THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 20, 185S. 
! 236 
I size, without danger of running to blossom. It re¬ 
quires a rich and mellow soil; and rotten manures may 
be applied with a liberal hand. Liquid manures, also, 
are of much benefit, used occasionally, as, indeed, they 
are to all salad crops. 
Lettuces. —The production of stout and compact 
Lettuces is the pride of most good gardeners; and 
some pains are necessary to accomplish this, especially 
during the heat of summer. Partially shaded situa¬ 
tions are frequently selected for them ; but in many 
summers the propriety of this course is to be doubted. 
The fact is, they require both rich and strong soil, and 
constant moisture. Soils naturally loamy, or of a 
somewhat adhesive character, produce them best in 
hot weather, or, indeed, at any other period, providing 
no stagnation or moisture exists beneath. Without a 
most generous soil, it is immaterial what situation is 
selected for them. Three sowings—one in the be¬ 
ginning of June, a second in the third week, and a 
third in the first week of July—will provide for the 
salad bowl, from soon after Midsummer till nearly 
Christmas. For all these sowings, the true Bath Cos 
is superior, if really good, and very crisp Lettuces are 
desired. These, however, require tying up, to blanch : 
those who have not time to tie, may sow the Paris 
Cos, which succeeds well without. They require 
frequent waterings during all dry weather, and re¬ 
joice in liquid manure. But this should not be ap¬ 
plied too near the time of using them. 
Cresses. —The curled, and the broad-leaved Ame¬ 
rican, are the two most distinct and useful kinds,—the 
latter approaching the Water Cress in character. The 
curled Cress requires to be somewhat frequently 
sown, as it soon runs to seed; the other lasts a con¬ 
siderable time, and bears the hardest frosts of winter. 
Curled Cress may be sown liberally in July and 
August; it much improves on good soil. It is best in 
drills, six inches apart, the plants thinned to four inches 
in the row. Many sow it broadcast, and ver} r thickly ; 
but the foliage is far superior this way, and cuts a 
much better figure at table : for badly-grown Cress is 
on a par with badly-grown Parsley,—it looks messy, 
and more like food for swine than human beings. The 
American, or broad Cress, may be sown twice,—the 
beginning of July and the end of the month,—in 
drills, eight inches apart, the plants thinned to five 
inches in the drill. It loves a damp soil. 
Radishes, for autumn and winter use, may be 
.sown at the end of July, the second week in August, 
and the first week of September. They require a 
loose and friable soil, unmanured ; they may be sown 
broadcast. The Turnip kinds are best for the two 
first sowings ; the last may be Wood’s Short-topped, 
j the kind used for frames. 
Lampion is sown earlier in the season,—generally in 
i June,—in drills, nine inches apart, and the plants 
thinned to about three inches. Some good cultivators 
transplant it, in order to prevent fibres, to which it is 
! much given in some soils. The root is like a long 
Radish, but white, and is pared, or scraped, for use. 
Cleanly culture, and the use of the hoe, are re¬ 
quisite with most of these salads ; and frequent water¬ 
ings in very dry weather. Towards November, some 
will require a slight protection for the winter. The 
Celery will then need one thorough earthing, to com¬ 
plete the blanching and to keep out frost. 
Snails and slugs are very troublesome to Celery, 
and in their ravages much deface the sticks, and se¬ 
riously reduce its bulk. I find it necessary, therefore, 
to use quicklime, dredging it thoroughly amongst the 
foliage. This is performed just previous to the first 
earthing-up, and destroys thousands. 
The washing and cleansing salads properly is most 
important, and requires particular management. No 
kind of salad should lay in water more than an hour, 
and the water should be of as low a temperature as 
possible, short ol freezing. Two waters should be 
always used ; the salad may lay in the first, to soak for 
nearly an hour, and should be washed as clean as 
possible in that water ; then transferred to a clean 
vessel of fresh cold water, and well rinsed therein. If ! 
; slugs or other insects are suspected, a little salt, thrown 
in the first water, will give an account of them. When 
salad is somewhat frozen in winter, it is well to throw 
it for half a dozen hours in a dark corner, in some 
place where there is neither fire nor frost; it will there 
partially and slowly melt, and may be then trimmed 
and thrown into the coldest water that can be obtained, 
—some from beneath ice, at a temperature of 34 ° to 
5 f° r the slower it is thawed, the fresher and finer- 
flavoured it will be. There should, however, be an 
exception made in favour of salad in a flagging or 
vitliery condition; it is surely a fair consideration, 
whether water of a little higher temperature would 
not be desirable, in order that the salad should absorb 
a little to restore crispness. This I throw out as a 
hint. It may not be generally known, that Celery, if 
cut short, say to six or seven inches,—and every leaf, 
after trimming, slit down at equal distances longitu¬ 
dinally, in tolerably close and parallel lines, and then 
thrown into water for an hour or two, will all roll back 
and curl beautifully, making a fine figure for an orna¬ 
mental glass stand, which is much used in some 
quarters for Celery. In this condition the Celery has 
the eloquence of a well-handled bouquet. 
With regard to Lettuces, I would have it remem¬ 
bered, that good, crisp, Bath Cos Lettuces, through 
November, and nearly up to Christmas, are, indeed, 
valuable adjuncts, of a first-rate salad bowl. To be 
sure, we liave fine y ellow Battavian Endive to represent 
it, if absent; but both their flavour, and, I may add, 
their medicinal qualities differ. The tonic bitter of 
the Endive, and the sedative character of good Let¬ 
tuces, are well known ; and here, be it observed, there 
is no unpleasant scents arising from them like Onions. 
I feel assured that a salad bowl with several articles in 
it, is more congenial to the human stomach, than that 
in which one, or at most two characters prevail. 
were ^ not for this mixture of ingredients of 
differing characters, how shall we account for the 
health and longevity of many known as good table 
men; that is, those who enjoy the good things which 
their Maker has granted for their use, in a liberal, 
yet philosophical way. But the celebrated Rev. Sidney 
Smith was an advocate of even Onions; for, in his 
famous recipe for a salad, if I remember right, he re¬ 
commends rubbing the bowl with Onions. Perhaps, 
according to Pope, in his landscaping,— 
“ Snatching a grace beyond the reach of art.” 
R. Errington. 
SOCIAL ECONOMICS. 
PREVENTING EARLY VINES BREAKING PREMATURELY. 
Can any coadjutor, or reader, give us his experience 
and assistance in this matter ? Though I have never 
had the chance of experimenting in this field, I do feel 
proud, that such men as Mr Forbes, at Woburn 
Abbey, and Mr. Judd, at Althorpe, and others, place 
on then employer s table, and also before our great 
societies, new Grapes, whilst many feel very happy if 
they can get old ones. The complaint of all such 
extra early forcers, however, is, that they cannot keep 
the buds from breaking prematurely in summer; and 
that this not only weakens the Vine, but gives them a 
scantier crop tliau they might otherwise have. Though 
the early house at Woburn had been thoroughly ex- 
