68 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 29. 
same may be said of the garden. Our clever friend Mr. Fish 
observes, in a recent number, “ that an industrious and 
moral wife may be known by her two or three pet pot plants 
in the window,” and just so an industrious and moral hus¬ 
band may be known by the condition of his garden, always 
excepting cases of sickness or infirmity. 
Let us now address a question or two to the allotter and 
cottager. 1st. Have you sown your Mangold, Swedes, and 
Carrots ? Have you secured a good supply of whatever 
winter greens are necessary ? Have you availed yourself of 
the excellent cultural weather of the past, not only to bring 
all digging, forking, hoeing, Ac., up to the day, but to have 
stolen a fortnight in advance on ordinary seasons ? If you 
have not, pray consider your position, and blush. Now to 
the crops of the season, which we will treat of in the order 
of their importance to the cottager. 
Potatoes. —Early kinds having been planted in February 
or March, will now be thrusting their heads through the 
soil, but do not suffer them. Let the soil between the rows 
be chopped or forked fine, and drawn over their crowns the 
moment they show. If covered about three inches in depth, 
they will not get through until the middle of May, which is 
as soon as we allow them to peep. Those who think they 
will secure an earlier crop by having them above ground 
sooner than ordinary practice, will, on the average of 
seasons, find themselves much mistaken, unless they can 
cover them at night. Later crops in drills, if the soil is 
anyways churlish, should be forked through when the soil 
is three-parts dry, in order to crush every clod preparatory 
to soiling them; a practice by no means to be dispensed 
with, if quality is a consideration. Towards the end of the 
month they may receive their earthing; and our practice 
is, on sound, upland soil, to draw it on each side, so as to 
leave a kind of trough in the centre to catch showers,—the 
trough and the shouldering being some ten to twelve inches 
in width. 
Carrots. —'The early Horn carrots have, doubtless, been 
thinned and cleaned long since; if towards the end of the 
month the grub takes them, draw them for sale or for eating 
as soon as convenient, and turn the bed to another crop. 
The middle of May is a capital time to sow a second crop 
of this kind; they will serve to pull all August, September, 
and October, and thus prevent any draw on the larger kinds 
for winter store. If the Altringham or large carrots have 
not been sown, let it be done immediately. If the ground 
unluckily has to be dug now, let it be done more than a foot 
deep, paring a little half-rotten manure into the bottom, 
and using a little of the drill compost, to get the young 
plant speedily out of mischief. The White Belgian is the 
heaviest cropper, but scarcely equal in quality to the Altring- 
hams. Those carrots which were sown early in April will 
soon be above ground; and here let us observe, that no 
young crop suffers more from weeds or neglect of timely 
thinning. The young carrot is the most delicate garden 
seedling we have, and a sharp look-out must be kept for 
slugs. For modes of thinning and insect depredations, see 
advice in the sequel. 
Parsnips. —A valuable spring root; nothing can be better 
adapted to promote an abundant flow of milk in cows than 
this root. It is especially useful in the months of February 
and March for early calves, when no grass can be had. It 
thus forms an excellent link between the turnips and the 
mangold, the latter of which should be kept well back for 
April, May, and even June. Those who sowed in March 
will now have a strong plant. Hand-weeding, singling-out, 
&c., must be instantly looked to, and after the hoe sent 
through them, cutting deep to within two to three inches of 
i the plants. This has a tendency to fracture any side forks 
in their infancy, and thus induce the roots to grow long and 
' clean. We thin at thrice ; the first we term “ singling-out,” 
! the second “ setting-out,” and the third “ finishing.” The 
first is merely pulling every weed, and so thinning the plants 
as that no two touch. At the second, we thin them to 
three inches, which is half the final distance; and at this 
period we run the hoe through, and remove every weed. 
They may now remain until near Midsummer, when all 
i surplus roots may be drawn and used up, for, by this time, 
i they have a nice root. After this, the final thinning, every 
weed being drawn, they will require no more assistance. 
I Mangold, Beet, &c. —If not sown, get it in directly. 
