THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
307 
August 15.] 
Carrots.— The Early Horn may be sown towards the 
end of this month and the beginning of next, on a dry, 
sheltered, healthy situation ; those who have lights to 
spare need not sow so soon hy a month. Our system 
for obtaining early spring carrots is to cast out a shallow 
pit in a sheltered situation, forming the outsides with 
the earth, and finishing it level on the top with turf, 
upon which we place any old rough boards, or slabs, if 
they are to be had conveniently at the time. Into this 
pit we put any kind of refuse sweepings and ralcings, 
leaves, &c., or, indeed, anything that we may have then 
to spare that will secure drainage and a little bottom 
warmth ; upon this we place from ten to twelve inches 
of open sweet sandy soil, raising it quite to the top ot 
the pit; drills are pressed into the soil eight or nine 
inches apart with a straight-edge, and every alternate 
drill is sown with Early Horn carrots, and the other 
drill with radishes, which, beiug up early, nurse and 
shelter the young carrots by the time they appear. 
These radishes, of course, being thus early and well 
thinned, are quickly ready for use, and when drawn out 
of the way, leave the carrots in rows eight or nine inches 
apart. We take care to make such beds the same width 
as the frame or pit lights, in case we should have any of 
them to spare for a short time when needed, but other¬ 
wise they are covered with slight protectors, the size ot 
a light, covered with straight straw, fixed on closely and 
neatly; or, light protectors made in the same way, 
covered with asphalt felt. We can sometimes manage 
to have every alternate protector with glass, and shitt¬ 
ing them daily answers the purpose very well. We have 
occasion for many ranges of such kind of home-made 
pits for carrots, lettuce, endive, radishes, cauliflowers, 
Neapolitan violets, and other varieties of bulbs, &c., &c. 
Cauliflowers. —It has been for many years a general 
custom to sow this vegetable under hand-glasses and in 
other ways for standing the winter about the 18th, or 
from the 18th to the 24th of August; should the autumn 
be mild, if sown at the foregoing date they will some¬ 
times get large plants by November, either for hand¬ 
glasses or for other winter protection, and then in con¬ 
sequence of the checks they sometimes receive through 
the severity of the weather in the winter months, instead 
of their growing on again in early spring, they will fre¬ 
quently set the flower and button, as it is termed by gar¬ 
deners, that is, showing a little flower about the month 
of March of the size of a button. Our practice for many 
years past has been, not to sow for a month or more 
later than the above date; indeed, we find that sowing 
on a gentle warmth, and close to the glass inside a frame 
or pit, the first week in October, sufficiently early for us 
to obtain very beautiful cauliflowers in the month ot 
April following. As soon as the plants are up and 
can be handled, we prick them into thumb or three- 
inch pots, plunging them into some comfortable earth 
close to the glass inside a pit or frame, or temporary 
turf pit, where they are encouraged to maintain a 
sturdy growth by taking tbe lights entirely off on fine 
days, and tilting them at night. They are often surface- 
stirred, and are watered when they require it with tepid 
water; they soon require five-inch pots, from which, by 
New Year’s Day, they are transferred into seven or 
eight-inch pots, and their growth encouraged until 
February, when an early and suitable opportunity is 
embraced for turning them out; four under a large 
hand-glass, between sloping banks, on a good prepara¬ 
tion, where they do not fail in repaying well for the 
trouble previously taken about them. The required 
quantity of plants for spring planting on the quarter, 
&c., are pricked in temporary pits, sloping banks, &c., 
and protected in severe weather by applications ot dry 
dust about their stems, and thatched hurdles or tempo¬ 
rary lights, or some kind of protector. 
Cucumbers. —To keep up a succession of autumn and 
winter fruit, sowings should now be made in succession. 
After trying many varieties for winter culture in pots, 
tubs, boxes, or troughs, we cannot find any variety so 
well adapted as the true old Sion , which is both hardy 
and prolific, at all times firm, and of excellent flavour. 
Those who have any favourite variety now growing 
may easily strike cuttings, and quickly get any desired 
quantity of plants. 
Melons. —Those of the late kinds should be kept thin, 
nud the atmospheric heat kept about them pretty briskly, 
but not too humid. 
James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
YEAST. 
By the Authoress 
Families are often deterred from baking at home, on 
account of the bread being so often spoiled, and having to 
labour through a whole hatch when it has turned out heavy, 
or bitter, or hard. Home-made bread will occasionally vary 
in degrees of excellence, particularly in summer, because in 
hot weather it will not rise so well as in cool; hut so much 
depends upon the person who makes it, that if she is skilful 
and active, very little fear need he entertained for the result. 
I was convinced of this fact many years ago, hy that which 
occurred in our own family. After a succession of cooks, 
under whose auspices the bread was almost always uneat¬ 
able, heavy, or hitter, or hard, a young person undertook the 
situation, less qualified for it, in many ways, than any of 
those who had preceded her. But from the moment she 
commenced making bread—and with the same flour, the 
same yeast, and the same oven that had always been used— 
all annoyance ceased. Nothing could be lighter, or sweeter, 
or more excellent than the tempting loaves she moulded; 
and during her reign, the bread never failed to be good. 
Her method of making it was exactly like that of other 
people, only she kneaded it powerfully and briskly, being 
young, active, and strongly made. It seemed to me that 
this was the grand secret of the affair. She might, perhaps, 
of “ My Flowers." 
have taken extra pains with the yeast, for certainly we never 
had even bitter bread while she remained in the family ; 
but I am sure that the cause of her general success was the 
vigour with which she kneaded. This point cannot be too 
strongly impressed upon servants ; it is labour certainly, 
and when they are unused to it, it will naturally tire the 
arms; but every time it is done, the fatigue will lessen, and 
the arms will find it easier, and the pleasure ol eating light, 
wholesome, palatable bread will he a full rev ard loi the 
effort of making it. The eye of the mistress will be espe¬ 
cially needful on the baking day, unless her servant tho- 
roughly understands her business, and gives herself cheer- 
fully all the trouble the occasion calls for. 
The yeast from strong beer, or even good table beer, is not 
so good for making bread as that which is taken from poor 
beer. We always found our bread lighter when we procured 
yeast from those among the villagers who brewed at home, 
than when we obtained it from the brewer or the neighbour¬ 
ing farms. Why this should be the case I do not know; hut 
so it always was. In the country it is often difficult to obtain 
yeast, in which case it is desirable to make it at home , and 
for the benefit of those who are inconveniently situated for 
obtaining it, I subjoin some directions for that purpose, 
