THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
333 
August 29.] 
in the shape of stews, broth, or soup, &c., with the addition 
of clothes, washing, and schooling.” 
The first estimate given is the following :— 
Income: 3s 6d per day—21s per week—Too per annum. 
Family: a man, and his wile, and three children. 
PROVISIONS WEEKLY. £ d. 
Bread and tlour for five persons, 24 lbs., at lfd.. <• 3 (> 
Butter, cheese, and milk . 9 1 9 
Sugar and treacle . 9 9 •' 
Rice, oatmeal, salt, &c. 9 i) (i 
Butcher's meat or fish—say meat, (i lb., at 4|d.. 0 2 3 
Vegetables (including a j- cwt. of potatoes, or) ^ j o 
I lb. per day, at 3s 3d per cwt.), 2d per day .. j 
Table beer, 1 quart, per day, at 2d . 9 1 2 
Coals, 1} bushel per week, on an average all the) 
year round, at Is Id—Is 8d; and wood Id: 0 1 9 
3d per day . J 
Candles, on an average all the year round, \ lb. | g t 
per week, at 7d .j 
Soap, starch, blue, &c., for washing . 9 0 3£ 
Sundries, for cleaning, scouring, etc. 0 0 l 
Total for household expenses t) 13 (i 
Clothes, haberdashery, &c. 9 ■ 
Rent. 0 2 3 
Total expense. 0 19 3 
Saving one-twelfth. 0 1 9 
Amount of income. 1 1 9 
The prices of all articles vary. Meat may not always 
I be attainable at 4]d per pound, in which case either a 
smaller quantity must be consumed, or some other item 
i must be reduced to allow for the difference. Potatoes are, 
| in these days, incalculably dearer than when “ Practical 
Domestic Economy ” was compiled; other vegetables must 
therefore be substituted, or bread and rice eaten in their 
place. A careful, sound, conscientious economist will easily 
discover a way of meeting a difficulty of this kind. 
This estimate lias been tested by several families, one ot 
which was that of a mechanic, and found to correspond 
exactly with their own experience. In both cases a saving 
was made from the yearly income. How many families, even 
in tlic higher classes of society, possess as small an income 
as a humble mechanic ! and upon T50 per annum how 
: many single persons fancy they must starve ! 
ALLOTMENT FARMING FOE SEPTEMBER. 
Our readers will remember that we pointed to the re¬ 
appearance of the jiotato disease in the last allotment paper. 
It will also come to mind, that a prudent forecast was advised 
as to the planting of swede turnips, and the various greens 
which are so serviceable in eking out a limited supply of the 
root crops. We must again repeat the advice, for the danger 
j is now become more imminent; and it is not, even now, too 
late to take measures for alleviating the distress occasioned 
by a serious loss in the potato crop, which is anything but 
I impossible. 
We see at the period in which those remarks are penned 
| (August loth), that the public press teems with alarming 
reports, and, like wave over wave, each leaves a deeper im¬ 
press on the strand of public opinion. Our impression is 
just what it was at the fearful commencement of the disease, 
that like cases of disordered digestion in man, in proportion 
as the causes which induced it were long in operation, in 
just a corresponding ratio, or nearly so, will be the period of 
its departure. We do not pretend to ofter any opinion here, 
vs to whether the murrain is the cause or the effect. We 
Wvuld merely observe, that the constitution of the potato 
generally, after so many years of abuse, was prepared either 
to venerate or to receive any of those destructive fungi, 
whi-h, like the wasp, the vulture, and others ol the annual 
or Lseet creation, are what have been termed nature’s 
scaveigers. These hints are given by the way, and simply 
asinee opinions ; other matters of a more tangible character 
must temaml om-attention. 
What is to be done with Diseased Plots? —This 
will be immediate business, we conceive, with everybody, for 
no time may be lost in the affair. We believe that the ma¬ 
jority of experimenters during the last few years will back us, 
when we say that it is by far the best plan to cut away the 
haulm before the virus lias spread far. In our opinion, the 
sooner the tubers and the haulm part company under such 
circumstances the. better. It is quite true that the tubers 
will cease to increase in si/.e or nearly so, as might have been 
expected ; but of what use is increase in size in a material so 
evanescent, or rather so perishable, as a highly diseased 
potato ? After cutting them over we would still recommend 
that they be “ soiled over,” unless they are required for im¬ 
mediate use, or for sale; in either of which cases they will 
of course be taken up at once. 
It is almost unnecessary to repeat here, that dryness is 
one very important condition after they are removed from 
the soil; the dryer the better, provided no artificial heat is 
used. Above all, fermentation must be avoided,—that mighty 
agent of decomposition in all organic matter, more especially 
where an incipient decay exists, and where a real gangrene 
has already commenced. 
Seed Potatoes. —The more the potato disease threatens, 
the more care people should take over their potato sets, for 
surely no one would desire their utter extermination ; and 
the avoidance of abuse is surely a remedial measure at least. 
As to the care of the seed or sets, wo will take the Ask-leaved 
Kidney for a type and example. We do not think that one 
cultivator in ten understands the real habits ol this valuable 
potato; invaluable I might have said. Mr. Knight, of Down- 
ton, long since showed that so far from being a shy potato, 
enormous crops might be obtained from it, by pursuing a 
mode of culture congenial to its habits. 
Now, this potato, if placed under conditions of fermen¬ 
tation, speedily wastes its germinating powers long before 
the spring arrives; and it is vain to look for success from 
seed thus treated. Our best cultivators in these districts 
(Cheshire)—and we have many more cottagers who perfectly 
understand the humour of the Ash-leaved Kidney—take t hem 
up for seed long before they are what is termed “ ripe.” 
They then spread them on the ilcor of sm outhouse or shed, 
or even beneath their beds in their sleeping rooms, where in 
single layers, or nearly so, they soon become green and 
exceedingly hal’d. Sprout they cannot, for lack of moisture; 
for mere heat alone will not cause them to bud prematurely. 
Dryness, therefore, is the main condition, and by the time 
they have become greened and “hardened,” the month ol 
September has far advanced; and now the declining tem¬ 
perature natural to the autumn, together with the rest that 
has been induced, offers no temptations to a premature ger¬ 
mination ; and many, for convenience sake, pit them in a 
cool and dry situation until Christmas has passed, when they 
are again brought from their hiding place, and once more 
placed in single layers in boxes beneath their beds, or on 
any iioor or shelf that may offer; all that is requisite is to 
ward off frost, and to keep them dry. 
Thus, by the middle or end of March, these seed ludueys 
are formed with short and thick sprouts not more than a 
quarter of an inch in length, and as firm almost as the 
twig of a tree. In this state they are committed to the soil, 
and those who plant under such conditions in March, or 
even in April, obtain potatoes earlier than those who plant in 
February seed treated according to the old or ordinary 
method. 
Autumn Cropping. —The various winter greens, as kale, 
savoys, and the Brussels sprouts, may still be planted on 
spare plots ; and plenty of the coleworts or small cabbages 
which were sown in the end of June or in July. The latter 
will do on spare borders, or portions of them. All those 
before planted should be thoroughly cleaned,. and have 
plenty of earth drawn to their stems; for much of their bulk, 
under all circumstances, is produced from surface roots thus 
encouraged, more especially if the club should take place. 
We have even heard of swede turnips being planted as late 
as the first week in September, and making pretty good 
bulbs, but we have no faith in such late work. Ordinary 
turnips may yet be sown in warm situations and on light 
soils; and for this purpose we slioidd choose the early 
Dutch, although many prefer the stone. Horn or other 
carrots may still be sown for early sprmg use; they will, 
