November i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
443 
Knol Khol ok Koiir, Raw — Turnip Rooted Cabbage 
(Urassica oleracea caulo rapa). 
mil , I m ' ,.1 iced >it a distance "f eighteen inches between 
the rows, ami al)out twelve inches from plant to plant. 
The soil in which they are grown can hardly he made 
too rich, and as soon as the plants commence growing 
Freely, I hey should be supplied with frequent dressings 
duce the plants to make a rapid, vigorous growth, other- 
wise they invariably become tough and fibrous. They 
are hest suited for the table when ahout the size of a 
cricket ball. 
Leek (Allium pprrtm). 
The leek is but little cultivated in Bengal, and is 
rarely to be found in our markets. This is certainly 
not owing to any diiliculty in its cultivation, for, pro- 
viding good seed is procured, it can be grown most 
successfully with proper treatment. 
Seed should bo sown early in October or as soon as 
the rains aro over, in a light, rich soil. When the 
plants are ahout six inches high, they should be trans- 
planted into trenches prepared in the samo way as for 
celery, but they need not be more than eight inches 
wide. The plant should be placed in the rows at a dis- 
tance of not more than five or six inches apart. In 
Hunting, the seedlings should he placed at least three 
inches deep in the soil, and as they increase in growth, 
should have some light, rich soil drawn round the stems 
to insure their being properly blanched. They must be 
kept liberally supplied with water, and aro also much 
beneiited by frequent dressings of strong liquid manure. 
The Lettuce (Lactuca tativa). 
Lettuces are especially partial to an open, deeply 
worked, and well enriched soil, and to an abundant 
supply of moisturo throughout their whole growth. Not 
only is this necessary to insure a free growth, but also 
to secure such an amount of crispness and natural 
Buccnleucy as alono .constitute the highest merits of 
this important salad plant. The lettuce is divided into 
two distinct groups, namely, tho cos aud the cabbage 
varieties, both of which thrive equally well in this 
country, although probably the cabbage varioties aro best 
adapted for very early crops being of a harder nature. 
Bowings may bo made for an early crop in pans or boxes 
in August or September, and as soon as they have 
formed four leaves, should bo transplanted into well 
nii-cd beds. They must, however, be protected from 
heavy rains, otherwise they are liable to damp oil*. For 
iiniin Drops after tho rains are over, sowings should bo 
modo in the open ground in drills twelve inches apart. 
As BOOH as the plants arc sufficiently strong, they should 
M thinned out in the rows, leaving nine to twelve 
inches between the plants of the cos varieties, and fifteen 
inches for the larger kinds of cabbage. The plants that 
are removed from tho drills should bo transplanted into 
a lied of rich soil anil carefully shaded for t)u - ee or 
'four days. Those will form a good suecessional crop to 
1 those left in the original bed, although they will not 
bo equal to them in size, as tho Muest lettuces are 
always produced from the plants that aro allowed to 
remain in the place where the seed is sown. As soon 
Uthe plants are l.irge enough a few should be tied 
un at Intervals of three or four days to blanch them. 
Hfcl operation must only be performed when the plants 
it is almi 
In such 
are quite dry ; it is therefore best done in the after- 
noon of a bright sunny day. After being tied up care 
must be taken not to water the plants overhead, other- 
wise the water settling between the leaves frequently 
is particularly partial to the seed of this 
gardens much infested with this insect 
issihle to raise plants in the open ground. 
' it is necessary to sow the seed in pans 
with coarse soorkee or gravel, to which 
a small quantity of leaf mould. Theso 
must be placed in such a position that the ants cannot 
get to them; this is easily managed by procuring gum- 
lahs about the size of ordinary seed pans ; fill those 
with water and then invert au ordinary six or eight- 
inch flower pot in each, on which must be placed the 
pans or boxes. If care is taken that the gumlahs are 
kept constantly tilled with water, this will form an 
effectual hairier to ants or any other insect. 
The Melon (Cucumis meloj. 
Innumerable attempts have been made in this country 
to cultivate the many varieties of melon now so much 
grown in England, but invariably, I believe, without 
success. There are various reasons adduced as to the 
cause of tliis :— some attributing it to the climate, others 
to the ravages of a particular kind of beetle, which, 
strange to say, has a happy knack of always turning 
up wherever a plant of the melon or cucumber family 
grown from imported seed is to be found, and yet 
they leave plants raised from indigenous seed entirely 
unmolested. Possibly this insect acts on the same 
principle as the mosquito which is well known to have 
a peculiar penchant for new comers. I do not think 
either of these reasons sufficient to account for such 
an invariable failure — in the first place as regards climate. 
In England they are generally grown at an average day 
temperature of eighty-five aud a night temperature of 
about seventy degrees. In most parts of Bengal at 
certain seasons of the year there would be but little 
difficulty in keeping a glass house or frame at the above 
temperature, and with reference to the insect theory, 
it is certainly, if not actually, a myth — at least con- 
siderably over-estimated, for, admitting the presence of 
the pest, still it is ouite easy to protect the plants 
from its ravages. 
Till such time as some better reason is brought for- 
ward to thoroughly convince the most sceptical of tho 
impracticability of its culture, we ought certainly to 
persevere, as possibly by some happy chapter of accidents 
it may eventually fall to the lot of some fortunate 
amateur to discover a method by which we may be 
able to have a Hero of Bath or "Scarlet Gem" on 
our tables at a tenth of tho cost it takes to produce 
them by our more fortunate friends at home. 
There arc one or two kinds of melon (Kurbooza) 
extensively grown in Bengal. These probably originally 
came from Cabool. They have, however, become quite 
domesticated here, and require but little caro in their 
cultivation beyond being planted in a light, rich, sandy 
soil and liberally supplied with water. Closely allied 
to tho melon we have tho phootee (Cucumis mormodica). 
This is cultivated in the same manner as the preceding, 
but is very inferior to it in flavour. 
The Mushroom (Agariem eseulenttut). 
Although mushrooms aro found growing wild in mauy 
parts of Bengal, it seems donbtful if any of theso are 
tho truo Agarica* eampesttis so extensively cultivated 
all over Europe, although probably they aro closely 
allied to it. Very few attempts have been made to 
cultivate the mushroom artificially amongst us, although 
wo have every convenience at command, the only difficulty 
being to procure good spawn. This may ho overcome 
by importing it from Europe at tho commencement of 
tho cold season, and probably even it might bo artificially 
produced hero by the same method as adopted in Eurojx?. 
