March 2, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
425 
THE CULTIVATION OF 
EARLY VEGETABLES.* 
The object of my paper to-night on “ Early Vege¬ 
tables," as I believe you all know, arose mostly from 
the Devon and Exeter Horticultural Society holding 
their summer show this year in June instead of 
August. As it is to be a Rose and general show, the 
object aimed at is Roses, which I hope will turn out 
successfully. In my opinion good Rose growers are 
not so plentiful as good vegetable growers in this 
locality. When I was asked to read this paper our 
schedule was not drawn up, and little did I think 
then that the collections of vegetables would be cut 
down from twelve dishes to eight, which I am sorry 
to say is the case. The idea was that that would 
be as many varieties as would be procurable in the 
last week in June ; and I might say our chief seeds¬ 
man supported this. Now in my opinion, about that 
time is the very season for the best quality vegetables 
of the summer. I have 
taken prizes for collections 
of twelve kinds in the first 
week of J uly, which is only 
one week later, and I know 
we could get even more 
than twelve kinds if we 
wanted them. Aod I don’t 
think at this time of the 
year we should be likely to 
have such coarse over¬ 
grown things as are often 
shown in August. 
Quality should be our 
first consideration — if 
quality and quantity can 
be combined so much the 
better. Now for twelve 
kinds on the 28th of June. 
The following with a little 
trouble may be had in per¬ 
fection, as I will explain 
as I go on. Potatos, 
Peas,Cauliflowers,French 
Beans, Carrots, Tomatos, 
Onions, Cucumbers, 
Mushrooms, Globe Arti¬ 
chokes, Turnips, and 
Broad Beans ; failing any 
of these, Cabbages, or 
VegetableMarrows, would 
be a substitute. Even 
Asparagus could not be 
disqualified in June, there¬ 
fore should come in for 
one of the twelve dishes, 
but myself I make it a 
rule not to cut after mid¬ 
summer if the beds have 
yielded a good crop. 
I shall now commence 
on the cultivation of early 
vegetables, whether for ex¬ 
hibition or for general use. 
For the Potato a dry, fri¬ 
able,fresh,and moderately 
rich soil is the best for 
all kinds. To obtain early 
crops I like good sized sets, and only leave about 
two eyes. If the sets are placed in boxes with their 
leading buds upwards, in a vinery or Peach house 
out of frost, a few weeks before wanted, strong early 
shoots will be produced; but if you reverse the posi¬ 
tion you will get very weak and later shoots, and net 
only will the earliness but the quality of the pro¬ 
duce be depreciated. For early crops I grow Veitch’s 
Improved Ashleaf, and cannot get anything to beat 
it, although I have tried sorts that are advertised to 
be earlier. Last year I gave way to Sharpe’s Victor 
for frame work, but will not do so again, as neither 
the size nor the quality was to be compared with 
Ashleaf. Neither do I consider Puritan or Hebron, 
or any of the American varieties to be compared 
with Ashleaf, and with plenty of manure a good crop 
caD be relied on. 
The time of planting depends on the locality. 
Years ago people used to plant in October and 
November, putting the sets deep out of the reach of 
frost. This, I have heard, answered very well in 
*A paper read at tbe Exeter Gardeners’ Association, on the 
20th February by Mr. E. Sparks, gardener to the Right 
Honourable the Earl of Iddesleigh, Pynes, near Exeter. 
porous dry soils, but the advantage is not good 
enough to recommend it in these times. The begin¬ 
ning of March is the best time to plant early 
Potatos, then by the latter part of May and begin¬ 
ning of June they will be ready for use. The ground 
should be trenched in autumn. If dung is applied, 
it should be trenched in, and the ground left in a 
rough state until February, when it should be forked 
over, and by March the frost will have left it well 
pulverised to receive the sets. Some people put the 
dung in with the Potatos, but unless it is thoroughly 
rotten I do not recommend that practice, as half 
decomposed dung in a dry summer is fatal to a good 
crop. There are different modes of planting. Some 
people use the dibble, others dig them in, but I like 
the shovel, and put them in alleys two feet apart and 
one foot in the rows ; but I never allow anyone to 
tread in the alleys, as is often the case when you see 
a man planting Potatos, he treads the bottoms very 
hard, but I always make them put one foot on either 
Scotch Firs in West Wickham Wood. 
side, then that foot mark comes out in hoeing, and 
the sets have a plumb bottom to grown in. 
