[May 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
128 
allotment holder’s family, the middle of July will be a proper 
Jerusalem- Abtichokes.— These should have their stems 
thinned out. We seldom leave more than a couple, but we 
have heard persons affirm that a single stem will produce 
more than a couple; of this we are not thoroughly assured, 
although, of course, the distance at which they ore set 
hiasses the whole affair. A little deep culture between the 
rows will be of much benefit, and they should have one 
thorough hand-weeding when they are nearly a foot high; or 
the hoe may be plied, not cutting too deep. 
Onions. —These are a valuable allotment crop, and some 
cottagers make a good deal of them. We think hand-weed¬ 
ing preferable to thinning with the hoe, for we find the hoe 
to loosen them, and render them liable to be thrown down 
with storms. These must receive their final thinning soon, 
and if blanks occur a showery time should be taken advan¬ 
tage of to fill up all gaps by transplanting. We would not 
advise them to be thinned beyond five inches apart; the 
onions will not, of course, he exhibition ones, but they will 
ho a fuller crop, and will keep better. A sprinkling with 
soap-suds every washing day in June will tend to secure the 
crop from the onion fiy, and to enrich the soil. 
Leeks. — A valuable cottager's crop; to grow them fine 
they are best in a trench, like celery ; a double row in each 
trench, well manured. Hanting should not be delayed 
beyond the second week in June. Surely our cottagers in 
general cannot know what a delicious dish these afford when 
highly cultivated or they would plant more. When about 
three parts grown they should be soiled up, as celery, but 
not quite so deep. 
Cabbages— As these are cut let the leaves, at least once a 
week, be collected for the cow or pigs. Some spring sown 
ones may be introduced amongst any standing crops, or to 
fill gaps; they will be very useful in August and September. 
A good sowing of the dwarf kinds at midsummer, or a little 
before, will produce fine autumn coleworts; these should 
not be missed. 
Green Kale.—W e need hardly say that this is the most 
useful green for ordinary purposes at present known; we 
consider it the first consideration with the allotment holder, 
and he should not fail to plant a considerable quantity in 
the course of June. 
Savoys.—A patch of these, forward plants, should be 
planted in the early part of June ; they will grow nearly as 
large as the Drumhead cabbage if the soil is good, if poor 
the green kale will prove more hardy. 
Brocolis. —A drill made rich, like for celery, might be 
sown with Cape brocoli in the first week of June, to stand 
where sown; this is a much superior plan to transplanting 
with the Cape kind. A few seeds should be dropped in 
patches every 15 inches, and when up they must be singled 
out. A few Walcheren brocoli plants may be planted out in 
the middle of the month, and a few plants of cauliflower. 
Whatever late spring brocoli is needed should be got out in 
the middle of the month. 
Scarlet Runners.—L et these be well staked betimes, and 
it is a good plan to apply a mulching on each side the row; 
the stakes need not be above a yard in height of necessity, 
when they get to the top pinch off their heads. 
Dwarf Kidney Deans. —Let a little soil be drawn to their 
stems when six inches high; storms are apt to do serious 
mischief without this precaution. 
Broad Beans. —A good soiling up is of much benefit to 
this crop, which is a very useful one to cottagers. As soon 
as a good bloom is opened let the tops be pinched to help 
the swelling. 
Peas. —These, of course, are soiled up, and staked; nothing 
1 is necessary but to keep them clean. If any marrowfat kinds 
j overtop their stakes let their heads be pinched off. 
Lettuces. — A few of the Bath cos may be sown iu the 
middle or end of the month; they will not prove a profitable 
crop, however, until the middle of July. These will be 
thrown on the cool of autumn again, and will produce full 
I sized lettuces. 
Spinach. —In the end of July some of the round kind 
may be sown; this, like the lettuces, will not yield a bulk of 
, produce until the second week of July. 
