i8 7 9.] 



CALENDAR. 



437 



©aUn&ar* 



KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



The push of general work will now 

 be well over for the present season, so 

 far as active cropping is concerned ; 

 but it is not likely that there will be 

 much time to spare from active labour 

 in the best kept of gardens. We find, 

 from the lateness of the season and 

 the long-continued heavy rains, that 

 many arrears are to be brought for- 

 ward. Most crops are good and abun- 

 dant — they have been secured with 

 much trouble — and the ground (strong 

 clay) having been manipulated under 

 the most difficult circumstances, it is 

 far from our idea of "high cultiva- 

 tion." Therefore, in such cases prong 

 and hoe must be plied with extra 

 vigour. Soil which has been properly 

 worked in former years will not suffer 

 much for absence of spade or manure, 

 should it be found very difficult to give 

 the manure needful for one season. 

 Thorough surface - breaking will do 

 much to improve the crops. Weeds 

 have everywhere been a formidable 

 enemy to cultivators this season ; and 

 if they have seeded to any extent, 

 they will give plenty of labour for a 

 long time to come. It has been our 

 practice periodically to turn every 

 hand on weed-destroying — going over 

 every portion of the ground before a 

 halt was made, never waiting till they 

 get any size ; and by this means we 

 have comparatively saved much labour, 

 and have a weedless garden to boot. 

 Those who adopt the system of al- 

 lowing the weeds to seed will find that 

 they have always abundance of labour 

 on hand, and a very shabby garden. 

 Some weeks ago we had some thirty- 

 six cottagers' allotments to go over, 

 and to adjudicate seven prizes for the 

 best cropped and best kept. All were 

 under such good cultivation, that it 

 was difficult to give the awards — 

 weeds there seemed to be none, but 

 no vacant soil was to be seen any- 

 where. Even in such a season it 

 shows "where there's a will there's a 

 way." A general clearance of all re- 

 mains of crops should be made. When 

 there is nothing being returned from 

 the ground, better to have it clean than 

 burdened with decaying vegetation. 

 Thinnings of crops, especially those to 

 stand through the winter, should be 



made without delay. Crowding makes 

 them tender and ill-suited to battle 

 with severe frost or much damp. 

 This applies to Parsley, Spinach, Tur- 

 nips, Lettuce, Carrots (late sowings for 

 drawing young), Onions, and Radishes?. 

 Thinnings of Parsley, Spinach, Let- 

 tuce, and young Onions may be trans- 

 planted if there is likely to be a 

 scarcity of them. More Cabbage 

 may be sown, to be a succession to 

 the main sowings ; or should they 

 have an accident, a few hundreds 

 of plants ready to plant out in 

 March or April will be of much ser- 

 vice where there is a heavy demand 

 in the early summer months. Plant 

 out thickly all Cabbage which are for- 

 ward enough for planting ; others may 

 be pricked out for October planting. 

 Deeply-trenched ground, with a good 

 coating of rich manure under the top 

 spit, will keep the crop safe through 

 the winter, and when the roots become 

 active in spring, they will run greedily 

 into the manure, and the Cabbage 

 will be of great size and very tender. 

 Cabbage grown on poor sandy soil in 

 starved condition are of inferior qual- 

 ity — tough and indigestible. Cauli- 

 flower may be sown again in a shallow 

 frame on light soil : a handlight or two 

 would protect a good succession, and if 

 kept growing with plenty of light and 

 air, and kept thin, they would be excel- 

 lent for planting out next April. Plant 

 under handlights, or other protectors, 

 on a sloping border well sheltered, 

 the Cauliflowers which are to come 

 in early. Coddling must be strictly 

 avoided. The same applies to Lettuce 

 to be brought forward under protec- 

 tion : have many more planted out 

 than the number likely to be applied. 

 Carrots sown now — Early Nantes and 

 Shorthorn — would come in very use- 

 ful where young Carrots are in request. 

 We find most people will use these 

 when they can get them easily. Soil 

 made fine, and well dusted with soot 

 and ashes, is a suitable position for 

 them. Celery may be well earthed up 

 (well watered with manure water first). 

 Keep all suckers off ; and if slugs are 

 likely to be troublesome, dust with 

 lime and finely-sifted ashes. Better 

 to plant up vacant ground thickly with 



