i88i.] WINTER VEGETABLES. 393 



inches apart. Any good ordinary soil grows it well. As a late autumn 

 or Christmas crop, few things do better with us than a good patch of 

 July-planted Cabbage. Their heads in December are almost as nice 

 as they are from the autumn plants in April. Speaking of Cabbage 

 reminds me to say that where the demand for vegetables is large, few 

 things are more valuable than a constant supply of Cabbage — but how 

 seldom do we see this kept up ! As a rule, after the first spring lot 

 is cut, what follows is very inferior. Our spring Cabbage are 

 planted by themselves in a large patch in the autumn ; then the mid- 

 season ones grow between the Potato rows, and the autumn ones are 

 planted after the Potatoes have been cleared off. Where, however, 

 ground is scarce, and all these lots cannot be put in, those plants put 

 out in the autumn and cut at various times in spring will, if properly 

 treated, form a most useful lot for a supply of greens almost the round 

 of the season ; because, as each head is cut, if those left are not much 

 injured, from six to a dozen sprouts will be emitted from each, and 

 these growths make as good Cabbage when cooked as the main heads, 

 and sometimes they will produce a third crop after the second has been 

 cut. Kidney Beans are very pleasing in winter, but fresh ones from 

 the plants cannot often be had on the shortest day. Many cooks 

 salt them up in jars about this time, and those not in the secret can- 

 not tell them from fresh ones when they are put on the table weeks 

 or months afterwards. The Pvunner Beans are the best for salting, 

 and they must not be too old. Onions are a thorough all-the-year- 

 round vegetable, and the demand for them in winter is great, but 

 they are one of the easiest things to keep — only it is important that 

 they be well dried before taking them in, and September is the month 

 to do this. Any kind will keep throughout the winter, but for late 

 spring and early summer James's Keeping should be grown. Carrots, 

 Parsnips, Beetroot, and Turnips are the other chief roots for winter, 

 and Salsafy is also most useful. 



Beetroot will not bear frost. Carrots are not benefited by it, and 

 the more tender kinds of Turnips are often destroyed by it, and care 

 should be taken that all of these are lifted from the ground and safely 

 stored before the frost has ever touched them. We are all rather liable 

 to think when it comes one frosty night that it will not last long, and 

 that our vegetables will take no harm ; but very often it lasts, and 

 lasts until much damage is done. Hence the reason for making sure 

 of at least part of the crop. Parsnips and Salsafy are much hardier, 

 and severe frost does them little injury ; but sometimes after much hard 

 weather they are not easily got at, and it is generally most convenient 

 to dig up and store away part of them also. The place where all roots 

 are stored should be cool and dry, but not too dry, or many of the roots 

 may shrivel. If covered over with sand, ashes, leaf-soil, or old mushroom- 

 bed dung, they will retain their qualities for many months. But, im- 

 portant as good root crops are, green vegetables are equally or more so 



