SlC PTE AIDER 22. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
485 
CULTIVATION OF WHITE MUSTARD. 
The growth of White Mustard, as green food for 
shoe]), is very much on the increase, and is certainly an 
excellent substitute for many other green crops usually 
considered of more importance. Although it is not so 
nutritious, nor productive of so heavy a weight of food 
as many other kinds of green crop, such as Trifolium, 
Tares, &c., it can be sown much later in the season, and 
as it comes to maturity for feeding in the course of five 
or six weeks, it is much used for sowing after Tares, and 
other green crops, thus filling up a vacuum in the rota¬ 
tion, furnishing food for stock, and saving the tillage 
which the land must otherwise receive, to keep it in the 
fallow state, and prevent the growth of weeds. 
This crop also answers the purpose of manuring; in 
some districts, and where green crops are ploughed 
down and buried in the soil for manure, it is better for 
the purpose than any other, as it grows so rapidly, that, 
in case it may be thought desirable, several crops can 
be grown in succession during the summer months, and 
all may be used for the same purpose, with advantage, 
upon heavy soils, instead of the naked or bare fallow. 
The practice of ploughing-in green crops is, however, 
nearly obsolete, it being found more advantageous to 
consume the green food with sheep, and take the profit 
arising from feeding the stock, in addition to its value 
as manure. 
Mustard may be grown upon almost any kind of soil; 
but the crop will be in proportion to the condition and 
state of the land, good soil not only growing the best 
crop, but producing it fit for feeding twelve or fourteen 
days earlier; its rapid growth completely overpowering 
the ordinary weeds of the farm, and saving the expense 
both of weeding and hoeing. 
The land does not require much tillage before sowing 
the seed, it being only necessary to make the soil fine 
upon the surface, previous to sowing, in order that all 
tho seed may vegetate at once, and not lie in the ground 
and come up amongst other crops at a future time, which 
it would be very liable to do, in case the seed was buried 
deep by sowing upon the bare furrow in a rough state. 
From twolve to sixteen pounds of seed per acre will 
be sufficient; if sown much thicker the plants will come 
small and weak, producing but little food. 
The seed may be sown as early as April, for it is 
hardy, and a slight frost will not injure the plant whilst 
in the seed-leaf, and it may be sown as late as the first 
week in September, and produce a fair crop for feeding 
in November. 
It is said that this crop is very obnoxious to the wire- 
worms ; it is, at all events, a good preparatory crop for 
Turnips; upon chalky, and other light soils, the Turnip 
crop generally thrives well after it, and seldom suffers 
loss of plant by the wireworm. 
It is also a good crop to precede Wheat, for I have 
found (particularly upon strong soils) that abundant 
crops of Wheat are grown after a luxuriant crop of 
Mustard eaten off by sheep. 
The sheep always do well upon it, particularly stock, 
or store sheep, it being safe and healthy, rather than 
forcing and fattening; and I have found it very suitable 
food for ewes in lamb during any stage of pregnancy. 
Josei'h Blundell. 
CULTIVATION OF WINTER BEANS. 
The cultivation of winter Beans differs very materially 
from that of the spring Beans, and they may be grown with 
success upon a variety of soils, which, it is well known, 
cannot be advantageously cropped with the latter kind. 
The ordinary sorts of spring Beans require to be sown 
upon a clay or strong loamy soil, whereas, the winter 
variety will succeed and produce good crops, when the 
season is favourable, upon soils in general, supposing 
the land is in a good state of cultivation. 
In selecting land for the growth of this crop, it is 
essential that it shall be comparatively free from couch j 
grass, for although Beans are considered a fallow crop> 
yet there are few seasons when couch grass can be 
entirely destroyed by the hoeing usually given to the j 
Bean crop; yet the destruction of ordinary root and 
summer weeds may be effected by proper application of 
the interculture necessary for its success. 
In preparing the land, it is unnecessary to incur great 
expenses, one ploughing, with harrowing and rolling 
sufficient to produce a fine surface and firmness of 
subsoil, being all that is required. The best mode of 
planting is by the dibble, ono man using two dibbles, 
followed by women or boys to drop the Beans two in 
each hole. The most expeditious and cheapest mode is 
to drill them; the quantity of seed required, when, 
dibbled, will be two bushels per acre; b ut when drilled 
a half-bushel extra. 
I advocate wide drilling, with not less than two feet, 
or twenty-seven inches space between the drills, the full 
advantage of interculture may then be obtained; and 
winter Beans, being more inclined to stalk and branch- 
out than tho summer varieties, they soon fill up the 
wide space; indeed, if drilled closer, they become so 
crowded as to exclude the sun and free circulation of 
air, which cause certain damage to tho crop, and render it 
more susceptible to blight. 
It is very important to consider how this crop is placed 
in the rotation; for, although it does not usually yield 
more profit than a crop of Oats, yet it can be more 
advantageously followed by a crop of Wheat. Indeed, 
there is no other crop so good to precede Wheat as winter 
Beans, for not only is the land peculiarly kind and mellow 
where winter Beans have been well cultivated, but being 
earlier to the harvest than the spring sorts, there is, in 
ordinary seasons, time to make a tolerable fallow after 
the crop is removed. 
The ploughing of the land may be partly effected 
before the crop is carted away, by placing the produce 
upon every other land, or every third land, according to 
tho bulk of the crop. The growth of Turnips, and other 
roots, between the rows of Beans, is advocated by some 
parties, but I am of opinion that it does not answer as 
a system. 1 would sooner take the advantage of a bare 
fallow, between the crops of Beans and Wheat; for 
