December  23,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  IWRTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
59n 
BRUSSELS  SPROUTS. 
EARLY  STRUaOLES  FOR  KNOWLEDOE. 
Few  vegetables  excel  Brussels  Sprouts  in  delicious  flavour  and 
tenderness  at  this  season  of  the  year.  The  solid,  ball-like  sprouts  are 
freely  produced  on  well-grown  plants.  The  larger  the  plants,  as  a 
rule,  the  finer  the  sprouts,  and  the  longer  the  season  during  which  the 
crop  is  available. 
No  kitchen  garden  crop  pays  better  for  superior  culture,  but  the 
plants  must  have  a  long  season  of  growth.  Therefore,  when  plants 
are  raised  early  and  good  culture  follows  in  a  suitable  position  the 
crop  will  be  abundant  and  satisfactory. 
The  majority  of  those  who  cultivate  Brussels  Sprouts  give  their 
best  attention  to  raising  and  cultivating  this  vegetable,  so  as  to  afford 
a  supply  of  fine,  solid  sprouts,  from  November  to  April.  This  is  the 
time  when  they  are  most  in  demand,  though  up  to  Christmas  the 
autumn  Cauliflowers  and  Broccolis  compete  with  the  Brussels  Sprout, 
but  that  is  no  great  disadvantage.  Brussels  Sprouts  are  very  hardy, 
and  keep  well  on  the  plants. 
February  is  a  suitable  period  for  commencing  operations  in  sowing 
and  raising.  If  a  frame  cannot  bo  spared  sow  in  boxes  placed  in 
gentle  heat.  More  sturdy  plants,  however,  can  be  obtained  from 
sowing  on  a  bed  of  light  soil  formed  near  the  glass  in  a  cold  frame. 
Introduce  old  potting  soil,  having  it  of  a  moist  character,  and  make  it 
firm  and  smooth  on  the  surface.  Give  a  gentle  watering  with  a  fine- 
rosed  can,  then  sow  the  seeds  thinly.  It  is  better  to  take  time  in 
doing  this  than  to  have  to  draw  out  the  small  seedlings  after 
germination,  the  operation  often  damaging  those  left.  Cover  the  seeds 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  with  fine  soil,  pressing  it  flat  and  firm.  The  bed 
may  be  darkened  until  the  seeds  germinate  and  the  young  plumule 
pushes  its  way  through  the  soil  to  the  light  which  they  must  then 
have  free  access  to.  The  advantage  of  plenty  of  room  for  each  seed¬ 
ling  will  now  be  apparent.  Air  must  be  freely  admitted  on  every 
favourable  occasion.  Weakening  the  seedlings  by  confined  treatment 
is  as  bad  as  thick  sowing.  As  they  advance  and  become  stronger  there 
will  be  brief  periods  Avhen  full  exposure  may  be  ventured  upon. 
When  the  seedlings  reach  the  stage  of  rough  leaves  they  may  be 
transplanted  into  a  bed  of  rich  soil  formed  in  a  sheltered  but  open 
situation.  Place  them  4  to  6  inches  apart  in  a  careful  manner,  seeing 
that  the  roots  are  not  huddled  together  and  are  placed  rather  lower 
than  previously. 
From  this  time  the  plants  will  have  every  opportunity  of 
strengthening  their  tissues  and  forming  abundant  fibrous  roots,  so 
that  when  tlie  final  planting  period  arrives  they  may  be  lifted  and 
planted  without  any  fear  of  severe  checks. 
While  the  plants  are  accumulating  strength  the  ground  intended 
for  their  reception  must  be  prepared.  The  position  should  be  an 
open  one,  and  the  soil  of  medium  texture.  A  light  sandy  soil  does 
not  possess  the  requisite  firmness,  and  is  likely  to  be  deficient  in 
moisture  at  a  period  when  the  plants  need-it.  Such  soil  must  be  freely 
manured  with  well-decayed  farmyard  manure,  so  as  to  add  to  the 
humic  matter  in  the  soil  and  assist  in  conserving  moisture.  Medium 
fertile  soils  also  need  a  liberal  manuring,  and  to  be  cultivated  to  a 
depth  of  2  feet.  The  nature  of  the  subsoil  must  determine  whether  a 
j'ortion  of  it  may  or  may  not  be  mixed  Avith  the  surface  soil.  When 
the  former  is  very  poor  it  is  better  to  break  it  up  Avell  and  liberally 
manure  it  in  its  original  position  rather  than  bring  it  to  the  surface. 
