CROPS. 



135 



CUCUMBERS. 



tage of a good peach wall at a. The line 

 beyond which it is not advisable to crop is 

 shown by /'. A border 1 2 feet wide, which 

 may be devoted to early crops, or espaliers, 

 pillar, or bush fruits, is denoted by c. The 

 same may be said of the borders f and g. 

 The east and west walls may be devoted 

 to trained plums, cherries, and pears ; i is 

 supposed to be a low wall, fence, or hedge ; 

 k, a border, where late fruits or salading 



6 3 



DISPOSITION OF CROPS IN KITCHEN GARDEN. 



may be grown during the summer-time, 

 when a little shade is an advantage to 

 them ; d is the main walk, 6 feet wide, 

 running round the quarters ; e, cross- 

 walks, 4 feet wide between them. The main 

 body of the kitchen garden is divided into 

 eight squares, two of which are devoted to 

 each group of plants, namely, Deepeners, 

 Exhausters, Surface Crops, and Preparers. 

 Let 6 be planted with (i) asparagus, (2) 

 globe artichokes, (3) seakale, and (4) rhu- 



barb. Of course, the space for each will 

 be determined by the requirements of the 

 family ; but the proportions indicated may 

 serve as a guide. Let 5 be planted with 

 bush fruits, as currants including red, 

 white, and black gooseberries, and rasp- 

 berries, and, it may be, root-pruned trees. 

 Horseradish may be planted between 

 these. To keep all these in proper con- 

 dition, a few of each should be removed 

 every year ; the asparagus, seakale, and 

 rhubarb for forcing ; the artichokes can be 

 separated for propagation; and the rasp- 

 berries divided and replanted. The parts 

 numbered 7 and 8 are supposed to be 

 planted with preparers^ which comprise 

 beet, celery, carrots, turnips, leeks, onions, 

 peas, scorzoneras, salsafy, beans, cardoons, 

 Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, parsnips, 

 scarlet runners ; these are some of the 

 principal kitchen crops, and comprise 

 about one-fourth. Then, again, let I and 

 2 be devoted to stirface crops^ which, for 

 the sake of equalising them with the other 

 groups, will comprise numerous light crops, 

 as salads, sweet herbs, and similar crops } 

 the exhausters, comprising another fourth 

 of the whole broccoli, cabbage, Savoys, 

 Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, or bore- 

 cole. These will occupy 3 and 4. As 

 these two squares become vacated, the 

 deepeners may fill the space left by them, 

 until, in course of time, 3 and 4 become 

 filled with the latter. The exhausters will 

 have taken the place of the surface crops 

 on I and 2 ; the latter will be transferred 

 to 7 and 8, previously occupied with pre- 

 parers, which have followed the deepeners 

 on 5 and 6 ; and thus a perpetual rotation 

 may be maintained, which will improve 

 the ground instead of impoverishing it. 



Cucumbers: their Culture. 



These can be grown under glass, or on 

 a hotbed, at any season of the year, all 

 that is necessary being to maintain the 



