THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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almost breaking into rough leaf. We have so often 
failed in obtaining what we call a useful, good crop, 
when sown before the second week in January, that we 
have ceased sowing any under glass before that time ; 
not but that they will vegetate and grow at an earlier 
period, but the necessity then often exists of having the 
frame they grow in shut up, or nearly so, for days 
together, from the inclemency of the weather at that dull 
period; so that the young plant, urged into action by 
warmth communicated from below, is forced into that 
unnatural growth which results in the elongation of 
that portion of least value to the vegetable, “ the neck.” 
I he only way to check such a sickly state of growth, 
is to furnish the materials necessary to ensure good 
health. Now, we presume the amateur, or young gar¬ 
dener, to have already done so, in so far as they could, 
by applying the most genial growing heat they could 
devise, and a soil which they were persuaded “ would 
grow anything,” besides procuring seeds of the best 
variety ot frame radish known. Well, what more can 
t> e done? Nothing; yet without “fresh air and sun¬ 
shine those efforts will not secure a crop ; now these 
all-important elements cannot always be had. It may 
be true that we can admit a certain portion of the first 
of them, but the other is quite beyond our reach at the 
season we have above alluded to, and the consequence 
is that the absence of these essentials, and the presence 
ot the others which we have some control over, “ heat 
and moisture,” produce a spurious growth, in which the 
enlargement in the case of radishes, as well as in that 
of many things, takes place in the part of least real use 
in the vegetable when sent to table. In fact, the long 
crooked neck they invariably get when confined for any 
length of time, so much defaces them, that their appear¬ 
ance (a point we ought never entirely to lose sight of even 
in vegetables) is such as to render them inadmissable 
at table. Now, the only cure for such a state of growth 
is abundance of fresh air, amounting to complete ex¬ 
posure, or nearly so. How is this to be obtained, when 
the thermometer indicates some 10° or 15° of frost? The 
newly-expanded leaf can hardly be expected to endure 
so sudden a depression of atmospheric heat, amounting 
perhaps to some 50°, which is uo unusual difference 
between the external and internal air, and that depres¬ 
sion must take place if full exposure be given to the 
embryo crop. But some will be saying, why not adopt 
a medium course, which is, admitting a certain quantity 
of fresh air to replace an equal amount driven out? 
Now this is all very good, and to almost everything but 
radishes this half-and-half way answers the purpose 
wanted; but somehow or other the “necks” still get 
long and ugly, that with all the care that can be taken, 
little short of complete exposure a considerable part of 
the day will prevent it. Now this forms one of the 
reasons why we refrained advising radishes to be sown 
with the first crop of frame potatoes we recommended to 
be planted last week, as the necessary warmth required 
to hasten that crop on, is such as to be fatal to the 
radish being anything but leaves and neck; we there¬ 
fore advised the first crop of potatoes to be planted 
alone, but subsequent crops may all have a scattering of 
radish amongst them; and there is no reason why a few 
potatoes may not be planted in the frame we now pro¬ 
pose to be devoted more especially to its more quickly 
maturing neighbour; at the same time, it must not be 
forgotten which one is the principal occupant, and 
which the lodger or successor. 
I he treatment in the two differs considerably; the 
short top the one ought to have, compared to the other, 
points out its being placed in as close contact with the 
glass as it can be without touching it, while the other, 
having a longer foliage, requires to be at a greater 
distance. Now, as we promised to give the preference 
to the radish, we will suppose a box-frame of the required 
January 8. 
size placed over a well-prepared hotbed of sweetened 
stable-dung, or leaves, or—what is better—the two well 
mixed, in the manner our able coadjutors have so often 
explained. Well, we will suppose the box-frame to be 
set upon this prepared hotbed, our next duty will be to 
add some more leaves, or similar heating matter, to the 
inside, to raise it so far up that the top of the soil, which 
we will suppose to be six inches deep, will be not more 
than three or four inches from the glass; the object of 
this being to have the young crop as close to it as 
possible. Now, if it be determined to have potatoes in 
the same frame, do not, by any means, plant any of 
those partially forwarded ones, which we recommended 
to be done last week, as the foliage would compete with 
the radish before the latter was old enough to be drawn 
—rather plant tubers but little or not at all sprouted ; 
these we suppose to be planted first, the proper depth 
and distance, and the ground made smooth, the radish 
seed may be sown, and slightly covered with a little fine 
earth. The kind mostly used of late years is Wood's 
Early Frame, which, when true, is good. After the 
young plants begin to grow, give air every day, which 
increase, so that by the time they begin to form the 
rough leaf, they may endure full exposure in all 
weathers, not decidedly frosty; by thus inuring them to 
the hardening influence of fresh air, they get a sturdi¬ 
ness of growth, which forms a strong contrast with 
their more coddled brethren, whose appearance more 
resembles those refuse cabbage-plants which, having 
stood in the seed-bed all winter, exhibit a serpentine 
length of stem. Now, as we have said the only antidote 
to that state of growth is “ fresh air and sunshine,” and 
as we all know these cannot be so much depended on in 
January as February, we have advised the amateur to 
defer sowing his early radishes before the beginning of 
the former month, and then his chances of success are 
more certain. We hardly need remind him that careful 
attention in the shape of covering up, &c., will also be 
required, and, by-and-by, a little judicious thinning will 
do no harm, if he sows thick. Another thing he must 
not omit to guard against—mice are very fond of radish- 
seed, and if they have access to the frame they will soon 
annihilate all chances of a crop. 
Watering, &c., may be wanted by-and-by, but in the 
midst of frost and snow, which may possibly abound 
when these pages reach the reader, watering is re¬ 
stricted to those plants whose place of abode is in 
contact with, or very near to, hot-water pipes or flues. 
It will be some time ere our vegetable requires such 
assistance, but everything calculated to promote its 
welfare ought to be supplied, and one of the most 
essential of these is clean glass, in order that at those 
untoward times when it is denied the full exposure, it 
may derive as much benefit as possible from the light 
there is. A little radish-seed may also be sown on some 
warm border close under a south wall; a little pro¬ 
tection at times will often ensure a crop of much finer 
radishes than any grown under glass, but of course 
they will be later. 
Sundries. —Broccoli that may have been standing in 
the ordinary quarters may be now laid down in such a 
manner as to resist a tolerably severe frost without being 
entirely taken up. Our mode is this:—With a spade 
take out a small spit of earth from the side of the stem 
you intend it to lean to, then, with the foot, tread it 
down in that direction, and the next spit of earth from 
the next plant will lie upon it—and so on until the 
whole is finished, when they will all be lying in a pros¬ 
trate direction, and all one way. Now, the benefits of 
this plan are these—the direct influence of frost is more 
guarded against by the thick coating of leaves there 
exists between the crown of the plant and the exterior, 
while the plant does not derive that check it receives 
when taken wholly out of the ground, and removed to 
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