314 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



course, but in hot droughty periods the general supplies are 

 scarce, when the value of good cultivation will then be quickly 

 apparent, and the extra pains bestowed amply repaid. 



Manures : The whole culture of Spinach should be directed 

 towards obtaining a quick growth of large fleshy leaves. To 

 secure this result the soil must be made rich and retentive of 

 moisture in a state of movement, not stagnant, and the best 

 way to bring this condition about is to first see that the soil is 

 well drained, then work it deeply, double-digging being advis- 

 able when it can be done, adding at the same time generous 

 dressings of farmyard or stable manure. Deep working com- 

 bined with the humus of manure enables the soil to hold more 

 available moisture, provides an ample root-run, and supplies an 

 abundance of plant food, all of which are necessary to vigorous 

 leaf growth, and their provision is the best means of preventing 

 plants running prematurely to seed in dry weather the time 

 when Spinach is most likely to be scarce and bring a good 

 price. The manure should, if possible, be well decayed, but 

 this is not so imperative in the case of summer Spinach as for 

 most other crops. For summer crops the manure may be given 

 at the rate of from 20 to 40 tons per acre, according to the soil 

 and its fertility, and this may be advantageously supplemented 

 by several waterings with weak liquid manure or by nitrate of 

 soda at the rate of 2 cwt. to the acre, given in two applications, 

 one as soon as the plants have been thinned and the other a 

 fortnight later. For the winter crop the farmyard manure can 

 be reduced to half the above quantity. After the end of March 

 apply nitrate of soda as for the summer crop. 



Varieties : For summer the round-seeded varieties are used, 

 Victoria being a favourite amongst market growers ; but there 

 are several other sorts equally good, if not better, amongst 

 which may be mentioned Lettuce-leaved, Flanders, Monstrous 

 Viroflay, and Long-standing Round. For winter and spring 

 Large Prickly is the favourite, because of its supposed superior 

 hardiness, but it has been proved that the Lettuce-leaved and 

 Flanders pass through the winter quite as well as the Prickly 

 and make a more abundant growth in the spring, and as these 

 varieties sell in the market more readily they should have the 

 preference for autnmn sowing. 



