Liquid Manure of Soot. —A correspondent sends 
the following recipe for making this fertilizing liquid: 
Soot one pound, rain-water live quarts, quicklime 
half a pound. Mix the whole together, and imme¬ 
diately cover the vessel in which it is made quite 
close up; stir it once every day for three days; if 
not quite clear add a little more lime (when it will 
be lit for use); a little, say four ounces, sulphuric 
acid may be added to fix the ammonia. When re¬ 
quired for use, add one-half water to the solution.— 
H. S. D. 
[We think the lime a decidedly injurious addition, 
helping to drive off the ammonia of the soot; and 
adding the sulphuric acid would only partially mend 
the matter, for it would unite with the lime instead 
of the ammonia.—E d. C. G.] 
Shade for Flowers.— Seeing in your last Num¬ 
ber of The Cottage Gardener the description of a 
shade for blooms, ! beg to inclose a rude drawing of 
one I invented last year, which fully answers the 
purpose, aud will, I think, be found less cumbersome 
and expensive, and which the merest tyro will be 
able to make. Figure 1 represents a piece of paste¬ 
board (old hat-boxes will bo quite as good,) about 
eight inches by six, less or more, for 1 make them of 
different sizes. By bringing the two bottom corners 
together, so as to overlap a little, the pasteboard can 
be nailed top and bottom to a thin lath of wood, as 
in fig. 2, which can be tied at the required height 
upon a tall flower-stick, which should be squared a 
little to make it set firm; or it may at once be tacked 
to the stick as shown in fig. 3; but I advise the for¬ 
mer method to he adopted, as they take up less room 
when stowed away for another season. These shades 
will endure heavy rains if the pasteboard be mode¬ 
rately stiff, and will last several years. I have used 
mine for tulips two seasons; and they will do equally 
well for the ranunculus, carnation, rose, pink, and 
dahlia.— John Battersby, Mansfield. 
[This Shelter would be rendered more durable by 
being painted over with the composition described 
by us at p. 123 .—Ed. C. G.] 
Slugs.—I have tried soda-ash for slugs, at the rate 
of half a pound to six square yards, and found it 
drive them away or kill them, and very much benefit 
the strawberries that were planted on the bed. 1 
think our slugs are different from your’s ; we never 
found them above ground, though we have looked 
for them with a candle at night.—H enry Sandford. 
Plumbago Larpentas and Hyacinths. —Mr. Bea¬ 
ton has kindly supplied this week some useful infor¬ 
mation respecting the management of the Plum¬ 
bago Larpentce, and if 1 may be allowed to sug¬ 
gest an addition, it is to peg down all the under off¬ 
shoots, treatment which succeeds admirably in cover¬ 
ing the pot, and adds greatly to the beauty of the 
plant. We have some very fine specimens in this 
town ; in fact I saw this morning, at M acintrie’s, more 
than four dozen strong healthy plants, full six inches 
high, all waiting for customers, at eighteen-pence 
each. I really wish times were better for the sake of 
the poor nurserymen, and also that all who had the 
means had alike the disposition to encourage this 
useful class of men. I have been Blinking also how 
much we might add to the circulation of The Cot¬ 
tage G ardener by advertizing it with our tongues. 
I always make a point of speaking of and recom¬ 
mending it to all my friends, and am selfish enough 
never to lend it, except for a sight, to any one that 
has 4he means of purchasing the same. Pray re¬ 
commend your readers to get some boxes made for 
hyacinths. About two dozen mixed bulbs in a box 
has a splendid effect.—J. FI. H., Taunton. 
Urine as a Fertilizer. —Of the many forms of 
liquid manure, urine must rank as one of the most 
powerful. Lie beg observes that, “ in respect of the 
quantity of nitrogen contained in excrements, 100 
parts of the urine of a healthy man are equal to 
1300 parts of the fresh dung of a horse.” It has fur¬ 
ther been found, by analysis, that 1000 pounds of 
urine contains (58 pounds of dry fertilizing matter of 
the richest quality; or, as nearly as possible, 1 part in 
15 of fertilizing matter. Again, the annual urine of 
two men is said to contain sufficient mineral food for 
an acre of land, and mixed with ashes will produce a 
fair crop of turnips. One hundred parts of wheat 
grown on a soil manured with cow-dung, which con¬ 
tains only a small proportion of nitrogen, afiorded 
only 11 - 95 parts of gluten, or that constituent of 
vegetable matter which contains the same elements, 
