2l8 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



demand for vegetables is great, that 

 part crops must be planted as the 

 ground becomes vacant. Many 

 people plant Broccoli between rows 

 of Potatoes, and where the ground 

 is limited and the kind of Potatoes 

 grown are dwarf and planted a good 

 distance apart, it is doubtless a good 

 system. Where this system is 

 adopted the hardest pieces of land 

 should be selected ; the firmer the 

 land, the better the plants stand the 

 severity of the winter. They also 

 come into use more regularly in 

 rotation in their several seasons, and 

 form larger and closer hearts than if 

 planted in less compact soil. Plenty 

 of room to grow must be allowed 

 them. Supposing two rows of early 

 or second-early Potatoes are planted 

 from 20 in. to 2 ft. apart, there 

 should be two rows of Potatoes 

 between every two rows of Broccoli, 

 which will place the rows of Broccoli 

 about 3 ft. 6 in. or 4 ft. apart ; and 

 this distance is not too much, as it 

 gives both crops plenty of room to 

 develop themselves. The Potato 

 haulm should be turned from the 

 Broccoli to the unoccupied space 

 between each two rows of Potatoes. 

 It is now a common practice to 

 plant Broccoli with a crowbar ; the 

 holes are filled in with fine soil, 

 and afterwards thoroughly soaked 

 with water. 



Sowing axd Planting. — Though 

 June is the month in which most 

 plantations of Broccoli are made, 

 yet it is frequently July before the 

 work is done. Plants put out in 

 August will make nice heads, but 

 the sooner the planting is done after 

 the middle of June the better. 

 Though planting early ensures the 

 finest plants and largest heads, the 

 time of sowing or planting does not 

 materially affect the plants as regards 

 the time they come into use. The 

 time for sowing Broccoli-seed varies 



from February till April, according 

 to different localities ; as a rule, from 

 the end of March to the middle of 

 April is the best time if the weather 

 be genial. The best manner of 

 sowing is in shallow drills, 6 in. 

 apart, and, if the seed be good, it 

 should be sown thinly. The whole 

 sowing may be made at the same 

 time, and planted at the same time, 

 for convenience' sake ; and by plant- 

 ing many varieties a regular supply 

 throughout winter and spring may 

 be ensured when the winters are 

 mild — for it is certain that no prac- 

 tice as to time of sowing or planting 

 will ensure the heads forming at a 

 certain time, if during winter we 

 have protracted periods of frost or 

 cold, during which all growth is 

 at a standstill. Plants from sowings 

 made early in April will, under 

 favourable circumstances, be large 

 enough for pricking out by the 

 middle of May : they should have 

 a moderately rich, open border, 

 where they can have the benefit of 

 the sun to keep them strong and 

 sturdy. They should be pricked 

 out 7 or 8 in. apart from plant to 

 plant, and by the beginning of June 

 the ground should be prepared and 

 the plants finally planted out — 

 choosing a showery time, if possible. 

 Many people never transplant their 

 Broccoli previous to final planting ; 

 but where time can be spared, it is 

 much the best, as the plants get 

 stronger and better able to resist the 

 attacks of slugs, snails, etc., than 

 small plants put out direct from 

 the seed-bed. 



If practicable, the ground should 

 be trenched two or three spades 

 deep, or at least double-digged. 

 When there is not time for doing 

 either of these, then the ground 

 must be dug over a spade deep 

 only, taking care to break the soil 

 up thoroughly, as deeply as a good 