The young plant may receive much the same culture as the 
parsnip, only observing a greater distance, on account of 
more room being required. Of course, like most other 
crops, final distances must be ruled by the strength of the 
soil; we thin out finally at seven to nine inches, and at the 
second, or “ setting-out,” we leave them about three to five 
inches, that is to say, if sown continuously in a drill. We 
may here observe, however, that these things are better 
sown in patches, as our farmers do, dropping three or four 
seeds in patches eight inches apart. If the snail or slug 
attack them, those who have limited quantities may strew 
cinder ashes abundantly through them, with an application 
of quick-lime occasionally, at five o’clock, a.m., or before the 
dew is off them. Beet will succeed at half the distance of 
mangold. 
Cabbage. —This, in the main, will be a secondary crop 
with all allotment men, as there exist two very good reasons 
why. In the first place, on the majority of soils, partial 
shade is beneficial to summer cabbages; and in the second, 
every inch of ground is, or ought to be, appropriated to 
crops of more importance by far than even cabbage, viz., 
root crops, which we have before urged ought to be the 
chief object. An occasional hoeing is of much benefit, 
soiling them well up the stem if the least suspicion of club¬ 
bing exists. Let a pinch of the compact kinds be sown 
monthly. Those who have a cow may try to get out a few 
of the Drumhead from a March sowing; we have known 
these produce good heads in October, when pastures fall 
off, and they serve to keep folks from their winter roots, for 
which there will be ample demand before the next May-day. 
Broad Beans. —No more planting of these ; it is too late 
for profit. Let those advancing towards blossom be well 
soiled up the stems, in order to provide against winds. Top 
them immediately a full crop has bloomed, and, indeed, 
somewhat before, if the fly should begin his tricks. 
Onions. —Those sown in March will require, first, thorough 
hand-weeding, and next, thinning ; in performing the latter 
process, be sure to keep the dread of the grub in view. 
Most writers advocate the liberal use of the small hoe, and, 
indeed, our market gardeners mostly practice it. We admit 
such, at first sight, to be in accordance with general maxims 
of culture, but we make the onion an exception. This w r e 
may observe, that previous to the omission of the hoe, we 
could seldom obtain a full crop, and that since we have first- 
rate crops. It was before observed that our onions are in 
beds, rolled when dry almost as hard as a road; the conse¬ 
quence is, that no storm can topple them over, and we hold 
it a great essential to avoid the latter circumstance. After a 
thorough weeding, we thin out to about two inches, and in 
another month or six weeks thin finally to about four inches 
apart. Those who aim at large onions will, of course, think 
lightly of this mode of culture; but we are assured, from 
long experience, that this is the most profitable way, for 
more reasons than space will allow us to point to. One we 
give; moderate-sized and early-ripened onions keep much 
better than those gross and late-ripened; and as we do not 
grow for exhibition purposes, we prefer the former. 
Peas. —Of course the cottager’s peas are all staked ; little 
will now be necessary but to keep them well up, and to top 
them as soon as a full crop is set. This practice gets them 
sooner off the ground for autumn cropping. 
Lettuce. —Let those who can find a bit of spare ground 
stick it full of the earliest spring-sown lettuces, only taking 
care the ground is good. These, if not wanted for the 
family, may be suffered to run to seed, and may be pulled 
daily for the pig during .June and July. Those who have a 
litter of young pigs in the month of May, will find them 
most excellent weaning food—nothing gets young pigs on 
faster. It is scarcely worth the cottager’s while to sow after 
the end of April until Midsummer has passed. 
Runners.— Sow directly, also a few kidney beans in a 
warm situation. 
Rhubarb. —Break off all blossoms as they spring. 
Thus far as to the most important crops, but there are 
some other small matters which will readily occur without 
farther comment. One root, however, remains, and that a 
most important one—we had almost forgotten it. 
The Swede Turnip. —The last week of April and the first 
in May are the best periods in which to sow this valuable 
winter root; that is to say, if to remain untransplanted. 
