CHAP. I VILLA GARDENING 393 



have made no ijrovision for them. First year — Early Potatoes, to 

 be cleared off by middle of July, then sow part with Turnii^s, and 

 plant part with winter Greens. Second year — Onions, followed by 

 C'oleworts. Third year — Early Potatoes, followed in August by 

 winter Spinach and other autumn crops, such as late Broccoli, etc. 

 Fourth year — Late Peas and Celery; the rows of Peas to be 15 

 feet apart, with three rows of Celery between each two rows of 

 Peas. Fifth year — Early Potatoes, followed by Brussels Si^routs, 

 the latter to be planted between the rows of Potatoes in June, two 

 rows of Potatoes between each two rows of Sprouts. Sixth year — 

 Vegetable Marrows, Turnips, Lettuce, etc. Seventh year — Carrots, 

 Parsnips, Beet, etc., followed by Cabbages, Brown Cos Lettuces, 

 and Endive. I do not know that I need further extend the list, 

 as it will be seen how wide the choice is as regards garden cidture ; 

 and if land ever becomes sick of any crop it must be through sheer 

 bad management. 



Permanent Crops. — These are fewer in luunber than was 

 formerly the case. Seakale, for instance, may be treated as an 

 annual, as may also Horse-radish, though, as the latter is very 

 difficult to get out of the land when it once gets in, it is perhaps 

 advisable to keep it to one piece of land so long as success follows. 

 I\Lany of the so-called permanent crops are injured by being kept 

 too long in one place, notably Globe Ai-tichokes and Rhubarb. 

 Four years is quite long enough for those things to occupy the land, 

 and a more frequent change will benefit other crops by throwing 

 more land into the regular system of cropping. It is notorious that 

 in many gardens Raspberries and Strawberries stand too long on the 

 same spot. Herbs, again, will be more profitable if renewed 

 annually. Take the case of Sage, which is in constant demand. 

 Often the plants stand to get old, and then comes a cold ^^^nter 

 and the old jilants die. If cuttings had been put in dming the 

 previous spring the young plant would have taken no injury. The 

 same occurs with Tliyme, which should be propagated either 

 annually or biennially, the former for choice, as should also Mint. 

 Asparagus even is coming to be regarded less as a fixture than 

 formerly, for, even allowing that Asparagus beds of the old type 

 will last fifty years, is it profitable to leave them so long 1 Would 

 not younger plantations be more profitable 1 I think they would, 

 but I shall have more to say on this subject afterwards. 



Seeds. — As the future blossom and fruit is laid up in the bud 

 of the fruit tree during the previous year, so also in the case of 

 vegetables the character and quality of the crop to a large extent 

 are stowed away in the seed. When we consider that most of our 

 cultivated vegetables have been evolved from wildlings, by cultiva- 



