242 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



seen several gardens within the last clay or two, where the plants are 

 still standing in the seed-beds, and everything going on as if there 

 was plenty of time for them to make a strong growth after another 

 two months. This is a serious mistake, and if the plants are not 

 got into their permanent quarters at once the produce will not be 

 worth gathering. These things must have time to attain free 

 growth before the cold weather sets in, or it is impossible for them 

 to produce a full crop. I prefer fresh dug ground for planting all 

 kitchen garden crops, but we have to occupy so much of our ground 

 with potatoes that we are bound to plant between them at this time 

 of the year. Strong plants are required for this work, and a small 

 portion of the potato haulm should be removed if it is likely to 

 smother them up. I generally plant early potatoes in the quarters 

 I intend to fill with winter greens ; and as soon as they are taken 

 up fork the space between the rows carefully with an ordinary 

 digging fork. It is time now for all winter greens to be planted out, 

 and if neglected much after this time, it will be wiser to destroy 

 the plants than to undergo the labour necessary to give them a 

 chance. 



When planting in open quarters I always have a shallow trench 

 drawn out where the rows are to go, and fill the trench with water a 

 short time previous to planting. It is a common practice to fasten 

 the soil just round the neck of the plant, without troubling to make 

 it firm as far as the roots extend. The plants are dropped in the 

 holes, and about a dozen strokes of the dibber applied to the surface 

 soil. This only makes the soil firm about the neck, and leaves the 

 roots quite loose ; whereas the dibber thrust down a short distance 

 from the stem once as far as the roots go, will make the plants as 

 secure as possible. 



A sharp look out must be kept after the grubs which attack the 

 plants at this season, for they will soon destroy the crop if not 

 caught and destroyed. The soil about each plant should be carefully 

 stirred with a short piece of pointed stick, when the grubs can be 

 easily seen and caught. Immediately the leaves of the first plant 

 droop, active measures must be commenced. I have seen whole 

 quarters cleared before the owner of the garden could learn the 

 cause of the destruction. 



Hundreds of gardeners, both amateurs and professionals, are 

 afraid of hoeing the soil between growing crops in dry weather, 

 for fear of its drying up more than it would if the surface is firm 

 and solid. I do not feel at liberty to occupy space so valuable as 

 these pages are with discussing the theoretical part of the question, 

 but I can say as a matter of fact, that plants which have the hoe 

 run through the soil between the rows, will make nearly double 

 the growth others will that are left alone. 



Early this month, the principal autumn sowing of cabbage ought 

 to be made. Atkins's Matchless and Enfield Market, are two good 

 kinds. This is also the best time for making a sowing of the Red 

 Dutch for pickling. Many cultivators fail in getting these to a large 

 size, simply because they sow in the spring instead of the autumn. 

 Where winter salads are in request, a good breadth of Green 



