259 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 26, 1858. 
middle of eacli of them, where the ring should he 
made, or where it was most convenient to have them 
rooted. Then, if the slit which is thus made, he kept 
open a little, hy a hit of stick thrust through it, like 
the knife, the edges of the slit will throw out a heard 
of roots all round; and standards of such plants can 
he had without layering. All the kinds of Lilacs 
make beautiful standards ; so does the Guelder Rose, 
and many more of our deciduous shrubs. 
Common Laurels make better imitations of Orange 
trees than any other plant in England: hut I have 
only seen one really well-made standard of the common 
Laurel. It was made just as Mr. Cuthush is going to 
do with his Bay standards ; hut if an old common Laurel 
! be cut down, the shoots from the stool will make 
roots the first season without layering. The best way 
with it, is to make a comfortable notch where the buds 
are taken out. The roots come freely from round these 
notches ; but every one may try new plans of his own, 
and some better way will turn up. D. Beaton. 
HIGH VEGETABLE CULTURE. 
I need scarcely direct attention to the fact, that 
there is a vast difference, in regard of both utility and 
appearance, between a highly-cultivated kitchen gar¬ 
den, and one that is neglected, or badly cultivated. 
This difference is, if possible, more obvious in winter 
than in summer; for during the latter, the almost 
certain luxuriance of the larger crops, as Peas, Beans, 
&c., with the profusion of things of various.kinds, so 
attract the eye, as to decoy it from detecting a bad 
system of culture. Winter, however, is a very dif¬ 
ferent test; the months of December and January, 
perhaps, best prove the amount of sound, practical 
knowledge possessed by the cultivator. _ 
During these months we desire to find our kitchen 
o-ardens rich in all things pertaining to the needs of 
the winter dining-table. In the first place, there is 
the Brassica family, now popularly called Cabbage- 
worts. "What a rich variety is here presented to^our 
view,— tracing them from the “Ragged Jack, or 
Lapland Rale, through all the grades of Green Kale, 
Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, and on through the true 
Cabbages, Broccolis, &c., up to the prince of this 
family, the time-honoured Cauliflower ! What family 
of vegetables can compare with them? Well, then, 
we have Winter Spinach—a thing despised by ordi¬ 
nary persons, as of no account; but not so.with our 
professed cooks, who will pull a long face, if told in 
January there is no Spinach for them. But I had 
almost forgotten to name the Coleworts of^Covent 
Garden notoriety. They are but one form of Cabbage 
’tis true, but such a form as is indispensable. There 
are, of course, many other out-door things, which go 
to make a complete kitchen garden ; and amongst these 
I may just point to the Salads, such as Celery, 
Endive, Lettuce, Radishes, and the Cresses. But after 
these opening remarks, I would fain draw attention 
to a few of the chief points in cultural matters ; for it 
is not merely the name on the paper of the seed, but 
the mode by which it is cultivated, that crowns the 
whole with success. 
The fact, that old kitchen gardens get tired oi some 
kinds of vegetables, is notorious, especially the Cab- 
ba^ewort section. With, regard, then, to. out-door 
vegetables, let me first point to the renovation of the 
soil by deep digging or trenching. This I have long 
proved to be the most renovating process within the 
reach of the vegetable cultivator. Of course I do not 
advocate the bringing up coarse clay or gravel to the 
surface ; but I have found, that with the exception oi 
these, most other subsoils may be progressively 
brought to the surface with much benefit; provided 
not too great a bulk is brought up at once. I can 
only observe, in reference to this procedure, that I 
have succeeded in perfectly renovating our very old 
kitchen garden, by such means. A score years since 
I could plant nothing of the Cabbage kind, with any 
degree of success ; they were quite distorted with the 
club-root, and, of course, bad materials for the cook. 
Now, by a long persistence in deep digging, we have a 
vegetable garden and crops, scarcely second to any. 
Whilst noting these matters, I must beg to refer to 
Asparagus, as a preparer or renewer of. the soil. It is 
our practice here, to provide forced Asparagus con¬ 
stantly, from the end of November until April. I, 
therefore, force annually two beds, of fifty yards each 
in length. These beds, contrary to the usual practice, 
are in their prime after about three years standing in 
the beds. We have, up to this time (the middle of 
January), sent in first-rate Asparagus, about three 
times per week, and it is as fine as that from summer- 
beds—may be eaten to the very stump. Now, what I 
would especially direct attention to, in this matter, is 
the policy of this mode of culture, which in ordinary 
phraseology is, I believe, “killing two birds,” if 
not three. The points I refer to are these :—In the 
first place, as I plant two of these long beds annually, 
as an exact equivalent for what I force, a large plot of 
ground is obliged to be annually trenched for this 
purpose alone. And when the Asparagus is taken up 
for forcing, only observe what a valuable plot of 
ground comes to hand for especial purposes. I find 
that the Asparagus culture, which is high, leaves the 
land in such condition, so mellowed, so deepened, and 
so powerful, that it may be cropped heavily for two 
years, if not a particle of manpre were added. But 
this is not all; the ground has been much deepened by 
the course of culture. We find that the Asparagus 
penetrates quite a yard in depth; and in. taking Up 
its deep roots, we bring up each time an inch or two 
of the subsoil, which here, at least, as I know by 
experience, constitutes, in the main, the renewal or 
freshening of the soil, to which I before adverted. I 
do not expect that every one, however experienced, 
will at once fall in with these views. It is sometimes 
very difficult to fall in with even what may appear 
at first gl im pse very good practice ; and no wonder. 
Every good gardener of experience has an established 
course of practice ; and although such might possibly 
be improved, and the |>ractiser quite aware of such 
fact, he feels plainly, that it. is by no means expedient 
to be ever shifting his practice, which he finds to work, 
safely, and to constitute what may be termed a system; 
the parts of which, taken in connection, like the 
wheels of a piece of mechanism, fit admirably into 
each other. 
I may here name, again, how this Asparagus ground 
is prepared, for this forms part of the system. The 
year previous it is occupied with Celery, in beds 
nearly six feet wide, each bed making an Asparagus 
bed. The Celery ground is well manured and deeply 
dug, and thus is ready-made for the Asparagus. Here 
is no rest, no fallow, but each crop is made a preparer 
for future crops; and not only that, but the whole 
tending to an enduring renovation of the soil. I need 
say little more. To have fine and tender forced Aspa¬ 
ragus constantly,through a long winter, is an accommo¬ 
dation not dreamed of some years since ; and one that 
will be well appreciated by those readers of The 
Cottage Gardener, who think with myself, that of 
all the dainties in the vegetable way, that add to the 
delights of the winter’s dinner, Asparagus holds about 
the first place, if truly good. 
And here I would endeavour to disabuse the mind 
of those not well experienced in sound gardening, from 
