380 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Iebruary 17. 
tremities; and last year, a sort of blight, or a something 
in the shape of atmospheric influence, destroyed whole 
fields of them, by rendering abortive the organs of 
fructification. This evil, however, is not of frequent 
occurrence, so that the cottager, who plants this crop on 
any ground not too light nor under trees, may count 
with more certainty of getting a crop than in most 
others that he commits to the ground, and that, too, with 
very little trouble. 
Cabbage. —This numerous family, next in importance 
I to none for the long and faithful service it performs, is 
I perhaps, next to the potato, the best and most useful 
vegetable grown for the poor man. Three or four sow¬ 
ings, and planting out at the proper time, will furnish a 
something for table every day in the year, either in the 
shape of full-grown well-hearted Cabbage, or, what is 
scarcely less useful, nice sprouts more or less turning into 
heart, or it may he perfectly green, in which case they 
are Cabbage Greens. Unlike the Bean, this vegetable 
can scarce have too rich a soil, it being a gross feeder, 
delights in the juices of the dunghill, and a soil of a 
medium eharacter in regard to lightness or stiffness. 
The cottager who has only a few poles of ground, 
will find it more advantageous to buy a few plants 
of some reputed good grower than to grow them; but 
I if he prefers the latter, seed sown about the 20th of 
July is early enough for the first batch, and the 12th of 
August for the main crop ; another sowing may be made 
in iVlarch and one in May, and if the above be all 
planted out into rows about two feet apart, and the same 
distance plant from plant in the row, a supply will be 
kept up for the whole year. As the first autumn-sowing 
will, after being cut, produce three or four more heads, 
all likely to become good useful vegetables, provided the 
variety be good, for there are spurious sorts which have 
a tendency to run to seed the same season, and this 
propensity is much increased by sowing early in au¬ 
tumn, it is rather a critical point to hit on the exact 
day at which they may be sown. The time specified 
above is early enough for most places, except, perhaps, 
some bleak situations in the north, where they may be 
sown earlier. It would be useless mentioning the 
varieties, because each district has its own peculiar 
“ best one; ” but for very early use the Fulham is a good 
Cabbage for a general after crop, the London Market 
is also good, being larger than the former. There are 
several others of equal merit; other matters connected 
with them are both simple and easy. One thing 
we may observe, that they do not like to grow year after 
year on the same plot, nor on one lately tenanted 
by one of the same family, a change being beneficial 
to all. If the cottager has not yet planted his intended 
plot, he had better do so now without delay, selectuig 
his plants from those that have been pricked out in 
autumn to some nursery bed, as they are shorter, and 
not so crooked in the stem, and sooner become good 
useful vegetables. 
Peas. —Although this cannot properly be called a 
substitute for the Potato, being a summer vegetable 
only, yet, as the failure of the former has directed 
attention to every thing likely to furnish our tables 
when the former is not there, a few may be grown ; and 
if the space be limited, which it often is in well-kept 
gardens, rows six or eight feet apart will admit three or 
tour rows of Brocoli, or similar crops, being planted be¬ 
tween, which, though they would not make much pro¬ 
gress while the Peas were there, would grow fast after 
their removal, and a good crop would be the result. The 
kinds of Peas proper to grow ought be be good bearing 
I ones, not too tall, nor too short. A good early white 
one, as the Emperor, followed by the Scimitar, which is, 
after all, one of our best blue ones. Sticking carefully 
must be attended to in time ; and the ground stirred and 
1 other attentions paid them will usually ensure success. 
The first sowing may be in the middle or end of | 
November; the second, about the new year; and succes- 
sional ones, as required, up to July, after which we do 
not advise the cottager to try them; for though they ' 
may succeed well after that, they are a very uncertain 
crop then, and, in point of economy, fall short of many 
other things. Nevertheless, a few early Peas are alw'ays 
acceptable, that we recommend a few to be sown for use 
then; after which the ground may be more profitably 
employed. Where sticks cannot be had to support . 
them, a dwarf kind must be grown, as Bisltop's Dirarf, 
Woodford Marrow, Bedman's, and some others of more 
recent date; but they are less prolific than the taller | 
kinds, and, consequently, are not so valuable when : 
sticks can be had. ^ 
There are other useful substitutes for the Potato, to ; 
which we shall return at another time; but, as our space 
is fully occupied, it is only necessary to call on the cot- j 
tager to look carefully over his ground, and see what 
can be done to bring it into good working trim at the 
shortest possible time. Directions given in former 
articles will materially assist him in that respect. He 
must also look over his stores, and see the condition his 
remaining Potatoes may be in. His Onions will also 
want looking to, and any very small, useless ones may 
be collected together, and at once planted in some 
favourable place; they will produce bulbs fit for use 
some; time before the spring-sown ones come into use. 
A few good bulbs may also be put into the ground to 
produce seed, and, of course, while looking over these 
and other stores, all decayed or faulty ones must be 
removed. J. Robson. 
GARDEN LABELS. 
Experiments are the stepping-stones to progress, and 
progress is the pioneer of discovery. I hit upon a plan 
lately for labelling my border-flowers, which seems likely to 
prove a good one. The label is of wood, but, instead of 
being written upon, a number only is used, and this number 
is burnt into the wood. The following simple plan effects 
the object: Get two flat pieces of iron, one of them half-au- 
inoh, and the other three-(piarters-of-an-inch wide ; let both 
be about seven inches long, an eighth-of-an-inch thick, and 
tapered to points at one end; leave the narrow piece of iron 
flat, but curve the broad end of the other into the form of 
a C ; insert the pointed ends of each into a cork, to serve 
for handles ; and with these tools, which a blacksmith will 
make for twopence, you may mark any number of labels you 
please, using, however, letters instead of ciphers —thus, DO 
would be XC. It is a nice amusement of a winter’s evening 
to sit by the fireside, with a table before you covered with 
labels, and by means of these irons (I use two), inserted in 
the fire, stamp the labels, one after the other as the irons 
become hot. Practice makes perfect, and a few trials will 
insure accuracy and dispatch. The advantages of the plan 
are, simplicity, cheapness, and durability, besides which you 
have the operation in your own hands, and can mark any 
odd label, or number of labels, as you want them. A lady, 
who is one of my family, says that the plan is a capital one ; 
the truth is, that she excels me in marking the labels, both 
in speed and execution. 
The following sketch may illustrate the subject better: 
—S. 1'., Itushmere. 
