294 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 5. 
better, that the ground may have the more time to 
sweeten, or prepare for future crops. 
Now, we all know the cabbage tribe are groS3 feeders, 
i. e., they live or thrive on those juices which dung and 
other enriching things supply, and, consequently, after 
their removal, we may infer that the ground ought to 
have those substances returned which it had parted 
with in supporting the late crop. Now, this is the sub¬ 
ject our agricultural, or, I ought to say, horticultural 
chemists have been aiming at for a long time, which is, 
returning to the ground those elementary substances 
only, which they tell us the crop “ only ” abstracted 
from it. Hitherto their experience has not confirmed 
them to be right in all cases; and that concentrated 
form, in which they tell us manure may be used, has. in 
many instances where tried, proved the crop to be concen¬ 
trated also, therefore we advise our gardening friends 
who are anxious for their crops to excel, to treat them 
liberally with enriching substances of a' bulky nature, 
rather than one said to be the essence of what is 
wanted. In this respect we do not include tank-water, 
which, if given strong, is diluted by the elements. But 
we certainly have more faith in a good dunging than in 
that niggardly dusting or dredging which the high price 
of nitrate of soda, saltpetre, or guano, compel us to be 
satisfied with when they are used, that I would 
strongly advise the enthusiastic experimentalist to try 
the merits of the latter on a small scale, until he be 
satisfied of it3 efficiency, and in such crops as he is 
most anxious to prosper, good farm-yard manure is 
seldom used in vain. Therefore, we presume the cab¬ 
bage stalks to be condemned, and the ground not having 
been trenched for some years, we will advise its being 
done now, in the manner we explained some weeks ago, 
burying the stalks and any other waste in the bottom, 
the dung in the middle, and returning the top soil to 
the top again. This plan we suppose to be followed out, 
our next duty is to consider, or rather that should have 
been done long ago, what crop ought next to follow. 
Cabbages we suppose to require nutriment of the 
same kinds as broccoli, cauliflowers, and the other mem¬ 
bers of this family; they ought not, therefore, to be fol¬ 
lowed by any such crops, and the one that first points 
itself out to our use is Potatoes; Carrots we strongly 
object to, the slugs that usually harbour in the ground 
where cabbages have been grown are generally too 
numerous and difficult to eradicate to leave much chance 
of obtaining a crop of that delicate-topped young vege¬ 
table ; besides, the wire-worm and other casualties have 
induced us to prefer a piece of ground for carrots that 
has lain all winter exposed to the action of the elements, 
one or two turnings in frosty weather being also given, 
and the previous crop may have been Scarlet Runners, 
or some such crop. 
Now, there are so many things which mar that arrange¬ 
ment of rotation, which, in theory, we think the most 
beautiful, that we are often compelled to relinquish 
plans in themselves good; nevertheless, there are some 
which ought not to be departed from. Celery, which is 
rather an extensive crop, is usually favoured with the 
best ground or situation; and in planting the crop the 
previous season, regard may be had so as that a portion 
of it may be got off the ground intended for Onions 
some little time before this crop is to be sown. In fact, 
all celery but the very latest, may be grown in ground 
intended for onions the following year, observing, as 
the celery is removed, to dig or trench the ground, and 
add what dung you do apply in as rotten a state as pos¬ 
sible; that green or fresh condition, which enhances its 
value for some crops, is not suitable for this, but we 
will explain the reason more fully hereafter. 
Peas, which occupy a considerable section of the 
garden, might follow something in the cabbage way, 
were it not that we strongly advise Brocoli, of the late 
kinds to be planted amongst them, which, for that 
reason, we sow in drills wide apart,—but more of this 
anon ; suffice it to say, that where the peas may have 
followed such a crop as Winter Spinach, brocoli, 
Brussels sprouts, &c., may be advantageously planted 
between. 
Now, on the other hand, the early period at which the 
Onion crop is gathered off, enables that space to be 
occupied by Winter Spinach, or, it may be, the first 
crop of Spring Cabbages, planted in September; while 
Parsnips, Leeks, and sometimes Beet, remaining in the 
ground all winter, afford a fair place for Peas and 
Brocoli, or, it may be, Broad Beans. 
The last crop of Brocoli, which ought to carry on the 
supply up to the time the first cauliflowers are fit for 
use, will be off' in time to sow the second and after- 
crops of French Beans. Lettuce, and other small crops, 
we suppose to be grown on borders, where the rotation 
may be varied by Early Potatoes. Beds of seedlings, 
as sweet herbs, the cabbage tribe, &c., and other minor 
crops, may also be placed in such situations. 
Now, though we can hardly expect the above rotation 
can be fully carried out, yet, by judicious management, 
much may be done; and our purpose in pointing out 
such changes as might be beneficially adopted, may, in 
a general way, be accomplished without any loss or 
sacrifice. It is hardly necessary to observe, that the 
market gardener (than whom no one produces better 
crops) often plants the very same thing on his ground 
year after year; but then he pays for such hard usage 
in the liberal amount of manure he treats his ground with 
after every crop. But the demands for that commodity 
in rural districts limit the quantity to the garden to a 
less amount than it might be desired at times, so that 
all means to husband that useful article must be adopted. 
In closing this paper on the Rotation of Crops, we 
beg to say that we are opposed to that class of cultiva¬ 
tors who advocate mixing them, as, with the exception 
of peas, which, getting off before late in the summer, 
leave time for the brocoli to grow, and a few rows of 
cauliflowers, &c., between our beds of asparagus, we 
grow all our other garden crops separate, and we never 
could see the utility of trampling down one crop in the 
gathering or planting of another, so that we abandoned 
the practice after some little experience that way. 
Kitchen-Garden Sundries. — Garlic and Shallots 
must now be planted, and the same may be said of the 
Potato Onion. In dry weather, stir the ground amongst 
Cabbages. Give air in abundance to young Radishes, 
&c., in frames, and sow some under south walls. Attend 
to forcing, especially to Cucumbers, Melons, &c.; and all 
alteration in permanent crops, as Artichokes, Rhubarb, 
Asparagus, &e., may now be done, and new plantations 
made when necessary. J. Robson. 
WINTERING BEES. 
Will your readers be surprised if I draw their attention, 
once more, to the subject of wintering lees, a once favourite 
subject of mine, although it has gained for me but little 
credit, I fear ? I will confess, that since the discovery of 
the new system of cottage bee-keeping, published of late in 
your pages, I. have become much less solicitous about my 
bees in -winter, as I cannot foresee the possibility (my out¬ 
door apiary being now entirely managed on that principle) 
of any hive of mine being so short of provisions in any 
winter, even the most trying, as to make me fear for it on 
that score. Formerly, until it crossed my mind how advan¬ 
tageous in every way it would be to keep old stocks , instead 
of prime swarms, for breeding purposes, from year to year, 
I was often wishful to preserve such casts as I saw (from 
their populous condition in the autumn) evidently contained 
promising queens, these being young queens to boot; but I 
well knew, and by experience found, how difficult it was to 
