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CHAPTER XII. 



CROPPING, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF A KITCHEN 

 GARDEN. 



THE fruit trees and fruit shrubs being planted, the former against 

 the walls and espalier -rails, and the latter in plantations by themselves 

 in the compartments, or in rows between the fruit trees, or along the 

 secondary walks, the remaining part of the garden is devoted to herba- 

 ceous vegetables. The number of these required to be grown in 

 every kitchen garden is considerable, and the soil ought to be managed 

 and the crops sown or planted according to some preconceived system. 

 With respect to the soil, this consists in changing the surface, in stir- 

 ring and manuring it, weeding, watering, &c., on the principles already 

 detailed ; and we shall now explain the system of cropping and 

 rotations. 



Cropping. 



The herbaceous vegetables grown in kitchen gardens are of two kinds : 

 perennials which remain several years in the ground, such as aspa- 

 ragus, sea-kale, rhubarb, horse-radish, artichokes, perennial sweet herbs, 

 and strawberries. The first of these crops remains on the same piece 

 of ground from six to twelve years, and the others are renewed 

 generally in about half that time or oftener. The other and by far the 

 more numerous crops are annuals or biennials, and many of them only 

 remain on the ground during a part of the year. The proportion of 

 the perennials being fixed on, little more trouble is required with them ; 

 but the annuals being numerous and of short duration, the propor- 

 tionate quantities that require to be sown or planted to supply the 

 demands of the kitchen, and yet to be in dne proportion to the extent 

 of the ground to be cropped, and the kinds of crops which ought to 

 succeed each other, require the constant exercise of the gardener's 

 judgment. The first point is to determine the proportion of different 

 crops, and the next is their succession : though the proportions will 

 depend to a certain extent on the peculiar taste or wants of the family, 

 and whether they reside on the spot or at a distance whether they 

 have a farm for growing the winter supply of potatoes, &c., yet some 

 rules or hints may be devised which are generally applicable. 



General Pwportions of Crops. The greatest breadth of surface in 

 almost every garden requires to be sown with peas ; but as this crop 

 only lasts at an average about six months, a second crop may be planted 

 on the same ground in the same year. The cabbage tribe, including 

 cauliflower, broccoli, savoys, Brussels sprouts and borecoles, occupy 

 the next greatest space in most gardens, and they very generally suc- 

 ceed the crops of peas. Turnips are perhaps the next most extensive 

 crop, imless indeed the main summer crops of potatoes are grown 

 in the kitchen garden, which is not desirable where they can be 



