465 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Very often a breadth of these Cabbage Sprouts renders 

 the growing of a special supply of plants for summer 

 cutting undesirable. If seeds be sown in May of the 

 Si. John's Cabbage a capital autumn heading variety is 

 obtained. W hite Cabbages suffer somewhat during hot, 

 dry weather from the attacks of the Cabbage moth, 

 which, depositing egg-- freely, soon become caterpillars, 

 and these prey on the leaves most mercilessly, rendering 

 them unfit for food. Hand-picking may do much to get 

 rid ol these pests, and sprinkling of fine salt on the 

 heads in the evening, followed by washings of clear 

 water in the morning, do great good. Dustings of lime, 

 soot, or similar products are unfitted for Cabbages, which 

 could not well be removed from them. Where the 

 sod l.e exceptionally hot and dry it is not wise to grow 

 Cabbages in hot weather. Still, the effects of hot sun 

 may Le much mitigated by using long manure for a 

 surface mulch about ihe plants. 



Cabbages, Savoy. -These are readily distinguishable 

 from while or other Cabbages by their corrugated or 

 puffed leafage, showing, doubtless, some association with 

 (he old curled Kales. They have the credit of being the 

 hardiest ol all Cabbages, but that credit depends very 

 much on the time of sowing seed and the variety. The 

 largest of all is the Drumhead, a favourite with the 

 market growers, being so useful for the production of huge 

 hard heads in the fields. Hut it nut unfrequenllv 

 happens that if the autumn be mild the heads turn in 

 too early, and then sharp frosts materially injure them. 

 The earliest and smallest is Tom Thumb, a variety that 

 can be planted out at but I2in. apart. Next come the 

 Early (Jim, a little later and larger, and also the Dwarf 

 Green Curled, which being a little larger, needs rather 

 more room, and makes a capital succession. These latter 

 three varieties are much the best, and should be alone grown. 

 Seed should not be sown until the middle of June, so as 

 to have strong plants to put out in August and early 

 September. These would heart in from Christmas on to 

 the end of March, and prove to be most acceptable food. 

 The leafage of these Savoys is soft and marrowy, and 

 has a particular flavour. The large Drumheads are 

 rather strong-flavoured, and emit a strong odour when in 

 the process of cooking. As they heart in at a time of 

 the year when other vegetables are scarce they merit high 

 consideration. Of course planting in the summer 

 depends largely on the weather, but if drought renders 

 the work difficult one or two good waterings soon after 

 planting are of great help in securing root action. 



Capsicums and Chilis. — There are numerous varieties 

 ol the Capsicum, the Chili being practically a section 

 producing somewhat smaller fruits, and of dwarfer habit 

 of growth. The large- fruited Capsicum is represented 

 by the Giant Red and Yellow ; also others, both red and 

 yellow, the fruits of which are of moderate size, and 

 when ripe make the plants distinctly ornamental. Of 

 Chilis, the Coral Red, Tom Thumb, Pigmy, and others 

 are very handsome plants. The fruits of the entire 

 section, being very hot, are used chiefly for pickling, but 

 several make pretty decorative plants. Seed may be 

 sown in shallow pots thinly in March or April, under 

 glass and in a gentle heat. Later, when strong enough, 

 the plants have to be shifted into small pots singly ; then 

 finally into bin. pots in which to fruit. So treated they 

 should be kept in a frame or greenhouse. Plants, when 

 strong, may be turned out of pots on to a warm border, 

 where they will fruit freely. 



Carrot, The. — This root-vegetable likes a deep sandy soil, 

 but gardens of course vary greatly, and it is an excellent 

 gardening axiom that where soils are unfavourable 

 naturally they must be rendered suitable by cultivation. 

