664 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



tion of fine large leaves be aimed 

 at. The last summer crop should be 

 sown on a well-prepared border or 

 quarter about the middle of July, in 

 drills about i8 in. apart; this will 

 yield a good supply of fine large 

 leaves till October is out. 



- For the late or winter crop, 

 prepare about the end of July a 

 border or sheltered quarter ; apply a 

 good coating of thoroughly decayed 

 manure, trench the ground well and 

 cast it up into ridges, so as to expose 

 as great a surface as possible to the 

 influence of the atmosphere. Any 

 dry day till August loth or 12th 

 cast down the ridges and pulverise 

 with a steel fork, so as to sweeten 

 and incorporate all together. Then 

 draw lines i ft. apart and sow 

 the hardy Prickly variety. As the 

 plants advance, thin them out from 

 6 to 9 in. apart, and maintain a 

 healthy and vigorous growth by 

 constant surface stirrings in suitable 

 weather: this, if attended to, pre- 

 vents canker, and encourages the 

 production of an abundance of fine 

 leaves for use every day through- 

 out the winter. Timely forethought 

 should be taken to shelter a portion 

 with a row of short stakes about 

 18 in. high, interwoven with fern, 

 straw, evergreen branches, furze, 

 heath, or other material, which 

 should be neatly applied, and also 

 made wind-proof. Thatched hurdles 

 or frames, cheaply made of battens 

 tacked together and thatched, might 

 also be used for the purpose of pro- 

 tecting from frost. The last sowing, 

 to supply leaves in the spring, 

 generally consists of the Prickly 

 variety. The time to sow this crop, 

 however, depends upon the locality. 

 If sown too soon, it runs to seed 

 the same season, and is useless. 

 To sow it late enough to have a 

 crop of leaves without the plants 

 throwing up their flowering stems 



is what has to be aimed at, and 

 for this reason many sow twice for 

 the winter crops. In some parts of 

 Scotland and the north of England 

 the middle of August is not too 

 soon, while in the south it is not 

 often safe to sow before the end of 

 September; but a practical acquaint- 

 ance with the climate and locality 

 will generally be the best guide. 

 This crop is often sown after 

 Potatoes or Onions. The winter 

 crop will generally afford a good 

 supply of leaves till nearly the 

 beginning of June, by which time 

 the Round or Summer Spinach will 

 be coming in in abundance. 



A deep, rich, moist soil is neces- 

 sary to grow good Spinach ; and if 

 liberal supplies of liquid manure 

 be given to summer crops, a great 

 advantage will be gained thereby. 

 Some care is required in picking 

 Spinach, especially in winter, when 

 the growth is often not equal to 

 the demand. Indiscriminate picking 

 will soon ruin the crop ; the largest 

 leaves should therefore be taken 

 first, and picked off singly, so as to 

 avoid injuring the plants. 



Culture for Market. — Eng- 

 lish market-gardeners seldom grow 

 Spinach as a summer crop, as it 

 "bolts" or runs to seed before 

 many leaves have been gathered 

 from it, and in that case it is by 

 no means a profitable crop. The 

 Round-leaved sort is that which is 

 used for spring sowings, the first 

 of which is made in February, a 

 second about March ist, and another 

 sowing or two at an interval of three 

 weeks or thereabouts, just as space 

 and convenience permit. The latest 

 spring sowings are made on a damp, 

 cool piece of ground, provided such 

 can be obtained, as, thus circum- 

 stanced, better leaves are produced 

 in hot weather than on dry and 

 warm soils. In July, if the weather 



