KITCHEN GARDEN, 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



proving the growth of asparagus. Meat pickle 

 or brine is still better. 



BEANS, ENGLISH (Vicia faba}. Plant very 

 early in the spring, in rows. Broad Windsor 

 and Mazagan are the best varieties. 



Bush Leans (Phaseohts tm/garis). The Early 

 Six weeks, China red-eye, and Red speckled 

 Valentine, are among the earlier ; the Valen- 

 tine, Mohawk, and Marrow are very superior 

 varieties. They may be planted for the first 

 and succession crops from the middle of spring 

 till the close of summer; the usual mode of 

 culture is in rows, two or three in a clump, at 

 intervals of 10 or 12 inches. 



Pole or Climbing; Beans (P. multiflorus). The 

 best varieties are the Lima, Carolina, White 

 Dutch, Red and White Cranberry, and Lon- 

 don Horticultural. The Limas are tender, 

 and should not be planted till the close of 

 spring. They may be forwarded by sprouting 

 them in a hotbed, and transplanting them into 

 hills 4 feet distant from each other. Poles 

 8 or 10 feet long should be put into the ground 

 before planting, and (if of seed) 6 or 8 planted 

 round each pole, as the seed is apt to rot in 

 cold or damp weather. Thin them afterwards, 

 leaving three or four good plants in each hill. 

 The London Horticultural is an excellent va- 

 riety, and may be used for the Lima in those 

 districts where the Lima frequently fails to 

 ripen. See BEANS. 



BEET (Etta iw/goris). The Turnip-rooted and 

 Long Blood-red are generally esteemed the best 

 for table use. The turnip-rooted is somewhat 

 earlier than the long, and is equally good for 

 winter use. Sow in drills from early in the 

 spring till the commencement of summer. The 

 plants should stand 6 or 8 inches apart in the 

 drills, but the seed should be put in thick, to 

 secure a full crop. A good plan is to drop 

 several seeds together at proper distances, and 

 when up remove all but the strongest. 



Swiss Chard (Beta ric/a), is much grown in 

 Germany and Switzerland, and used as chart 

 or asparagus. The laminae or thin parts ol 

 the leaves, are eaten as spinage or put in 

 soaps; and the stalk or midrib is boiled, am 

 e'.tten with melted butter or gravy like aspara 

 gus. The culture is the same as for the bloo< 

 beet, but the leaves are much larger, and 

 greater space should be left between the plants 

 on that account. See BKET. 



CABBAGE (Brassica olcracea van capitatd). 

 The earliest variety is the Early York ; next 

 the Early Sugarloaf,and Landreth's large York ; 

 Early Battersea is late in the summer. The 

 flat Dutch and Drumhead are for winter use, 

 and red Dutch for pickling. Early and sum- 

 mer varieties are usually sown in seedbeds 

 early in autumn, protected therein or in cold 

 frames, during winter, and transplanted early 

 in the spring. Where the climate is mild, and 

 the land light and dry, they are planted in the 

 autumn, in which case they head earlier than 

 those put out in spring. 



Should a supply of plants not have been ob- 

 tained in autumn, sow in a hotbed very early 

 in spring, or somewhat later, on a warm border 

 in the open air. But let it be borne in mind 

 that in no case can fine cabbage (especially 

 the earlier kinds) be had, unless on heavily 



nanured and well-tilled land heavy or strong 

 oamy soil is best adapted to this crop. 



For winter sorts, sow in a seedbed in the 

 middle or latter end of spring, and transplant 

 early in summer. To have these kinds to head 

 early in autumn, sow at the same time as the 

 early sorts. To preserve from the cabbage-fly, 

 sow in boxes elevated two or three feet above 

 ;he surface, and as soon as the plants are es- 

 ablished, place them on the ground, lest the 

 slants burn up. To keep them during winter, 

 sury the stalk and part of the head with earth, 

 over which, if the cold be severe, sprinkle 

 straw, or put in a cold frame. 



Savoys and Brussels Sprouts (B. oleracea var. 

 bullata*), are good for winter use, and become 

 very tender after being touched by frost. Cul- 

 tivate as winter cabbage. 



Borecole, Kale, &c. (B. oleracea var. acephala), 

 may be treated as winter cabbages. They are 

 said by Bridgeman to. be delicious when ren- 

 dered tender by smart frosts ; and to be valu- 

 able plants to cultivate, particularly in the 



Southern States, as they will there be in the 

 greatest perfection in the winter months ; they 

 will also, if planted in a gravelly soil, and in 

 a sheltered, warm situation, bear the winter of 

 the Western States ; and may be kept in great 

 perfection in the Eastern States, if taken up 

 before the frost sets in with much severity, and 

 placed in trenches up to their lower leaves, and 

 then covered with straw or other light cover- 

 ing. See CABBAGE. 



Broccoli and Cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botry^ 

 <w). Purple Cape broccoli is decidedly the best 

 of many varieties. Sow in seedbeds in the mid- 

 dle of spring, and transplant and manage gene- 

 rally as winter cabbage. Early Asiatic cauli- 

 flower is sown in seedbeds in the beginning of 

 autumn, kept in a cold frame during winter, and 

 transplanted to very rich ground as soon as 

 the frost ceases. Hand glasses or boxes put 

 over them at night, when they are first put out, 

 are useful. The late variety matures in au- 

 tumn, and is sown at the same time, and man- 

 aged like Cape broccoli. It is, however, not so 

 sure to succeed as the broccoli, nor is it a bet- 

 ter vegetable when obtained. See BROCCOLI. 



CARROT (Daucus carota var. hortensis}. The 

 Early Horn is best for table use. The Long 

 Orange is more productive. The Altringham 

 produces great crops, and is suitable to raise 

 for horses and cattle. Sow the seeds in the mid- 

 dle of spring, in a rich, sandy loam, well pul- 

 verized, in rows a foot apart, cover about half 

 an inch deep, and thin the plants to 4 inches 

 distance. Gather the crop soon after the first 

 hard frost, and keep them in a cave or warm 

 cellar. See CARROT. 



CELERT (Jlpium graveolens'). Sow the seed 

 early in spring, in rich, mellow ground, and in 

 a situation where the plants can be protected 

 from the parching heat of the sun. It can 

 either be sown broadcast or in drills, if in drills, 

 they may be half an inch deep and 6 inches 

 apart, that a small hoe may be worked between 

 them. Plant out in July, in a piece of rich 

 ground, in an open exposure, in trenches 8 or 

 10 inches wide, and allow the space of 4 feet 

 between them. Dig each trench a spade deep, 

 laying the earth equally on each side, and 



687 



