200 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 
tance of the ground, and in either case a small aper¬ 
ture may be left at the top, or not, according as it is 
drawn together—loosely or tightly. Another method 
of covering can he adopted: the space between the 
two hoops may he covered either with well-pasted 
paper (to be afterwards oiled with linseed oil), or with 
water-proofed calico. In using the shade for plants 
growing in the border, the legs of it should be pressed 
into the soil an inch or so, to keep it firm in its place, 
and deeper if the last described mode of covering be 
adopted. The shade from which the drawing is made 
has one hoop four inches, and the other nine inches 
in diameter; there are eleven inches between the 
hoops, and the legs of the shade measure five inches. 
The size of the hoops, and their relative diametrical 
proportions, will of course depend upon the height 
and width the shade is to be made. Many modifica¬ 
tions of this plan are readily suggested to serve the 
occasion, for after all it will be seen that it is but 
a first cousin once removed to the old newspaper 
cottage hand-light.—W. IT. G. 
Shirehampton Cottagers’ Show. —On Monday, 
the (5th of August, the Shirehampton Cottage Hor¬ 
ticultural Society held then first show in the Na- 
tional School-room of the village, kindly granted to 
their use by the Rev. — Sayce, under whose more 
immediate patronage the society is principally con¬ 
ducted, and who, on this pleasing occasion, most 
liberally entertained on his lawn to a sumptuous 
luncheon upwards of sixty of the principal gentry in 
the neighbourhood. The approach to the rooms 
was tastefully decorated with arches of flowers and 
evergreens, flags were streaming in all directions 
from the tops of the surrounding houses, and the 
whole scene much enlivened with the strains of a full 
brass band. The contributors to the exhibition were 
principally labourers and occupiers of allotment land, 
kindly granted by P. W. S. Miles, Esq., M.P., and 
the specimens exhibited of roots and vegetables were 
of the most perfect description, and clearly proved 
they were cultivated by parties who took the deepest 
interest in kitchen gardening. The potatoes espe¬ 
cially were of various kinds and enormous size, with¬ 
out the slightest indication of the disease, and it was 
a most pleasing sight, at the termination of the pro¬ 
ceedings, to witness the successful candidates return¬ 
ing to their village homes with the different prizes, 
which were most judiciously given in gardening and 
culinary implements.— Thos. Perrin, Westbury, near 
Bristol. 
To Kiel Slugs Speedily. —You stated, a few 
papers since, “you had repeated applications” rela¬ 
tive to destroying slugs. With submission, allow me 
to suggest to you and my fellow subscribers of The 
Cottage Gardener a plan of my own. I take 
about one quart of water, in any vessel, it matters 
not what, so that it will hold twice the quantity to 
allow for what is put in, then add a handful of com¬ 
mon salt, and dissolve it well. I find the evening the 
best time for searching for the slugs, and I do so 
with a candle. I have merely to pick them off and 
throw them into the solution, and leave them there 
till the next morning; there is no fear of their ever 
getting out. Worms are served the same. 
Soot and Salt : Onions. —I used, as you recom¬ 
mended, soot and salt as a manure for many of my 
crops, and obtained satisfactory results. My early 
crop of carrots (always an uncertain one) was excel¬ 
lent. I have dug as many as fifty-nine potatoes 
under one set (of Ash-leaf). Of my later crops, 
planted at the same time, one bed manured with 
soot, and another with lime, the former are by far 
the best. I do not think you have yet laid much 
stress on a crop which, although it remains a long 
time on the ground, is still a paying one, and would 
be so to any one selling vegetables. I mean large 
winter onions. I always grow the Tripoli, which do 
very well with me, by attending to the following 
rules :—Let the bed be highly manured, sow tolera¬ 
bly thickly in drills, 12 or 14 inches apart, the first 
weeh in August; thin and transplant to one foot 
apart about April; stir the ground between, occa¬ 
sionally, during the spring, and a very heavy crop 
will be gathered in July, when onions are very 
scarce. Should they run to seed, nip off’the blossom 
directly it appears. I have grown them this dry 
year nearly fourteen inches in circumference, weigh¬ 
ing one pound. I have grown them larger—one 
pound six ounces.—H. W. Livett, Wells, Somerset. 