 Thus we seldom hear of Carrots failing. It is essential 

 to well dig the soil by trenching and manuring, but it is 

 not a good practice, in the case of large roots intended to 

 form the main or winter crops, to have the manure near the 

 surface. Bury it well dow n beneath the top spit of soil, 

 as in that way the ma n tap root is encouraged to go 

 down deep, and fine straight roots usually result. If the 

 manure be applied fresh near the surface, it tends to 



encourage the formation of side or forked roots, which 

 destroy a symmetrical appearance and lead to waste. It 

 is well to let Carrots follow after Celery or a similar crop 

 that has been liberally manured, as in such a case the 

 soil is deep and in good condition. In the case of early 

 beds or warm borders, add some warm fresh manure 

 fairly well buried, this promoting quick germination and 

 rapid growth. The variety used for such sowing should 

 be one of the Short Horns, which should be pulled when 

 quite young and succulent. When the soil upon which 

 the Carrots are to be sown is stiff and tenacious, intermix 

 with it a liberal dressing of wood ashes, burnt refuse, old 

 leaf soil, road or street sweepi gs, or other gritty materials. 

 Cover up the seeds, after being sown in the drills, with 

 such mixture. Well pulverised soils do not need these 

 gritty dressings, but wood ashes are invariably helpful to 

 Carrots. The earliest sowing should be of the little 

 French Horn or Early Gem, made either in a frame 

 placed upon a dung bed to give heat or in a mere wooden 

 frame placed on the ground under a warm wall or fenc, 

 this being nearly filled to the surface with fine soil. In 

 both cases sow the seed thinly in very shallow drills 

 drawn by the hand 6in. apart, covered up, gently pressed, 

 and well watered. Then place a glass light over the frame. 

 Carrots thus raised need no other thinning than is carried 

 out by pulling the strongest as soon as they have made 

 roots about 2in. long, as so grown they are of delicious 

 quality. Such sowings may be made early in January. 

 A successional sowing on a warm border, and in drills of 

 loin, apart, may be made early in February, but this 

 time use the Early Nantes, a pleasing short Carrot, that 

 usually does not exceed a length of 6in. and does not 

 taper. It is very tender, succulent, and superior to any 

 other Carrot for the table. Those who appreciate 

 this Carrot may make yet a further sowing about 

 the middle of April in the same way, but on 

 more exposed ground, for succession, and, finally, 

 a last sowing about the middle of July on well- 

 dug, thoroughly pulverised ground that had previously 

 carried early Peas or Potatoes. Such a late sowing as 

 this will furnish a fine crop of roots to pull from all 

 through the winter. The rows in this case maybe I2in. 

 apart to permit cleaning in between, but the thinning 

 should be moderate as before. Should severe weather 

 intervene during the winter, cover the bed with straw 

 litter, fern, or heather, so that the roots can be pulled as 

 required. What is commonly known as the main crop is 

 furnished by a sowing made in a large bed at the end of 

 March or early in April. The soil for this sowing 

 must be deeply worked and the surface made fine, 

 letting the drills be about iin. deep and from i2in. to 

 14m. apart. The variety most commonly sown now is 

 the St. Valery, Matchless, or the New Intermediate, a long 

 tapering kind, that usually produces roots of good size 

 and weight. They are rather too large for the table, but 

 are excellent cut up for soups and stews, and many prefer 

 them when cooked whole. The plants should be thinned 

 early to oin. api.rt in the rows, and on no account disturb 

 the soil in the process of thinning, so that it is better to 

 cut off the young ones with a sharp hoe. Loosening the 

 soil about the plants facilitates the attacks of the Carrot 

 maggot. The best remedy for this pest is to dust the 

 rows of young plants frequently with soot, as that keeps 

 off, too, the Celery fly, which deposits on the plants the 

 eggs producing the maggot. An occasional liberal 

 watering with soot water is helpful. Use the hoe freely 

 between the rows after thinning is over, but beyond 

 keeping weeds down little else can be done. Lifting of 

 the roots may be done in November, the tops being 

 trimmed off neatly, and the roots cleansed by rubbing off 

 the soil. Then stack them away neatly in a cool, airy 

 shed in fine sand or ashes for the winter. Carrots some- 

 times suffer from the attacks of green fly or aphis. The 

 best remedy is found in liberal waterings and soot 

 dressings, as the plants then grow too strong to be 

 injured. The best varieties of Carrots are those named, 

 viz.. Early Short Horn or F'arly Gem, Early Nanles or 

 Early French Horn, Scarlet Champion, a thick blunt 



