1879.] THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN. 359 



or protection may be afforded where they stand. The sprouting 

 virieties are very prolific, and the most profitable kind to grow, 

 but the Cauliflower kinds are much more delicate in flavour. 



So far we have treated of the times and ways of sowing and plant- 

 ing. As they are very similar in their wants, we will sum up their 

 general cultivation in a few words. We repeat that the whole family 

 requires liberal treatment, except perhaps Broccoli, in the matter of 

 digging deep and manuring well. The usual way in which the 

 ground is prepared by amateurs is a bad one. The ground is left 

 untouched during winter and autumn, while the remains of the pre- 

 vious crop are left to nourish the vermin peculiar to each different kind. 

 The soil gets solid and impervious to rain, and the winter's rains flood 

 over the surface and wash the essence of the plant's food right away. 

 The smooth surface is not operated on beneficially to any extent by 

 the frost of winter or the drying winds of early spring. But when the 

 crops require putting in, the digging and manuring are commenced — 

 the manure used generally being too fresh to afford much nourishment 

 — and a laborious job the work is ; and labour with a will or not, the 

 whole cultivated mass is just a mass of little or large knots, which affords 

 the very worst tilth imaginable for thrusting in fibi eless Cabbage plants, 

 — and the loose coherence of these knots causes the sod to assume the 

 conditions of brick-kiln rubbish, and is nearly as ill suited for healthy 

 growth. The ground should be turned over in winter, or even in au- 

 tumn, and thrown up as roughly as possible to the action of the weather, 

 and a good dressing of manure dug in at the same time. Should the 

 ground be in good condition one dressing will be enough ; but in the 

 case of very poor or newly-taken-in land, a dressing of well-decayed 

 manure spread over the surface when it is hard frozen, and forked 

 into the surface-soil in spring when the ground is dry enough to 

 admit of the process, will be repaid with interest. But whether the 

 ground is dressed with manure or not, the forking should take place 

 all the same, breaking every lump. In districts where the rainfall is 

 excessive, or the soil a tenacious clay, this treatment requires some 

 modification. AVhen both conditions have to be contended against, 

 it is best not to dig until February, and that as roughly as possible ; 

 and in this case allow the lumps to become quite dry and then moist 

 again before forking them over, when they will crumble down like 

 meal. It is a good plan in all such soils to apply the manure at f ork- 

 ing-time in a thoroughly decomposed state. A little rich soil placed 

 at the roots of each is of great service in promoting a start, which is 

 often half the battle. 



The best way of planting is by means of a trowel, in drills 3 or 4 

 inches deep, from 2 to 2J feet apart, according to the soil and the 



