March 31. 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENEB, 
507 
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eight inches apart: these patches finally reduced to single I 
plants. 
Swede Turnips. —Great complaints existed, last summer, | 
in various parts, of the ravages of the mildew in Swedes; 
and there can ho little doubt that early sown ones are more | 
liable to it than those which are late. The general practice j 
has been to sow about the middle of April; but, unless the 
soil is in lirst-rate order, I would advise the second week in j 
May, in preference. The mildew is, doubtless, brought on 
by stagnation at the root, nnd dromiht is frequently Ike cause. 
Swedes love a well-worked, well-manured soil; the latter in 
an equiihte and rnoist state and half rotten. Those who 
plough or dig-in manure in a lumpy and husky condition, 
cannot expect, to escape the mildew. Let your soil, therefore, 
be deeply dug and thoroughly broken ; and see that the 
manure he divided and very moist. People who leave their 
dunghills scattered about during the summer, losing half 
their strength, and becoming baked clots, cannot hope for 
success. Too many neglect to turn their midden ; this is a 
most important matter, and sliould be done every September, 
the whole well-divided, mixed, and then soiled over. Swedes 
may be sown in drills about eighteen to twenty inches apart, 
and thinly; the plants Hyhfly thinned at first, and finally, 
after all danger of tly is over, to seven or eight inches. 
Common Tdrnits. —The Stone, Orange Jelly, or Dutch, 
sown in the first week, will be very useful to the poor man’s 
wife ill June and July; a few, however, ought to sutlice, as j 
tliey should not be allowed to occupy ground at the expense 
of kcepiny roots, or, indeed, of other crops, such as Cabbage. 
No more Common Turnips need be sow'n until July in 
allotments, unless some special reason justifies the pro¬ 
ceeding. 
Onions. —These, if not sown, may yet be sown in the first 
week; let them be sown in beds thrown up nearly a foot, 
above the ground level, in order to get them ripened betimes. 
The ground should be good from preceding manuring. 
Those sown in the beginning of March will require to be 
weeded, thinned, d:c., at the end of this month. 
I’.vRSNTPS will also require weeding and thinning at the 
end:—Thin out, finally, to about five or six inches. If 
reipiisite, they may be sown at the beginning; they like, 
however, a long summer. 
Peas. —The Imperial or Prussian, two of the liest for 
this purpose, may be sown in the early part of April, for 
a full crop ; another sowing, if particularly desirable, may be 
made in the very end of the month; after this, no room 
ought possibly to be spared for this luxury. 
Broad Beans. —Some long beds may be planted in the 
beginning, for the last; those up should be hoed by side 
culture. 
Lettuce. —A little of the Ady’s Cos may be sown in the 
first week, and again in the last: these head well without 
tyiny, and are both useful and profitable: wo would not sow 
more until after Midsummer. Indeed, although a good thing, 
they may not be a primary consideration ; but rather, what 
has been called ‘^stolen crops.” If the cottager has more 
Lettuce than his family can consume he may let them run 
to seed, if not in the way; when nearly a yard high, they 
will prove excellent food for the pig. 
Spinach. —A little of round kind may be put in (as a 
stolen crop), in the first week; few small gardeners, how¬ 
ever, care for it. 
ScARi.ET Kdnners.—T his is an important crop ; no small 
or large garden should be without them ; they may be sown in i 
the second week. Various plans of supporting them are in I 
practice; some run them uj) with stretched strings, some [ 
stake them as peas, &c., but if the cultivator is short of 
time and stakes, they will form a bush unsupported, merely 
by frequently pinching off the leading shoots. They succeed ' 
well on stakes three feet high, by this practice; they re¬ 
quire rich soil, and delight in nwi.sture in hot weather. 
CABnAOF. Worts. —Cabbages sown once a month until the 
middle of August. Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, Green Kale, 
sow'll in the first week, and again in the last, will meet every 
demand. If Brocolis are required, sow a few Autumn i 
kinds at the end of the month, and late Spring kinds ! 
towards the middle. 
