96 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



easy to work. There may, however, be special circumstances 

 which would make it advisable to get a particular crop earlier 

 or in greater abundance than is here provided for, and where 

 this is so the work must be arranged accordingly. If carrots 

 are wanted in the early part of April the bed should be made 

 up in the middle of December and the same routine followed, 

 except that radishes should be omitted, lettuces planted a little 

 further apart, and cauliflowers not set out until the beginning 

 of March. Or a crop of radish and lettuce can be taken by the 

 end of February and after the surface soil has been cleaned and 

 stirred the same two crops can be repeated with carrot, inter- 

 cropped with cauliflower at the end of April, though these latter 

 would be a month later than under the regular scheme. A 

 very useful plan is to make up the bed on the first of January, 

 take a crop of radishes, and after clearing the bed sow with 

 forcing turnips, which in turn would be followed by early celery 

 and endive. Turnips usually sell well and realise good prices 

 early in the season ; it is also wise to include turnips in the 

 series, because if the soil is cropped continuously with carrots 

 it will, after a few years, begin to yield inferior crops. 



Turnips. Make a square lattice of laths, ten each way, just 

 large enough to fit easily into the frame under one light. In 

 the middle of each place where two laths cross fix a peg, to 

 project one inch. Lay this frame or lattice on the soil, pegs 

 downward, and press down. In each hole made by the pegs 

 drop two or three turnip seeds. Rake gently to fill the holes, 

 water, close the lights, and keep close until the seedlings show, 

 then thin to single ones and give plenty of air. Keep the 

 soil moist; in fact it is necessary to water daily. Take the 

 lights off entirely whenever the weather is favourable. The 

 turnips will be ready for sale about the end of April. 



Hot-beds for Cloches. Hot-beds for cloches are begun as 

 soon as those for frames are finished about the last week 

 in January. All the operations are the same as for the 

 frame beds, except that compost is spread on the manure three 

 or four inches deep before the cloches are put in position. A 

 garden line is used so that the cloches are set out neatly, true 



