587

A KALENDAR OF WORK IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN.

January.

Trench and manure ground for early crops. Prepare hot-beds for Asparagus, Cucumbers, Mint, Potatoes, and Small Salading.

Force Elford Rhubarb and Sea Kale in pits, in the Mushroom-house, or under large pots; also Kidney Beans in the forcing-house, or stove: the best sorts for this purpose are the Negro and Early Purple-speckled.

Sow Black-seeded Gotte, Brown Dutch, and Grand Admirable Cabbage Lettuces, as well as those of the Bath and Egyptian Cos.

Sow Curled Parsley for transplanting, Frame Peas, Horn Carrots, Mazagan Beans, Onions, if they are intended to be grown to a large size, Radishes, Round Spinach, &c.

Plant out Cabbage plants, to succeed the first crop which had been planted out in the autumn. Attend to the Mushroom-house, and see that the bed is well covered with dry straw: it ought to be at least twelve inches thick; and every precaution must be taken to keep out the frost.

February.

Trench, manure, and prepare ground for early crops. Prepare hot-beds for Cucumbers and Early Melons. Force Asparagus, Mint, Potatoes, Radishes, and Small Salading, Elford Rhubarb, and Sea Kale under pots, and Kidney Beans in the forcing-house. Sow Celery and Celeriac on a moderate hot-bed. Sow Cabbages, Curled Parsley for transplanting, and Hamburgh

Parsley for its roots, Horn Carrots, Lettuces, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Peas and Beans, Radishes, Round Spinach, Savoys and other Winter Greens, for the first crop.

Plant out Cabbage plants, Chives, Garlic, Rocambole, Shallots, and Potatoe or Under-ground Onions. Plant out Horse-radish, in the manner recommended under that head.

March.

Force Cucumbers and Melons in frames, Kidney Beans in the forcing-house or stove, and Elford Rhubarb and Sea Kale under pots. Sow, on a moderate hot-bed, Celery and Celeriac, Radishes, Small Salading, and Tetragonia Expansa. Sow, in the open borders and quarters, Asparagus, Beet, Cabbages, Carrots, Celery, Couve Tronchuda, Curled and Hamburgh Parsley, Leeks, Lettuces, Neapolitan Kale, Onions, Parsnips, Peas and Beans, Round Spinach, Salsafy, Sea Kale, Scorzonera, Skirrets, &c.

Fork over Asparagus beds, and make new ones.

Plant out the small Onions which had been sown thick last spring, for the purpose of procuring large bulbs; also early Potatoes, Jerusalem Artichokes, Chives, Garlic, Rocambole, Shallots, Rhubarb, and Sea Kale.

April.

Make hot-beds for Cucumbers and Melons, and single-pot Tetragonia Expansa, to be turned out next month. Force Kidney Beans, Elford Rhubarb, and Sea Kale. The roots of Scarlet Running Kidney Beans, which have been preserved through the winter, may now be planted out, when they will soon grow afresh, and produce an early and abundant crop. Some of these roots were exhibited at the Horticultural meeting in Norwich, May 25, 1831. They were

from seeds sown April, 1830, taken up in November, kept in dry mould in the cellar through the winter, and planted out again the 7th of April. In forty-eight days they had pushed forth vigorous young shoots of from six to nine inches in length, not only from the roots, but from their stems also, which had, in a manner, become frutescent. See this plant under the head of Kidney Beans.

Plant out Artichokes, Ash-leaved, Kidney, and other early Potatoes, on warm borders, to succeed those grown in frames. In planting out early Potatoes, those sets which are cut with one eye only to each will come in sooner by ten days or a fortnight than those cut with two eyes or more. It will be right to remember this when planting Potatoes in frames.

Divide and plant out Balm, Chamomile, Hyssop, Lavender, Marjoram, Mint, Pennyroyal, Rhubarb, Sage, Sea Kale, Sorrel, Tansy, Tarragon, and Thyme.

Sow Capsicums and Love-Apples on hot-beds. Sow on warm borders and in the open quarters Asparagus, Beets, Cabbages, Cardoons, Celery, Chervil, Couve Tronchuda, Garden and Kidney Beans, Dutch Turnips, Lettuces, Nasturtiums, Peas, Pot-herbs, Radishes, Salsafy, Scorzonera, Skirret, Small Salading, Spinach, and Winter Greens; which see.

Transplant Lettuces and Couve Tronchuda from the frames; and, towards the end of the month, Cauliflowers from under frames and hand-glasses.

May.

Continue hot-beds for Cucumbers and Melons. Sow seeds of Cucumbers under hand-glasses; and ridge out those which were sown last month, to come in for the first hand-glass crop.

Sow Cape Broccoli, Couve Tronchuda, Garden and

Kidney Beans, Lettuces, Peas, Rampion, Spinach, and Turnips.

Plant out Love-Apples against walls, poles, or banks; and also Capsicums on a warm south border. Prick out Celery, and thin out Cardoons.

Hoe out Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, and Turnips.

Transplant Cauliflowers from frames and handglasses; and plant out Winter Greens.

June.

Plant out Cucumbers and Melons in frames; the latter must still be followed up with new beds. The runners of Cucumbers will now begin to grow too long to be contained under the hand-glasses: the glasses must be raised upon bricks or garden pots, and the runners turned out upon the ridges, placing some short grass, straw, or reed underneath them, stopping the runners at five or six joints from the stem, and fixing each at a regular distance with small hooked pegs.

Prepare Mushroom Spawn, in the manner directed under that head. Continue to sow Cape Broccoli, Garden and Kidney Beans, Lettuces, Peas, Radishes, Rampion, Spinach, and Small Salading. Knight's Marrow Peas are the best for sowing this month, and the last sowing should be about the 24th; these will continue to bear till October or November.

Hoe Beets, Carrots, Leeks, Onions, and Parsnips. Prick out in beds, or as edgings, the most curled plants of Curled Parsley, Curled Cress, and Curled Chervil for seed; also Broccoli and Winter Greens, Celery and Celeriac, and Tetragonia Expansa. Love-Apples must be kept trained close and at length. Asparagus must not be cut after Midsummer; and if seed is wanted, it should be saved from a few of the earliest and very largest heads.

July.

Sow Cape Broccoli, Endive, Kidney Beans, Lettuces, Spinach, and Turnips.

Hoe Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, and Turnips. Plant out Broccoli, Cauliflowers, Couve Tronchuda, and Winter Greens. Plant out Celery on the flat surface of rich ground, and in trenches; taking care to to take up each plant with all its roots, and to divest it of all its side shoots, to its principal leaves, which would otherwise prevent its making a fine clean handsome head.

Prepare Mushroom Spawn, if not done last month.

Cucumbers will now be in full bearing upon the ridges, and should be kept pegged down, stopping the leading runners, so as to keep the plants close, and the ridges completely filled up.

In earthing up the hills of Melons, one or two of the frames or pits may now be spawned for Mushrooms, as directed under that head: these will produce their crop in the autumn.

Take up Garlic, Potatoe Onions, Rocambole, and Shallots, when the leaves begin to decay, and lay them on mats in an airy place to dry.

August.

Sow Cabbages, Cape Broccoli, Couve Tronchuda, Endive, Lettuces, and Flanders Spinach: this last is much superior to the Bourdeaux or Prickly Spinach. If the Flanders Spinach cannot be obtained conveniently, the Prickly must be resorted to. Sow also Strasburgh and Welsh Onions, Turnips, Turnip and Spanish Radishes.

Plant out Celery and Winter Greens. Earth up early Celery and Cardoons. Spawn Melon beds and pits, and make Mushroom beds under sheds or in the Mushroom-house.