408 
THE COTTAGE GAllDENER 
February 24. - 
Now, liglit is a relative all’air, not to be taken abstractedly 
with regard to cropping, for many of our vegetables do not 
arrive at that perfection they attain in some other climes 
where the light is by far more intense. So, then, it is not 
a question of sunshine alone, but of that free exposure on 
an all sides which may receive the greatest number of rays. 
Again, a given crop may be at one period benefited by a 
certain amount of shade, or rather partial deprivation of 
light, yet the same crop, at another period, requiring all 
' possible sunlight. Although this question is closely bound 
up with that of the circulation of the air, yet the two prin¬ 
ciples are, in their individual character and etfects, different. 
For instance: a cucumber bed, exjiosed out-of-doors, will re¬ 
ceive abundance of air, or, in other words, a free circulation 
I with the light; but those confined in a hotbed cannot be 
' said to do so. Or, to come to a case more familiar—suppose 
I a few rows of potatoes between two parallel rows of tall peas, 
I can it be said that these potatoes enjoy as free a circulation 
of air as those on the brow of an oqien field ? 
We will now enquire what the consequences separately 
are of a partial deprivation of light, and an impeded cir¬ 
culation of the air; hoping that such enquiry may serve to 
widen the cottager’s views, and lay the foundation of more 
judicious cropping. To begin with an extreme case—surely 
our allotment men may have noticed blanched rhubarb, sea- 
kale, or celery 1 The consequence here is, that jiarts which 
would have been green, under ordinary circumstances, become 
pale, and, in addition, lose much of that intensity of flavour 
or strong taste with which nature has endowed them, a 
partial abstraction of which renders them more palatable as 
food for man. But then, it must be borne in mind that 
these blanched parts are, in a great degree, deprived of those 
natural functions which elaborate or prepare for future 
seasons, or future demands, made by root, branches, flowers, 
fruit, or seed. Now, although this blanching does not take 
place with our ordinary crops, under ordinary circumstances, 
yet precisely i/ie same effects, modified by the degree of the 
evil, must assuredly follow, if the foliage of a plant is 
deprived of the action of a portion of its leaf surface. 
And what about partial deiu'ivation of air ? This has two 
bad bearings: in the first, it has a continual tendency to 
“ draw ” plants, as gardeners call it; and in the second, to 
engender, tlirough the rotting of decaying and light-deprived 
portions of the plants, corrupt influences, which sometimes 
act in a similar way as corrupt emanations from animal 
matter, in exerting a morbid influence on bodies contiguous. 
Our readers must have seen the evil effects of leavuig over 
thick young seed crops loug beyond the thinning period, 
perhaps smothered with weeds ; and they may have noticed 
the havoc produced on them by a smldcit Ihiniiiity, followed 
by hri(/ht siiiishiiic. We have noticed peas lying on the 
ground, unstaked, engender stagnant damps to that degree, 
in dull and wet periods, as to seriously peril, if not utterly 
destroy the crop. I willingly grant that the latter examples 
are of a cninpotnid character, less or more—a matter of light 
1 abstraction, as well as of impeded circulation of air; but it 
; will serve as an illustration of the points in hand. 
' Let every small gardener, or fanner, study well these 
1 principles, for they may rest assured that society cannot, in 
these (lai/s of steam, remain stationary. Whatever takes 
place in the heart of society will soon be transmitted by the 
I various arteries to the extremities; and as proobess is the 
I watch-word in the superior portion of society, so must it 
soon he with the lower. 
I I may here observe, that most of our root crops, such as 
1 carrots, parsnips, mangold, swedes, ifcc., will endure tolerably 
; close cropping in the mixed way, if necessary, until the real 
, “ bulbiiif/" bcejins —say about August—when they require all 
, the light our climate affords on an average. This being 
'• conceded, surely our friends may so plan their cropping as 
to accommodato themselves without discommoding the 
crops. 
I Space will not permit me to show the various combina¬ 
tions of which even our most ordinary crops are capable; 
I mttcli must ever bo loft to exercise the ingenuity of the 
; cultivator. This is as it should be. Men are not mere 
machines ; being endued by God with reasoning powers in 
material things, nothing is needed but to direct the uiun- 
j formed mind as to those principles, which must ever form 
the groundwork of good practice; llie rest but requires an 
earnest and attentive mind, with a corresponding degree of 
exertion. 
