270 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 9, 1859. 
Night’s Dream” of “ Mustard Seed,” I think, 11 1 desire farther 
acquaintance with you, Master Mustard Seed.” But what useful 
things these are. We have a pool, seventy acres, and a capital 
incline or fall, within a quarter of a mile of offices, gardens, &e., 
and we have first-class mains and second-class mains, and lots of 
sprouts and branches. Thirty years since we had to pump all 
our water ; and it required a garden man one half his time to 
accomplish it, together with the well failing occasionally. I, 
therefore, consider a hydraulic ram as of incalculable importance 
in gardens of any pretensions. 
As to the practical matter of watering, I fear it is still much 
misunderstood by many. There are two or three ways of 
watering things. Most of the readers of The Cottage Gae- 
denee are, no doubt, aware that there is a process of the kind 
which leads to that mysterious effect called “ scalding.” This is 
a common saying in Cheshire amongst the farmers. When a 
soft shower descends on the parched ground after intense heat, 
they say, “ It’s no good; it will only scald.” 
There’s something in a name. But what is this scalding ? In 
former days dowagers would not hear tell of watering if the sun 
shone; but this summer our waterpots have been clattering with 
a burning sun overhead. However, could it be so arranged, I 
should not choose such periods for watering ; but in these rural 
districts the labour we employ is of a different character from 
that of towns. What our farmers mean, however, by “ scalding,” 
is that the crop droops more after a superficial rain for a day or 
so than it did previously. The fact is, that after intense sunshine 
a light shower with a cloudy interval after, succeeded by intense 
sunshine, is likely to produce such effects. Before the rain the 
plants had ceased to develops in a liberal way, consequently, pre¬ 
sented no increased surface for evaporation ; but all of a sudden 
they are filled with fresh juices, and enlargement of the perspi¬ 
ratory surface occurs, without a reserve of any power to fall 
back on in the hour of need. What wonder, then, that their 
greatly-increased transpiring powers should speedily overtake the 
“ rooting of the supplies,” which must come from that great 
power called root action ? 
I name this—a farming point—simply to call the attention of 
amateur gardeners to the waterpot and its vagaries; for be it 
remembered that this little instrument is but an imitator on a 
small scale of a cloud—certainly but a sorry representative. 
We can do, in an ill humour, by the waterpot what the cloud 
sometimes does—we may give “ a lick and a promise.” But this 
brings me to the point I was desirous of attaining : to prove 
that in summer one thorough watering is worth a host of 
sprinklings. It so happens that I have a case in point—a matter 
of actual practice just passed my elbows. The last week but 
two was a triumphant one for the thermometer; 80° to 90° 
plentiful as Blackberries. Well, we had a lot of Roses and the 
old herbaceee that were beginning to look seedy, and all for the 
lack of moisture. I employed one man for nearly four days to 
continue watering from morning till night. As soon as he had 
gone through the series to begin again at the first end, and 
continue the process. How different were the effects of this as 
compared with mere sprinkling ! the latter evaporated hi an hour 
or two afterwards. 
People frequently forget the vast difference there exists in the 
temperature of the soil in the height of summer and the cold 
autumn or spring months. Certainly, the waterpot, lightly 
handled, may serve to carry away heat and to arrest transpira¬ 
tion for a little while ; but I fear the balance is against it as a 
principle. To be sure, if flowers, or any vegetables, are moist 
enough below, and only suffering from suddenly-acquired heat, 
sprinklings of this kind may prove more than innoxious at any 
time. We all know that, as to flowers—-our bedding pets—if 
a dry and hot period ensue after planting them out, they need 
some assistance. Such are generally on raised beds—the beds 
in relief, as our painters would term them. And we know that 
water will run down hill by mere gravitation. Here, then, is one 
cause of unsatisfactory watering : the water does not enter to any 
depth ; sixty per cent, runs away. But the mere escape is not 
all: the surface of the soil becomes what is technically called 
“ glazed,” and I need hardly urge on the common sense of our 
readers that such conditions of soil are quite inimical to the well¬ 
being of vegetation. What I want to iu-ge here as to tins matter 
is, the absolute necessity of making what are practically called 
basins, or hollows, around the stem of every plant where we 
intend to be in earnest: I speak, of course, of raised ground. 
