July 29, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
Doming events 
29th 
Th 
Lytham Horticultural Show. 
30th 
F 
31st 
S 
Southampton Horticultural Show. Liverpool Summer Show. 
1st 
SUN 
10th Sunday after Trinity. 
2nd 
M 
Popular Show at South Kensington. Leeds Horticultural Show. 
3rd 
Tu 
Brenchley and Uorsmonden Show. 
4 th 
W 
Cleredon Annual Show. 
VEGETABLES FOR AUTUMN SOWING. 
FULL supply of vegetables as early in the 
>b&sM6 season as possible is the object which all good 
cultivators seek to obtain, and I question if in 
the whole routine of gardening they can devote 
their attention to any object of more import¬ 
ance. Now that we cannot depend on having 
/X spring weather until the end of May, too much 
care cannot be bestowed on all crops which can be 
sown in the autumn to grow throughout the winter and 
give us the earliest produce attainable. First amongst 
these crops we will place 
CABBAGE. 
A good supply of fine Cabbages all the year round is what 
every gardener should provide. In summer, autumn, and 
winter they are in constant demand, but if there is one period 
of the season more than another when they are most valued it 
is in April and May. At that time the demand is not confined 
to large gardens or servants' halls, but every person who 
possesses a garden must have spring Cabbages, and the earlier 
and better they have them the more gratifying is the result. 
Could we depend on the winters and springs being all alike it 
might be told to a day when to sow Cabbage seed to have the 
produce ready for use at any given time. As it is, however, 
little can be said about this, as seed sown from the middle 
to the end of July might produce plants which under the in¬ 
fluences of a mild winter would all produce flower stems in 
March or April, while under different weather the plants might 
produce fine heads in April or May. For these reasons the 
best way is to sow the seed at two or three different times. 
I prefer sowing three times ; first about the 12 th of July, 
second about the last of that month, and again about the 
end of the second week in August. This plan is worth adopt¬ 
ing in all parts of the country. The seed may be sown in 
large or small quantities according to the demand. It may be 
sown broadcast, not too thickly or too deeply. The soil should 
be good but not too rich for the seed bed, moderate growth 
being more desirable than too many soft leaves, as the plants 
in this state receive a check in transplanting and do not endure 
severe weather well. When the soil is very dry at the time of 
sowing it should be thoroughly watered after the seed is sown, 
but avoid covering with a mat or anything of the kind, which 
only renders the young plants tender—a condition always to be 
avoided with autumn or winter Cabbages. Remove any weeds 
that spring up amongst the young plants, and if by any chance 
the seed has been sown too thickly remove the worst of the 
plants, and give those intended for the crop every chance of 
becoming strong and healthy. These remarks should be borne 
in mind in dealing with seed sown at any time. As the young 
plants are coming forward a suitable quarter must be selected 
in which to finally plant them. 
“ Plant them after Onions " is the proverbial advice, but I 
fear that for the last season or two Onions in many cases have 
not been ripe and cleared off the ground sufficiently early to 
allow the Cabbages to follow them. When this occurs with us 
we plant them after midseason Potatoes, and find them succeed 
fairly well. When the ground is moderately rich no manure 
should be added, and the soil merely levelled down with the 
spade answers better than digging for these Cabbages. Poor 
soil must, however, be improved, and the material supplied 
should be either fresh cow or stable manure. The date on 
which to plant out must be determined by the size of the 
plants. When they are about 6 inches high and have from 
eight to ten good leaves they may be safely transferred to their 
permanent quarters. Only the largest and best plants should 
be taken at first; and if it is intended to devote only one plot 
of ground to Cabbages, plants from each sowing should be 
placed in it. This, as before indicated, will have the effect of 
securing good spring Cabbages under any circumstances. A 
distance of 18 inches each way is suitable for most varieties. 
Plants not required for planting should be left in the seed bed, 
or be lifted and dibbled into a bed about 3 inches apart, as 
these are very useful for planting-out in spring or filling-up 
any blanks which may occur in those planted in autumn. Sup¬ 
posing the planting-out to be any time during September 
they will have gained a fair size by the end of October, and it 
is best to draw a little soil to their stems then, as keeping them 
firm in their places during the winter is much better than 
allowing them to be blown about. 
Respecting varieties there are many to choose from. Early 
York and Enfield Market were two standard varieties for 
sowing at the present time for many years, but these have now 
been greatly improved upon. The main object to aim at is to 
obtain very dwarf, compact-growing, free-hearting varieties, 
and all these qualities are largely possessed by Carters’ Heart- 
well Early Marrow and Suttons’ Imperial, which are both well- 
known thoroughly good varieties. During the spring of this 
year I received a little seed from Edinburgh of a new variety 
named “ Redbraes,” and this has proved so far most distinct 
and excellent. Its leaves are frilled round the margin, and it 
grows very compact. The heads are about 10 inches in 
diameter at the base, and taper off to a small point, the whole 
plant being about a foot in height. Large-heading sorts 
should not be grown, as they are neither profitable as a crop 
nor good in quality. 
TURNIPS. 
A good supply of these during the winter is always valued. 
To have good fresh roots from November onwards the seed 
should be sown during the first week in August. Chirk Castle 
is one of the best varieties to sow, as it stands the winter well. 
The golden varieties are also hardy, but their colour is seldom 
liked, and for this reason many cannot grow them. They do 
well on ground just cleared of Peas or Potatoes, but the soil 
should neither be very loose or very rich, or long small “ bulbs ” 
will be produced. Ground in which Turnips would become 
tough before they were half grown in the months of June, 
July, and August, will generally produce a satisfactory crop 
during October and November. Where the space is small the 
No. 5 .—Yol. I., Third Series. 
No. 1661— Voi. Lxrv., Old Series. 
