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qj|j 34 SUGGESTIONS FOR AN IMPROVED ROTATION IN VEGETABLE CULTURE. |P 
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pended in a basket in an Orchid house, or the -warmest and most humid part of the stove, and it 
should be planted in porous materials, such as sphagnum, peat-charcoal, and half decomposed 
leaves. Water at all times cautiously at the root, but in the growing season syringe lightly twice 
or thrice a day. Shade from bright bight in the summer season. The temperature in the summer 
season should not fall below 60°, nor below 50° during the winter. The Eillbergias are propa- 
gated by seed, but more frequently by division of the plants. — A. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR AN IMPROVED ROTATION IN VEGETABLE CULTURE. 
By Mr. E. EKRINGTON, Gardener to Sir P. de Malpas G. Egerton, Bart., Oulton Park, Cheshire. 
fHAT the times we live in are notorious for progress, is a truism which needs no illustration ; and 
amongst other horticultural matters, our old English kitchen gardening must needs come in for its 
share. Although, hitherto, our culinary crops, in the main, have been assigned to their respective 
positions, on the unsystematic ground of necessity, I see no reason why some attempt at generalization 
should not take place. Everything hitherto propounded as to rotations, appears too fragmentary, and 
isolate to deserve the name of system. And, for my own part, in attempting to throw an additional 
light on this interesting subject, I do not for a moment suppose that I can place the whole affair on a 
perfectly satisfactory basis. The utmost I aim at is, to offer hints — certainly the result of experience — 
which may assist some of the ardent minds of the rising generation of young gardeners, with whom, 
in combination with horticultural or agricultural chemists, the solution of the problem must rest. 
I submit, then, that whatever be the soil or situation, the only way to approach the subject of 
rotation of crops in kitchen gardens, is by classifying the whole in such a way as that any one shall, 
at all tunes, not only be suited with the necessary conditions, but that it shall be decidedly instrumental 
in preparing the soil for its successors ; and this with a minimum amount of labour and manure. It is 
well known to all practical men, what a difficulty exists in nearly all gardens, in obtaining the necessary 
change for the various members of the Brassica family ; from some of which a garden is no part of the 
year totally free. All the Brocolies, the Cauliflowers, the Cabbages, the Savoys, Kales, Brussels' 
sprouts, &c, constitute such a large group, and follow in such quick succession, that unless special 
means are taken (based on some well digested system which may secure as far as art can do a rotation), 
the soil is never entirely free of the contamination arising from such vegetable debris. It is useless 
to term this case simply exhaustion : it is that, and something more. "Were it mere exhaustion, we 
should at all times be able to get over the difficulty by extra manuring. I have known, however, 
numberless cases, in which all the manure in the compost-yard would not force a crop of good Brocoli j 
and that too on land which formerly yielded satisfactory crops. It is extremely probable that the failure 
is consequent merely on an abstraction of certain inorganic matters from the soil, by the Brassicas ; 
and if so, Chemistry should be called to our aid, and by a severe analysis, at once determine the true 
position of the aifair. 
Whilst speaking of the Brassica family, I am tempted to observe, that I have not been able to 
ensure crops of Brocoli without the use of charred material. My practice is, to bore huge holes 
where the plants are to be inserted, with a very thick stake ; and then to fill the holes with some of 
the burnt material which has cased over the charring heaps of brushwood, &c. Such I generally mix 
with a little maiden loam, and the hole being filled -with this " priming," the plant is inserted in the 
midst, with the dibble ; first dipping the roots in a mud of which soot forms the chief ingredient. By 
this plan, I can carry out Brassica culture ; without it three cases in four will end in failure : for the 
gardens here are of about a century's standing, and the soil has become, what some persons would term, 
effete ; we, nevertheless, contrive to produce plenty of fine vegetables. 
Before proceeding further, it will be well to arrange our kitchen crops under four divisions : — 
1. Deejieners and renewers. Asparagus, Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Horse-radish, Celery, &c. 
2. Preparers. Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, Beet, Salsafy, and Scorzonera, Onions, Peas, Broad 
beans, &c. 
3. Surface Crops. Spinach, Lettuce, Endive, Kidney beans, and the various border herbs • as Corn 
Salad, Chervil, Parsley, Lampion, Radishes, the various Cresses, &c. 
i. Dcteriorators. All the Brassicas. 
Now this list, although not containing all the little matters which find a place hi our kitchen 
gardens, is composed of the principal, and is sufficient for the end in view. It will be seen that I have 
left the bush fruit out of the question, although amongst the best of our vegetable improvers, for 
culinary crops. I cannot for a moment be a party towards a pell-mell admixture of bushes and 
