July 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
215 
especially such as require all the light our British 
skies afford in the aggregate, they arrest or intercept 
the elaborating processes in a most injurious way. 
To those who consider this too nice a point we would 
say, just watch your early carrot bed next spring, 
and notice particularly where your best early carrots 
come from: not from the middle of the bed, certainly ! 
no, although these are the tallest and strongest look¬ 
ing, you will lind those standing rather thin on the 
outsides and next the light, although much weaker 
in appearance, the better carrots by far. It is, in¬ 
deed, the same with all other crops, and whether one 
carrot is shaded by another or by weeds, still the 
effect is the same ; nevertheless it is certainly more 
profitable to have a case of carrot versus carrot than 
carrot versus weeds. The fair inference from all this 
is, then, twofold in character:—first, weeds are at all 
times prejudicial, both in root and leaf, to any growing 
crop; and next, that there is a point at which to stop 
in close mqiping; beyond this is not only loss of 
seed but a positive detriment to the crop. 
Culture. —The hoe may still he used to advantage 
between all drill crops, if only to preserve a greater 
amount of moisture in the soil, for the cottager 
should remember that solid soil will dry quicker in 
summer than that which is loose. Deep stirring, 
moreover, in the centres between the rows prepares 
the soil for the spread of the fibres; and where the 
land is of a stubborn character, such culture is the 
next best thing to a summer’s fallowing; and herein 
consists a strong recommendation of drill cropping 
over broadcast. The soil will ever be found in a 
superior condition under the former mode of culture, 
and containing of course better prospective advan¬ 
tages. We advise a little soil to be drawn to the 
stems of the mangold, at least to the long red kind, 
immediately ; some persons dispute the propriety of 
this practice ; we have, however, done this for years, 
and we know it to have a most beneficial effect, espe¬ 
cially on very light soils. The carrots and parsnips 
will require no more handling until the harvesting 
period, unless there be any weeds amongst them; if 
so, let these be drawn clean out, for no time may now 
be lost. 
Filling Vacancies. —One of the main policies of 
this season is to look over all blanks forthwith, and see 
that they are filled with, something useful. The Swede 
turnip is the most eligible of anything, on account of 
its compact growth and keeping qualities; but, unless 
they are planted immediately, and that carefully, and 
watered, they will be too late to produce any bulk of 
crop. The next best thing, perhaps, is the York or 
other dwarf and compact cabbages. These will occupy 
little room, and may be stuck into any blank. It 
not unfrequently happens that the grub has been 
busy with the carrots or onions; when such is the 
case, the blanks may be filled on the first shower. 
The cabbage we recommended to be sown in June 
will be proper for the purpose. 
Turnips. —If any spare bed or border can be 
found, some turnips should be sown in the first 
week of August: these will supply the family all 
the winter until nearly the end of April. The 
yellow or white stone is peculiarly adapted; the 
Dutch also is very useful for garden culture, for 
none of the large topped turnips should ever be 
allowed a place here : they shade the ground, and 
are apt to elbow their neighbours too much. As 
these will be very liable to miss through the fly, or 
through drought, we advise what we generally prac¬ 
tise, viz., to divide the seed into two parcels; to 
soak one portion for six hours in tepid water, and 
then mix the two portions together, and sow. The 
soaked seed will come up nearly a -week earlier than 
the other, and if the fly should rob these, another 
lot of plants will rise on their ruins; thus offering 
two chances. Some attention, however, must be 
paid to the amount of moisture in the soil, for if the 
soil is dusty, the seed had better remain in the bag 
until rain, taking care that the soil is prepared ready 
for its reception. 
Lettuces. —If the cottager has a pig or two, we 
advise him strongly to sow plenty of the Bath coss 
lettuce in the first week of August, not later. These, 
when nice plants, may be stuck into every nook or 
blank that comes to hand, and they will be found 
to produce a good bulk of pig meat through Sep¬ 
tember and October, and will assist in fattening the 
hog. The seed should be soaked in tepid water for 
three hours, for it ought, indeed, to have been sown 
in the third week of -July, in order that it might be 
running to seed when used ; it is both more bulky 
and more nutritious in this state. If an open bed is 
to spare, or any plot where a few drills could be 
sown, it would be found worth while to dig in some 
rotten manure about six inches deep. The lettuce 
will thus produce a very heavy crop. The drills 
should be one foot apart. 
Spinach. —If the allotment holder likes a dish of 
spinach occasionally, he should sow a little of the 
prickly kind in the first week of this month; any 
out-of-the-way corner will do for this. 
Onions. —A small bed or patch should he sown in 
the first week of the Lisbon or Deptford kind, and a 
small patch of the Welsh also; lialf-an-ounce of each 
will suffice : they will stand over the winter, and 
furnish young scallions until late in the spring. If 
any of the Deptford or Lisbon remain in March, they 
will be found very useful to transplant. 
Onions Ripening. —As soon as the onions begin 
to bend and show signs of ripening, it will be well 
to bend them down in order to get them early har¬ 
vested, and to occupy their beds with coleworts as 
before recommended. We always practise this, and 
obtain a good crop. Those small kinds of cabbage 
sown in the end of June will be well adapted for 
this purpose, with, perhaps, some of a July sowing. 
We use a new broom to lay the onions with; they 
are, however, easily put down by the hand. 
Late Peas. —If any of the marrowfat class have 
been sown, they will require their tops pinched off’ 
as soon as they reach the tops of their stakes. This 
will cause them to branch, and to continue long in 
bearing. 
Runners. —These must also be topped similar to 
the peas, and we advise the cottager to see that they 
are frequently watered in dry weather. No crop 
requires water more than this. 
Various Greens. —We hope that our allotment 
friends have taken care to plant some green kale 
and savoys; these are most useful winter things, 
and, as before observed, may be introduced between 
growing crops. They may yet he planted, but they 
will not grow very large after this period. Let those 
planted at the proper period be well earthed up; this 
process is of immense benefit to all the green tribes. 
Cauliflowers and Brocoli. —The first week in 
August is a good time to plant a few cauliflowers, 
Walclieren brocoli, and the Cape brocoli. These 
will come into use from the end of September until 
Christmas. 
Leeks. —When getting strong, these will be much 
benefitted by soiling up. When blanched, they make 
a valuable and wholesome dish, and may be cooked 
