86 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[May 9. 
Sloping Banks— We find the sloping bank system, as 
we have elsewhere stated, very advantageous, not only 
throughout the summer but also in the autumn, winter, 
and spring. All our late sown peas are planted in 
single rows, as a protection and a partial shade to other 
ci'ops. A row of late peas is, at the present season, sown 
on the summit of a large sloping bank in a deep drill, 
and the drill only partially filled up ; that is to say, the 
drill is drawn, or a shallow trench cast out with a spade, 
deeper than is required to be filled up to cover the peas 
to their proper depth, so that there is, when sown and 
j covered, a rill still left. As soon as the peas are up, 
i their growth is first encouraged by frequently raking 
and stirring the surface soil, and as soon as three or 
four inches high they are mulched with half-decayed 
vegetable refuse, leaves, or short mulchy old dung 
I linings, and the pea-sticks at ouce applied. The only 
after-management required are liberal soakings of liquid 
manure. The abundant production thus obtained is 
astonishing, aud the quality so improved that the varie¬ 
ties are really not recognised by good judges. 
I On the north side of these sloping banks, or which¬ 
ever way they may be formed, the shadiest or coldest 
side is selected for cultivating late cauliflowers, Cape 
brocoli, lettuce, spinach, summer turnips, &c.; each and all 
sown thinly in drills, to be thinned out and remain ; on 
the sunny or hottest side, Dwarf Kidney leans, New 
Zealand or Tetragonian spinach, vegetable marrows , gher¬ 
kin cucumbers, capsicums, chillies, and such other vegeta- 
j bles as require heat and shelter. All are, of course, 
duly encouraged by good attention to surface stirring 
; and the application of liquid manure. The annual pro¬ 
duction by such management is wonderful. The early 
I celery delights also in a warm situation ; and a prepara- 
tion made between two sloping hanks in the valley ap- 
j pears to suit it well. Other ground between the peas, 
I planted at wide distances, upon the same principle, as 
the spring crops come off, are famous for getting out the 
autumn and white varieties of brocolis, kales, and borecoles, 
coleworts and late cabbages, &c.; indeed, with a little 
forethought and method, all ground thus managed may 
be turned to most valuable account at all seasons. 
; Jerusalem Artichokes. —If these appear with more 
. than one shoot to a plant, the superabundant ones 
j should be taken off, as one good strong shoot to a plant 
will always produce more fine-sized tubers than if more 
1 than one is left. The earth about them should be well 
1 loosened with the hand drag. 
Cabbage. —Sow now the small compact varieties of 
cabbage, so as to have a store in hand in case of vacan¬ 
cies ; a good supply of plants is always useful for pro¬ 
ducing successional crops of young greens and turned- 
in young cabbage. 
Cardoons. —Sow now in full crop; to grow them well 
a shallow trench, similar to a celery trench, should be 
cast out on a piece of ground which has previously been 
well trenched and manured; and, if it can be spared, a 
little well decomposed manure forked into the trench 
would be very beneficial. The seeds should be placed 
up the centre of the trench, about sis inches or so apart, 
and covered from an inch and a half to two inches in 
depth ; the plants should be thinned in due season, the 
standing crop encouraged by frequent surface-stirrings, 
and attention given to the application of liquid-manure, 
regulating its strength by the luxuriance of the plants. 
At all times liquid-manure should be applied to young 
plants well diluted of course, and well weakened down, 
or the effects produced will be as injurious as would lie 
the giving strong beer and beef to a little child. The 
principle sowings of celery should be thus gently and 
gradually encouraged ; and the plants, as soon as they 
can be handled, should be pricked out in succession on 
a well chosen piece of ground. The early planted, out 
celery should have the same encouragement that is re¬ 
commended for other crops with regard to surface-stir¬ 
ring and liquid-manure; the side suckers should at all 
times be kept cleared away. 
Routine Work.— Plant out the early basil aud sweet 
marjoram, and make a sowing also on a warm border; 
plant out tomatos; attend to the making out of any 
vacancies that may occur amongst the drill crop; attend 
well to the surface-stirring and timely thinning; make 
another sowing of parsley and early turnips ; well protect 
the ridged out cucumbers and vegetable marrows; and, it 
cold winds or stormy weather prevail, keep the linings 
of the frame and pit cucumbers and melons well topped- 
up in order to maintain one uniform heat; make suc¬ 
cessional sowings of the best kind of each, and attend 
regularly to the stopping of them, keeping the vine thin, 
and not allowing a glut of fruit to swell at one time, 
which will not only exhaust the plants, and cause defor¬ 
mity amongst the fruit, but the distress and poverty 
thus occasioned will be followed in time by vermin and 
disease. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
MILK. 
By the authoress of“ My FloWcrs" 
One of the cheapest and most useful articles of con¬ 
sumption in a family, particularly where there are 
children, is milk. In towns, where it is brought to the 
j door, and doled out in small quantities at a high price, 
j of course it must always be considered dear ; but in the 
country, or in small towns, where it is perhaps possible 
i to obtain it from farms in the neighbourhood, it will be 
i found a most wholesome and valuable addition to the 
1 family-table in every way. Skimmed-milk is sold in the 
} country at one halfpenny per quart, and at this prico 
I nothing can be so advantageous for children’s food, both 
i as regards cheapness and nutrition. A basin of boiled 
! bread and milk is a simple, strengthening breakfast and 
i supper, upon which every child will thrive ; and if it is 
l made properly, and the stomach will bear it (which is 
not always the case), It is an excellent meal for grown 
persons, particularly those who are seeking to live in the 
cheapest manner possible. The bread should he cut, not 
broken, into the shape of large dice, and placed first in 
the basin—the boiling milk when poured upon it, in all 
its beautiful frothiness, presents as tempting an appear¬ 
ance to the eye as to the taste ; and it is so nourishing, . 
that invalids who can take only a few spoonsful at a 
time, will thrive upon it. 
Milk, and rice, and Hour, all of which arc cheap and \ 
nutritious, may be combined in various ways, so as to 
furnish economical dishes of great delicacy as well as 
usefulness; and it would be highly desirable that families 
living in country towns “ where provisions are dear,” 
should endeavour to effect an arrangement with neigh- 