Pot Pourri. —In answer to the request of one of 
our correspondents, we have received the two follow¬ 
ing recipes for making this fragrant mixture. The 
first is from a chemist, and the second from an Essex 
lady. “ Powdered orris root, cloves, cassia, nutmegs, 
gum benzoin, storax, for a good-sized jar filled with 
dried rose and lavender petals, say T oz. of each; a few 
drops of otto of roses is an improvement.” Second 
recipe—“ Cassia 1 oz., J oz. of pimento, 2 oz. of orris 
root, 3 oz. of sandal-wood, T oz. of orange-peel, 1 oz. 
of benzoin, 5 grains of musk: these are to be all 
finely powdered: of essence of bergamot 30 drops, 
ditto of lemon, ditto lavender, and mix with the 
powder; 2 oz. of rose leaves dried (which ought to 
be the young leaves in the bud). Pill the jar with 
dried rose leaves, jasmine, verbenas, violets, and any 
fragrant dried flowers; add small lemons and oranges 
stuck with cloves, and dried in a cool oven. Ray 
salt must be powdered and scattered between the 
layers as the pot is filled.” 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Plan of Garden (G. W. P .)—We find it quite impossible to ad¬ 
vise, with any advantage to our correspondents, on the arrangement 
of their gardens. It includes too many considerations, none of which 
are ever furnished. We must content ourselves with answ ering your 
special questions. 
Asparagus Beds [Ibid). —Mr. Barnes’s plan of growing asparagus 
in rows four feet apart is not a wasteful occupation of ground, because 
rows of other vegetables can be very advantageously grown between 
them. The soil here is always very rich, and even when the stems of 
the asparagus are grown up, if they are supported by spare pea-sticks 
or other means, as they ought to be, they will beneficially shade the 
intermediate crop of lettuces, spinach, broeoli, or cauliflower. You 
may move your asparagus plants next April, though they will be four 
or five years old. Take up each plant very carefully, forking out the 
roots down to their very ends without breaking them. A square bed 
is the very worst form you can adopt, as it compels the gatherer to 
tread upon it, which ought scrupulously to be avoided. We should 
prefer two long rows two feet apart, and the plants at the same dis¬ 
tance in the rows. You cannot have fine asparagus if they are 
crowded. 
Tree or Canada Onion (H. T. Ii .).—Offsets of this may be 
planted in September or October, but the best time for planting is 
March or April. Your large potato onions which have burst, in con¬ 
sequence of exposure to rain after the long continuance of drought, 
cannot be depended upon for keeping to plant next year. It is 
impossible from a flattened bruised fuchsia flower to tell its name. 
There are dozens of the same colours. 
IIi malavaii Pumpkin Seed (Rev. J. S. L .).—We will attend to 
your request. 
Weedy Drive Road (O. S.). — Corrosive sublimate will not des¬ 
troy the weeds in your neglected road, nor is there any mode of keep¬ 
ing them down except by constantly hoeing them out, and sowing 
the surface with salt so thickly that it appears white. 
Aneroid Barometer (A Subscriber ).—Can any of our readers, 
from actual observation, state whether this instrument can be de¬ 
pended upon ? 
Asparagus Bed Making (A. A. Clericns ).—The best time for 
doing this is April, just after the plants have begun to shoot. For 
making a sea-kale bed the best time is March, if rooted slips arc to 
be employed for planting it. 
Compost of Turf, &c. (J. R., Nottingham ).—A ton of gas lime 
to five tons of your earthy heap will improve it. The mixture should 
be turned three or four times, and will be ready for use in two or 
three months. 
