Inches. Trans. K. Edward Conf. Aspen-leaves 14 SUN 19 SUN. AFT. TRIN. Swallow last seen. 15 M Lady-bird hybernates. 16 Tu Martin last seen. TRANSLATION OF KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.-This day commemorates the removal of the Anglo-Saxon king's remains from the Abbey at Westminster, which he had built himself, to the more splendid shrine erected to his honour by Henry 3rd in the still more splendid Abbey that is yet one of the best ornaments of London. ETHELDREDA, or ADELFRIDA, was daughter of Annas, king of the East Angles, and born at Ixning, in Suffolk, about the year 630. She was canonized for her chastity, and was popularly known as Saint Audry. At St. Audry's fair, held at Ely, much shewy lace was formerly sold, and Saint Audry's lace soon became proverbial, and by degrees corrupted into our now common word tawdry. METEOROLOGY OF THE WEEK.-During the last twenty-two years the average highest and lowest temperature occurring from the 11th to the 17th of October near London has been 60.2° and 43.6°. The highest temperature was 72°, and the lowest 29°. The greatest quantity of rain falling on any one of those days was 1.04 inch; and, in the twenty-two years, of these days 67 have been rainy and 87 have been fine. In our last Number we warned our readers against concluding that the average amount of rain falling in Britain was even nearly the same in every district; and as this is rather an important point for the gardener to be well acquainted with, on account of its influence over out-door gardening, we will give a tabular view of the average quantity in inches of rain which annually falls in various places. 37 Selbourne, Dover. 36 Manchester. 34 Liverpool, Applegarth, Swansea. 31 32 Cheltenham, Chichester, Kinfauns Castle. Minehead, Sheffield, Abbey St. Bathans. 24 22 York, South Lambeth. mouth. berland. Derby, Gosport, Ferraby, Barrowby. NATURAL PHENOMENA INDICATIVE OF WEATHER. The Ass.-If this animal shakes and moves its ears, and brays more often, walks more slowly, and rubs itself against walls, &c., more frequently than usual, it is an indication that rain is approaching, and particularly showers. Mr. Forster says, "I have noticed that in showery weather a donkey confined in a yard near the house has brayed before every shower, and generally some minutes before the rain has fallen, as if some change of electrical influence irritated him. Whatever this electric change in the air may be, it seems to be the same that causes in other animals a similar inclination to cry out-making the peacock scream, the pintado or Guinea-fowl call come-back, and which creates a variety of prognostic motions in other animals. It also creates pain in old wounds, decayed teeth, and fractured bones. An expressive adage says, When the ass begins to bray, Be sure we shall have rain that day. I have repeatedly been able to give my hay-makers useful admonitions, founded solely on the braying of the ass. Thus, the proverb says truly, "Tis time to cock your hay and corn RANGE OF BAROMETER-RAIN IN INCHES. Ост. 1841. in many of them were small round holes, and these occasionally are so numerous as to spoil the sample, and, indeed, render the seeds totally valueless for sowing; for not one of those thus pierced but would either produce a weak unhealthy plant or not vegetate at all. Those holes in the "worm-eaten" peas and beans are made by a small beetle (Bruchus granarius) produced from a grub or caterpillar which has eaten away the vital parts of the seed; and when it has passed through the chrysalis state, and given birth to this beetle, the latter makes the hole in order to escape into the open air, there to perpetrate more mischief upon the growing crops. The body of the beetle is a dull brown, but the elytræ, or wing covers, are black, dotted with white, but scarcely perceptibly so, unless magnified, as in our drawing. Naturally it is the size of the smaller figure; that is, scarcely two lines long. The antennæ are eleven No. LIV., VOL. III. jointed, black, and thinnest near the head, where they are also tinged with red. The head droops, the eyes are prominent, the fore-legs are rusty-coloured. This little beetle may be found upon various flowers during seven months of the year. In February it may be found on the furze blossom, in June upon the white-thorn, and in July and August upon the spiræa and rhubarb flowers. The female pierces through the pod of the pea and bean whilst very young, and often deposits an egg in each seed. Probably, the best mode of destroying this insect would be to subject the seed, as soon as harvested, for some hours, until thoroughly heated, to a temperature of 150°. This, we think, would kill the grubs without injuring the seed. So many applications are now made to us for in. structions how to manage the removal of large shrubs, which the owners wish to take from some part of their garden to other more desirable spots, that we will give an answer to one of the applicants thus prominently, and our answer shall be suffici ently explicit to serve as a guide to others who wish for information relative to similar transplantings. The inquirer to whom we are about to reply specially, writes thus:-" F. C. will feel much obliged for any information about moving a fine standard tree of the Magnolia purpurea, which is at present in a place where it cannot be seen, and where the soil is quite worn out. The tree is more than five feet high, but has only room on one side to spread to the ground. F. C. wishes to remove it, if it can be done, to