THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
(they are tubiiiar, and about an inch long), yet they ate! 
60 numerous, and of such a bright scarlet colour, that 
the plant is very attractive. 
In a corner of the stove I noticed a strong plant of 
the Abutilon insigne. It had reached the roof, and 
spread out its branches considerably. Every branch 
had numerous cup-shaped, dark-coloured blossoms, which 
are showy and beautiful. In a pot this plant is but a 
poor object; but when planted out, and allowed to grow 
naturally, it is a desirable object. It flowers equally 
well in a good greenhouse. This place is under the 
management of Mr. Payne, and does him great credit. 
The owner is a lover of plants, and takes great delight 
in his garden. T. Appeeby. 
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL FOR SEEDS. 
The approaching season renders it necessary that 
preparation be made for sowing the seeds from which 
the various crops of vegetables spring to supply our 
wants in the ensuing summer and autumn, and some of 
them even later tbau that. The well-being of all crops 
depends more or less on the state of the ground at the 
time the seed is committed to it; therefore a few words 
to the inexperienced may be acceptable, the more espe¬ 
cially as some of the work on which the welfare of the 
crop depends ought to be done some weeks before the 
seeds are committed to the earth. 
Some of the crops are benefited, and others are in¬ 
jured, by the application of dung or other enriching 
matter at this season. Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet are 
certainly better without that stimulant unless the 
ground be poor, or the dung be buried some depth; but 
Onions, Turnips, all the Cabbage tribe, and, in fact, 
almost all other crops, are better by the ground being 
! made tolerably rich at the time of sowing or shortly 
j before that time. The reason is obvious in all these cases. 
Beet is seldom wanted a large size, as it then becomes 
coarse and bad coloured. Carrots and Parsnips, though 
they seldom get too large, are liable to become forked or 
double rooted whex - e enriching matter is near the surface 
to entice the roots to remain there. Some small crops 
ought of necessity to be denied a rich soil, otherwise 
the purpose they are intended for is defeated; such, for 
instance, are Onions for pickling, which are grown to 
greatest perfection ou ground that is dry and poor; or, 
where that cannot be, the crop is left very thick on the 
ground. A few notes on each crop will be most useful. 
Onions. —It is not unusual to sow this crop on ground 
which has recently borne Celery. On that accouut it is 
advisable to level and dig the ground as it becomes 
vacant. The last crop of Celery, being supposed to re¬ 
main on the ground after the main Onion crop is sown, 
; must therefore be appropriated to something else. In 
fact, if the ground is at all inclined to be stiff, the 
portion intended for Onions ought to be dug at least a 
month before sowing time, that frost and the other 
variations of weather may have had time to pulverise 
the surface so as to make it an acceptable bed for the 
seed. In cases where the soil is of that free and open 
kind which allows of being operated upon at all times, 
a shorter period will suffice if its previous cropping or 
other circumstances prevent its being got ready before¬ 
hand. At the same time let it be fully understood that 
when the proper season arrives for sowing, which, in 
| the south of England, may vary from the middle of 
| February to the middle or latter end of March, accord- 
i ingly as t]ie weather may be, it is not prudent on any 
i occasion to delay tlqat operation long; for, though the 
: grouud may be in a rough, unkind state to reooive the 
seed, yet, as tho period has arrived for sowing it, if the 
weather at the moment is favourable for doing so, it is 
better at once to sow, Tho young plants will not 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 3, 1857. 30$ 
• 
prosper so well as when more care has been taken id 
preparing the seed bed; still Nature is so accommo¬ 
dating as in sortie degree to pulverise and prepare the 
ground for their use after they have begun to occupy it. ] 
Observe that in sowing ah extra amount of labour i 
ought to be bestowed in breaking up rough, unwieldy j 
clods that are at the top, and the grottnd Ought to b’C : 
stirred and broken at least eighteen inches deep; blit 
be sure always to retain a few inches of line,- fncllovV 
earth at the top; and at sowing time trample as 
little on it as can be, especially if it be wet or heavy.- 
If very light, open, and dry, a certain amount of con¬ 
solidation will be necessary. 
Carrots. —The ground for this crop, even lUOt'e ospe* 
cially than for Onions, ought to be got ready betuve-' 
band; and, as has been stated before in these pages, a 
plot where Peas, Scarlet Runner Beans, or Potatoes 
were last grown is preferable to where Broccoli of any 
other of the Cabbage tribe has been jtist before. Deep j 
trenching in frosty weather and the best soil retained j 
at the top are preferable to a quantity of flung being ; 
merely dug in at the surface. An open situatioil iO also’ < 
requisite, for underneath trees or other shade Carrots j 
produce little but top, while in poor, shallow soil thtf 
roots in vain search for that food which they look for 
from below, and are consequently small, poor, and 
starved. Should the soil be one of that description it 
would be advisable to manure tire bottom of the trench 
in trenching, in order to entice the roots downwards. 
The time for sowing Carrots is seldom before the 1 st of 
April, except in certain cases where early ones are 
wanted, or where there is the prospect of a long, dry 1 
spring. In the latter case it is advisable to sow while' 
the ground contains sufficient moisture for thd SCed-s to 
germinate in. 
Parsnips. —The seed of these is much hardier thatf 
that of Carrots, and cannot well be sown too early; but 
the grouud ought to he well done by. A rather moist 
situation often produces good Parsnips; but they seem 
to adapt themselves to circumstances better than Carrots, 
for I have seen tolerably good crops under trees or off 
dry ground; but on both these occasions other circum¬ 
stances tended to compensate for the defects of situation. 
Beet. —The best R.ed Beet need not be sown before 
the 1st of May, as size is not so important as good 
colour and other qualifications. A dry, open soil, not 
too rich in manure, is the best for this crop; but, like 
Carrots, it requires an open situation, and produces little 
but top or small, deformed, or forked roots when grown 
under the shade of trees or other improper situations. 
J. Robson. 
POTATO CULTURE. 
It is of great importance to many, indeed, I may say every¬ 
body, to know the varieties which are the best and most 
productive in different counties, localities, and soils. Every 
one knows that good light soils produce the best quality, and 
one great point of success is to change the seed every year, 
if you have a friend that would honestly exchange with you. 
Many condemn a good Potato because their soil or situation 
does not suit it, and, perhaps, their next-door neighbour will 
hold it in the highest esteem. Last season my employer had 
some of the York Regents planted in the field, and some of the 
Fanner’s Profit. Some people call this variety the Forty-fold, 
and others call it the French Spreader. The Forty-folds, as 
I name them, were a good crop, and the Regents scarcely 
good for anything. This season the Regents were brought 
into the garden, a good, light, rich soil, and a finer crop I 
never saw, both for size and quality. 
The three leading sorts in this part are tho Ash-leaved for 
earliest production, Regents for second, anil for a general 
Potato tho forty fold, which retains its good qualities until 
we got now Potatoes, 
Tho lapstons Kidney I have never seen since I havo been 
