MONTHLY CALENDAR. 225 



small nails on the upper edge at regular distances : these are fixei into tho 

 ground at each end of the row, and as many lines of worsted as there are 

 nails passed over the peas. This covers them completely in ; others lay 

 branchy sticks over them. Some sow rather thickly and leave them fully ax- 

 posed, afl&rming that by allowing for loss, the others are not drawn up, thus 

 avoiding more covering than is necessary to insure a good crop. 



589. Dwarf peas may always be grown advantageously where sticks are 

 an object, and these may be sown closer together. The Bishop dwarf, 

 long-podded, is a good cropper, and may be grown without sticks ; but where 

 sticks or where hurdles can be obtained, it is no saving to grow without them, 

 for the taller sorts, which grow six or eight feet high, bear most enormously 

 if in good soU and mulched. During this month it is advisable to get in some 

 of the medium sorts, as Auvergne, Imperial, Scimitar, or Champion ; but the 

 later sorts had better be left till next month. 



590. Broad Beans of any sort may be got in for succession. 



591. Callages. — Look over the row of cabbages, and see if any are eaten 

 by vermin. A dusting of lime when the ground is wet, or early in the morn- 

 ing, will destroy slugs. Another good plan at this time of the year is to let a 

 few ducks into the kitchen-garden for half an hour or so every morning ; they 

 will destroy immense quantities of slugs, snails, worms, and grubs. Keplaco 

 all the plants that have been destroyed by frost or otherwise, and draw earth 

 up to the stems. It is advisable to sow under hand-glasses a little cabbage, 

 of some quick-heading kind, as early York or Eastham, or indeed any sort : 

 they will follow those which have stood the winter, and be very useful in July, 

 August, and September, Some Brussels sprouts may be sown ; also purple 

 Cape and Walcheren broccoli, for autumn use. 



592. Parsley may be sown in drills, or broadcast, or as edgings, or between 

 dwarf or short-lived crops. The seed should be but slightly covered, trodden 

 or pressed in, according to the state of the soil, and raked evenly. It takes 

 several weeks to germinate at this season of the year. 



593. Carrots of the short-horn sort, if sown on a warm border now, will 

 come into use in May, and be very sweet and good. Sow rather thickly, and 

 thin to two inches apart. To produce carrots and parsnips of an extraordinary 

 size, make a very deep hole with a long dibble ; ram the earth well round it 

 while the dibble is in, and when it is removed, fxU up the hole with fine rich 

 earth. Sow a few seeds on the top, either parsnips or carrots, as may be requii-ed, 

 and when up, draw out all except the one plant nearest to the centre of the 

 hole. Prodigious carrots and parsnips may be produced by this means. 



594. Onions for salading may be sown on a warm border, A small sowing of 

 leeks may be made at the same time and in the same manner, but not quite 

 so thick. A top-dressing of soot once a fortnight, or even oftener if the wea- 

 ther be rainy, will have a very great effect upon the onion crop, and will prove 

 an effectual remedy against the maggot at the root, which so often destroys the 

 entire crop, especially on highly-manured land, 



595. Red Beet, if sown now, will be very useful late in the summer. Sow in 



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