a bed by itself, with some good bog earth, and where it can have plenty of room." There will be no difficulty in removing this Magnolia purpurea if the planter takes time to get up the roots without cutting them much. Let the bog-earth bed be first prepared; cut out a circular trench round the plant, and three feet from the stem, with a sharp spade, and let the trench be 18 or 20 inches deep; then, with a three-pronged fork, loosen down the edges of the ball of earth round the roots as deep as the trench, and throw out this loose earth with the spade; proceed to loosen another portion, and throw that out of the trench also; continue in this way until the stem is nearly reached, taking care of all the roots as they are disengaged from the soil by tying them in bundles, and folding them back, if possible, towards the stem. If any tap-roots are grown down below the bottom of the trench, trace them out a little deeper, and then cut them with a knife. If a small portion of the earth will adhere round the stem, all the better, but it is not essential to success. If the new bed is recently made, tread it firmly and evenly where the tree is to be planted, and spread out the roots flatly on the surface, and drive down a stout stake by the side of the stem to tie it to. Then cover the roots gently, and with a rose watering-pot pour a few potsful of water over the roots as they are being covered. The water will wash the finer particles of earth into all the cavities; and on no account let the plant be shaken "to let the soil in among the roots!" as old gardeners were accustomed to justify the treatment: it is an obsolete and mistaken practice which has killed thousands of plants. The roots as they are separated from the soil, and tied in bundles as above directed, should be covered over immediately with wetted straw, or other damp material; for a very important point in all transplanting, where to avoid any important check to the plant's growth is desirable, is to keep its roots from having even their surface dry. With reference to shaking the newly-planted shrub, if the earth has been properly watered as we have directed, it will be suffici ently washed in among the roots, and the shaking only either doubles up the young fibres, or creates hollows about them which it is so important to prevent, that every precaution must be used to prevent the shrub from being wind-waved. To a shrub four or more feet high, there ought to be three stakes placed at opposite sides, thrust very firmly into the ground, and their ends meeting together so as to clasp the stem of the shrub at rather above half its height from the ground. THE facts detailed by us last week relative to the influence of heat upon seeds, and the necessity for its presence to induce their germination, lead us, next, to the very important inquiry whether the soil has any influence over the temperature occurring to the seed, and to the roots of plants placed beneath its surface. The researches of M. Schluber and of others answer this query in the affirmative. This distinguished German chemist found that when the temperature of the upper surface of the earth was 77° in the shade, various soils in a wet and dry state, exposed to the sun from eleven to three, in vessels four inches square and half an inch deep, attained the temperatures shewn in this table. The results of M. Schluber's experiments demonstrate that which our knowledge of the laws of heat would have induced us to pre-suppose; namely, that light coloured earths, by reason of their reflecting most rays of heat, are warmed much more slowly than dark coloured earths. It was this conclusion which induced us, some years now past, to try the effect of sprinkling coal-ashes over rows of autumnsown peas. The peas invariably appeared above the soil some days before those in rows not similarly treated. This acceleration of vegetation continued equally marked throughout their growth, and is further explained by other experiments of M. Schluber, which testify that those soils in the above table which absorbed the heat most readily, retained it most tenaciously, and consequently were longest. cooling. Magnesia cooled in one hour and twenty minutes as much as the garden mould did in two OCTOBER 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. hours and sixteen minutes, and the slaty marl in three hours and twenty-six minutes. From a long continued series of experiments, we are now able to state positively, that in light, welldrained soils, after exposure to frosts of many days' continuance, during which the thermometer in the open air by day did not rise above 39°, and at night ranged between 31° and 25°, another thermometer at six inches below the surface never fell below 33°, and at twelve inches from the surface never was lower than 36°. In clayey or wet soils the freezing will penetrate to seven inches in severe winters. In every instance we speak of the soil dug level; if thrown up into ridges, the cold will penetrate much further into them. These facts demonstrate how small is the danger of tubers and bulbs being frozen if properly planted in a well-drained soil at six inches below its surface; and at that depth, even if frozen, their thaw. ing is so gradual that no injury arises. Upon this subject, however, we may have some other observations to offer in connexion with the roots of plants. The fact that the earth, in regions not eternally ice-bound, never is reduced in temperature, at a few inches from the surface, so low as the exterior air in winter, nor is elevated