328 



On Cottage Gardening. 



which he may wish to cultivate for himself and family. This he 

 ought to arrange for himself, because without knowing the size of 

 the garden a writer can hardly give advice that would be useful 

 on this part of the subject ; but that he may not be left without 

 some kind of guide in this affair, we shall presume that he has 

 I a rood or 20 poles of garden, which is not more than is really 

 necessary for a married couple having three or four children. 

 Calculating then upon this quantity of ground, we shall set down 

 what we think should be the proportions of the crops respectively, 

 and which will serve as a scale to direct every cottager who may 

 have either more or less of the supposed quantity of 20 poles. 



We may next suppose that the piece of ground is in the shape 

 of a long square, 38 yards long and 16 yards wide or over. This 

 area will contain about 20 poles ; of this 19 yards in length must 

 be marked off at one end for potatoes, and which should be either 

 trenched or dug in autumn or winter, to be ready for planting in 

 the ensuing spring. This division will therefore lie fallow till 

 April. 



Next to thisj mark off 7 yards in length for cabbage, which 

 shovdd be dug and planted, as ah'eady directed, as soon after 

 Michaelmas as possible. About the middle of January let us 

 suppose that the second, fourth^ sixth, and eighth rows of the 

 young cabbage have been used, point over with the spade the 

 spaces where they stood, and immediately thereon dib in by line 

 6 rows of long-pod beans at 4 inches apart, and cover in. If the 

 ground be loose and puffy, tread it well before the beans are 

 dibbedin, as they strike root best in firm soil. 



Thus there are 19 yards left for potatoes, and 7 in length occu- 

 pied by cabbage, leaving 12 yards to be cropped in March and 

 April. This reserved portion may be divided into 4 parallel 

 beds of nearly 3 yards each : — the first parsnips ; then carrots ; 

 next onions ; and last a bed which may be a seed-bed of cabbage 

 sown with radish, lettuce, and early Dutch turnip. A narrow 

 slip of this last or uppermost bed may be parted off for potherbs, 

 flowers, &c. 



We have now set forth how the garden may be cropped in the 

 first year, and mentioned what we consider the most profitable 

 kinds ; but it is necessary to revert to the manner of sowing and 

 management during their growth, and here we may repeat that all 

 will be the better for a sprinkling of manure ; but as it is not likely 

 that this will abound, whatever can be got together must be 

 reserved for the potatoes. The other crops about to be particu- 

 larly noticed, may be assisted in their early growth by manured 

 water as already alluded to. 



Of the Parsnip. — This very nutritious root is luckily easily 

 cultivated, and when sown in drills on deeply dug or trenched 