Now, let us examine the position of affairs, and descend 
to the dull routine of riryent business. 1 do tliink, tliat for 
present purposes, most of the crops may bo thrown into tliree 
divisions, viz. Early crops, midsummer crops, and autumn 
or winter crops, mostly roots. 1 do not urge that this is 
the most complete division of tlie subject, but that uuder 
present circumstances it is tlie most prudential and prac¬ 
tical. Lot it be remembered in all this, that the potato, 
which at present obtains the preference as food for man, 
cannot endure shade during the whole growing period. It 
is all very well to talk of a plot beneath an apple-tree having 
escaped the blight, when those on the hill-top were infested. 
We talk thus when reasoning on principles; but when Marcli 
arrives, the maxim must be “ a word and a blow.” What¬ 
ever may have been proved about itotatoes in shade, my 
advice is, plant early on the highest and drgest ground, 
unless in a parching district. As to manuring, the ex¬ 
perience of our first-rate men, during the existence of the 
dreaded malady, is quite averse to it; at least in a fresh 
state. But here a question arises in the mind of those 
who have smart rents to pay,, and many banns gaping for : 
food—“ If my family must be fed, and I must pay my rent, 
I must have a full crop ; can I get one witliout manure ? ” , 
My answer is—if you do, your soil must be in a good heart , 
from previous crops, or you will assuredly reap a very j 
moilerato produce. ; 
Business ov the Month. —Our February remarks will ; 
serve to point to the chief policy wherewith to commeuce 
the spring campaign. The unusually wet period through j 
which the country has passed, will have taught our stand- I 
stills a lesson they will not readily forget. Those who have 
been wise in time, will, before this, have taken at least 
remedial measures as to the remov,al of stagnated moisture. 
Extra drains, and water courses of a temporary chai-actei-, 
will have been called into use ; and now a further piece of 
advice; do not introduce any crops, if possible, nnless the soil | 
is in a mellow state. As to cropping, wo will divide the , 
month into three parta—beyinniny, middle, and end; but it 
must be understood, that many operations cannot be ; 
confined to set times ; such merely serve as reminders. 
Beginning. —Peas and Beaus must be thought of. This 
is a good time for a full crop, and we advise the Green Im- 
lierial Pea, as furnishing a glut, and coming off the ground 
in good time; tliey, moreover, never ramble and shade other 
crops. In Beans, the Broad Windsor or the Long-pod. 
Onions must be got in now, the ground dug deep, and a 
little manure in the lower part of the trench. Parsnips 
sow directly; they are a hardy qilant, and require a loug 
season. Trench deep, and work down manure. If alone, 
they may be twenty inches between the rows. Cabhaye 
plants must be immediately got out; these may bo a stolen 
crop ; many take to the mangold or swede ground, the latter 
sown in April between double rows of cabbage. Cauli¬ 
flowers, too, jilanted, and the winter Lettuce plant; the 
latter a stolen crop, on rich soil. Onions and otlier store 
roots for seed may yet be idantcd. Leeks may be sown 
directly; also Lettuces. These may be mixed with the 
Onions, as likewise a few liadishes, with some Early Horn | 
Carrots. Spinach, if required, may be sown as a stolen i 
crop; and as for Cabbages, I say with Miss Martineau, sow I 
a bed once a month, beginning now, and ending in the 
middle of August. Green Kale, Brussels Sprouts, and 
Savoys, may be sown; but it is necessary for the operator to 
see well his way, for tlie sowing of those things must, in the 
main, be regulated by the period at which the ground will 
be vacant. In dry weather the hoe should be run through ' 
the young Cabbages. 
The Middle. —By this time the soil will be getting in ; 
mellow order, and now it will be necessaiy to get the jdots 
ready (whilst dry) for Mangold, Swedes, Carrots, Ac., if not 
previously done. It is almost needless to repeat, that there 
is no guarantee for a full crop without deep digging, and a 
liberal manuring ; and I think that, as a general principle, 
the manure should be kept at a rather low level, using a 
guano mixture in the drills to set the young plant on its 
legs. A plan 1 often practice is, in digging two spades deep 
in yard-wide trenches to spread the manure, and then dig 
onejiill spade’s depth of the manure and soil, and before 