at a similar depth to an equal degree of warmth in summer, suggests the necessity for more attention to the temperature of the soil in our horticultural houses than it has hitherto obtained. Attention is more awakened to it now than formerly, and by bottom-heat our gardeners now intend something more than a mass of fermenting matter for forcing cucumbers or pine-apples. It is quite certain that every plant, when growing in a favourite soil in its native climate, has its roots growing in the temperature which is best accordant with that in which its branches are delighting. Under no circumstances, if the plant is flourishing, will the temperature in summer, at twelve inches from the surface, be found to be less than 2°, nor more than 5° lower than the average temperature of the atmosphere; and in winter, that temperature at the same depth will be found to range similarly above the atmospheric temperature. There is no doubt that in tropical climates the bare exposed soil becomes heated, for a few inches in depth, to a degree higher than that of the air incumbent upon it. But this is not the case about the roots of plants; for their foliage, preserve and the herbage naturally clothing the soil, this from such a pernicious elevation of temperature. That such an excessive elevation is injurious is known to every observer of plants, whether the plants are growing in the tropics or in a stove. The roots are stimulated to imbibe moisture faster than the foliage can digest sufficiently the sap thus forced to them, and that foliage is expanded wider and more weakly in the vain effort to keep pace with the supply. This is only one among many instances of that property, so wisely given to organised beings by their Creator, of adapting themselves to circumstances; THE FRUIT-GARDEN. THE storms peculiar to the season begin to remind us that another winter approaches with rapid strides, and that the necessity for a prudent forecast becomes daily more manifest; every howling crevice, indeed, as we sit by the fire-side, seems a monitor, and appears to say, "Are you prepared for a period of gloom and frost? When earth with its treasures are bound up in the icy chains of the north, will you be able to look back with pleasure on your past labours, and to feel that you have omitted nothing which, as far as within your reach, might add to the comforts of this usually inauspicious season?" Well is it with those of a provident character who can reflect and mentally reply that they have anticipated the evil day; and well, indeed, is it for the cottage children who possess such a father. We will now advert to the FRUIT-GATHERING. winding up of the fruit-gathering; little of the ripening process will be facilitated out-doors after this period. To be sure, a few of our later fruits will still hang with tenacity to the tree, especially in our northern counties. Amongst the peaches, the Late Admirable, the Bourdine, and the Catherine, may still be found in ungenial situations. Amongst the nectarines, such as the Late Newington; among plums, the Imperatrice, the Ickworth plum, and Coe's Late Red; and, amongst pears, the Beurré rance, the Ne plus meuris, &c., &c. As for apples, few of any merit adhere to the tree after this period; we may, therefore, fairly presume that this useful fruit is all housed. We need scarcely point to the propriety of removing any leaves, coarse shoots, or spray which may shade the fruit; all such precautions will be necessary. We would, however, by no means risk our late pears out many days at this late period, although they may not bend to the ordinary test of ripe fruit-the parting easily from the tree; yet the rule must be set aside for fear of the injurious effects of frosts, which are apt to set in betimes in some seasons; indeed, no fruit may be considered safe after the middle of October. Whilst on the subject of lateness, we may remark that, having recently made a tour in some parts of Derbyshire, we were surprised to find them so very backward. At a rectory garden the other day, within eight miles of Chesterfield, we saw Golden Drop plums still green on a south wall: this was on the 25th of September. Whilst about the same period we found a brown Ischia fig, in a court-yard at Derby, covered with a splendid crop; many perfectly ripe figs havThere is a fire-place, ing been gathered from it. however, in the latter case behind. The damsons, nevertheless, are as forward as they are in Cheshire; and this seemed rather astonishing, until we learned that the Golden Drops had been planted in a prepared border, which had been, as too many borders are, a work of supererogation-too deep by far, and sunk level with the walks over a subsoil of the most tenacious clay. The damsons are only what is termed "stuck in" by the country folk; no petting here. It is lamentable to see, in so fine a country as Derbyshire, such a scarcity of apple trees, seeing that their soil in many parts is so well adapted for them. But the cottagers possess little or no garden-ground, and from not being used to culture of this sort, we were told that they have no desire for any. One man, we were informed, who had a quarter of an acre of good soil placed in his hands for garden purposes, immediately sowed the whole with oats, to save farther trouble! Those who do cultivate a little, seem to pay little regard to fruit culture. But the wages are high there, and this seems to lessen the desire for a piece of ground of their own. About thirteen shillings a week is given to strong labourers; whilst in