402 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 25. 
lain on boarded floors since the digging-up time, and finer 
stock was never seen. Having occasion to weigh a bushel 
the other day, the man who did so had provided a basket, 
such as is usually employed to hold a bushel as they are 
taken from the pits or hogs. Tom was, however, pro¬ 
digiously surprised to find that the 90 lbs. allowed as a 
bushel in these parts would not by any means fill the basket. 
Now Tom is a deep file, of some fifty to sixty summers, and 
is considered marvellously ’cute among his compeers; but 
Tom could not unravel the mystery, so he appealed to a 
higher authority, for he thought there might be some Greek 
or Latin in the affair. In order to illustrate the thing 
familiarly, Thomas was asked whether a labourer who 
should mow an acre of grass on a hot day in June without 
eating or drinking, would weigh heavier when he entered 
the field or when he came out ? These seed potatoes, then, 
are firm, unsprouted, and unfermented, and the middle-sized 
ones, termed “ sets," are alone planted. This practice has 
been gaining ground in these parts ever since the com¬ 
mencement of the disease. 
place in the order in which it may be executed, not accord¬ 
ing to the importance or value of the various items. If any 
crop is named for which March was the proper time, we do 
so for those who have been guilty of neglect. 
Onions. —Deep digging on plots well-manured for a pre¬ 
vious crop. Cover thinly, and tread or roll the surface hard 
when dry. We prefer beds, in drills, at seven inches dis¬ 
tance. 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —Best on boundary or coarse 
pieces; need no manure. Plant in rows with twenty-six 
inches between, the roots fifteen inches apart. 
Parsnips. —A deep loamy soil best; if chalky, so much 
the better. Whatever manure is used, dig it down at least 
a foot deep. In rows of eighteen inches; plants thinned 
out at three operations. The first merely singled, coupled 
with clean weeding; the second, plants reduced to three- 
inch distance; and the last, in July, to six-inch distance. 
At this time, the thinnings will be valuable food for man 
or beast. 
Common Turnips. —A few for accommodation; for these 
ephemerals may not usurp the room required for winter 
stores. Some of the Dutch kind sow immediately; they will 
do as an edging to a plot, using no manure, for it spoils their 
flavour, makes them run to leaf, and keeps them too late on 
the ground for a succeeding and profitable crop. We sow 
such without even digging, if the ground is pretty good. As 
soon as full-sized, they must be pulled, the tops immediately 
cut ott', and the roots soiled over a foot thick; they will keep 
j a month or more, and throw their ground at liberty in the 
early part of July. 
Broad Beans. —The last planting in the beginning; they 
will not pay afterwards. 
Peas.— If ground can be spared, let a good row or two 
of the Green Imperial be sown in the early part of April; 
few allottees or cottagers ought to spare either ground or 
manure for them afterwards. At the sowing, some rotten 
and very moist manure should be dug in, to prevent 
mildew. 
Carrots. —Here we have an important affair; one of the 
most valuable roots in cultivation. We would, nevertheless, 
rather lean to the swede and mangold on limited plots, as 
being more certain; the mangold especially, as producing 
bulk with quality. By all means, trench two spades deep 
for carrots of the larger breed, introducing rotten manure 
in the bottom spit. If some of the subsoil comes up in the 
operation, so much the better, unless some ungovernable 
clay. They may be sown in alternate rows with parsnips, 
the drills fifteen inches apart. These crops combined, 
being progressively thinned up to the beginning of August, 
a selection must be made. If the grub has taken the carrots, 
there will be a crop of the parsnip to fall back on; if not, 
the carrots may be retained, or, by heavy thinning, a portion 
of each may be reserved. In sowing carrots, our practice is 
to fill half the drills with a stimulus thus prepared:—The 
bulk of the mixture is very old manure or leaf-soil, in a fine, 
powdery state, to this we add one-eighth of guano, and one- 
sixth of soot, and then add the seed. The whole is most 
completely mixed, and, as before observed, the drill half 
filled, simply raking the ordinary soil over the whole. Of 
course, the amount of material and quantity of seed is 
closely calculated previous. 
