JULY. 



Seakale should have an abundance of 

 water, particularly young plants. Soot or 

 wood ashes strewn about them will, in a 

 great measure, prevent the attack of insects. 



Spinach. It is not advisable to sow this 

 month, unless for particular purposes ; but 

 the ground should be prepared for sowing 

 next month, particularly if the ground is 

 heavy. 



Sweet ffer&s.M'mt and such-like herbs 

 should be cut for drying just as they begin 

 to flower ; savory, sage, and others, may be 

 now propagated by cuttings or division ; 

 parsley and chervil may be sown now for 

 winter use. 



Tomatoes should be carefully trained, 

 and stopped as they grow. Stop just over 

 a bunch of flowers, and leave no more 

 shoots than can be conveniently trained. 

 Unless the ground is very dry, they do not 

 require watering, and will most probably do 

 best without it. 



Turnips. At the beginning of this 

 month a principal sowing should be made 

 for autumn and early winter use ; and 

 again, towards the end, another principal 

 sowing should be made. These will be 

 useful in winter and following spring. It is 

 better to sow broadcast, and not in drills, 

 and to use the large hoe continually till the 

 plants meet. Some, however, recommend 

 sowing in drills a foot apart, and sowing 

 soot, wood ashes, superphosphate of lime, 

 and other ingredients, at the same time. 

 The seed must be protected from birds. 



Vegetable Marrows will be in active 

 growth ; and where they are planted on a 

 manure heap, or if liberally mulched with 

 it, they will grow freely enough without 

 watering ; but, if planted on the common 

 soil, they should be freely watered in the 

 morning. 



Weeds. During this month it is very 

 necessary to keep the weeds down, as their 

 growth is very rapid in showery weather ; 

 it is also beneficial to crops to keep the 



7 JULY. 



ground stirred between them, and collect 

 all useless matter as fast as possibl*. 



Winter Crops , Preparation for. Pro- 

 bably this is the busiest month of the year 

 in the kitchen garden, both on account of 

 everything growing so fast, and because 

 many crops have ceased to be useful, and 

 must be removed and give place to othery. 

 We have to look forward to a long winter 

 and spring, when vegetation is stationary 

 or very slow : yet at that time it is neces- 

 sary to have suitable crops ; and now is the 

 time to prepare the ground and get them 

 in their places. Stiff soils should be dug 

 some time previous to cropping, especially 

 for sowing small seeds, as turnip. The soil 

 will dry in hard lumps at first ; but advan- 

 tage must be taken of the first shower that 

 wets the soil through, as it will then readily 

 fall to pieces under the rake. On light 

 soils this is of less consequence, and it is 

 as well to sow immediately after digging, 

 as the seeds vegetate quicker. 



Winter Crops: where to plant. It is 

 proper to observe that where rows of vege- 

 tables have previously grown, the ground 

 is usually dry and hard. However moist 

 the season has been, it will always be found 

 different to that 18 inches or so on either 

 side ; it is not, therefore, advisable to crop 

 immediately over the same spot ; the 

 difference will soon be observable between 

 the rows planted exactly where peas have 

 grown and those planted at the distance 

 indicated. It has been found best not to 

 plant winter crops on ground that has been 

 newly dug or trenched, and never knew 

 broccoli do so well as when planted on hard 

 ground that had not been dug since Feb- 

 ruary ; but when the plants had taken hold, 

 and began to grow, the ground was forked 

 over, and a dressing of manure worked in. 

 It is said by practised gardeners that 

 brassicse are far more liable to club on 

 loose or newly trenched ground ; but much 

 may depend on the nature of the soil. 