such counties as Dorset, Buckinghamshire, and other localities far removed from commercial or manufacturing affairs, wages are not more than eight or nine shillings. We, therefore, fear that high wages are not conducive to the extension of fruit culture. Those who have recently gathered much fruit must now be on the alert, to see that no undue fermentation takes place, and that the condensed moisture does not adhere to the sides of the room. This must be dissipated by a judicious ventilation, which also will tend to prevent or arrest the growth of those dark fungi, which, after establishing themselves on the skin of the apple, cause such injuries as must shorten the keeping period of the fruit. Where the apples are thrown down in large heaps in granaries or other store rooms, they should be examined occasionally; and if any suspicious appearances exist, the fruit should be picked over, and layers of well dried new straw occasionally introduced. This will serve to prevent the accumulation of any injurious amount of heat, and the extension of rot, which is sure to occur amongst the soundest of fruit more or less. If any one desires to pit apples after the manner of potatoes, a dry, sound, and somewhat elevated site should be selected, and one where water can never rest. They should have a good bed of straw beneath them, and be well surrounded by the same; and it would be well to introduce kiln-dried straw in alternate layers all through the mass. The whole should be so topped up that water could by no possibility enter. The superior pears will, of course, be placed in single layers on shelves, and here they will require little attention, except to watch their ripening; for although certain periods are assigned to each as a sort of guide, their ripening will vary much with the seasons. We have tasted very good Beurré d'Arembergs in the first week of March, but we have never been able to produce them fit for the table after the middle of February. On the contrary, they are generally in the highest perfection about the middle of December. The Easter beurré, we believe, has been had in perfection in some situations in March; in general they will become mealy and almost insipid before Christmas. The Pass Colmar we have had good through February; it is more generally in its prime, however, in the course of December. All this points to the watchfulness necessary in the fruit room, without which the amateur may be taken by surprise, and disappointment will ensue. Pears do not require so much ventilation as apples; they do not perspire quite so much; nevertheless, we are not aware that it does any harm beyond hurrying them out of season slightly; and it is hardly worth the while of those on a limited scale to attempt to keep them separate. We would advise that they be successively introduced to a warm room if possible about one week before wanted for use. They must, however, be kept in the dark, or rather covered from the too severe action of a fire-dried atmosphere; such is apt to shrivel them and to rob them too much of their juices. The temperature of the room should range from 55° to 65°; a greater heat would be prejudicial; a state of air, in fact, similar to fine weather in the end of September. Those who possess fruit of the Service tree should place them on shelves in a dry room, where they will keep a good while and gradually become mellow. They should be gathered towards the end of October, whether quite ripe or not, for they will not endure much frost. R. ERRINGTON. THE FLOWER-GARDEN. YOUNG STOCK.-"How shall I keep my cuttings of verbenas, petunias, calceolarias, &c., having neither greenhouse nor pit?" is a question that has been asked of us lately by many. Some have supposed that such cuttings could be kept dry in an upper room; others that they might be cut down like pelargoniums, and the bottoms would keep over the winter in a dry state; while a third party inquired if they could be kept in a dark room. One short answer will settle the whole. Cuttings, or newlyrooted young plants, cannot be kept by any of these means. They must have light, air, and warmth, all the winter through, and be regularly watered, or, at least, the soil must not be allowed to get quite dry. A much better plan, therefore, would be to keep as many old plants as possible, and make cuttings in the spring, and give up autumn cuttings altogether. Calceolarias may be potted easily enough from the borders, and it may be done even now; and so with verbenas also, but they are very difficult to establish at first, and should not be put under cover for a fortnight or three weeks after potting from the borders so late in the season. Old petunias are good for nothing, or next to it, and there is no certainty in their seeds coming true; but one nice plant kept in a pot from last summer would easily live in a window, and, with the help of a cucumber-bed, would produce as many cuttings early in the spring as would make a good bed. Gardeners keep these cuttings in what they call store pots all the winter; that is, pots filled with numbers of newly rooted cuttings, and if they are late, or get mildewed, as verbenas often do in winter, they put them in heat in January or February to force, and make fresh cuttings from the young tops, and then throw away the diseased parent plant; but sulphur will keep down the mildew. I have always found that cuttings keep better if a slight covering of sand is on the top of the pot in winter, but this might deceive strangers, as the sand is soon dry after watering, so that one might think the pots wanted water almost every day, but the truth is they do not want water nearly so often as they would without the sand covering, for as soon as the sand is dry it prevents evaporation from the soil, and so the pots need not be watered so often. I know a farmer's wife who is very clever in keeping plants of all ages through the winter, and she puts a layer of sand over all her pots late in the autumn. I know that she has lots of cuttings now that are hardly rooted, and she says she has no fears at all about them; but she has a good room and windows for them, and generally there is a good roaring wood fire in the room, and no insect dares come near them, as pipes and cigars are often in requisition. BEDDING PLANTS.