KITCHEN-GARDEN VEGETABLES. 
slender trailing stems, wavy, toothed leaves, 
sometimes blotched with gray and rough to the 
touch ; the fruits vary in size and shape, but the 
ordinary size is about 9 inches in length and of 
Fig. 1292.—Turnip—Teltow. 
the shape shown in the figure. They are most 
palatable when cooked before they have attained 
full size. Indeed, it is only when the fruits are 
in this state that the term “‘Vegetable Marrow” 
may be said to be quite appropriate. Not only 
are the small fruits the most delicately flavoured 
but their close removal serves to keep the plants 
in a vigorous productive state, whereas when 
most of the fruits that form early in the season 
are allowed to attain a great size, and partially 
mature seeds, this so exhausts the plants as 
to prevent them from cropping continuously. 
During a hot and dry summer Vegetable Mar- 
rows are among the few green vegetables avail- 
able for the London and other markets in 
quantity, and in this case moderately large fruit 
pay best. © 
Cultwre.—Their cultural requirements are of 
the simplest description. It is quite a mistake to 
imagine that a great heap of decaying manure 
is absolutely necessary for them. On the con- 
trary, they can be successfully grown without 
any more manure than has been dug into the 
ground for early Potatoes, and they may be 
either planted among early maturing short- 
topped varieties of the latter, or, in the southern 
counties, be even sown among them from the 
middle to the end of May, with every prospect 
of their doing well. Single plants from pots 
on small hillocks 4 feet apart each way, distri- 
buted through the Potato patch, and allowed 
to spread and crop as they will, give excellent 
results. 
The market-grower’s plan ought to commend 
itself to private gardeners. It is as follows :— 
Mark out trenches, in a sunny spot, 4 feet wide 
with 4 feet intervals; throw out the best of 
the top spit and wheel in from 12 inches to 18 
inches of warm or only half-decayed manure. 
Make this firm, and bank over with the soil 
thrown out, a depth of 9 inches being required. 
Sow the seeds late in April; and place in gentle 
heat with a view to having plants ready for the 
beds from the middle to the end of May, ac- 
cording to whether protection can be afforded 
or not. If it is not possible to raise the 
requisite number of plants under glass, sow the 
seeds in the beds where plants are wanted, the 
third or last week in May being early enough 
to do this. The plants may be put out at a dis- 
tance of 3 feet apart through the centre of the 
bed, after all danger from frosts 1s thought past. 
If hand-lights or bell-glasses can be afforded, 
for giving the plants a good start, by all means 
use them, gradually withdrawing them when 
the plants need more room. A variety of other 
substitutes, including old baskets, market-sieves, 
benders, and oiled paper, or even branches of 
evergreens, are better than no protection at all. 
In dry weather give water occasionally, but after 
Fig. 1293.—Turnip—Yellow Finland. 
they are well established it is not often water is 
afforded. Where the wind is lable to twist the 
trailing stems about, peg down the leading 
growths with strong wooden pegs, but there 
will be little if anything gained by stopping 
any of the growths. Plants grown under 
