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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



chief object was to be useful to his fellow creatures, and promote the glory of God, as 

 the tone of his papers will amply testify. His great desire was to do that which he 

 thought Was too much neglected— intertwine religion with the things of common life. 

 He died in peace, trusting alone in Christ as las Saviour. Reader, be ye also ready! 

 Chelmsford, 2i(h June, 1858. E. C. 



PROFITABLE GARDENING. 



CHAPTER VI. PROFITABLE PLANS OF CROPPING GARDENS AND ALLOTMENT 



LANDS. — SEED SAVING. — ROTATION OF CROPS. 



Supposing a man to begin gardening 

 in a new district, the rirst thing he 

 should do, after having ascertained 

 what is the general character of the 

 soil, drainage, and position, is to look 

 about him, and see what sort of stuff 

 is grown in the neighbourhood. It is 

 very easy for a writer to say that cauli- 

 flowers like rather a stiff and heavily- 

 manured loam, and beet a very deep 

 and fine mould, in which there is no 

 recent manure ; but the fact is, there 

 are many other conditions essential, 

 and we cannot judge fairly of the 

 growth of anything in a soil, until that 

 tiling has actually been tried in it. 

 Tell me where, within a telescopic 

 view of the metropolis, can they grow 

 clover as they do in Hertfordshire ; or 

 where did you ever see such celery as 

 they raise in the rich loams beside the 

 Thames, a little to the west of London? 

 The same cartload of mould put down 

 on the Kentish chalk, would produce 

 a very different result to what would 

 follow were it shot on the gravel of 

 Hampstead ; and if you get into the 

 Yen country, you might find garden- 

 ing quite a different affair to what it 

 would be on the sides of Malvern Hills 

 Therefore, before you risk much in 

 seed, and labour, and rent, make a fair 

 guess as to the nature of the crops best 

 adapted to your position. If you grow 

 for market, you must be very much 

 guided by the nature of the demand for 

 certain articles. A man may grow 

 strawberries for Covent Garden, and 

 get three shillings an ounce one day, 

 and sixpence an ounce the next, and 

 those fluctuations must be taken ac- 

 count of by the man who intends to 

 speculate in allotment and garden cul- 

 ture. The motto says, "nothing ven- 

 ture, nothing have," and, by the same 

 rule, "nothing venture, nothing lose" — 



work with your eyes open ; speculate 

 on high-class things if you like, and 

 may your labour be well rewarded, 

 but if you are not thoroughly ex- 

 perienced, these remarks may set you 

 thinking while it is time. 



In cropping a piece of ground for 

 family purposes, the ordinary wants of 

 the family will pretty well determine 

 what should be sown, and the relative 

 quantities of each ; and if you happen 

 to overdo it in any particular thing — 

 which is likely enough to happen with 

 crops that come in a glut, and go out 

 of condition quickly — you will gain a 

 little knowledge by the occurrence. 

 It is common enough, with the most 

 experienced hands, occasionally to have 

 a superabundance of something which 

 will not keep ; indeed, it is rather 

 pleasant to have plent} 7 of any choice 

 thing, because you can send a few 

 baskets as presents to friends and 

 neighbours, while the produce is in 

 its prime, which is far better than leav- 

 ing it to run to seed, or rot ou the 

 ground. Make it a rule to clear off 

 every crop as soon as it ceases to be 

 useful, and if your ground is none too 

 large for you, never grow a single ounce 

 of seed, except of any particular thing of 

 which you cannot make sure of a sup- 

 ply. When you do grow seed, do not 

 leave the worst plants for that purpose, 

 but the very best you have, and give 

 those as much extra culture as they 

 will bear, for poor seed is not worth 

 gathering, and there are few things 

 that cannot be improved by bestowing a 

 little extra labour in growing and seed- 

 ing it. Such things as peas and beans, 

 if intended for seed, should not be 

 gathered from at all, because the first 

 pods are the best ; if they are plucked, 

 and a second supply depended upon, 

 the seed will be inferior. In saving 



