412 ROTATION OP CROPS. 



Secondary crops are those of the shortest duration, such as lettuce, 

 radishes, small salads, annual herbs, and very early peas and beans 

 (sown in November), very early cauliflowers, very early turnips, and 

 early potatoes, all of which will require a warm south border, or sloping 

 banks, or Plant Protectors. 



Times of Sowing and Planting. Peas and beans should be sown 

 from February to June ; the first crop of peas will be cleared for early 

 broccoli in the end of June, and for the other seasons until September 

 for later broccoli, savoys, borecole, Brussels sprouts, coleworts, and 

 spring cabbage ; this crop should have a slight coat of manure. 

 Broccoli ground will be cleared of early sorts by winter, and should 

 be ridged up all winter for a crop of carrots, which should be sown as 

 early as possible: the later broccoli, cole wort, sprouts, &c., will make 

 way by April or the beginning of May for beet, parsnips, scorzonera, 

 and salsafy. Carrots, beet, and parsnips, will be cleared in the 

 beginning of November, when the ground must be again ridged up for 

 winter, and have a good coat of dung, ready for cauliflowers, onions, 

 garlic, and shallots ; the two latter being planted in November, and 

 also the principal crops of turnips sown in the end of March and 

 April. Cauliflowers, onions, and turnips will be cleared from July 

 to September ; the cauliflowers and shallots, &c., in July for autumn 

 spinach and endive ; the onions for winter spinach, and the turnips 

 for spring onions, winter lettuce, and other secondary crops, Spinach, 

 endive, and spring onions will be cleared by the end of May for savoys, 

 winter-greens, red cabbage, cauliflowers, and leeks, all of which require 

 a moderate coat of manure. Savoys, winter-greens, red cabbage, &c., 

 will be ready for early potatoes in April and May. Potatoes will 

 make way in July and August for turnips, spring cabbage, late 

 broccoli, and such crops, if wanted. Turnips, cabbage, broccoli, may 

 be cleared in May for celery and cardoon trenches if all the ground 

 is wanted ; but if not, the cabbage may be allowed to remain for 

 sprouts during all the summer. The intermediate spaces between the 

 trenches may be planted with lettuce, or any other secondary crops; 

 dung must be given for celery, of course. Celery and similar crops 

 will in part make way in autumn, when the ground should be ridged 

 up for winter, and the remainder as soon as the entire crop is cleared ; 

 the ground will then be ready for French beans, scarlet runners, 

 cauliflowers, cucumbers, and tomatoes, in the end of April or beginning 

 of May. French beans will be cleared by November, when the ground 

 should be again ridged up all winter to be ready for peas and beans, 

 as at first begun. This will make eight or ten years between the 

 return of the principal crops to the same place; and by judicious 

 management of the secondary crops among the rotation crops, every 

 space of ground between one crop and another may be occupied 

 to advantage during the intervals of cropping. (' Gard. Chron.' for 

 1841, p. 180.) This is doubtless a very good rotation, but in small 

 gardens the ground is always under crop. The whole of the potato 

 and early pea ground is planted with cauliflowers, and this is again 

 succeeded by broccoli and other winter stuff when the potatoes and 



