THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
three shoots for next year. The free watering encourages the 
flower shoots, and also these young ones. When done flower¬ 
ing I cut down that shoot also, so as to give me a farther 
succession. Meanwhile I encourage the others to grow as 
much as possible by watering, &c., until towards the end of 
September, when I give little water, but as much sun as 
possible. In October I give no more than just keeps the 
plants from shrivelling when standing against a fence, and 
having all the sunlight possible. When housed for the 
winter keep them next to dry, and just anywhere safe 
from frost. As the sun gains power in March and April 
they will begin to grow, and must be watered, and before long 
will show their flower-trusses. R. Fish. 
TREES, SHRUBS, AND FLOWERS THAT WILL 
GROW IN OR NEAR LARGE TOWNS. 
It has fallen to my lot lately to have to lay out 
gardens and shrubberies near such Smoky towns as 
Sheffield, Manchester, &c. The constant inquiry is, 
What will grow in our garden? Now, this inquiry I 
have had to answer often for a considerable period of 
time, having had shrubberies and gardens to plant in 
and near such towns for upwards of thirty years. I 
have thus had my attention directed more especially 
to this subject, and have, in consequence, noted 
certain trees, shrubs, and plants that will grow, or at 
least exist, in spite of the dust and smoke amongst 
which they are required to live, and breathe, and 
have their being. There is in this busy manu¬ 
facturing, empire a great number of such assem¬ 
blages of the abodes of our industrious artisans; 
and though the smoke laws are sufficiently stringent, 
yet it appears to me the atmosphere near such manu¬ 
facturing towns is not any purer or healthier for trees 
and shrubs than it was in my younger days. I see 
new villas erected and shrubberies formed near such 
towns, and all sorts of things planted, without any 
regard as to the probable success in such planting. 
Now, I think it is little short of murder, or at least 
plant slaughter, to put in delicate shrubs in such a 
climate, or rather, atmosphere, laden with pore-choking 
particles of soot and dust. The perpetrators of such 
crimes ought to be brought to trial by common sense, 
and drummed out of the army of planters. As I stated 
above, having been compelled, in the course of ray 
business, to note those things that will live in such 
places, and as many readers of The Cottage Gardener 
are, unfortunately for their gardens, so situated, 1 pur¬ 
pose to lay before them the result of my experience, 
trusting it will be found useful in directing town gar¬ 
deners both what to plant and what to avoid planting. 
In order to succeed with cultivating any kind of 
plants in gardens near large towns it is absolutely 
necessary to have good soil, and the site well drained. 
By good soil I mean fresh maiden earth, such as would 
be formed with the top spit from grass land. This fresh 
soil does not need any manure. It is a great mistake 
that amateurs often fall into, that to make soil good 
plenty of rich dung is all that is needed. If the 
soil in town gardens has become exhausted the 
best reviver would be a liberal application of quick¬ 
lime, well mixed amongst it with a five-pronged steel 
fork. This mixture of lime would rectify the dead 
qualities of the inert mass, and cause many plants to 
grow that would otherwise stunt, and eventually die. 
Where lime cannot be had, and the expense of entirely 
replacing the old exhausted soil is objected to, then add 
as much fresh loam as possibly can be got, mixing it 
well and thoroughly with the old soil; it is then ready 
| for planting. 
The best season for this operation is the month of 
October or November. By planting thus early the trees 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 25, 1857. 327 
and shrubs would have time to make fresh roots before 
winter sets in. After the planting is finished every tree 
or shrub should bo staked, and well tied to the stakes. 
The reason for this precaution is, that wherever there are 
walls there are strong currents of wind whirling in all 
directions, which shake the plants terribly, and, by 
twisting the tops about, injure the rooting process 
greatly. When all are planted and secured to the stakes 
a mulching of moss or litter will be of great service in 
protecting the roots from frost, thus encouraging their 
growth and lengthening the season for that procedure. 
By taking this care to procure good soil, planting early 
in the season, staking, tying, and mulching, the amateur 
may reasonably expect at least some success. Generally 
villa gardens or town gardens are planted by the 
builders of the houses, or, if they do not plant them 
themselves, they let the job to a jobbing gardener at the 
lowest possible rate. The trees and shrubs are selected 
without any regard to the probability of their growing. 
A few inches of soil are laid on the surface, and the trees 
thrust in and left to their fate. How is it possible they 
should thrive when their roots are in rubbish, and their 
leaves exposed to such dense clouds of smoke and dust? 
Let the garden owner in such cases take up the plants 
and form the borders with good soil at once. Too many 
say, “ Oh ! let them alone; let them take their chance; 
nothing will grow here.” I say in reply, nil desperanclum. 
In gardens so unhappily situated the trees, shrubs, 
and flowers may be kept in tolerable health by frequent 
and severe syringing, or, in other words, by washing 
the leaves clean whenever they are covered with dust. 
I recollect reading in some book about’a gentleman who 
had a pet Laurel in the very heart of London. Earnestly 
desirous to keep his favourite shrub in health, he sponged 
the leaves quite bright and clean every morning, and 
sprinkled them over with a rose pot every evening. 
With such attentive treatment and care, continued in all 
dry weather not actually frosty, the Laurel grew and 
throve apace, rewarding him for the trouble, and 
rendered thereby more endeared to his heart. I do not, 
however, expect that any of my readers will bestow so 
much pains on a Laurel; but the result shows that 
cleanliness, especially in or near towns, is as necessary 
for the health of plants as animals. Long-continued 
rains will dissolve and wash off that thick scum of dirt 
which near towns accumulates on the leaves of plants, 
especially evergreens. The syringe well applied pre¬ 
vents that accumulation; therefore let me press upon 
cultivators the frequent use of that useful implement. 
The list of trees, shrubs, and plants in our next. 
T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
GARDENING ON A HEAVY SOIL. 
There are few things more unpromising than a piece 
of stiff, loamy ground when just turned up roughly pre¬ 
vious to the setting in of dry, hot weather; and, if 
certain crops ought to be sown or planted on such 
ground, it seems almost hopeless to accomplish the task 
on such an obstinate soil; yet perhaps it may be done 
with less trouble and better success than might be 
expected by following a few simple rules. 
When plants of the Cabbage or Broccoli tribe of a fair 
size are ready to plant out in ground of the kind alluded 
to it is best to go over the ground with a sort of beater, 
the same as is used in beating turf. This, of course, 
takes some time; but if there should not be time to do 
it all over in that way, then set the line in the direction 
of the row, and with a narrow beater go down the row, 
and break it well by repeated blows, after which put in 
the plants, and then water them. I often think plants 
of the kind alluded to do better when planted in summer 
