60 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Aphil 21, I860. 
and in perfect straight lines (lie whole length—not (he least 
spirally twisted, as most fluted or ribbed-stemmed plants are. 
In fact, this stem may be best compared to a lath about three 
inches broad, and a quarter of an inch thick, cut into rather deep 
notches on its sides. And if another such lath were prepared 
and split down the middle, and then two pieces fastened length¬ 
ways down the centre of the first piece, it would then (in 
section) be a perfect cross, which the Coletia really is; and it is 
also armed at each lobe, or serrature, with a strong spine. 
Altogether it is a singular plant. Its foliage is scarcely percep¬ 
tible, and might easily be overlooked, it being not larger than the 
smallest flake of W heat chaff and very thinly scattered over the 
stem. The flowers arc white and are more interesting. The 
plant seems perfectly hardy, having lived the last three winters 
here (Linton Park, Kent), without protection.—J. Robson. 
NEW BOOK. 
Tub Gaedeneks’ and Fakmees’ Reason Why. Containing 
Seasons for the Principles of Scientific Cultivation applicable to 
Gardening and Agriculture. London : Houlston & Wright. 
This is worse than a worthless book, for it is not truthful. Its 
omissions are manifold, but, what is far worse, its explanations 
are for the most part erroneous ; some few are only partly 
correct, and the very Binall remainder which are truthful are 
borrowed. Added to which a large portion of the contents is 
irrelevant, and another large portion would be totally worthless 
even if true. 
We will quote a few passages to enable our readers to appre¬ 
ciate that our condemnation is justified. 
“ With alumina or alum all are familiar,” page 3. They arc 
not the same, the latter is a sulphate of the former. 
“ Chlorine united with soda makes our common salt,” page 3. 
It does not do so, the chlorine unites with sodium, the metallic 
base of soda. 
“ Manganese is simply a dark-coloured metal,” page 3. It is 
a whiteish metal; its oxide is dark-coloured. 
“ All substances in solution in a soil are absorbed by the roots 
of plants, exactly as a sponge imbibes a liquid , and all that it con¬ 
tains, ivithout selection,” page 13. This is directly contrary to 
facts established. Roots have the power of rejection ; and such 
power is admitted at page 63, where it is stated that the Wheat 
takes up what the Pea rejects. 
“ Salts formed by the mutual action of acids and alkalies ” 
—“ Chlorides (chloric acid) of potash, soda, &c.,” page 23. This 
is a tissue of error. Chlorides are not salts j nor are they formed 
by chloric acid, but by chlorine uniting to the bases of the alka¬ 
lies mentioned. 
“ Chalk is lime united with carbonic acid and water. When 
burnt the heat drives off the carbonic acid in the form of car¬ 
bonic acid gas, volumes of which may be observed ascending 
from the kilns.” It is not so ; the carbonic acid gas is quite in¬ 
visible. The “ volumes ” when white are merely the water of 
the chalk vaporised; when dark-coloured the vapour is loaded 
with soot from the fuel employed. 
“Why is Rape dust chiefly valuable to grain crops ?” In the 
first place this is not correct; but if it were, the following reply 
would not assign the reason. “ Because all green crops require 
a large supply of inorganic matter, which Rape dust is deficient 
in.” Rape dust not being beneficial to green crops is no ex¬ 
planation why it is beneficial to corn crops. 
“ Why is sulphuric acid inferior to muriatic in the preparation 
of bone compost for Turnips ? ” In the first place, sulphuric 
acid is not inferior for such purpose, but if it were, the following 
is a totally unintelligible reply :—“ Because it is stronger, cheaper, 
has greater specific gravity, and contains much less water,” 
page 97. 
“ Why do esculents when manured with pig dung acquire a 
very disagreeable flavour ? ” page 121. This is not the fact, 
although stated by Professor Sprengel; and if it were, what is 
meant by its being owing to “ a volatile excrement, at present 
imperfectly known ? ” So far from containing “ but little 
ammonia,” the dung of a fatting pig contains more than does 
the dung of the horse. 
