372 . THE COTTAGE GARDENER. [September 12. 
and we shall probably in our low estate wonder at the trifling 
amount of the medical bill, and look round to find the ail¬ 
ments that attended us in our higher and more luxurious 
mode of life. When in the providence of God one bless¬ 
ing is withheld or withdrawn, many spring up in its place. 
When a mighty tree has fallen, does not the barren soil 
beneath it mantle presently with herbs and flowers ! Is the 
hand of the Lord ever “shortened ? ” 
T find I have quitted somewhat abruptly the subject upon 
which I commenced my remarks. In a future paper I will 
resume them, soliciting the continuance of the indulgence I 
have ever received, for the introduction of matter which I 
feel to be closely connected with our daily duties, and there¬ 
fore witli our general happiness and welfare. When we are 
laying out our smallest pittance, or busying ourselves in the 
kitchen and the nursery, or setting apart the simplest trifle 
for “ our poor brother,” or doing a thousand things that per¬ 
haps we were never born to do, we are fulfilling a duty as 
decidedly, and obeying God’s will ns devotedly, as the highest, 
and wisest, and richest in the land. 
MARKET-GARDENING. 
Having had twelve years’ experience in the management 
and entire superintendence of several of the most extensive 
and well-kept market-gardens in the vicinity of London, 
from the floral to the field culture, in its many and various 
branches, I will endeavour to give (in answer to your corres¬ 
pondents) a few practical, but humble, hints how I should 
commence had I a four-acre field of good stapled soil, and 
now in grass, to break up and convert into a vegetable, fruit, 
and flower-garden, for market purposes. 
If not already well-drained naturally, or other ways, by all 
means secure at once this most essential foundation-stone 
for all future good culture; for, without this point is properly 
attended to, much disappointment is sure to occur in the 
consequent slow and tardy growth of vegetation, the imma¬ 
ture growth of fruit-trees, and the blighting, cankering, and 
failure of crops. Indeed, unless the soil is thoroughly 
drained, it is impossible to maintain it, as it ought to be at 
all seasons in a good condition, fit for cropping, and keeping 
each successional crop in perfect health ; for, unless the soil 
is kept in this state, it will be of but little value, and cannot 
possibly be expected to remunerate the cultivator. Your 
correspondent A. B.’s field, lying on a good slope to the 
west, there will be no difficulty in draining it, should it be 
found necessary to do so. 
As a marhet-ga/rden, no more ground should be wasted in 
forming roads and walks than is actually necessary for con¬ 
veying the manure on to the soil, and carrying the produce 
ott'. A cart-road through the middle would be essential, if the 
field is bounded by a wall, wooden fence, or high earth bank 
and hedge, or a close hedge without a bank. A border should 
be formed all round the garden, of a corresponding width, for 
the convenient production of early vegetables and salads on 
the most sheltered and warmest sides, and a shady part for 
the production of late vegetables, herbs, and salads, in the 
! heat of summer, and for sowing and pricking plants prepa- 
I ratory to their being planted out. Next to the borders, 
I should be a path to divide them from the quarters, which 
would be a convenience for both. Such a walk would not be 
required above the width of four feet. If any more cross 
walks are required for the convenience of dividing and pass¬ 
ing from one quarter to the other, such could be adopted as 
most convenient. The glass and homestead sheds would be 
best placed near the dwelling; all glass structures for the 
market-trade, whether for early fruit forcing, vegetable, or 
plant culture, should be span-roofed, and no higher than 
actually necessary for the convenience of performing the re¬ 
quisite operations. 
Deep culture is the next consideration, previous to which, 
on breaking up grass land for the culture of vegetables, three 
cwt. of salt should be sown over it per acre, in order to give 
the slug and wire-worm a scourging. The latter pest we 
j have always found particularly obnoxious the first season 
j after grass land has been broken up. Deep culture, to com 
| mence with, requires a little consideration. Should the soil 
1 not have been previously drained, or should the subsoil be 
poor and hungry, or of a very sandy or stiff clay nature, by 
no means should it be exposed to the day-light in too great 
abundance on the first trenching, or disappointment will 
certainly follow with regard to the obtaining of first-rate 
crops for the first year or two. Much extra labour will also 
he required in working it, so as to get it at all in a healthy 
friable condition, and sufficiently intermixed and worked 
together for the reception of seed and small plants, the 
healthy and quick progress of which is so essential for 
making a ready return for the outlay expended. 
