JANUARY 159 



troubles, that in his estimation the ideal food for the 

 human race was Potatoes and skimmed or separated milk, 

 all the nourishing properties of milk being there, the cream 

 containing nothing but the fat, which stout people are 

 better without. It is quite curious how few even educated 

 people know or believe this. Skimmed or separated milk 

 is constantly thrown away as useless, or given to the pigs ; 

 whereas it is very much better for adults than new milk, 

 if they are eating other foods. 



Modern science has made it quite easy, by using pre- 

 ventives in time, to keep down the Potato disease ; but in 

 spite of all this certain losses of crops are sure to occur, 

 and the all-important thing is to cultivate the vegetables 

 which would probably succeed best in the mild wet 

 autumns so dangerous to the Potato crop. 



Where land and manure are forthcoming, seeds 

 which should be of the best represent the principal 

 outlay in the growing of vegetables. It is much more 

 prudent to make many sowings in succession than to sow 

 a great quantity at once. It is said that a Cabbage may 

 grow anywhere and anyhow, that it will thrive on any 

 soil, and that the seed may be sown every day in the 

 year. All this is nearly true, and proves that we have a 

 wonderful plant to deal with, and that it is one of man's 

 best friends. Linnaeus, the great botanist, mentions 

 that he found it the only vegetable growing on the borders 

 of the Arctic Circle. The Cabbage has one persistent 

 plague only, and that is club or anbury, for which there 

 is no direct remedy or preventive known ; and the best 

 indirect way of fighting the enemy is our old friend elbow- 

 grease or hard work. The crop should constantly be 

 moved ; never grown twice in the same place, either as a 

 seed bed or planted out, without well digging or tilling 

 the ground, putting it to other uses and well manuring 

 it. All the Cabbage tribe are great consumers, hence 



