October 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
67 
these, the results of careful breeding and preservation for 
four or five years, are now, we consider, brought back to 
their original purity. They are of the Ash-leaved Kidney 
and Radical breeds, and have lain on an outhouse floor for 
two months; they are now of a greenish broivn, and cut 
with the knife as firm as a Swede turnip, whilst not a bud 
lias sprouted, neither will do until next March. Such we 
claim as the result of care, and as being precisely in the 
position most congenial to their nature, fermentation having 
been unknown to their breed for four years at least. Really 
the apathy of one portion of our cultivators is annoying, and, 
we may add, alarming, for ’tis a national affair. 
Again then, we beg to urge as the best advice that can 
be offered under present circumstances— 
1st.—Select seed betimes; keep it dry, cool, yet free from 
frost: and totally avoid fermentation by thin layers. 
2nd.—With regard to those for sale or late use, if in 
quantity, and no house room, be sure not to put them belour 
the ground level; rather pile them above, and secure an 
issue for any moisture which may exude. 
3rd.—Let all stocks be thoroughly picked over after they 
have been placed together about three weeks ; sorting them 
with care. The bad to the pigs, the middling to market, and 
the sound, if desirable, reserved. 
4th.—Let aU eating potatoes be kept from the light as 
much as possible at all times. 
With regard to autumn-planting it is difficult to advise, so 
much depends on circumstances. On sound uplands, with 
peculiar culture, perhaps the practice is commendable, as far 
as regards late kinds; but we have constantly failed in our 
early kinds by this practice. Now this cannot be prejudice ; 
we were most enthusiastic in advocating the practice for 
trial some half dozen years since, believing it to be more 
agreeable to the conditions under which nature had placed 
the potato; and also as an avoidance of fermentation, which 
had been the “ besetting sin.” It is of little use quoting the 
robustness of potatoes left in the ground by accident; this 
only proves what might be readily conceded: that if potatoes 
escape injury from frost and wet, they are in a position to 
sprout with greater vigour, than if partially dried up in 
floors, Ac. However, first-rate men are still divided about this 
matter, which ought yet to be considered an open question. 
Mangold.— If this is not secured let it be done immedi¬ 
ately. This root is very tender as compared with the Swede, 
and if once nipped by frost, a premature decay is the sure 
consequence. It is the best keeper of all our roots, as far as 
we are at present aware; and, as part of a system of root 
diet, of course should be preserved especially for very late 
purposes. Choose, if possible, a dry and windy morning for 
pulling them; let them lay three hours; then turn them, 
and use a sharp-edged piece of lath to scrape the bulk of the 
soil off them ; and by four o’clock in the afternoon, they will 
be fit to go to them destination. Wherever they are put, 
dryness is the great essential, together with exclusion from 
frost. Thrown in a comer in any outhouse, they keep well; 
if they are placed out-doors they should be piled to an 
angular ridge, on an elevated, and of course dry, plot, and 
should be thatched or covered with thin turves, each overlap¬ 
ping as slates. In the latter case, some extra rough litter 
must be thrown over the turves in severe weather. 
Swedes. —These are a hardy root, and need little protec¬ 
tion. Nevertheless, it is well to keep severe weather from 
them, both wet and frost. We have known them keep very 
well drawn from the plot where they grew—the tops cut off, 
the roots trimmed, and then stuck amongst the long grass of 
a pasture. This cannot of course be a Cottager’s practice, 
and is named by the way, to point to their hardihood. It 
must be remembered however, that many things will keep 
well, although generally wet or damp, providing they are ex¬ 
posed to a free circulation of air. This of course presup¬ 
poses the power to withstand frost. We have, in common 
no doubt with many others, picked up apples in December, 
and even January, nestled amongst decaying leaves, which 
astonished by their freshness, and seemed to mock the idea 
of building fruit rooms. Nevertheless, these facts do not 
demand a slavish adherence, but simply point to principles, 
which every wise observer will take as beacons, by which to 
shape his future course. Swedes, nevertheless, keep ex¬ 
ceedingly well, piled in a ridge in dry ground, and covered with 
ordinary litter three or four inches thick. 