Heavy  clayey  soil  can  be  brought  into  good  condition  by  trenching, 
liming,  and  leaving  the  surface  rough  for  frost  to  act  upon.  Such  soil 
should  be  prepared  at  once  and  again  before  planting.  It  may  not  be 
possible,  however,  to  bring  it  to  the  most  desirable  condition  in  a  few 
months’  treatment,  but  it  Avill  be  much  improved. 
Planting  may  take  place  in  May,  or  not  later  than  the  first  week 
in  J une.  Many  growers  are  very  anxious  to  plant  Avhen  the  soil  is 
moist,  and  Avill  risk  the  dirt  and  discomfort  of  tramping  about  on  wet 
ground  in  order  to  plant.  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  mistake.  It  is 
much  more  comfortable  to  plant  in  dry  Aveather,  and  better  for  the 
soil.  Draw  a  garden  line  across  the  plot  to  be  planted,  and  with  a 
spade  take  out  a  trench,  place  the  plants  at  the  required  distance 
apart,  cover  the  roots  Avith  a  little  soil,  firm  it,  and  apply  water ;  then 
fill  in  with  dry  soil.  This  method  takes  up  a  little  more  time,  but  it 
serves  to  effectually  establish  the  plants,  for  very  seldom  is  more  Avater 
applied  artificially  required.  The  plants  do  not  flag,  or  at  least  not 
seriously,  and  they  are  ready  to  take  advantage  of  the  first  showers. 
The  roAvs  should  be  2^  to  3  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  2  feet 
asunder.  There  is  room  then  for  the  cultural  operations,  AV'hich 
include  hoeing  for  destroying  Aveeds  and  keeping  the  surface  open  to 
])roraote  growth  and  prevent  evaporation  of  moisture  from  the  soil  in 
dry  weather.  During  growth  tAVO  dressings  of  nitrate  of  soda  may  be 
applied  at  the  rate  of  1  lb.  per  rod  each  dressing.  Scatter  it  evenly  on 
the  surface  and  hoe  it  in. 
One  of  the  best  varieties  of  Brussels  Sprouts  is  undoubtedly  Sutton’s 
Matchless.  They  can  be  easily  groAvn  3  to  4  feet  high,  turnished  with 
compact  sprouts  from  top  to  bottom.  The  variety  Aigburth  also 
produces  very  large  sprouts,  and  is  well  worthy  of  cultivation. — E.  D.  S. 
Education  is  so  absolutely  essential  to  every  man  at  the  'present 
time,  Avhatever  his  station  in  life  may  be,  that  strenuous  efforts  should 
be  made  to  acquire  it  at  any  cost.  For  this  reason  the  following 
account  of  a  worker’s  struggles  to  gain  knowledge  in  the  face  of  many 
difficulties,  and  Avithout  the  aid  of  friends,  station,  or  means,  may 
serve  as  an  encouragement  to  persevering  young  men  Avho  are  striving 
to  improve  themselves.  The  writer  cannot  be  accused  of  egotism,  or 
seeking  for  the  applause  of  readers,  because,  except  to  the  Editor  of 
the  Journal,  his  identity  will  be  known  to  very  few,  but  it  would  be 
idle  to  pretend  that  the  record  is  not  a  source  of  self-satisfaction. 
Work  of  all  kinds  thoughfully  undertaken,  carefully,  thoroughly,  and 
perseveringly  carried  out,  always  yields  this  inward  gratification.  For 
the  inclination  for  study  I  can  take  no  credit,  as  this  and  other 
qualities  Avere  inherited;  but  mental  capacity  is  improved  by  sustained 
application,  and  the  development  of  the  mind  is  an  ample  return  for 
all  labour  in  that  direction. 
Circumstances,  Avhich  need  not  be  entered  upon  here,  compelled  me 
at  the  age  of  tAvelve  to  commence  working  in  a  garden  when  a  very 
brief  period  at  school  had  merely  furnished  the  rudiments  of  know¬ 
ledge.  It  was  enough,  however,  to  indicate  how  much  there  Avas  to 
learn  if  I  Avished  to  obtain  and  hold  Avith  credit  an  ordinary  station  in 
life.  Beyond  this  I  felt  an  insatiable  desire  to  understand  somewhat 
of  the  world  and  the  life  it  supports,  and  to  learn  something  of  what 
the  skill  of  man  had  accomplished  in  the  past,  or  was  performing  in 
the  current  work  of  the  age.  Being  left  entirely  to  myself  in  the 
choice  of  my  studies,  these  covered  a  much  wider  range  of  subjects 
than  Avould  probably  have  been  selected  for  me,  nor  would  I  advise 
others  to  follow  precisely  in  the  same  steps ;  each  must  choose  for 
himself.  What  a  lad  or  a  man  takes  a  deep  interest  in  he  Avill  learn 
readily,  but  forced  studies  of  any  kind  are  useless,  and  troublesome 
alike  to  the  learner  and  teacher. 
