THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 16, 1S58. 
CROPPING A SOUTH BORDER. 
Early vegetables, like early fruits, are at all times 
acceptable. The cottager exhibits his first batch of 
early Potatoes with honest pride, to a more wealthy 
neighbour, when he thinks he beats him in that 
article. A good Cabbage is, likewise, a welcome 
accompaniment to the ordinary bill of fare. And I 
have known an amateur, only an ordinary carpenter, 
beat all the exhibiting gardeners, in forced Straw¬ 
berries, at a respectable country show. A desire to 
excel will, in a general way, prompt the assiduous 
cultivator how to accomplish it. Most of our most 
eminent growers of different articles, have been ama¬ 
teurs ; and, in fact, I may say, that most eminent men 
in all capacities have attained their position by that 
unwearied industry, without which no one can thrive. 
Now, the subject of my present chapter, though not 
requiring the close study and continued application 
of an abstract science, yet is deserving of some at¬ 
tention, as it relates to that most important of all 
gardening matters—“good management;” and the due 
appropriation of whatever space there may be in a 
garden, for the growth of early vegetables, is one in 
which all parties are interested, and, consequently, 
forms a good subject for an article in The Cottage 
Gardener. 
In most gardens there is a favoured side or corner, 
warmer than the rest; most generally it is the north 
side, and sheltered from the cold winds in that quarter. 
This portion of the garden is usually looked upon as 
being exceedingly useful; early vegetables being 
reared on it; and what fruits may be growing there, 
come in sooner than the same do elsewhere. This 
border ought, therefore, to be carefully allotted, so as 
to produce the greatest possible amount of such early 
things as are most wanted by the family. Some things 
everyone wants, as, for instance. Potatoes, Peas, 
Cauliflowers, and Radishes ; and, in fact, most common 
and useful things are relished by every one. Now, in 
order to carry out the due distribution of such crops, 
care must be taken to give each such a position as 
shall insure to the whole, when under crop, an har¬ 
monious assemblage of useful articles, rather than a 
confused heterogenous mass. Planting the tall and 
strong-growing things near each other, tends to this. 
Supposing the border in question be one of twelve 
or twenty feet wide, with a brick wall on the north 
side, on which Peach and other trees are trained, it 
j is only necessary here to say, that if the best possible 
amount of good is expected from these trees, the 
border ought not to be cropped at all, within at least 
six feet of the wall. This point, though insisted on 
by almost all, is unfortunately carried out by few. 
The strong temptation there is to appropriate a piece 
of well-lying ground for useful, early vegetables, is 
generally too strong to be resisted; and Peas, Po¬ 
tatoes, and other things, are grown much to the injury 
of the Peach trees. Where such is the case, liberal 
applications of liquid manure during the summer, if 
it be a hot one, ought to be made to compensate, in 
some degree, for the robbery the border suffers from 
the vegetables. But of this hereafter: suffice it to 
say, that vegetables under such circumstances, ought 
never to be thick ; and with careful management, the 
crops may all succeed moderately well on some soils, 
though certainly not on all; and all must admit, that 
vegetables near fruit trees are, at all times, hurtful, 
and often very much so. But to the cropping. 
Potatoes. — These universal favourites deserve a 
place on the south border, to a small extent; and if 
the ground is very dry, planting the best and earliest 
varieties of Ash-leaved, will be best done in autumn ; 
and when the plants begin to appear above ground, 
let them be protected at nights, until all danger from 
spring frosts is over. Rows two feet and a half 
asunder will not be too much, as it is advisable to 
give plenty of room, so as not to injure the trees any 
more than can be helped. Occasional stirrings of the 
ground between the rows, in April and May, will be 
beneficial; the more especially so, as some coverings- 
up that may be necessary at that time, to preserve 
from the frost, will trample the ground. Potatoes 
deserve the first place in a south border : but plant 
no more than sufficient to meet the wants of the table, 
till others come in elsewhere, and do not let any 
remain for seed. 
Cabbage.— Very few of these ought to be planted j 
on a border, bearing also wall trees; but a few rows 
maybe put in, to come into use very early: and imme¬ 
diately they are cut, pull up the stumps ; do not leave 
them to grow again there; and let the whole be re¬ 
moved as soon as others are ready to succeed them 
elsewhere. Where there are no trees, however, they 
may stand, if wanted; but I do not regard Cabbage 
as a legitimate south border crop, but a few may be 
tolerated, of the earliest kinds, and for early use only. 
Radishes. —This useful salad root may be sown : 
nearer to the trees than anything else; even if sown 
close against the wall there may be not much harm 
done. Sow as early in January as the ground will 
admit, thin freely, and do not allow one to overgrow 
its proper size. It is very often the waste or over¬ 
grown crop does more harm than the legitimate 
one; and, in Radishes, this is most likely to be the 
case. A bed may also be made in the ordinary border, 
when this crop is much wanted ; but let there be no 
more sown here than sufficient to serve till others 
come in. 
Peas. — The Pea crop is, perhaps, the most in- , 
jurious of all the crops grown on south borders, and 
is one which offers the greatest temptation to plant j 
there. But if it must be so, do not increase the evil 
by having the rows very thick —six feet apart for 
Emperor and Early Frame Peas; and remove them 
altogether as soon as others come into use, on other 
ground, giving the place they occupy a good watering 
with manure water, if the weather and the ground be 
dry. The middle or the end of November will be time 
enough to sow. A row of Spinach between the Peas ! 
will come in early: but do not sow this or anything 
else, on this border, that can be done without. 
Lettuce.— To have this salad at all times good, it ! 
requires to be planted in almost all parts of the garden ; 
that to stand the winter, and come into use early in 
the spring, must be grown on a south border. Various 
sowings of the hardy Broivn Cos may be planted at 
intervals in the autumn; but the principal supply of j 
hardy Hammersmith, a small green Cabbage-kind, that 
stands better than any other when pretty well grown, 
ought to be sown about the 12th of August, and planted ; 
where it is to remain. A bed of seedling Lettuce 
plants may also be sown on this border; but they 
must be removed as early as possible; as also must 
all cut or useless Lettuce ; for it often happens that it 
is the overgrown crop, instead of the useful one, that 
does the mischief to the fruit trees, or, what is the 
same thing, to the ground for other crops. 
Turnips. —This is rather a precarious crop, and ! 
deserves more attention than is often given to it. A j 
bed sown in the middle of March will be quite soon 
enough; and as soon as the plants are up, let them be 
protected from late spring frosts, which are said to have 
a tendency to make them run to seed. The American 
Slone —not the most early variety, certainly—is still 
as good a one as any for first use. 
Turnip Radishes. —These will always come into 
use, in an ordinary way, before Turnips ; therefore, a | 
