1046 



Gardening for Amateurs 



markets, but a few hundredweights may be 

 grown ; the main crop, however, should be 

 of the tap-rooted type, and this will gener- 

 ally realise 2s. 6d. to 3s. per cwt. 



Broccoli. The cultivation of Broccoli 

 in an ordinary season is generally profit- 

 able. Seeds sown in March and April will 

 give plants for main or late crop. Frequently 

 it is possible to use land which has grown an 

 early crop of Peas or Broad Beans ; too much 

 nitrogenous manure is not good for the crop, 

 inducing, as it does, much leafage and soft 

 stems which readily succumb to frosts. For 

 autumn and early winter cutting Michaelmas 

 White is an excellent sort. Latest of All and 

 Late Queen are both good for late cutting 

 in spring. Some years the crop may realise 

 from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per dozen (thirteen) heads, 

 and again at another time it may have to be 

 ploughed in owing to poor demand or over- 

 supply. Early Cauliflowers from Cornwall 

 and Devonshire compete rather severely with 

 this crop. 



Brussels Sprouts. This crop is fre- 

 quently planted between Peas or Runner 

 Beans. The rows of the latter are set out 

 4 feet apart, and the Sprouts are set out 

 down the centres. By this method the 

 ground is made to carry two crops with one 

 preparation. On the other hand, there are 

 times when both the Peas and Runners spoil 

 a good portion of the Sprouts on the lower 

 part of the stems. Seed may be sown from 

 the beginning to the end of March, though 

 some growers on cold, heavy land sow their 

 seed at the end of September and keep the 

 plants through the winter, planting them 

 out immediately the land can be got ready 

 in spring. Good sorts are Offenham and 

 Exhibition. Sometimes, according to dis- 

 trict and market, the Sprouts are sold on 

 the stems, realising so much per dozen. For 

 other markets the Sprouts must be gathered 

 and packed in hampers, usually 40 Ib. net. 

 Prices vary, according to the demand and 

 quality, from Is. to 6s. Gathering costs 4d. 

 to 5d. per 40 Ib. 



Cabbage. Most Cabbages grown for 

 market are sown in the autumn or late 

 summer for spring cutting. There is a 

 demand for spring-sown Cabbages, but it is 

 neither large nor reliable in a general way, 

 though here and there are districts for which 



it pays to grow Cabbages for autumn con- 

 sumption. For use in spring almost every 

 district has a favourite time for sowing. 

 Somewhere about July 15th is an average 

 date, though in the warmer parts of the 

 country it may not be safe to sow before the 

 first week of August. Those growers who- 

 desire to realise big prices from their Cab- 

 bages in spring must not be parsimonious 

 in regard to the manure bill. The cost for 

 this crop is really heavy. Not only is there 

 the manuring of the land previous to plant- 

 ing, but in February and March feeding and 

 hoeing must begin. Peruvian guano, nitrate 

 of soda and nitrate of lime are all used in 

 the Cabbage-growing districts. When the 

 markets are favourable this heavy outlay 

 meets with a favourable return, as the stand- 

 ing crop may realise anything from 35 to 

 50 per acre. In such cases the grower has 

 nothing to do with marketing the crop ; he 

 simply makes an agreement with the buyer 

 for so much per acre and for the land to be 

 cleared by a certain date. In the Midlands 

 much of the crop is sold by the hamper. 

 The hampers contain from thirty to sixty 

 Cabbages ; much depends on their size. 

 Prices start at from 4s. to 5s. per hamper, 

 and drop down to Is., sometimes going as 

 low as 6d. Many thousands are sold by the 

 dozen in some districts ; in others, again, 

 they are sold by the tally. Growers soon 

 realise and adapt themselves to the various 

 methods of packing and selling of different 

 localities. 



Carrot. Some soils are specially adapted 

 for Carrots, and, given the right sort of land, 

 the crop is a paying one when well grown. 

 First crops are secured by sowing Short 

 Horn varieties on a warm border early in 

 March. When of a proper size, and sold 

 in bunches of from eight to twelve, 

 these meet with a fairly good demand. 

 Another method of securing early bunch 

 Carrots is to sow in July and let the young 

 roots stand through the winter. They are 

 then ready for pulling and bunching in spring 

 before the early sown ones, but are not of 

 such good quality. What is known as the 

 Intermediate type is best for main crop and 

 storing. These Carrots are usually sold by 

 the hundredweight in bags, and may make 

 from 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per cwt. A crop of 



