PICTURESQUE VEGETABLE GARDENING 255 



the season), then a row of Black-leaved Beet, another row 

 of Spinach, and finally for the front, a row of Chilian Beet. 

 Carrots, Turnips, Kohl-rabi and Parsley would go together 

 quite well, in this case the Kohl-rabis should be placed 

 in the back row ; then may come a row of main-crop 

 Carrots, then a row of Golden Ball Turnips, after which 

 may come, in the order given, another row of Carrots of 

 a stump-rooted variety, a row of Snowball Turnips (which 

 will want renewing), another row of stump-rooted Carrots, 

 and a row of Parsley to form the edging. 



Tomatoes, Bush-Marrows, Globe and Jerusalem Arti- 

 chokes may be put at the back of any of the above, they 

 form useful hedging plants. 



The other scheme may well be called the Group scheme, 

 and I urge my readers to try it. We have no rows in it. 

 Instead, each vegetable is grown in groups, and by 

 judicious blending quite a fine effect can be produced. 



We can begin with a crop such as Beetroot. Now the 

 gardener is told in books to sow this 1-2 ins. deep in 

 drills. Instead of this we work our garden soil up to 

 a fine surface, and taking a stick mark out a small irregular 

 patch in much the same way as for hardy annuals. This 

 patch should not have any pretence to geometrical sym- 

 metry, for geometry is unsuitable for the garden. So this 

 patch, while being fairly simple in its outline, should not 

 have any semblance to geometrical form. When this 

 patch has been marked out, the seed can be dibbled in, 

 2, 3, 4, or even 5 ins. apart each way. But as Beet does 

 not germinate well, it is a good plan in this case to sow 

 2 ins. apart, and thin later if need be. 



Along with this patch may be marked out others ; in 

 the neighbourhood of Beetroot, place as already mentioned 

 Spinach Beet, Chilian Beet, and ordinary Spinach, Carrots, 

 Salsafy, Turnips, Kohl-rabi, Onions, Lettuces, Radishes, and 

 all the rest can also be sown in the Group scheme, placing 

 as before, Turnips near Kohl-rabi, Sand Salsafy, Onions, 

 Leeks, and Carrots in adjacent patches. Such crops as 

 Lettuces and Endive can be used as an edging to this 



