vi VEGECULTURE 



be guilty of alluring gardeners from the straighter and more 

 useful paths of ordinary vegetable culture into those which 

 may prove somewhat uncertain, misty, and unprofitable. 

 However, while much valuable time and material can be wasted 

 in experiment and trial, there is no reason why a moderate 

 indulgence in " new " vegetables of repute should not be under- 

 taken by anyone who has sufficient room to spare and time and 

 means to afford all that may be required in special culture. 

 Some of these almost unknown and usually untried subjects 

 are real delicacies, and worthy of serious attention ; others, 

 again, have to be very well grown if they are to successfully 

 appeal to popular taste ; yet the very same thing may easily 

 have been said of the Potato and Tomato at the time of their 

 introduction to universal notice. 



The points I wish most to emphasize in this volume are : 

 The urgency of a more serious study of the soil, its composition 

 and functions ; a better acquaintance with the actual needs of 

 vegetables in the way of culture, rather than a elementary, 

 fragmentary, superficial knowledge of the soils, manures, and 

 general environment they may have affinity for. I grant that 

 elementary knowledge is useful, but it should be backed up by 

 a thorough appreciation of scientific basic facts ; for I main- 

 tain that a studious gardener can, by application of mental 

 and manual effort, wrest from the most ungrateful, unlikely 

 soil a fair return and is it not true that we all have no alter- 

 native but to make the best of what we possess, rather than 

 sigh and mourn because we have not the ideal ? 



The kitchen-garden is an integral part of household economy. 

 That fact is insufficiently realized by many a householder whose 

 chief source of anxiety lies in the upkeep of the domestic equi- 

 librium. There can be no doubt of this, because, if it were 

 otherwise, more vegetables would be grown ; even the smallest, 

 almost hopeless plot of land would be utilized in a laudable 

 attempt to produce something towards provisioning the home. 

 I am so impressed with these conditions that I feel I cannot do 

 better than devote much space in this book to the enlightenment 

 and encouragement of those who are unfortunately situated, 

 reviewing the black side as well as the brighter outlook, and 

 giving equal attention to the favourable and unfavourable. 

 It is an easy matter to lay down rules where everything seems 

 perfectly in balance and opportunity is great and advantageous ; 

 but it is far more interesting and difficult to lay down equally 

 effective rules for adverse circumstances. In this book through- 