Filling up Blanks. —This, we are sorry to say, is a labour 
I that may in all seasons be anticipated with one crop or the 
other; and it becomes a consideration whether to fill up 
with the same or to select some other. Swedes may be filled 
with Swedes, or with any of the dwarf cabbages; Mangold 
may be made up with Swedes, or with cabbage; Parsnips 
with cabbage or mangold ; and as for Carrots, almost any 
other crop is too heavy in its growth for the habit of the 
carrot. Perhaps lettuces transplanted would do as little 
harm as most things; if, however, the carrot crop is very 
bad, the best way is to dig it up, and recrop with cabbages, 
or Swedes, or common turnips. 
In all cases of transplantation we need scarcely say that 
the ground should be clean, and that the process be carried 
out either during rainy weather or immediately after it. 
IVlien there is a heavy foliage on the plants about to bo 
transplanted it is well to cut a portion away, perhaps for 
general purposes we may say a third; this, however, depends 
upon the character of the weather as well as size of the 
plants. Let not any of our readers cut then plants to a 
mere stick; we have seen Swedes overgrown in the seed bed, 
with every particle of leaf cut away—nothing but the stalks 
left; those who do so have not a single idea of the character 
and office of the foliage of plants. 
Collection of Refuse. —We have but space to say—make 
a point of looking over allotment grounds at least once a week, 
for refuse vegetable matter for the cow or pig, during the 
summer; those who have a good extent will do well to make 
it an almost daily affair. There is an old saying, that “what 
is done at any time is never done; ” there is nothing like 
being as systematic as possible in all such matters. 
THE POULTRY-KEEPER’S CALENDAR. 
June. 
By Martin Doyle, Author of “ Hints to Small 
Farmers ,” &c. 
Pigeons. —In June and July pigeons arc at the height of 
then - breeding season, whether choice fancy kinds, or mere 
mongrels, or dove-house sorts for the supply of the larder. 
If your neighbours do not make any objection to your keep¬ 
ing pigeons, you will find them a very interesting kind of 
poultry to keep. The pigeon, like the Guinea-fowl, is faith¬ 
ful to one mate; and one of these affectionate couples will 
have, with proper food and management, seven or eight pairs 
of young ones in the year; and these swabs (as they are in¬ 
elegantly called) are very good for roasting, or for pies, when 
nearly fledged. The parent birds feed the young ones, so 
that pigeon rearing causes no trouble. For the cottagers 
purposes pigeons, however, are little suited, because—though, 
as Mr. Cobbett has judiciously remarked in his Cottage 
Economy, they are an object to delight childien, and grie 
them the habit of fondness for animals, and of setting a 
value upon them—they are not very profitable; “ for the man to 
be trustworthy towards a team, the boy must have been kind and 
considorate towards animals ; and nothing is so likely to give 
him that excellent habit as his seeing from their very birth 
animals taken great care of, and now and then having a little 
tiling to call his own." When they are kept by cottagers 
some pretty kind should be obtained, with a view to selling 
the offspring as pets. 
Geese.— The gander and goose should both be well fed 
now', and secured from interruption, that the eggs may be 
fertilized properly for the second brood of the year. 
Turkeys. —In June and July the second batch of turkeys 
will be out, and under our care. Those young birds, which 
are designed to be eaten in February, March, and April next, 
will have to meet the severity of December and January 
with less established constitutions than their elder brethren 
which will be slaughtered for use at Christmas. They will 
require, therefore, especial care : feed them with extra 
liberality and frequency. The grand secret in rearing turkey 
chicks is constant feeding—every half hour, if possible with 
something fresh to tempt their appetites. By the time they 
are the size of partridges they will consume an enormous 
quantity of lettuces and green onions, which should be pro¬ 
vided for them and cut up, but not too small. A mixture of 
annual with vegetable food seems to be the diet better suited 
to them than any great quantity of grain, during their very 
youug and growing state. Great benefit will be found from 