Parsnips. —May be left in the ground all the winter, if for 
eating, merely spreading a little manure over them for the 
next crop. If they must be taken up for the stock or the 
pig, they may be preserved as the Swede. 
Carrots. —Get them up as the Mangold, throwing them 
several hours in the sunshine, in order to kill all fibres. Cut 
the heads off rather “ into the quick ” to cripple the heart- 
bud. Carrots keep much longer this way. 
Cabbages. —Either plant out a good breadth directly, or 
prick them out to strengthen, until the second week in 
February. Whether they be planted finally now, depends on 
the allotment rotation for the ensuing year. Earth all those 
up the stems, which were planted some time back. 
Greens. —By this we mean the kale, savoy, Brussels’ 
sprouts, thousand-head cabbage, Ac., Ac. Let all be 
thoroughly cleaned, the land well stirred, and all things of 
this land soiled up as high as the under leaves. They will 
root all up the stem, and thereby much increase in bulk. 
Snails, Slugs, Ac. —If these are troublesome, mix soot, 
cindelr ashes, and a little quick-lime, if possible; and strew 
it thickly among and around all things liable to their 
ravages. A heap of this should always be kept in a dry 
place, ready for action. 
Rotations for 1852.—Let such be determined on imme¬ 
diately, in order that the appropriation of the manure-heap 
may be well understood ; and that trenching, winter-fallow¬ 
ing, the applying of correctives, Ac., may proceed by system 
all through the winter. 
Stirring Soils. —We do not expect the cottager to be 
constantly stirring or forking his ground; but we do advise 
him that, the oftener he does so, the more he increases its 
fertility. 
The Manure Heap. —As soon as the future course of 
cropping is determined on, let the manure-heap be turned, 
incorporating any spare burnt materials with it, soot, Ac., 
Ac. We would separate it in two parts, reserving the 
coarser for present use, and keeping the finer for drills or 
beds hi spring. Let it be carefully earthed over to exclude 
rain. R. Errington. 
APIARIAN’S CALENDAR— November. 
By J. H. Payne, Esq., Author of “ The Bee-keeper's Guide." 
The requirements of our little favourites during this dull 
month are but few, and, indeed, if feeding has been well 
attended to where necessary during the previous month, 
none at all, beyond keeping them well defended from wet. 
Advantages of a Northern Aspect. I still continue to 
receive very favourable reports from those persons who have 
tried a northern aspect for their hives, the results in every 
case already represented to me have been satisfactory, but I 
am persuaded that the greatest care must be taken to keep 
the vdiole exterior of the hives from wet, where they are not 
placed in a bee-liouse; and however averse I may hitherto 
have expressed myself to the use of bee-houses, I am now 
inclined to think that where a northern aspect is decided 
upon, they may be necessary, especially in this part of the 
kingdom. In Devonshire it may not be required, but where- 
ever hives are placed in this aspect without the protection of 
a house, I would particularly recommend that, be the cover¬ 
ings whatever they may, that they be sufficiently large to 
prevent the drip from them falling upon the floor-boards of 
the hives, for this would engender dampness, and the loss of 
the stocks would, in all probability, be the consequence. 
Bee-Houses. —It must be remembered that, wherever 
they are adopted, they require the greatest care as to neat¬ 
ness and cleanliness, for at best they are hiding-places for 
the bees’ worst enemies. 
Wasps. —At last (October) we are, hi this locality, inun¬ 
dated with these pests, so as to defy all attempts to eradicate 
them, for in some places nigh to us, a hundred nests may be 
found, in ahnost as many yards, and the only chance there 
lias been of defending our little pets from their maraudings, 
was to narrow the entrances of their hives, so as to admit 
one, or at most, two bees at a time; fortunately they made 
their appearance many weeks later this year than usual, or 
the consequences must have been bad indeed. 
Removing Bees. —Should any of our readers, from what 
has already been said, feel disposed to try a northern aspect 
for their bees, I would recommend their not being removed 