This makes all the difference; the watering without basins, in 
dry and hot periods on an incline, is sheer nonsense. In ordinary 
seasons we need scarcely be so fussy, as some people would call \ 
it; but these peppering summers put us on our extras. 
One benefit of basin watering is, that it is eligible to water in 
the basins at any hour whatever. In watering with the rosed 
waterpot, it is folly in dry periods to think of finishing any given 
bed, or plot, at once. The best way is to group a lot of business 
of the kind, and to cause the operator to go over the whole 
slightly; and as soon as he has gone once through to begin 
again at the beginning, and go over all again; and this course 
repeated until the moisture has thoroughly penetrated the mass. 
No class of flowers require or deserve liberal waterings more than 
our Roses ; for, whatever the soil, they will assuredly fall away 
if suffering from drought. 
One thing may be observed as to the principles of watering : 
it is a capital medium whereby to convey manurial matters to 
the roots, if needed. People talk of top dressings to be carried 
down by rains, and such will perform all that ought to be 
expected of them; but if you want speedy action, and your 
plant loves those ammoniacal and other properties which a 
good manure is sure to contain, let me advise you to try good 
Peruvian guano. I almost blush whilst I write to think that 
such a national affair should have been permitted to be so little 
known — it deserves a broader basis. Everybody seems to 
shudder involuntarily when I expatiate on the merits of good 
Peruvian. “Ah,” say they, “but what a price!” This is 
indeed a pity; but, nevertheless, I must affirm that it is the 
friend of the gardener, if well understood. As for using deer’s 
dung, or sheepdung, it is all very well; but there is always 
too much time consumed in the operation. Speaking on this 
head, I remember a joke about concentrated manures which 
occurred with the great Lord Karnes, or Sir John Sinclair, or 
some great agriculturist, who, warming up in company over the 
prospective benefits of concentrated manure, turned prophetic 
by observing that the time would come when a man would carry 
as much manure in his waistcoat pocket as would manure an 
acre of land. Thereat the company stared; and he would, 
doubtless, have passed as a new light, but that some wag ob¬ 
served, “ Yes, and bring the produce home in your coat pocket.” 
In conclusion, let me advise that what is called sprinkling or 
damping the surface be estimated at its real value. If it follows 
where moisture already exists, and as a mere refresher, good; 
but if it is intended to feed all the roots, which is the legitimate * 
object of summer watering, I can but affirm that it will, in many 
cases, do more harm than good. R. Eerington. 
OBTAINING WELL-RIPENED WOOD, 
AND INDUCING A FRUITFUL HABIT IN PLANTS. 
Among the many varieties of the genus homo, it will, I think, 
be conceded that we Englishmen, notwithstanding our generally 
sunless skies and other difficulties of a climatic character, occupy 
a very prominent nich in the Temple of Horticulture. 
In our gardens we find cultivated the fruits of the tropics, 
those of more temperate climes, with the productions of colder 
ones ; and by various appliances we succeed in giving to each a 
degree of excellence unsurpassed in the land of its nativity. 
By the use of glass-cases, aided by the modern improvements 
in heating and ventilating, we are enabled to convert the poor, 
mawkish, half-ripened Fig of our open walls into one of the 
richest jellies that can be imagined; while our English hot¬ 
house Grapes bear the most honourable comparison with those 
of foreign growth—being incomparably superior in size, colour, 
and flavour. 
This country has made great advances in the scale of civilisa¬ 
tion during the last quarter of a century, and many of those 
things which were regarded as luxm-ies have become by their 
constant use almost necessaries of common life. Free trade has 
too widely extended the use of fruits and vegetables amongst 
the manufacturing labourers ; and the rapidity of transit of pro¬ 
duce from one part to another places the peasant almost upon 
an equality with the peer in obtaining fruit and vegetables; 
while the cottage gardens yield an immense supply of the finest 
and most succulent kinds. 
In cultivating the fruits or the flowers of warmer climates, we 
have _ to labour under the disadvantage of a great deficiency of 
sun in a general way; and we have to compensate for this by 
shutting up early with a considerable amount of it. Thus making 
play with our heat while light prevails (I speak here of the full 
season of culture), and then letting the temperature subside for 
