CHAP. X VILLA GARDENING 439 



the Cauliflower, from heat and drought in summer, open their 

 hearts and become useless, and the Broccoli is occasionally killed 

 during severe winters. But these, or somewhat similar risks, 

 have to be run with all things. The varieties, or at least names, 

 in the seedsmen's lists have become exceedingly numerous, and are 

 very perplexing to the uninitiated ; but no one, even for a large 

 establishment, need grow more than six or eight kinds, and if 

 rightly selected these will give a succession from November till 

 June (subject of course to the weather), and fairly fill in the time 

 between the late and early Caidiflowers. 



Sowing the Seeds. — In most places the first week in April is 

 time enough to make the first sowing. It is not necessary to make 

 more than one sowing of each variety — the early kinds first and the 

 late sorts three weeks or a month later. It is best to sow in drills 

 a foot apart ; the surface can thus be stirred, and the plants gain 

 strength by the partial isolation. Select for the seedbed a nice 

 mellow piece of land (in an open sunny position) that has been 

 manured and laid up roughly for exposure some time previously. 

 Sow when the surface is dry, and to give firmness tread it once over. 

 Then rake the surface smooth, and draw the drills half an inch 

 deep. Cover with the feet. This is easily done by walking with 

 one foot on each side of the drill, and as each foot is lifted in the 

 onward motion, it is drawn along the ground lightly, so as just to 

 push the loose soil into the drill. This is an excellent and simple 

 way of covering seeds. The rake is then drawn over the beds 

 to make all smooth. As soon as the seeds are fairly committed 

 to the ground the seed -eating birds — sparrows, linnets, and 

 finches — will be after them ; and if they are not protected, or 

 something done to alarm the birds, damage will ensue. They 

 are usually most troublesome just when the young plants are 

 coming up, as then they can seize them by the stem, and pull 

 them out of the ground with the seed clinging to the base. The 

 best preventive is to protect with nets as soon as the seeds are 

 sown. In most gardens fishing-nets are kept in stock for protecting 

 fruit in summer, and can be made to serve a double purpose. If 

 the seeds are dressed with red -lead just before sowing, the birds 

 will not touch them, and the lead does not injure their growing 

 powers. Birds are of a suspicious nature, and may sometimes be 

 scared by straining threads of cotton across the beds at frequent 

 intervals. I have known a dusting of lime just as the seeds were 

 coming up scare the birds away and save the crop ; but in a 

 general way nothing equals the plan of making all secure by 

 covering the beds with nets. Some kinds, such as Carter's 

 Champion, Cattell's Eclipse, and Sutton's Late Queen, may be 



