FEBRUARY. 



603 



FEBRUARY. 



som. Those that are fit for use should be 

 cut as soon as ready. 



Cabbage Seeds to be Sown. It is advis- 

 able to sow under handglasses a little 

 cabbage, of some quick-heading kind, as 

 Early York or East Ham, or indeed any 

 sort ; they will follow those which have 

 stood the winter, and be very useful in 

 July, August, and September. Some 

 Brussels Sprouts may be sown ; also 

 Purple Cape and Walcheren Broccoli, for 

 autumn use. ^ 



Cabbages. Look over the rows of cab- 

 bages, and see if any are eaten by vermin. 

 A dusting of lime when the ground is wet, 

 or early in the morning, will destroy slugs. 

 Another good plan at this time of the year 

 is to let a few ducks into the kitchen garden 

 for half an hour or so every morning ; they 

 will destroy immense quantities of slugs, 

 snails, worms, and grubs. Replace all the 

 plants that have been destroyed by frost or 

 otherwise, and draw earth up to the stems. 



Carrots. Short-horn carrots, if sown on 

 a warm border now, will come into use in 

 May, and be very sweet and good. Sow 

 rather thickly, and thin to two inches 

 apart. 



Cauliflowers. These, which will be 

 under handglasses, should have all the 

 air, sun, and light possible, and gentle 

 showers in mild weather, where they are 

 protected from frost, cold winds, or heavy 

 rains. Dust them also occasionally with 

 lime, to destroy slugs, and stir the earth 

 about the roots. 



Crops, Distribution of Ground to. The 

 advantage of having early crops is great, 

 but they should be proportioned to the 

 extent of room, the time they last, or the 

 wants of the family. A square rod of 

 ground will generally be sufficient for early 

 sowings of most of the principal crops, but 

 herbs and salads will do with less, and it is 

 best to look forward to what is to be done 

 during the whole season, and calculate to 



a nicety what can be grown on every part 

 without wasting room, or crowding or over- 

 cropping, and exhausting the soil beyond 

 the power of manure to restore it. It may 

 seem advisable to make early use of the 

 ground, and get it three-parts cropped in 

 February ; but in May and June it will be 

 seen that a fatal error has been committed. 



Horseradish. The smallest piece of the 

 pungent acrid root known as horseradish 

 will grow, but it is better to set the crown 

 with a small portion of the root attached 

 to it. The ground must be dug very 

 deeply, and the sets placed in rows about 

 1 8 inches apart and 9 inches from each 

 other in the rows. Deep holes are made 

 in the newly-dug earth at these distances, 

 and the sets dropped into them ; after 

 which the holes are filled up with sand. 



Lettuces and Small Salading. Lettuces 

 should be sown now for succession. Mus- 

 tard and cress may be sown under hand- 

 glasses. American cress, which is much 

 the same as watercress, may also be sown 

 on a sunny border ; it is very useful for 

 salading, and easily cultivated. Lettuces 

 in the open ground under walls should be 

 protected against injury from slugs, birds, 

 &c. 



Onions and Leeks. Onions for salading 

 may be sown on a warm border. A small 

 sowing of leeks may be made at the same 

 time and in the same manner, but not 

 quite so thick. The ground for the main 

 crops should now be thoroughly trenched 

 and heavily manured, the surface being left 

 rough so that the frost may act upon it. 

 A top dressing of soot once a fortnight, or 

 even oftener if the weather be rainy, will 

 have a very groat effect upon the onion 

 crop, and will prove an effectual remedy 

 against the maggot at the root, which so 

 often destroys the entire crop, especially 

 on highly-manured land. Some will sow 

 onions in February ; and later in the 

 season, when they are large enough, they 



