COTTAGE GARDENS. 



129 



COTTAGE GARDENS. 



this is simply to throw away a great deal 

 of money that might otherwise remain in 

 the gardener's pocket. He will find the 

 contents of his muck -heap, if properly pre- 

 pared, far cheaper to himself and far more 

 beneficial to the land, for its influence is 

 imparted by degrees and not immediately 

 and at one time, as time is taken in its 

 complete dissolution after its committal to 

 the ground, and in its dissolution it adds 

 to the humus, or vegetable mould, which 

 forms so essential a part of fertile soils, and 

 supplies, or is the means of supplying, all 

 growing plants with the food that is so 

 absolutely necessary to their growth and 

 well-being. This is just the reason why 

 leaf mould enters so largely into the com- 

 position of compost for potting. 



The compost of the muck-heap should 

 have reached a sufficient stage of decom- 

 position before it is mingled with the soil. 

 To effect this it is desirable that it should 

 be frequently dug over. In the suburbs 

 of large towns, where ground is valu- 

 able and space limited, it often happens 

 that kitchen gardens are severely over- 

 tasked, though a prevailing notion that 

 high tillage and abundant manuring make 

 up for extent of room. This is true to a 

 certain extent ; but it has its limits, for in- 

 stances are not wanting to show that serious 

 and vexatious results are traceable to this 

 cause. The ground gets filled with insects, 

 undecomposed manure is worked into the 

 soil after each crop it is trenched in, dug 

 in, or laid on the surface as mulch some- 

 times ; all manner of undecomposed rub- 

 bish and garden refuse is trenched 3 or 

 4 feet deep. The result is obvious ; for 

 where there is decomposition, or putrid 

 fermentation takes place, many agencies 

 are attracted thither to hasten the work ; 

 insects are bred in vast numbers, club and 

 canker become prevalent, and good gar- 

 dening becomes impossible. The remedy 

 for this state of things is either a copious 



manuring with unslaked lime, burning the 

 soil, or the substitution of new soil, if the 

 surface-parings of a pasture are conveniently 

 obtainable. But prevention is always better 

 than cure. Manure should be thoroughly 

 decomposed or rotted, so that it is not 

 likely to breed insects ; and before it is 

 applied to the ground, it should be well in- 

 corporated with an equal quantity of loamy 

 soil. "Where ground is heavily worked 

 as, for instance, where a spring crop of 

 lettuces, an autumn crop of potatoes, and 

 a winter crop of greens have been obtained 

 from the same piece of ground manure 

 alone will not supply the whole of the loss, 

 but the addition of new soil may do so. 

 Another mode of prevention is to adopt a 

 well-defined system of rotation : such mea- 

 sures will keep the ground in good heart ; 

 but this must be considered under its own 

 heading. 



Cottage Gardens, Rotation of 

 Crops in. 



The market gardener, or gardener on an 

 extensive scale, will gather much valuable 

 information on the succession, or sequence, 

 and rotation of crops, from the table given 

 under " Rotation of Crops," which see ; but 

 perhaps something more simple is desirable 

 for the cottage gardener and holder oi 

 allotment ground. The following rotation 

 of crops is very easily followed, and has 

 been strongly recommended. It applies 

 to a rood or quarter of an acre, and sup- 

 poses the breadth of the land to be 27 $ 

 yards, and the length 44 yards, which 

 makes just one rood. Of this piece of land 

 make three equal divisions, arid crop as 

 follows : 



FIRST DIVISION. 

 Time of Planting. Nature of Crops. 



First week in March 22 rows of potatoes, i 



feet between each 

 row ; sets to be i foot 

 apart in planting. 

 Sorts : York Re- 

 g-.nts, Flukes, and 



10 



