April 27. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
53 
I may now endeavour to show their bearing on a 
small holding, and will take them consecutively. 
Cabbage. —Of all the various greens, not one is so uni¬ 
versally esteemed or so eligible as the Cabbage ; I mean, 
as an ordinary vegetable, whether for man or beast. 
Sown in succession for at least six months in the year, 
a very long succession may be looked for; and cut 
where we may for house consumption, there are always 
some trimmings for the cow or pig if folks will look 
properly after them. They may be grown either as 
principal crops and forming part of a l’otatiou system, 
| or by what is termed mixed cropping. It is here 
necessary to step aside and whisper in the ears of those 
of our readers who have not hitherto “ whistled at 
the plough,” or spade, that “ mixed cropping” means 
cropping by anticipation, or, what some farmers term, 
“ stealing a crop," meaning thereby, that owing to a 
judicious forecast, founded on an accurate knowledge of 
j what pertains to vegetables, they have so planned 
matters as to take more produce in a given time from a 
given plot than an unknowing person could do, and 
without any material injury to the soil, or any com¬ 
promise worth notice to the principal crop. Moreover, 
to go a step further, without breaking up an established 
rotation. Cabbages, then, beyond most other crops, 
possess this eligibility, and, as they are continually in 
request for the kitchen, matters ought to be so planned 
that a constant supply is at hand. Then there are others 
of the same family of eminent services, such as Green 
Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and, lastly, the Brocoli 
family and Cauliflowers. We must not forget the old 
favourite, too, of the agriculturist, the Drumhead Cab¬ 
bage. Of all three, however, I would place the chief 
reliance on the ordinary Cabbage, the Drumhead and 
the Green Kale as forming part of a system. The 
others merely as “ stolen crops.” A good stock of 
Drumhead Cabbage coming in about the beginning of 
October, when grass runs short, will be found valuable 
where there are cows kept; they will serve to force milk, 
and also keep the “ stock tender ” from dipping too 
deeply into the winter and spring stores. They will 
help, on until nearly Christmas, when the roots will be 
in great demand. The Green Kale will be the first 
spring green food as a vegetable; this will be in use from 
January until the middle of April, by which time there 
will be grass, or spring cutting of Rye, Vetches, &c. 
The Thousand-headed Cabbage is a valuable thing, and 
might probably supersede the Kale, but it takes much 
i room. 
Beans. —These, as a garden product, are very valuable 
in mixed cropping; from their upright mode of growth and 
height they may take their place amongst many crops 
without doing much harm; indeed, sometimes a positive 
good. I have known summer Cahhage, Brocoli, &c., 
much benefited by Beans planted thinly through them. 
For this purpose I prefer the Longpod class, as their 
foliage is lighter than the Windsor section. Beans, 
then, may be grown liberally, if the soil is suitable; and 
after supplying the family they may be bundled when 
ripe, dried, threshed, and ground into meal to mix with 
i pig food. 
I Peas. —These stand next in our list, and, in point of 
quality, might fairly stand before the Beans; but the 
inconvenience and expense of staking, in these days, 
when the labour question assumes an awkward form, is 
a sad drawback on their extended culture. I am quite 
aware that some of our ordinary Peas may be grown on 
the ground without sticks, hut this can only be said of 
our southern counties, and on dry uplands. Peas may 
be treated as the Beans, ripened and ground, or what is, 
in my opinion, far preferable, as soon as the family is 
well served, and the crop is three parts gathered, pull 
them up at once, and give them to the Cows, they are 
I very partial to them; they will eat all up, if not too 
much decayed. This sets the ground at liberty for 
winter greens, and thus no time is lost. And here it 
is I prefer Beans as mixed crops; they do not compro¬ 
mise a scheme, which seeks, as a basis, to cover the 
ground with winter crops as well as summer; for I 
should like to tie my friends down to this principle, that 
all the ground be covered with greens, or be made fallow 
by the second week in November, that is to say, all 
arable land. 
Come we now to the Lettuces, than which a more 
useful vegetable does not vegetate. They are capital 
for either man or beast; few animals refuse them, and 
as to their qualities, the world has long since agreed on 
that head. I do think they deserve a more extended 
cultivation, and it shall not be my fault if they do not 
before long receive it. Their eligibilities are very 
great; they do not smother contiguous crops; they 
require little trouble, and they are soon off the land. 
People, however, have taken a fancy that they must be 
transplanted, and that such involves too much trouble ; 
the fact is, they are better, under many circumstances, 
without transplanting. When the land they occupy is 
not required for other crops immediately, spring-sown 
Lettuces may be allowed to run towards seeding, and 
and may be cut for the hogs nearly a yard long, thus 
producing a great amount of valuable food. It is, how¬ 
ever, a mistake to depend on a few sprinkled in with 
Onions, or other permanent crops. I will shortly show 
a better way, one more systematic. 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —Here we have a root, or 
tuber, which it has been much the fashion to “write 
up.” I am sorry to say, however, that there are some 
serious drawbacks to its extended culture, and this is 
the more to be lamented, inasmuch as any accession to 
our keeping roots, now that the Potato threatens to slip 
through our fingers, may very fairly be doubly prized. 
This plant requires an amount of room in the branches 
that is by no means compensated for in the produce at 
root, whether as regards hulk qr quality. Moreover, 
the ordinary labourer does not add to their utility in the 
act of taking them out of the ground; for, somehow, it 
becomes a dawdling process. I, therefore, dare only 
recommend them as proper to occupy wastes, odd 
corners, and unimproved portions of ground; they are, 
assuredly, not fit to occupy ground which is known to he 
eligible for Swedes or Mangold, either of which will 
pay three roots for one of the Jerusalem Artichoke. 
They are a useful thing to plant as a summer blind to 
shrubberies near public roads, or to assist in adding 
privacy to the house during the summer season; for 
folk can better afford to bo stared at in winter than 
summer, especially if a blustering and noisy north-easter ! 
receives a chorus from within, through the medium of a I 
crackling fire. 
Spinach is last on our list of garden things eligible ; 
for little farming. It is not to be recommended on the i 
score of profit; but is a useful thing, occasionally, both I 
to pigs aud cows. It is very opening to the bowels of 
animals, and I must say, that a free use of this veget- | 
able when running to seed has occasionally proved a ! 
softener of the bowels, and superseded the use of ! 
medicine. I well remember, about eighteen years since, 
a cow of mine having what is termed “red water.” 
This was, I believe, entirely in consequence of a con¬ 
ceited fool of a cowman persisting in giving her an 
unusual quantity of Mangold, a mere plaything with 
Tom, who, like the Hibernian, thought an apple-pie all 
quinces would be a step in advance. The Mangold, in j 
unusual quantities, made her very hot within ; and she 
might he seen routing up the soil of the hedge hanks 
and licking it, no doubt, through a sensation of an 
unusual heat, and a perverted condition of stomach. 
We gave her a pound of salts, am} I think more, and 
then put her on Spinach; and not only on that, but on 
