BROCCOLI.] 



PEACTICE OF HOETICULTUEE. 



[beans. 



having selected a piece of ground that has been 

 well trenched, manured, and, for years, worked 

 about for other crops, apply all the manure 

 that can be got in the shape of decayed vege- 

 tables, and good, sweet, rotten dung. Then 

 trench the ground three feet deep, and fork up 

 the sub-soil. This should be done iu February, 

 allowing the ground to remain until the 

 young plants (one or two years' seedlings) 

 have grown an inch, which will be the best 

 time for planting. The rows should be six 

 feet apart, and the seed sown four inches 

 apart in each row. "Where the ground is wet 

 and damp, and no expense spared to have the 

 best grass that can be raised, " it is advisable 

 to have a drain right under each row, of any 

 rough material ; and a very efficient one can 

 be made with bundles of rough stakes (not 

 brushwood), which lasts ten or fifteen years. 

 The finest asparagus has been raised in this 

 way." To have asparagus in fine condition, 

 the third season after planting, a few may be 

 cut for use, but not too many ; and all through 

 the summer the berries should be gathered as 

 they make their appearance. 



BROCCOLI. 



Mr. Loudon tells us that, in the time of 

 Miller, the few broccolis then known were 

 supposed to have come from the cauliflower, 

 which was originally imported from the Isle of 

 Cyprus, about the middle of the sixteenth 

 century. Miller speaks of the white and 

 purple broccoli coming from Italy ; and it is 

 supposed that from these two sorts all the 

 subsequent kinds have sprung, either by 

 accident or intentional impregnations. To 

 cultivate this plant successfully, it requires a 

 deep, rich, and somewhat adhesive soil. The 

 ground should be kept clean, and all weeds 

 kept down. As broccoli is often cut off by 

 the frost, as many as possible should be 

 planted in sheltered situations. Mr. Hen- 

 derson says that the following is an excellent 

 plan for growing first-class broccoli: — "Prick 

 them out from the seed-bed nine inches apart 

 in July, choosing strong sturdy plants, dis- 

 carding all that are doubtful. Let the bed or 

 border be well prepared with plenty of manure 

 To get them strong and vigorous plants 

 biifore they are finally planted on a dry clay, 

 mark, with a spade or dibber, one yard 

 974 



away from their destined places. Take 

 out the mould from each successive place, 

 one foot wide and one foot deep ; pass it 

 through a coarse sieve, adding a teaspoonful 

 of guano, or a cupful of horse-dung. The 

 refuse clods or stones should be put in the 

 bottom of the hole, well broken up ; press the 

 earth down firmly with the foot, and then 

 plant the above sturdy, stout plants from the 

 bed or border, taking up with each plant 

 plenty of ball and earth. It is an excellent 

 plan, in hot, dry weather, which often prevails 

 when the Cape broccoli is put in the ground, 

 to sow the seed thinly in drills, where a por- 

 tion can be taken out, and the remainder left 

 for the crop." 



BEET. 



Red Beet is a biennial, and a native of the 

 sea-coast of the south of Europe. The white 

 beet is also a biennial, and is a native of the 

 sea-coasts of Spain and Portugal, and was 

 introduced into this country in 1570. The 

 sea-beet is a native of the shores of Britain, but 

 is not common. The field-beet, or mangold- 

 wurzel, is supposed to be a hybrid between 

 the red and white species of beet. This root 

 is best grown in a deep and somewhat sandy 

 soil. For salad beets no manure need be 

 used, as it is not requisite to have them large. 

 Ground well pulverised, with plenty of the 

 manure of former years, well worked and 

 trenched three feet deep, is what this root 

 likes. For early use, a little should be sown 

 in the middle of February ; but for general 

 use, sowing should be done about the middle 

 of May, twelve inches from row to row, and 

 finally thinned out to about eight inches. 

 When the crop is taken up, store it in a cool 

 dry shed, covering it over with straw, after it 

 has thoroughly dried, among dry sand. 



BEANS (CLIMBING). 



The climbing section of beans are natives 

 of South America; and of late years there 

 have been some valuable additions made to 

 this class, excelling, both in tenderness and 

 prolificness, the French beans, and even the 

 Scarlet Eunners. None of this section should 

 be sown before the 10th of June, being strictly 

 late summer and autumn kinds : notwith- 

 standing, their growth is so rapid, and they 