“ Why are the excrements of pigeons and fowls more potent 
as manure than those of geese? Because the former live chiefly 
upon grain, insects, and worms, while geese eat largely of grass,” 
page 121. This is only the proximate reason, not the actual 
cause of such superior potency. Pigeons’ and fowls’ dungs are 
more powerful fertilisers than the dung of geese, because they 
contain more ammonia and more of the salts beneficial to our 
cultivated crops. 
At page 124 it is stated that “liquid manures ” afford little 
benefit “ to stiff soils,” “ because such soils generally abound in 
all the mineral matters which are required by cultivated plants, 
and also contain an appreciable quantity of nitrogenised organic 
matters, in comparison with which the fertilising constituents of 
liquid manures ure altogether insignificant.” This is one tissue 
of error, but we only quote it to observe that it is totally con¬ 
tradictory of what is stated at page 132, about urine, another 
liquid ammouiacnl manure! 
“Why is the urine of the horse less valuable than that of 
cattle as a manure? Because the nitrogen from the food is 
partly lost by evaporation through the skin, Ac.” On the con¬ 
trary, the urine of the horse contains more than thrice the 
nitrogen that is contained by the urine of the cow ! 
“ Why are the leaves of Dahlias, &c., often destroyed by frosts 
in valleys, but untouched upon surrounding eminences? 
Because radiation goes on upon the declivities of hills and 
elevated situations, and the air which is condensed by cold, rolls 
down and lodges at their feet! ” Nothing of the kind; the 
radiation causes a far greater degree of cold to occur on the hills ; 
indeed, the cold increases in intensity with the elevation, but. the 
dryness of the air increases also with the elevation, and in dry 
air plants remain uninjured by far more intense cold than they 
do in moist air. Air is always moister in valleys than on the 
hills around them. 
“ Why is paleness of colour in a plant an evidence of weak¬ 
ness ? ” It gives no such evidence ; for instance, the Aucuba 
Japonica, and the variegated Holly, both with leaves entirely 
or partly white, are among the hardiest and most robust-growing 
of evergreens. 
“Why are the Melons of British growth defective in richness 
and flavour ? Because, in the culture of this plant too little 
regard is paid to the development of the leaves.” The two 
assumptions, want of flavour, and neglect of the leaves, will bo 
rather novelties to our readers! 
We have many, very many, more such errors and absurdities 
marked for exposure, but we have said enough to answer the 
only purpose for which we have noticed the book at all,—namely, 
to warn our readers from accepting it as an authority. 
HOW TO FAKM TWO ACRES AND MAKE 
THE MOST OF THEM. 
(Continued from page 36.) 
CUEING BACON. 
Tastes differ as much in this as in anything. In some 
parts of England it is customary after the salting has 
been accomplished to smoke the bacon; and I have seen 
and tasted bacon that seemed to me to be spoiled by that 
operation. Such offensive materials were used in the 
fire as gave what I call a very disagreeable taste to it; 
and I would at any time as soon have bread smoked as 
bacon, the natural good taste of both being spoiled by it. 
I will therefore describe the manner of curing bacon in 
Northumberland, w here they w T ould as soon hang up any 
other of their articles of food in the chimney as the bacon. 
The pig having hung till cold (not frosted if possible), 
the head is cut off it, and the lower parts called the 
cheeks are separated from the bone and salted with the 
bacon; the backbone is taken out whole with a very 
little of the fat at the back with it, and the ribs are also 
taken out if the pig be a large one ; if not, they are 
sometimes left in, or the shorter ones at all times ; they 
are taken out with as little meat attached as possible, the 
side of the flitch being left smooth. Any bloody veins 
in the ham or shoulders are wiped out with a cloth; and 
the flitch, being turned with its skin side upwards on a 
table, is rubbed with salt in the hand for five or ten 
minutes, or until the salt runs away in a soft brine : it is 
then ready to put away, the other one and the cheeks 
being treated the same way. Generally these flitches 
axe salted in the dairy, or cellar, or any other cool place. 
Some clean straw is laid in one corner and made into 
something like a bed, over which an old sheet of some 
