161 



THE VILLA KITCHEN-GARDEN.— Xo. IIL 



BY J. C. CLARKE, 

 Head Gardener at Cothelston House, near Taunton. 



OIJBLE CEOPPING-.— With judgment and foresight 

 brought to bear upon the routine work, much may be 

 done towards making a garden pleasant and profitable. 

 But while advocating a thorough system of double 

 cropping where space is limited, there are two things in 

 connection with it which I must not forget, or the reader may fall 

 into an error. 



In the first place it will be remembered that I have already stated 

 that a small garden well and judiciously cropped and liberally 

 manured, will produce results equal to one a size larger indifl'erently 

 cultivated. Now I fear that unless I explain this, some inexperienced 

 readers may seize upon it as an argument in favour of a small 

 garden over a large one, if only, as they think, to reduce the labour 

 power. But this would be a mistake, as a moment's consideration 

 will show. Granting that it is possible by good culture to get the 

 same amount of produce from half an acre as a neighbour does ofl" an 

 acre cultivated in a slovenly manner, the reader must remember, the 

 half acre would be cropped over twice in a year, while the larger 

 one would only be cropped once ; consequently the ground would 

 not only be twice dug over to the other's once, but all the other 

 attentions necessary for the welfare of the crops have to be repeated 

 in the same way. So that as to the point of labour nothing is 

 gained by preferring a small garden to a large one. 



The other consideration is one that all should understand. It is 

 that according to the amount of produce expected there should be a 

 corresponding liberality in providing manure and other substances 

 necessary for the maintaining of the land in a highly fertile con- 

 dition, without which the system of double cropping, when carried 

 out systematically will never pay ; for if the staple is not constantly 

 enriched by repeated applications of manure, fresh soil, etc., it will, 

 by constant cropping, become exhausted of the elements that are 

 necessary for the production of a healthy, active growth. 



The summer crops which are first off* the ground are peas, early 

 cauliflowers, and potatoes. I have already described the mode of 

 planting potatoes and peas together, and alluded to the fact that 

 they come off at one time ; or rather, all the first sowings of peas on 

 the main square can be taken away in suflicient time to secure a 

 good breadth of ground for winter subjects, such as broccolis, late 

 Brussels sprouts, and all kinds of winter stuff"; not forgetting to 

 plant large numbers of the Rosette colewort cabbage, between the 

 late crops of peas. The potatoes of course will be taken up, and 

 then between each two rows of peas two rows of celery may be 

 planted. The first crop of cauliflower between the asparagus beds 

 being over, their place may be filled up with the coleworts. 



In the borders (see Diagraoi in page 201.) the earliest peas may 



