4S 



THE GARDENER. 



[Jan. 



cropping them, so that the supply is as 

 large as possible, and that there should 

 be no glut of one thing and scarcity of 

 another : change often, if only for the 

 sake of system. "Well-cultivated gar- 

 dens give no cause for fear of failure by 

 allowing one crop of the same species 

 to succeed the previous one. Trench- 

 ing is an effectual remedy for this ; but 

 as an example, we would not let a 

 crop of Carrots be grown where a crop 

 of the same root had been previously 

 destroyed by grubs or wire -worms. 

 "We would not give manure for Carrots, 

 Beet, or Parsnips, to the amount 

 that would be suitable for Cabbage. 

 Rank manure gives coarse, badly- 

 flavoured roots; poor dry land gives 

 tough, stringy produce ; ground deeply 

 trenched and well broken suits all 

 roots and tubers. If manure is very 

 rank, we prefer trenching it down in 

 quantity under the second spit ; but 

 rotted manure, mild and wholesome, 

 may be placed under the top spit. 

 Wlien ground will allow the neces- 

 sary "harrowing," manure should be 

 wheeled on vacant spaces and covered 

 with soil to prevent wasting of its 

 virtues : ridges a yard high, run 

 across the plots, answer well when it 

 is to be turned in at a future period. 

 Potatoes do well in ground which has 

 been thrown up into ridges, and some 

 fresh soil (turfy loam is excellent) 

 placed over the tubers when planted. 

 On tenacious land, where disease is 

 often an unwelcome visitor, rank 

 manure is productive of the evil, 

 especially when the Potatoes are late 

 kinds. The thawing of such vege- 

 tables as Celery should be of a gradual 

 character : leave the litter placed over 

 the plants as protection till the frost 

 is gone and the ground thawed. 

 Then the litter or fern used for pro- 

 tection may be removed. Laurel or 

 Spruce branches, in the absence of 

 better material, is useful as protec- 

 tion. Pieces stuck among early Peas 

 or Cauliflower plants act as a useful 

 protection : quick thawing is the 

 difficulty which tender vegetation 

 cannot easily stand against. There 

 should be stores of all kinds of hardy 

 roots under cover sufficient to the 

 demand during frosty weather ; or if 

 it is preferable to dig Horse Radish, 

 Parsnips, Jerusalem Artichokes, Chic- 

 ory, Scorzonera, Salsafy, or Potatoes 

 fresh out of the ground as they are 

 wanted, a covering of litter, half -rotten 



leaves, fern, or other material should 

 be placed over the beds to keep frost 

 out of the ground. 



The seed stores should now be over- 

 hauled, and those of value, new or 

 old, should be noted ; and when the 

 seed-list is made out, superfluous quan- 

 tity should be avoided. Old favourite 

 sorts should not be discarded for 

 others which may prove to be fine 

 only in name. A few novelties sent 

 out by respectable men should have 

 a trial. The store for seed should be 

 vermin - proof, well cleaned, and if 

 necessary to eradicate beetles, spiders, 

 &c, a fumigating of sulphur may be 

 made. In severe or wet weather 

 seeds of choice kinds saved during 

 the past season may be cleaned. 

 Stakes may be made, and all the 

 ordinary items attended to under 

 cover, which, when done, will do 

 much to facilitate labour during the 

 busy season. 



If weather will allow, the present 

 season is a good one to prepare early 

 borders for choice early crops. Where 

 there are no borders under the shelter 

 of walls or other fences, it is a good 

 system to raise slopes facing the south, 

 and board them up behind, or leave 

 them as spans facing north and south : 

 for early crops the latter aspect is of 

 great advantage for early vegetables, 

 such as Horn Carrot (French Nantes are 

 favourites), Early Eadishes, Dutch Tur- 

 nips, Lettuce, Spinage for first crop, 

 Early Potatoes, or anything to come in 

 early. Peas and Beans may be sown 

 when weather will allow : a mixture 

 of wood - ashes with red - lead sprin- 

 kled over the seed will do much to 

 ward off the attacks of mice or rats. 

 Peas sown wide apart, to be staked in 

 due time, give shelter to other early 

 crops which may be sown between the 

 rows. Broad Beans or Spinach be- 

 tween the Peas answer well for pres- 

 ent crops. Peas of two or three kinds 

 may be sown in boxes with turfy soil 

 in the bottoms, and covered with 

 charcoal-dust, fine light soil, or old 

 Mushroom - dung. They may be 

 protected when frost appears, other- 

 wise all the light and air possible may 

 be given them. It is common to raise 

 first crops of Peas in pots, tiles, strips 

 of turf, and by other means, placing 

 the seed in moist heat till they have 

 grown into green foliage ; but when 

 never placed in heat at all, and grown 

 with all the light and air possible, 