Swedes. —What more important? From the cottier to 
the prince they creep into our economics. Those who sow 
in drills to remain, may do so from the middle of April to 
the second week in May; we thus allow much latitude, in 
order to facilitate schemes of mixed cropping. Sowing to 
transplant is another thing ; this must, in part, be ruled by 
the condition of the crops forming part of the combination. 
Allowance must be made in this case for the richness of the 
soil, both in earliness of sowing and distance. Rich soil, 
later and thinner; poor soil, earlier and thicker. Sow, to 
remain in drills, at about twenty-seven inches ; in seed beds 
to transplant, make drills across four-feet beds, at five inches 
apart. It ought to be more generally known, that strong 
Swedes from the seed bed may be transplanted with a bulb 
: as thick as a little stone turnip, with success. Indeed, this 1 
i is the only plan with mixed crops, when the ground comes 
to hand late. We have proved this conclusively. Let us 
advise a similar drill mixture to that suggested for carrots. : 
Mangold. —This loves saline applications, a good depth, 
good tilth, and no lack of manure. If the soil be shallow, 
sow the Orange Globe kind; if very deep and loose, the 
Long Red. In drills twenty-six to thirty inches apart; plants 
finally thinned to eight to ten inches. Sow from the middle 
to the end of the month. We have had a very good crop 
sown near the middle of May. 
Cabbages. —Sow once a month until the middle of August. 
Of course the extent of each sowing must be ruled by the 
prospective need of plants; the latter determined by the I 
cropper’s scheme. A liberal sowing should be made in the 
middle of the month, to provide plants for blanks in the 
root crops, &c., and a similar quantity in the middle of 
June for Coleworts. The hoe should be now freely worked 
between those planted in the autumn, or in February. 
Brocoli.— A luxury ; a pinch of the Walcheren, Snow’s 
Winter White, and the Wilcove in the middle of the month, 
and the Cape and Walcheren in the last week. 
The various Greens. —Curled Kale, Brussels Sprouts, 
Savoys, &c , in the beginning, if wanted. The Thousand- 
headed Cabbage, too, if room to spare. 
Miscellaneous. — Narsturtiums, Scarlet Runners, and 
Kidney Beans, towards the end. Lettuces, a pinch once a 
month—the Acly’s Cos. Cucumbers, Gherkins, and the 
Vegetable Marrow, at the end. 
And now a little parting advice to the cottager. Be sure 
to care for your manure heap; do not have it scattered about 
with its surface dried up. Spread a little soil over it 
monthly, at least Do not suffer the rains to carry its 
strength down the next ditch; it will suit your neighbour, 
but not yourself. Make up your mind that not one weed 
shall seed in your plot, if possible. Dig deep, and stir 
deep, at all times, unless roots may be injured. Perform 
no cultural operations when the ground is wet, unless it be | 
hand weeding. In transplanting operations, do not suffer 
the roots to become in the least dry whilst out of the 
soil. Puddling is a good practice before planting. Dig a 
hole where the plants are pulled—say cabbage plants; pour 
some ivater, dung-hill drainings if at hand, into the hole, 1 
and stir the Avater about until thick mud ; in this dip each 
bunch before placing it in the basket. In order to be sure in 
your plans, and that the soAvings of temporary or supple¬ 
mentary crops may be conducted Avith economy and certainty, 
look once more over your allotment schemes, and proceed 
with decision. In the next we shall have to deal pricipally 
Avith cultural affairs. R. Errington. 
APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— April. 
Bij J. H. Payne , Esq., Author of" The Bee-keeper's Guide.” 
April may be considered the first month of the Apiarian’s j 
year; a month of busy preparation for the coming honey 1 
season, and its many pleasing occupations. A good supply ; 
of new straiv hives (Avhere they are used) are supposed to 
be already in hand, with glasses and covers, depriving hi\'es, \ 
adapting boards, bee dresses for the operator and an assist- j 
ant, and, indeed, of everything that will be required during 
the season. 
I Feeding. —This very important matter must noiv be care. 
