THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. July ]4. 1857. m I 
The second was the precaution in giving front air. 
i I have mentioned that the windows or doors opened in¬ 
wards for their whole length, so that when you gave air 
at the top you could not help giving it at the bottom. 
Mr. Thompson wished for air over and about his plants, 
but not to come rushing in underneath them, and 
therefore against all the openings, he had boards set 
about three feet and a half high to prevent the air rush- 
ing in at the bottom. Of course the same thing could 
have been effected if the doors or windows had been 
made in two pieces, but the good workman will always 
make the most of his means without complaining that he 
can do nothing before such and such things are done 
for him and changes effected. I mention this the more 
because the free use of front air, especially at an early 
period, is often productive of much injury to tender 
plants of all kinds. 
In front of the mansion and the conservatory is a 
small llower garden, the beds of which are mostly 
large, and which no doubt are planted so as individually 
to produce a fine effect, and I am certain from this 
point of view yield great satisfaction. A very little 
labour under Mr. Thompson’s guidance would not only 
secure this satisfaction in beholding each individual 
bed, but there would also be the additional pleasure in 
seeing these individual beds so grouped that each, 
though beautiful in itself, would have that beauty 
enhanced from forming a part of a harmonious whole. 
I have great sympathy with those feelings and associa¬ 
tions of a proprietor that render him unwilling to 
change in the least even the form or curve of flower¬ 
beds. I also know that to a gardener who has, or 
thinks he has, a taste for grouping and effect, there will 
be an additional zest felt for his work when he fills 
beds either of his own making, or that otherwise secure 
his approbation. A sort of compromise is very good 
on such occasions, for then the proprietor may have 
more justice done to the heirloom family associations of 
a garden, and the gardener with his new group may 
console himself in thinking lie is marching with the 
times. 
The whole of the preparatories for the flower garden 
and this conservatory, which I. have made the starting 
point of a rambling gossip, as well as the forcing 
houses and pits, are situated in the kitchen garden, at 
some distance from the mansion. I have mentioned 
what chiefly rendered the conservatory gay in May. I 
saw lots of fine plants of Pelargoniums destined to 
succeed them. The old florist kinds were supported 
with sticks, but not over much so. Many huge plants 
of fancies had no stick or ligature of any kind. The 
largest of these were rising three and four years old, 
and the oldest would be thrown away when the 
flowering was over. Beautiful compact plants were 
coming on to succeed these larger fancies, and were 
then little more than a twelvemonth from the cutting. 
Mr. Thompson strikes the cuttings of such plants 
in a little heat in spring, keeps growing them on in 
summer, and in a twelvemonth they are nice stubby 
plants for blooming or making large specimens. The 
different varieties of Crassula were also largely and 
successfully cultivated. To obtain a yellow for such 
groups he has a sort of branching, twiggy, yellow 
Prince’s Eeather sort of Cockscomb, which, from its 
gracefulness, must produce a fine effect, though enough, 
when looked upon as a Cockscomb, to give a real 
florist a fit of the blues. Talking of Prince’s Feather 
reminds me that this old-fashioned plant and Ama¬ 
ranths of all kinds are also grown for this purpose. 
Then there were pots of Balsams, Cockscombs proper, 
and Achimenes of all varieties, &c., to come in in their 
place along with Fuchsias of all colours. Fuchsias, 
Lilies of the punctatum rubrum kind, Ferns, and plants 
with fine foliage form generally the last autumn dis¬ 
play before the winter plants are introduced. Thor© 5 ; 
is nothing peculiarly fitted in these houses for growing' 
such quantities of plants ; the forethought and attention j 
of the superintendent, it is at once seen, are the elements j 
that make them suitable for a destined purpose. Having 
lately described several houses and pits, I will refrain 
from drawing upon my recollection in this respect, and 
will conclude by noticing a few matters at random. 
1. Vines are grown pretty extensively in pots, and with 
fair success. Nevertheless, where a house is to be ap¬ 
propriated to Vines, I still retain the opinion expressed 
in a recent number. Mr. Thompson seems to be much i 
of the same opinion, for he has planted a house or tw© j 
in the usual way, though containing many plants in 
pots at present. His mode of planting is worthy of 
attention, and, in similar cases, of imitation. He has got 
two plants to a rafter instead of one. One of these he 
means to allow to bear as much as it will and as early 
as it will, and when exhausted to be removed. The 
other he proposes cutting down in the winter pruning, 
and taking only a little fruit from it for two or three 
years in the usual recognised manner. 
2. The kitchen garden is placed in a dell or valley, 
and is therefore subject to hoar frosts, which are fre¬ 
quently very injurious in the spring, destroying not only 
fruit but early vegetables. What is very singular, 
however, is, that at the bottom of a west wall Lettuces 
have stood uninjured for many winters, so much so 
that there are generally plenty to part with every spring 
to other gardens, which, in respect to almost everything 
but these Lettuces, pass through the winter without 
sustaining anything like the amount of injury in other 
respects. What can be the reason that in such circum¬ 
stances Lettuces thrive so well ? 
3. When I first knew the garden it was next to un¬ 
workable from being so stiff and tenacious. By a 
process of burning the clay and manuring it seems now 
to be fertile and easily worked. Many of the walks are 
bordered with large flints, and they look neat, and 
furnish little harbour for slugs and vermin. 
4. The north wall of the garden is not high, say 
seven or eight feet, but from earth behind and other 
causes, independently of piers, it hangs over past the 
perpendicular like the Tower of Pisa; at least a con¬ 
siderable length of it does, so much so that a stone 
dropped from the top fell fully two feet beyond its base. 
Against this wall Peach trees were flourishing, and 
what I want to record is this—that, however fruit trees 
fail elsewhere, there is never a failure of Peaches on 
this wall, even though they receive no protection. 
5. Mr. Thompson has hudfriyidomo three years, using 
it for protection in winter, and a thick shade when 
necessary in summer, and likes it. It seemed little the 
worse for wear. He also uses hexagon netting or Not¬ 
tingham lace for keeping out flies and bees from his 
Geraniums and Fuchsias. I also observed tiffany used 
by Mr. Cutbush for shading, and he spoke highly of it. 
6. If anything very particular lias escaped my 
memory I trust to Mr. Thompson to supply the omission. 
I must say I left the place not merely gratified with the 
neatness, order, and forethought everywhere apparent, 
but with many fresh and interesting fields of inquiry 
suggested. R. Fish. 
KITCHEN-GARDEN WORK FOR JULY. 
Let us suppose a garden of ordinary dimensions, in which 
vegetables of all the common kinds are wanted, and crops 
coming on and going off in the usual course of things. For 
instance, Potatoes have been dug daily for the use of the 
family, and the ground accordingly cleared of that crop. Let 
such ground be immediately got ready for another one. If 
for Broccoli or any crop of that kind a good coat of manure 
and digging will prepare it for planting when the first rain 