Our system of commencing the trenching of such a piece 
of soil as above described, would be to take out a two- 
foot trench in width the whole length, or, rather, width of a 
quarter or border, 14 inches deep, then, with a strong long 
tined fork break up the subsoil at the bottom of the trench 
to the full depth that the fork ean be, thrust, and let it 
remain at the bottom of the trench in as rough and open 
a state as possible, this would add 10 inches more of trenched 
soil to the 14 surface inches, ami would make about two 
feet of trenched soil altogether. I would then have the 
turf or grass buried to a sufficient depth ; about four inches 
of it should be tumbled into the trench first, and then a good 
spit of 10 inches, which is the depth a good spade, well 
managed, will clear, should be next taken and placed on the 
top of the turf in a ridge, in as rough and open a state as 
possible. This work should be performed in the latter part 
of the autumn, so that the soil should have the full benefit 
of the winter’s frost, and thus be in a fit condition for the 
early spring cropping. The next time it is trenched, a por 
tion of the subsoil may be mixed up advantageously with the 
surface, and again forked to a greater depth. 
By following such a course, any desired depth of soil may 
in time be procured ; and if a liberal dressing of manure ean 
be obtained or afforded the first time of trenching, and cast 
in over the turf or top spit, it would add greatly to its future 
value, or the manure may be added at the cropping season, 
by placing it between the ridges where there is a suitable 
width for crops to be planted on it when the ridges are 
tumbled or forked loosely down over it, or for a seed crop, 
the ground should be first laid down with the fork, and the 
manure applied on the surface, and forked in. If artificial 
manure is to he applied, it should, by all means, be drilled 
in with the seeds. 
If a portion of the ground is to planted with fruit trees, 
such as the best varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries, 
&c., the ground should be well trenched for them first. 
Standards and half standards should be planted from 20 to 
24 feet apart each way, and the bush fruit, such as the 
gooseberry, currant, raspberry, filbert, &c., should be planted 
between, in rows, at six feet distances. The raspberries may 
at first be planted in the rows at two feet apart; the currants 
and gooseberries at five or six feet apart; and the filberts at 
eight feet; the after pruning will keep all uniform and within 
proper bounds. Strawberries kept to single plants or stools 
two feet apart, may be profitably cultivated for the first two 
or three years between the bush fruit. By such a system 
of culture I have observed a very profitable return made, 
there being in succession, after the various fruits are got into 
a bearing state, something for market from the fruit plan¬ 
tation every day, from the commencement of the green 
gooseberry gathering, till the store apples and pears are gone. 
The different varieties of fruit require much judgment in 
choosing. 
With regard to vegetable cropping, the different varieties j 
must be to some extent cultivated according to the capa¬ 
bilities of the soil, and the demand of the locality. The time 
of sowing and after management will be treated on in future I 
papers. 
I have already said that glass structures for market pur¬ 
poses should be erected near the dwelling, and be also placed 
at a convenient distance from the high road ; and my idea 
also is, that for general business, as well as for the sake of 
economy, the usual mode of structure should be span-roofed, 
but no higher than is actually necessary for the operations 
to be performed therein; for of what use can a lofty house 
he to a man who has his living to make out of the produce ; a 
structure for business is what we require, not for show; a 
lofty house is inconvenient for the purposes of giving ah, 
watering, &c., besides the extra expense when forcing, or at 
aqy other season, when fire is required to heat a superfluous 
quantity of air. From my own practical observations, T am 
satisfied that for general purposes, whether for pine, grape, 
peach, plant, early vegetable, or salad culture, moderate-sized 