-I make more beds than her Majesty's housemaids, palace-maids, and all, and I OCTOBER 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. put all sorts of fine things in them, they say-more so, indeed, than most gardeners. However, I sometimes bed plants that are not very fine, and some of which the less said about them the better for their reputation. At all events I can give lists of all the bedding-out plants, but I must do it in my own way, and at my leisure: there is no great hurry now, or for the next three months, as this is no time to introduce strangers. Let us first have the winter over before we buy in little delicate things for the flower garden; but this is the best time in the year to buy almost all other kinds of plants. This will be a general answer to those who have written for such flower lists. The only list that is pressing at present is up a gay that of a few choice things to make garden in April and May-two months which may be said to be out of the flower-garden calendar, if one were to judge by the haggard appearance of nine-tenths of our best English gardens at that time. In short, the thing is not fashionable. The great people go to London at that time to see the Queen and each other, and their gardeners then prepare their beds for the summer and autumn display; so that May, at least, is a blank period in the flower-garden with them, and honest people who live quietly at home think it is time enough to be gay when the Priory people, or the Hall or Castle gardens over the way, are so. There is no time in the year, however, when it is easier and cheaper to have a gay flower-garden than in May, but it is too late now to prepare for this thoroughly, as the main force must be had from annuals sown from the middle of August to the end of September, and the best list of these for the purpose is given at page 278 of our last volume. After the annuals are off, the half-hardy things take their place, as only a very few annuals are fit for summer gardening. It is only patchwork to use any of them that will not flower from June to October. HARDY BULBS, of which hyacinths are the chief, are very numerous in varieties, and make gay spring flowers from April to the end of May. We flower about a thousand hyacinths here in the flower beds, and other bulbs in proportion, and yet the family go early to London for the gay season. Good hyacinths, if well taken care of, will last no one knows how long. I know some that have been grown in the same garden since 1822, and they look and bloom just as well as they did at first. It is impossible, however, to keep many of the sorts for more than a few seasons, owing to their being of a tender constitution. Others never ripen properly in strong rich land, and of course will soon wear out. Accidents will have a share of them now and then, and rats always, when they can get at them; so that, between one thing and another, the most careful must go to shop for some occasionally It is never a good plan to let down the "stock" of any thing; a few mixed every season hyacinths, therefore, must be bought in when a fine bloom is expected; and when taken in large quantities, and in mixed samples, they are nearly as cheap as potatoes. Deep sandy loam is what they prosper in for years: it should be worked twenty inches or two feet deep, and not a particle of animal manure added to it, unless in the shape of liquid manure, and of that, if the season is dry at the time they are pushing up their flower-stalks, they take large quantities; decayed leaf-mould is also good for them, and very decayed cow-dung, placed eighteen inches below the bulbs, will give stronger bloom for a season or two, but in our climate the bulbs soon die off if rich dung is used for them. Last November I potted about 600 hyacinths in five-inch pots (60s), in very light sandy loam, for some of the best beds near the mansion. The beds were levelled, and the pots set in rows six inches from centre to centre, and ten inches between the rows; the spaces between the pots were filled up with leaf-mould, and four inches of it all over the pots: there was neither shelter nor shade given, and never saw a finer bloom. In May, when the summer plants were ready for these beds, the hyacinths were removed, and the pots plunged in light compost in the reserve ground, and kept well watered until the leaves withered. The strongest bulbs of these will be potted again soon for the same purpose, with a fresh lot to make up the full number, and the weakest, with any doubtful ones, will be planted in light borders, and full five inches deep. It is a good plan to plant these bulbs as deep as that, or even deeper, if the bed is deep in proportion. EARLY TULIPS.-The varieties of these are endless, each in a bed near the house would make a fine va- For such |