40 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 
the guano added, and the sweepings of a chimney, 
all thoroughly blended, will make one of the most 
fertilizing drill manures possible; and, withal, ex¬ 
ceedingly economical, for the whole will not exceed 
a half-crown. This, then, should he sown hy hand 
in a drill after the seed is deposited, and then slightly 
soiled over. We now leave, for the present, two of the 
best root crops, for the cottager, next to potatoes; 
and having disposed of divisions Nos. 1 and 2, in 
the diagram p. 181, we will proceed to look over 
Nos. 3 and 4, and advise some subordinate affairs. 
Horn Carrot. —We have before strongly urged 
the culture of this on the cottager. If, however, he 
prefers the larger sorts, he must get them sown di¬ 
rectly. They were intended for division No 2 in 
drills, but it is quite likely that division will be full. 
If so, a bed in No. 3 must be seized on, for carrots 
must be had. The same kind of dressing as recom¬ 
mended for the Swedes will answer with these; for, 
above all our crops, the carrot most needs quick 
growth whilst young; for not one of our vegetables 
is of so slender a habit, and a single slug will devour 
some hundreds in one night. We have before said 
that the Horn carrot must be sown thick, and pulled 
or thinned out almost daily for use, when as thick as 
the thumb, leaving enough for a full crop afterwards. 
Lettuces. —As we have set out one division for 
miscellaneous articles, we hope to persuade the cot¬ 
tager to grow lettuces all the summer, on some 
portion or other. A good bed should be sown im¬ 
mediately, well manured; the manure not dug in 
too deep, and of a rotten character. It is useless 
planting or sowing them in poor soil, and no crop 
will more amply repay the value of the manure than 
this. The cultivation of summer and autumn let¬ 
tuces should, in our opinion, form part of every 
cottager’s pig feeding system. They are exceedingly 
nutritious, and all swiue devour them greedily. They 
may be suffered to shoot up to seed, and it is asto¬ 
nishing what a bulk of rich material a bed of a 
dozen yards in length will yield in this state. 
Spinach is another useful summer crop for pigs; 
the cow will also eat it greedily. Any spare corner 
will suit it, and it will succeed best in summer in 
the shade of other crops, provided the ground is 
manured. 
Red Cabbages. —If these have not been planted, 
it is not yet too late, if a few spring-sown ones can 
be procured. No cottier should be without a score 
for pickling purposes. 
As connected with pickles, we may here name the 
nasturtium. This is an exceedingly useful and 
wholesome pickle, and we should like to see the 
time when every cottager’s wife possessed annually 
two large jars of pickled cabbage, one jar of nastur¬ 
tiums, and a couple of pickled onions: these articles 
would add relish to many a frugal meal through the 
ensuing season. Nasturtiums should be sown im¬ 
mediately, first soaking them in warm water for 
six hours. They must be put on the poorest soil in 
the garden, and may be staked like pease, or carried 
up string, or even sown at the foot of gawky or naked 
fruit trees, and carried up their stems. There should 
always be a few near the door porch, and near road 
sides. Nothing gives more summer gaiety to the 
cottage, than runners, nasturtiums, hollyhocks, and 
sunflowers.* 
* In connexion with this subject, we may insert this note from a lady 
at Congleton, and we may add, from a good authority, that the vinegar 
made according to this receipt is excellent:—“ In The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, No. 25, it is regretted that ‘ the cottagers of England do not 
pay a little more attention to pickles, of which several kinds are 
within their reach.’ I think it might be useful to them to know how 
Runners. —These we adverted to at p. 302, and 
we hope our cottage readers will be sure to provide 
a few. Let them remember that it is quite possible 
for the potato some season to fail worse than it has 
ever done: well would it be, in such a day, for those 
who had gradually weaned themselves from the con¬ 
stant use of the potato, by acquiring a relish for the 
various articles here pointed out. 
Leeks. —Another most useful cottage vegetable is 
the leek. It is not generally known that the leek 
when highly cultivated, and blanched by soiling up 
like celery, makes a most delightful dish, well boiled, 
and a little butter added to it. It has all the mellow 
pulpiness of the sea-kale, and is much richer fla¬ 
voured. Early plants, planted immediately in rich 
soil, will make large plants by the autumn, and will 
keep for many months. 
Peas. —Let these be well staked, above all things, 
for it renders them much more profitable; although 
we have known capital crops grown on the ground 
in fresh unmanured soil, especially of the Prussian 
kind. 
Broad Beans.'— Do not forget our advice about 
soiling them up, for fear of wind. 
Greens, Brocolis, &c. —Of course the seed-bed 
recommended at p. 301 has been secured in the mis¬ 
cellaneous division No. 4; and if so, the green kale, 
savoys, Brussels sprouts, thousand-headed cabbage 
(for the cow), &c., will now be nice young plants, 
almost coming into their second leaf. If, however, 
any of these have missed coming, sow again directly, 
soaking the seed in warm water for six hours pre¬ 
viously. We named a few brocolis of the late kinds 
before ; it is now time to sow the autumn and winter 
brocolis. The best for the cottager are Hammond’s 
cape, Snow’s winter white, and the Walcheren. A 
small patch of each will do. It is not unlikely that 
he will be able to buy a few of some gardener, and 
this will save him both ground and labour. 
Kidney Beans. —We here mean the dwarf kinds ; 
we do not, however, recommend them to the cottager, 
unless in our most southern counties, for they are 
neither so profitable nor so ornamental as the runner. 
If some should be required, we advise the negro 
variety, and that they should occupy a row on some 
narrow border fully exposed to the sun. 
Cucumbers. —We should like to see every cottager 
enjoying a cucumber-bed; and if he has a little 
manure left, which is too fresh for digging in, it may 
as well be employed this way as lay bleaching with 
the sun; the trimmings of ditch sides, or any rub¬ 
bishy materials, leaves, fern, &c., may be mixed 
with the mass. A trench must be formed in some 
well sheltered nook; it should be dug out a spade’s 
depth and three feet wide; the warm materials will 
thus be a foot below the level, and may be piled half 
to make the cheap and excellent vinegar I have now used for some 
years, and find it as good for every purpose, and that it keeps pickles 
as crisp and well as the vinegar I used to buy at tenpence a quart, 
the acid, also, is more pure and delicate. As the time for making it now 
approaches, i send you the recipe that you may give it a place in one 
of the next numbers of The Cottage Gardener, if you think it 
will be useful. The vinegar does not cost more than eightpencc a 
gallon when the cowslips are gathered by the family, but the small 
quantity required would only cost a trifle if a child were employed to 
gather them. Kept in a warm place, the vinegar will be ready in 
six months. I prefer, however, leaving at least part in the cask till 
the season arrives for making again, as the cask then only requires 
washing out, and there is no danger of its contracting any disagree¬ 
able taste. 
“ Cowslip Vinegar. —To four gallons of water, with the chill just 
taken otf, add six pounds of brown sugar and half a peck of cowslips, 
flowers and stales together; put all into a cask, with three table- 
spoonsful of yeast; lay a piece of glass or slate over the bung-hole, 
and set it in a warm place till the vinegar turns sour, when the bung 
may be fastened down. A quarter of an ounce of gelatine or isin¬ 
glass will make it clear sooner.” 
