112 
supposing the ground to have been well trenched 
for the cauliflowers, and liberally manured, as well as 
the surface kept well stirred ; and if these matters were 
attended to at first nothing more will be now required 
than marking out trenches the desired width—say four 
or five feet wide, if a large crop of celery is to he pro- 
duced economically on a small piece ol ground. II a 
good portion of well decomposed manure, or cow, hoise, 
sheep, or deer dung, can be spared, fork it in and well 
incorporate it with the soil. If these be not at hand, 
the growth of the celery may be encouraged by appli¬ 
cations of liquid-manure. 
Chervil, Lettuce, Ac. —Sow small patches ot C liervil 
at this season on cold or north aspects, as it is liable in 
! hot weather to run too quickly to seed. Sow a little 
Endive in succession, and continue to sow lettuce also in 
succession on rich healthy soil, to be thinned and lioed- 
out where they are sown, as transplanting in hot weather 
is likely to check and cause an early starting to seed. 
I The Victoria Cabbage Lettuce is an excellent, summer 
! lettuce, as it will stand much heat without starting ; but 
for a variety of the finest fl avour and handiest for an 
every day lettuce throughout the whole year, none is to 
be compared with the Hardy Brown Coss. 
Onions. —The onion crop ere this should have had 
its final thinning, and every vacancy have been made 
up, so that not one plant in any part of the rows may 
be missing. To encourage a luxuriant growth, sur¬ 
face-stirring should be kept in full practice, as long as 
there is room or convenience to work the hoe or hand- 
drag. 
[May 23. 
Parsley.—S ow in succession; fill up by transplanting 
any vacancies that may occur amongst the early sown ; 
encourage its growth by applications of liquid-manure, 
or dredgings of chimney-soot in showery weather. The 
old parsley now started for seed, if intended to remain 
for seed, should have a cutting out, leaving no plants 
but such as are of the first-rate curled quality. 
Routine Work.— Sow the early Stone-Dutch or Bed-top 
American Turnips in succession of small patches, or 
single drills, where ground is not plentiful. Spinach , j 
Salsafy, and Scorzonera, should be duly thinned, and 
the ground between the drills at all times kept loose by 
frequent hoeings and surface-stirring. 
Mushroom-beds should be made in succession in shady 
quiet situations, such as sheds, cellars, or caves; old 
beds getting exhausted should be arrested by slight 
sprinklings of liquid-manure, applied, of course, in a 
tepid state, and with a fine-rosed watering-pot, and 
brewed from cow, sheep, or deer’s dung. 
Melons should, in every stage of fruit-swelling, be ! 
also encouraged by applications of liquid-manure, taking, 
care that too many of them are not allowed to swell off 
at one time. 
Bulge Cucumbers should be kept protected at night, 
whilst the nights remain so cold and uncertain; with \ 
us, in Devonshire, the frost has been intense—now, in j 
the middle of May, at 4 a.m., everything drooping and j 
ice bound. The month of May has been, thus far, one 
of the most unfriendly to vegetation that we ever re¬ 
membered—ten severe frosty mornings occuring during 
the first fourteen days. James Barnes. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
SOAP—CANDLES—SUGAK. 
By the authoress of“ My Flowersi' 
It is advisable to lay in almost all articles of general 
consumption in large quantities, because they are always 
cheaper when purchased by the half or quarter cwt. 
Even in a town where everything can be sent for as it 
is wanted, and in the smallest quantity, it is far better 
to lay in a store of some particular things, on account 
of the saving in price. The only objection to this plan 
that can be offered—and it is, indeed, a very great one— 
is, that abundance is liable to cause waste anil extra¬ 
vagance, by tempting us to exceed the quantities we 
have assigned for weekly or daily consumption. Now 
this is a point upon which we may act wisely and eco¬ 
nomically if we chose. If a lady will carefully and accu¬ 
rately weigh out from her own store-room, with her own 
hands, every morning, or once a week, which is perhaps 
a better period, the quantity allowed of every article, it 
matters not how large the stock in hand may be; but 
unless this is strictly done, and unless she scrupulously 
guard against extra-liberality, she will find herself a 
considerable loser at the close of the year. She must 
not allow herself to run to the store-room for a ^ little 
more sugar,” or even “ one extra spoonful of tea,” if the 
weekly supplies run low. These are little things, I 
admit; but little things swell into large things if prac¬ 
tised incautiously; and although a spoonful of tea in the 
week is scarcely noticed, yet the three months’ allowance 
i will come to an end much before its time, if this is in- 
| dulged in. I am addressing those only who are really 
and seriously struggling to live on narrow means, and 
I without debt, and therefore I shall not apologize for the 
1 minuteness and closeness of my suggestions. If the 
I heart is large and liberal, the sparing hand will be 
guided by prudence, and not parsimony ; and whatever 
springs from principle can never be called mean. 
Tea, sugar, candles, oatmeal, Scotch barley, peas, 
rice, Ac., may all be laid in in quantities; but they 
should be kept in a cool, dry place. Heat and damp 
are both injurious, but of the two extremes damp is 
the worst. 
Soap should not be bought in very large quantities, 
because a great deal of its goodness is lost by long 
keeping. This is opposed to the generally received 
opinion, and to every Household Directory; but the 
advice was given by a respectable and experienced , 
grocer, and it has been tested, and found correct. If j 
cut into proper sized pieces, with a wire, and allowed to 
stand in an airy place for three weeks or a month, it will 
be in a much better state for use than if kept until all 
the oily property is exhausted, in which case it is like 
washing with a piece of stick. It must not dry quickly, 
but slowly, or it will crack. 
The longer candles are kept the better; two years will j 
not be too long. An airy, cool, dry place is best lor 
them; the least warmth softens and spoils them. They 
should be laid in in March or October. Summer-made 
candles are never so firm and good as those made in ■ 
cold weather; and if they can be kept for some months 
before they are used so much the better. The price of 
candles and soap rise and fall together; the chandler 
can always inform his customers when a rise in price is 
expected ; and if the stock in the store-room is lessening 
it is best to renew it before the regular time, when there 
is a probability of the article becoming dearer. 
The best sized mould candles for parlour use are I 
