February 0. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
365 
fatting Sheep, when the object is to consume the root- 
crop continuously from October to April inclusive, I do 
not hold it to be a good plan to purchase Sheep all of one 
age or condition; nor do I like the system of selling out 
all the stock at one period; I would prefer having some 
ol them lit for market at an early period, and others 
later in the season. The advantage of this plan will be 
found in those winters when the roots are seriously 
damaged by irost, for in case of any great diminution of 
the root-crop, it is a matter of great consequence to have 
a portion of stock fit for sale, as the numbers of stock 
may then bo adjusted to the keep, and the crisis passed 
over without loss. It is very desirable, upon those farms 
where a portion of grass-keeping can be made available, 
to purchase a portion of Lambs to be held on through 
I winter, and sold fat after shearing time, instead of pur- 
I chasing a full complement of wether Sheep; and I con- 
j sider that two-teeth Sheep are more profitable to fatten 
I than four or six-teeth Sheep; for although it must be 
admitted that the older Sheep fatten quickest, yet the 
two-teeth Sheep grow, and yield a heavier weight of meat 
i i' 1 proportion to the food consumed ; indeed, it is now 
somewhat difficult to obtain, in any numbers, the four 
and six-teeth Sheep ; early maturity being now the most 
prevailing idea, the greater portion of the Sheep are 
j latted as tegs or two-teeths. Before leaving the subject 
| ages of the stock for fatting, it is necessary to make 
j some comparison of the difference between the keeping 
of Lambs and two-teeth Sheep; and in the case of stock 
purchased in the autumn for keeping through the winter, 
until shearing time, whether we view the question in rela¬ 
tion to first cost, or expense of feeding, it is in favour of 
the Lamb; for it will be found, of a lot of Lambs and two- 
teeth Sheep, bought at the same price, that the former 
will realize the most money when sold out, supposing 
both to have been keqot alike; and this arises from the 
; great growth of the Lamb, and the value of its fleece, as 
I compared with that of the two-teeth. 
Joseph Blundell. 
(To be continued.) 
VEGETABLES AND FRUIT OBTAINABLE 
IN FEBRUARY. 
. A Correspondent says, that “ a monthly notice of this 
land would be a valuable piece of information for the em- 
ployer and the gardener, as it would show him what others 
can do.” Now, I should place but little value on this kind 
of knowledge, as every gardener that is worthy of holding 
his situation will try and make the best of his circum¬ 
stances. Hearing of what others do, and a stray remark 
from his employers, at times, will generally he sufficient to 
cause him to husband his means to the utmost. To a 
right-minded, intelligent, industrious man, it is anything 
but pleasing, or provocative of renewed effort, to be grain- ■ 
bled at because he does not get such-and-such things so 
early as Mr. A. or Mr. B., when the circumstances and the 
expenditure are things altogether different. There would 
be less unpleasantness in this respect, if employers did not 
expect impossibilities at times; and if our great gardeners 
did_ not unwittingly allow the idea to get into the mind of 
their aristocrfltic visitors, that such-and-such things involved 
but little trouble or expense. I have noted down in my 
memory as many iacts illustrative of these remarks as 
j would till a large-sized volume,—facts which would show 
that the blame was often put on the gardener when he did 
not deserve it. Allow me to give just a few illustrations. 
A lady, surrounded by company, blamed her gardener 
in an exhibition-room because his plants were not by any 
means such nice and new things as those of Mr. B.; sum¬ 
ming-up with the finale, “I am sure the garden cost more than 
enough.” I have often wondered liow that lady would have 
looked, if the gardener had allowed his injured feelings as 
a man to get the better of his prudence as a servant, and 
then and there promulgated the fact—that for years there 
had not been five shillings spent either upon plants or 
seeds—even the vegetable seeds being all home-saved ? A 
gardener, in these circumstances, would show discretion iu 
never exhibiting. 
Again, Mr. C. dines at Mr. D.’s in the month of March, 
and has Cucumbers for fish, and Radishes for salad, Mush¬ 
rooms in all stages, young Potatoes, French Beans with 
mutton, and Strawberries for dessert. “ Why cannot I have 
the same?” is the question put to blue-aproner the next 
morning, after seeing that there is no chance of his garden 
yielding him such dainties for weeks to come. “ Why, Sir, 
you know you bound me down to have only that certain 
number of loads of dung; and what was the. use of begin¬ 
ning early—I could not have kept things at all tender alive 
if I had commenced earlier.” “Hang the dung; is not 
there that pit heated by hot-water : why should not I have 
Cucumbers in one part, Beans in another, and Strawberries 
in another, before commencing to force the Vinery ? ” “ No 
reason at all, provided you allow fuel for the purpose ; but 
didn’t 3 ’ou tell me I must not use a particle more than that 
heap of dusty coal, which nobody else could burn, and these 
few chaldrons of coke, which will only be sufficient now if 
we have a nice sunny spring, but which I would have 
thoroughly consumed in a month or six weeks in severe 
weather in January or February.” 
Is it necessary to increase such examples, or to say where 
such high expectations on the one side, and unequal re¬ 
sources on the other, are likely to end, save in mutual dis¬ 
appointment ? A few months ago, I listened to a gentleman 
extolling to the skies two pits he had heated with hot-water, 
by means of one small boiler; and, no doubt, I rather pricked- 
up my ears, when he enthusiastically spoke of the small quan¬ 
tity of fuel necessary to raise the water to 200°, and how he 
could heat two, and, he had no doubt, three pits, with no more 
fuel than it would be required to heat one, all that was 
wanted being merely to make the water hot, and circulate it 
must. When, on being appealed to, I quietly hinted that I 
imagined a certain quantity of fuel would only give out a 
certain quantity of heat; and that, even when applied to water, 
although the heat was very equally diffused, the fuel neces¬ 
sary to raise and maintain a certain temperature would be 
in proportion to the quantity of water in the pipes, and the 
loss of heat from radiation to which they would be exposed ; 
and that, consequently, two or three pits could not be heated 
by the same quantity of fuel as would be sufficient for one, 
while that quantity would just be increased in proportion to 
the disparity of temperature between the internal and the 
external atmosphere. I saw a look, which said as plainly 
as possible, “ Oh! you know nothing at all about economis¬ 
ing fuel;” while I felt what a miserable position the poor 
fellow would be in that was expected to have early fruit and 
vegetables in those pits, with his fuel measured out to him 
by the bushel; and I did this all the more, because circum¬ 
stances have compelled me to try almost every possible 
means of economy in this direction, so much so, that I have 
often felt the buddings of envy at the condition of those 
near the mouth of a coal pit. 
Let our friends rest assured, that unless, in these circum¬ 
stances, or where opportunities present themselves for 
using the waste steam and hot-water from factories, <fcc., for j 
accelerating vegetation, that early crops of fruit or veget- : 
ables must always be obtained at the expense of money, or 
money’s worth and labour. 
Vegetables from Open Garden. —Celery, Brussels Sprouts, 
Borecoles, of sorts; Savoys, Brocolis, Coleworts, Spinach, 
Leeks, young Onions, Horse-radish, Red Cabbage, Farsley, 
and other Herbs, White Beet. 
Protected in Beds— by the side of Walls or under Glass.— ! 
Parsley, Sorrel, Lettuce, Endive, and Cauliflower. Dried 
Herbs of all desirable kinds. 