It  is  wise  to  confine  one’s  efforts  to  one  or  a  feAV  channels,  and  it 
has  been  Avell  said  that  a  man  should  knoAv  “  something  of  everything, 
and  everything  of  something.”  There  should  be  a  special  subject  to 
be  exhaustively  studied,  but  besides  that  every  man  requires  a  general 
knowledge,  and  it  is  surprising  at  times  how  usefully  some  things 
learnt  in  youth  may  be  applied  in  after  life.  Certainly  on  three  great 
occasions  in  my  experience,  totally  different  in  their  nature  and 
requirements,  special  knowledge  Avhich  I  gained  in  my  early  days 
has  enabled  me  to  perform  important  duties,  to  the  satisfaction  of 
employers  and  the  credit  of  their  servant. 
Perhaps  I  was  ambitious  as  a  lad.  I  did  not  then  think  of  devot¬ 
ing  my  life  to  horticulture ;  I  hoped  to  fit  myself  for  a  post  as 
assistant  to  a  scientific  gentleman,  or  as  a  librarian,  and  for  a  cousiiier- 
able  time  this  object  was  steadily  kept  in  vieAv,  but  further  experience 
gradually  developed  a  love  of  horticulture  in  all  its  departments, 
which  effectually  determined  my  path  in  life. 
The  first  consideration  in  the  commencement  of  my  studies  was 
the  purchase  of  books,  and  here  I  was  confronted  by  a  great  difficulty ; 
my  Aveekly  pay  was  very  small,  and  with  the  most  riiorous  economy 
I  could  only  afford  a  feAv  pence  every  week  for  anything  outside  the 
necessities  of  life.  Being  situated  Avithin  three  or  four  miles  of  a  large 
city,  however,  conferred  one  advantage,  and  that  was,  it  enabled  me 
to  visit  the  secondhand  bookstalls,  and  thus  frequently  pick  up  useful 
books  at  a  nominal  price.  For  some  years  I  made  it  an  invariable  rule 
to  visit  these  stalls  one  evening  a  week,  and  sometimes  twice ;  and  in 
that  way  I  bought  nearly  every  book  used  in  my  studies,  and  besides 
acquired  a  familiarity  with  general  literature.  Though  I  was  such  a 
poor  customer,  some  of  the  stallkeepers  Avould  let  me  search  their 
Avhole  stores,  both  in  the  shops  and  out,  and  many  an  hour  have  I 
thus  spent  on  wet  evenings.  I  have  been  a  book  lover  and  buyer  ever 
since,  and  have  spent  pounds  with  dealers  with  whom  my  Aveekly 
expenditure  in  the  early  days  did  not  exceed  2d.  or  3d.  It  Avould  be 
difficult  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  pleasure  experienced  when  some 
valued  or  long-sought-for  treasure  was  thus  obtained,  and  how  eager  I 
was  to  dive  into  its  pages  on  my  return  home.  Occasionally  I  have 
been  weeks,  or  even  months,  searching  for  a  particular  book,  and  Avhen 
this  was  needed  to  remove  some  difficulty  which  impeded  my  progress 
in  any  special  subject,  one  of  the  troubles  an  unaided  student  with  a 
slender  purse  has  to  encounter  is  revealed. 
Second  in  order -Avas  the  method  adopted  in  my  studies,  Avith  the 
time  allotted  to  them.  In  regard  to  the  hours  at  my  disposal  I  had  no 
advantages  other  than  those  of  ordinary  garden  lads.  We  had  a  good 
master,  a  man  of  long  experience,  who  thoroughly  understood  ^  his 
business  in  every  department ;  but  energetic,  active,  and  industrious 
himself,  he  expected  the  full  complement  of  work  from  everyone  under 
him.  The  Avorking  hours  Avere  6  a.m.  to  0  I’.m.  in  the  summer,  and 
7  to  5  in  the  winter,  Avith  occasional  time  in  the  evening  to  attend  to 
ventilation  or  fires.  By  rising  at  5  A.M.,  as  I  could  easily  do,  I  was 
enabled  to  have  an  hour  before  work  in  the  summer,  and  tAVO  hours  in 
the  winter.  On  an  average  my  dinner  rarely  occupied  more  than  a 