Brovide fop. Bl.anks. —A most important affair: Carrots 
may grub, so may Onions; the fly may take the Turnips, 
and even Mangold. Let every man proride for the worst. [ 
A good bed of Swedes to transplant, sown in the second 
week in May, and the monthly sowing of Cabbages, are the 
two surest crops for this purpose; nnd as to Sivedes, if they 
can be produced, they can be exchanged for those other 
roots w'hich have proved deficient. And herein lies the 
policy of sowing a few Cabbages monthly ; plants are always 
at hand if needed, and the seed is no consideration. Indeed, 
I W'ould not plant any special plot of ground with Cabbage, 
but ever depend on a few from amongst other cropping. 
Now let us observe, that as the days are long, our allotment 
men will take care that business does not overtake them. 
There is a saying amongst race-course people, that, “ a good 
start is half the race,” and, indeed, it is particularly so in 
gardening and farming. If a man suffer himself to be beaten 
in April, I will engage that he never recovers the whole 
summer. There is now' no time for beer-shops, no chance 
for lounging ; he it is who is afraid of wasting a minute, who 
shall be first in the autumn; and who shall have the most 
pleasant remembrances over his Christmas fire. 
Those of our readers who have had a breeding sow will 
find it highly remunerating this spring. Pork is now selling 
in the carcase at (id. per Ib., and Bacon is 8d. and 9J., 
at least in these ,parts. I have lived here twenty five years, 
and cannot remember it ever being so high before. The 
cottager’s Cabbage IBoits of every kind will now be running 
to seed fast; and a good pig caterer will collect almost daily 
from such sources. This will help to keep the wife’s bands 
out of the meal tub, which makes the hacon oftimes too ex¬ 
pensive. Let the pig-keeper, too, be sure to keep his animals 
clean; washing out the floors of the outlet weekly, and 
giring his pig a fresh dry bed three times a week, if possible. 
This is the way, also, to get a good manure heap. They have 
a saying in this county, that “ a good bed is half meat.” 
B. Errington. 
THE APIARIAN’S CALENDAR.— April. 
By J, U, Bayne^ Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keeper's 
Guide,” (tc. 
The Season. —As might bo expected, the season has 
been fatal to vast numbers of stocks in this neighbourhood 
(Bury St. Edmunds). I think one stock out of every three 
has perished, and unless regular and judicious feeding is 
attended to, greater losses will still be experienced. Barley- 
sugar is certainly the cheapest, as well as the safest, for 
spring-feeding, and is supiflied with much less trouble than 
any other kind of food. 
Hives. —It is now quite time to have a supply of hives for 
the coming season, w’here new ones are required, and where 
old ones are to bo used, to have them well cleaned. It is 
also a good time to paint those hives that are occupied ; it 
will greatly impi'ove their appearance, as well as tend to 
preserve them. A well-made hive, painted before the bees 
are put into it, and once every other year afterwards, will 
last uninjured for upwards of twenty years ; indeed, I have 
one at the present time that has stood even much longer. 
They may be painted after six o’clock in the morning with¬ 
out danger to the operator, or inconvenience to the bees ; 
of course stopping the mouth of the hive for the time. I j 
find stone or straw-colour to be the best, as absorbing less 
heat than green or any dark colour. Perhaps, on this 
account, white would bo best, but the strong - reflected light ; 
from it is very objectionable. > 
Guide-combs. —Small pieces of white comb, to be used as ' 
guide-combs for glasses and bee-hives, will be found very . 
useful in facilitating the commencement of woi'kingin them, 
and should be carefully preserved for that purpose. i 
BEARDED ROLANDS. I 
I have read, without any surpise, the article by Dr. 
Horner, on the subject of the Poland Fowls with beards, and 
1 rely on your fairness and courtesy for the admission to 
your columns of my opinions, as a votary, if not an admirer, 
of the beardless vaiiety. In giving these opinions, and sup¬ 
porting them with such arguments as present themselves, I 
disclaim any other view than the elucidation of truth. 
The whole affair lies in a nutshell. 