Seakale. 
Seakale, or Crambe maritima, which was formerly 
called Sea Colewort, grows wild on the sea coast of 
our southern shores. There are two varieties, the 
ordinary old variety and the Lily White, I like the 
latter, as it has not got the purple tops. It is of a 
beautiful white throughout. Although I do not 
think this variety is so well known as it should be, 
it is quite distinct. There are different methods for 
growing Seakale ; it requires an open situation, and 
is readily increased by division of the roots or by 
seed, the latter being the more preferable. A good 
plan is to sow where it is intended to stand, and in 
doing this the ground should be deeply trenched 
during winter, say 2£ ft. to 3 ft. deep. Lime rubble 
put in the bottom of each trench, and a good layer of 
well rotted dung or seaweed in March, and a 
good coat of seasand, if obtainable, should be 
well worked in; not being able to obtain seasand 
myself I use river sand with a good coat of salt 
mixed with it, although this is not so nutritious. 
The size of the beds, of course, depends on the 
quantity required. ' A bed 4 ft. wide'would take two 
rows; 6 ft. wide, three rows, and so on in propor¬ 
tion. 
In sowing seed, which should be in the latter part 
of March, a good plan is to draw circle drills 2 ft. 
apart, say about 8 in. in diameter, 2 in. deep, and 
with about six or eight seeds in a circle. Seedlings 
up and well established should be thinned, leaving 
three or four of the strongest. This plantation, if 
kept clear of weeds and attended to during summer, 
may be covered with ashes and good Seakale got the 
following spring. Another good plan is to sow the 
seeds in drills, and a plantation or bed made from 
one-year-old plants, which should be planted triangu¬ 
larly in each patch, the circle, as before directed, 
2 ft. apart. Plants may also be got by cutting the 
roots in pieces and planting them in the same way. 
Newly-planted beds will want a copious supply of 
water during summer. Now to force Seakale, as in 
planting, there are different ways ; some prefer taking 
up the crowns and putting 
them in boxes or pots in 
any warm place, or in a 
gentle hot-bed, taking care 
not to break the roots. Of 
course, in either case they 
are to be kept quite dark. 
I prefer forcing in the open 
ground by putting pots 
over the crowns and cover¬ 
ing with leaves or dung; 
if the latter is used, great 
care must be exercised, it 
being so quick in heating 
action, and too strong heat 
is fatal to Seakale. It 
would be long and weedy. 
The heat had better be 
too low than too high; the 
best temperature is from 
50° to 60°. I generally 
make my first covering 
about the middle of 
November, so as to com¬ 
mence cutting for Christ¬ 
mas. It should take plants 
five weeks from the time 
of covering to be ready. I 
always use a few coal 
ashes, enough to cover the 
crowns, as this prevents 
slugs from eating into 
them. Of course the best 
Seakale is that which is 
grown without artificial 
heat, say in March and 
April, covered with coal 
ashes. After the crop is 
cut the beds should be 
forked over and kept clear 
of weeds through summer. 
Asparagus. 
This is another of our early 
vegetables, which should 
follow Seakale. It is the 
vegetable of the year, and 
in olden times I have heard 
it was called “ Sperage,” 
then " Sparrowgrass." There are two varieties, the 
purple-topped and the green-topped. There are 
said to be several varieties which get their names 
from the place of their growth, and are only to be 
distinguished by size or flavour, which is usually 
lost on removal from their native place. The 
principal kind is known as the Giant, but to keep it 
true to that name depends on its cultivation. 
Asparagus likes a good sandy loam, made rich by 
adding plenty of manure. The ground should be 
trenched as recommend for Seakale, 2§ ft. to 3 ft., 
deep beds should be made so as to range from north 
to south, and as free as possible from trees and 
shrubs.' The subsoil should be dry, or the beds 
made so by adding lime rubble or other material to 
serve as a drainage. I like beds about 4^ ft. wide. 
This will take four rows. The beds trenched and 
thoroughly well manured, give a good surface 
dressing of salt, which will wash in with rain. 
After it has lain a few weeks, trench it over again ; 
leave the surface rough and open, and let it lie until 
the time for sowing, when it should be made as fine 
as possible. If planting is adopted a second sprink¬ 
ling of salt may be put on with advantage. The 
