SOWING OR CROPPING. 4l 



distances, the precaution against failure being the dropping 

 of two seeds in instead of one, and when up removing the 

 weakest. Sea-kale may be also dibbled in, two or three seeds 

 in a hole, for the mere opportunity of removing the least 

 likely plant to succeed. Asparagus, in the same ^vay, may be 

 dibbled in ; but there is the objection, which applies to all 

 tlu-ee alike, the ground is occupied unnecessarily for a con- 

 siderable time, w^hereas, if these seeds are sown thickly in a 

 smaller space of ground, and planted at proper distances when 

 they are strong enough, there is no ground lost. We are not 

 inclined to admit that which the advocates for sowing on the 

 permanent beds claim ; they say that the plants are stronger 

 and better for never being removed : stronger they may be, 

 better they cannot ; the check the plants or roots receive is 

 of the greatest service ; it keeps them from growing so rank, 

 and sweetens their flavour, and generally improves their habit. 

 The Avhole routine of sowing and cropping a new kitchen 

 garden may be learned from the Calendars, but a few words 

 may be useful here. There is a double argument upon the 

 subject of seasons, but the side to be taken will depend on 

 a person's object and wants. One man may be anxious to 

 have things as early and as late as possible ; and he may 

 consider that losing half-a-dozen sowings by means of bad 

 weather is of no consequence as compared with the chance of 

 a dish of peas a fortnight earUer or later than the regular 

 seasons ; such a person may begin sowing peas in I^ovembci-, 

 and continue every three weeks all through the winter, spring, 

 and summer. Another may care nothing about things out of 

 season, and therefore depend entirely upon main crops, which 

 he will sow at the particular season most hkely to yield him 

 the best return. Here are two managements, then, entirely 

 dilFerent, one quite as proper as the other for their respective 

 advocates, but all persons of humble means should study main 

 crops, and run no risk ; that is to say, none but the risk 

 attendant on all cultivation, after we have done our best as to 

 the season. Again, one may sow radishes in the autumn, 

 with a foreknowledge that he must obtain litter, and cover up 

 nightly, until May ; while another would not give a farthing 

 to have radishes before he can get them from the open ground 

 without care or trouble, and consequently will not sow a seed 

 until the ordinary time for unprotected crops. These very 

 opposite motives give rise to two very diil'erent systems of 



