83 



THE GAEDEN GUIDE EOE APEIL. 



Kitchen Garden. — There cannot be 

 too much vigilance now in keeping down 

 weeds, hoeing between crops, earthing-up 

 peas and beans, and promoting growth by 

 any other means that suggest themselves, 

 such as top-dressings of soot and guano, 

 etc., etc. Our climate affords us but a 

 short season, and it is our duty to make 

 the very most of it. 



Cabbage. — A sowing of two or three 

 sorts now will furnish a supply of useful 

 plants to fill up vacant plots as summer 

 crops are taken off. Advantage must he 

 taken of the fine weather to fetch up 

 arrears. Early Dutch Twist is a capital 

 one to sow now for filling up gaps, as it 

 may be planted as close as lettuces. En- 

 field Market, Early York, Sugar-loaf, and 

 Shilling's Queen, are kinds that should he 

 largely relied upon. 



Celery. — Sow for the last time, in seed 

 pans, and place on a hot-bed ; but if no 

 convenience of that kind, sow on a warm 

 dry border, and it will come up hi time to 

 make good plants for a late supply. 

 Where there are no conveniences for grow- 

 ing celery in trenches, useful plants may 

 be had for soup by sowing any of the red 

 kinds on a warm border, and when large 

 enough planting them out in beds, six 

 inches apart every way. These need not 

 be earthed up at all, as the earthing is in- 

 tended to blanch it, and for soup that is 

 not necessary. This plan is recommended 

 for poor shallow soils where fine heads of 

 celery for table cannot be produced. Prick 

 out on a bed of three parts rotten dung 

 and one part loam the plants from the last 

 sowing; pot off singly, in 60-sized pots, 

 the plants for the first crop, which en- 

 courage with a moist beat in a cucumber 

 pit. We always turn out from pots our 

 first crop of celery, and obtain fine heads 

 early in the season ; it is a method which 

 occasions no check to the plants. 



Couve Tronchuda, or Portugal Cabbage. 

 — This delicious vegetable should be sown 

 now in every garden for autumn use. 

 In warm districts, where winter greens do 

 not usually suffer from frost, it may be sown 

 again in May and August, to stand over 

 ■winter, but in ordinary English climates 

 one crop to use in autumn is sufficient to 

 be safe. Sow in a well-prepared bed, and 

 when large enough plant out on deep rich 

 soil, two feet from plant to plant. The 

 heart of the plant is superior to cauliflower, 

 and the mid-ribs of the outside leaves 

 nearly as good as sea kale. 



Onions for salads to be sown frequently. 

 Look over the beds of main crop, and if no 

 VOL. VII. — NO. IV. 



blade appearing, or if the blade is thin, 

 make up your mind whether you ought to 

 sow again. Onions sown last autumn 

 may now be transplanted to rich beds, in 

 rows nine inches apart, and be helped with 

 occasional sprinklings of guano on the 

 surface. 



Potatoes. — It is not late now to get in 

 the main crop, but it had best not be longer 

 delayed. Those coming up to be flat hoed 

 between. Potatoes may still be planted, 

 but it is full late, and any remaining out 

 of the ground should be got in at once. 



Spinach. — Sow the round seeded again, 

 for succession, and also the prickly, or 

 Flanders. These winter sorts do not bolt 

 so soon in hot weather as the round-seeded, 

 and should be preferred for all except the 

 earliest spring sowings. 



Winter Greens to be sown now in large 

 breadths for the main crop, especially 

 Brussels sprouts, collards, Scotch kale, and 

 Savoy. Later in the month make a last 

 sowing of all kinds, and of former sowings 

 that have failed, sow again — better late 

 than never. 



Fruit Garden. — Wall and bush fruits 

 should be hunted over to gather the first 

 crop of young [caterpillars. There is no 

 process like hand-picking, and where to 

 pick will be known by the curl of the 

 leaves. Trees that were washed in winter, 

 as we recommended, will probably be very 

 clean in their first growth. Disbud and 

 thin fruit with judgment, and remember 

 that there is nothing gained in the end by 

 taking too large a crop from a fruitful tree. 

 In disbudding do not remove too many 

 buds at a time. First take off with finger 

 and thumb those that are obviously ill- 

 placed ; a week afterwards select a few for 

 laying in to keep up the furniture with 

 young wood, and remove others that are 

 again evidently not needed. This process 

 will very much reduce the work of summer 

 pruning, and strengthen the shoots left to 

 form bearing wood. It makes one shudder 

 to see how some gardeners lay in all the 

 wood they can get till their walls are 

 literally felted, as if peaches and apricots 

 were to serve the same purpose as ivy. 

 Be in no haste to remove tiffany and 

 other shelters from walls ; but let the trees 

 have air : they are as fond of it as you 

 are. 



Conservatory. — Bright weather will 

 necessitate the use of shading, and the 

 best of all is Shaw's tiffany, hung in large 

 bag-like breadths inside. Give as much 

 air as possible all day, but take care t» 

 shut up early; this will keep the plants in 

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