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THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS FROM SEEDS AND ROOTS
BY
SUTTON AND SONS READING
SIXTEENTH EDITION
LONDON
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO; LTD.
1921
All rights reserved
PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE, BALLANTYNE AND CO. LTD. LONDON, COLCHESTER AND
ETON
Contents
THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES
A YEAR’S WORK IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
THE ROTATION OF CROPS IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
THE CHEMISTRY OF GARDEN CROPS
ARTIFICIAL MANURES AND THEIR APPLICATION TO GARDEN CROPS
THE CULTURE OF FLOWERS FROM SEEDS
THE CULTURE OF FLOWERING BULBS
FLOWERS ALL THE YEAR ROUND FROM SEEDS AND ROOTS
THE PESTS OF GARDEN PLANTS
THE FUNGUS PESTS OF CERTAIN GARDEN PLANTS
THE FUNGUS PESTS OF CERTAIN FLOWERS
INDEX
THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES
Horticulture has a full share in the progressive character of the age.
Changes have been effected in the Kitchen Garden which are quite as
remarkable as the altered methods of locomotion, lighting and
sanitation. Vegetables are grown in greater variety, of higher quality,
and are sent to table both earlier and later in the season than was
considered possible by gardeners of former generations.
When Parkinson directed his readers to prepare Melons for eating by
mixing with the pulp ‘salt and pepper and good store of wine,’ he must
have been familiar with fruit differing widely from the superb
varieties which are now in favour. A kindred plant, the Cucumber, is
more prolific than ever, and the fruits win admiration for their
symmetrical form.
The Tomato has ceased to be a summer luxury for the few, and is now
prized as a delicacy throughout the year by all classes of the
community.
As a result of the hybridiser’s skill modern Potatoes produce heavier
crops, less liable to succumb to the attacks of disease, than the old
varieties, and the finest table quality has been maintained.
Peas are not what they were because they are so immensely better. While
the powers of the plant have been concentrated, with the result that it
occupies less room and occasions less trouble, its productiveness has
been augmented and the quality improved. All the pulse tribe have
shared in the advance, and a comparison of any dozen or score of the
favourite sorts of Peas or Beans grown to-day with the same number of
favourites of half or even a quarter of a century since will at once
prove that progress in horticulture is no dream of the enthusiast.
Among the Brassicas, such as Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage and
Cauliflower, a series of remarkable examples might be mentioned; and
roots such as Beet, Carrot, Onion, Radish and Turnip afford other
striking instances of improvement. Salads also, including Celery,
Chicory, Endive and Lettuce, have participated in the beneficial change
and offer a large choice of dainties, adapted to various periods of the
year. Indeed it may be truly said that none of the occupants of the
vegetable garden have refused to be improved by scientific crossing and
selection.
The vegetables which are available for daily use offer a wide and most
interesting field to the expert in selecting and hybridising. For past
achievements we are indebted to the untiring labours of specialists,
and to their continued efforts we look for further results. Whether the
future may have in store greater changes than have already been
witnessed none can tell. One thing only is certain, that finality is
unattainable, and the knowledge of this fact adds to the charm of a
fascinating pursuit. Happily, innovations are no longer received with
the suspicion or hostility they formerly encountered. In gardens
conducted with a spirit of enterprise novelties are welcome and have an
impartial trial. The prudent gardener will regard these sowings as
purely experimental, made for the express purpose of ascertaining
whether better crops can be secured in future years. For his principal
supplies he will rely on those varieties which experience has proved to
be suitable for the soil and adapted to the requirements of the
household he has to serve. By growing the best of everything, and
growing everything well, not only is the finest produce insured in
abundance, but every year the garden presents new features of interest.
In considering the general order of work in the Kitchen Garden, the
first principle is that its productive powers shall be taxed to the
utmost. There need be no fallowing—no resting of the ground; and if it
should so happen that by hard cropping perplexity arises about the
disposal of produce, the proverbial three courses are open—to sell, to
give, or to dig the stuff in as manure. The last-named course will pay
well, especially in the disposal of the remains of Cabbage, Kale,
Turnips, and other vegetables that have stood through the winter and
occupy ground required for spring seeds. Bury them in trenches, and sow
Peas, Beans, &c., over them, and in due time full value will be
obtained for the buried crops and the labour bestowed upon them. But
hard cropping implies abundant manuring and incessant stirring of the
soil. To take much off and put little on is like burning the candle at
both ends, or expecting the whip to be an efficient substitute for corn
when the horse has extra work to do. Dig deep always: if the soil be
shallow it is advisable to turn the top spit in the usual manner, and
break up the subsoil thoroughly for another twelve or fifteen inches.
Where the soil is deep and the staple good, trench a piece every year
two spits deep, the autumn being the best time for this work, because
of the immense benefit which results from the exposure of newly turned
soil to rain, snow, frost, and the rest of Nature’s great army of
fertilising agencies.
In practical work there is nothing like method. Crop the ground
systematically, as if an account of the procedure had to be laid before
a committee of severe critics. Constantly forecast future work and the
disposition of the ground for various crops, keeping in mind the
proportions they should bear to each other. Be particular to have a
sufficiency of the flavouring and garnishing herbs always ready and
near at hand. These are sometimes wanted suddenly, and in a
well-ordered garden it should not be difficult to gather a tuft of
Parsley in the dark. Change crops from place to place, so as to avoid
growing the same things on the same plots in two successive seasons.
This rule, though of great importance, cannot be strictly followed, and
may be disregarded to a certain extent where the land is constantly and
heavily manured. It is, however, of more consequence in connection with
the Potato than with aught else, and this valuable root should, if
possible, be grown on a different plot every year, so that it shall be
three or four years in travelling round the garden. Lastly, sow
everything in drills at the proper distances apart. Broadcasting is a
slovenly mode of sowing, and necessitates slovenly cultivation
afterwards. When crops are in drills they can be efficiently thinned,
weeded and hoed—in other words, they can be cultivated. But
broadcasting pretty well excludes the cultivator from the land, and can
only be commended to the idle man, who will be content with half a crop
of poor quality, while the land may be capable of producing a crop at
once the heaviest and the best.
GLOBE ARTICHOKE
Cynara Scolymus
The Globe Artichoke is grown mainly for the sake of its flower-heads
which make a delightful dish when cooked while immature. The plant is
easily raised from seed, although not quite hardy in some districts. It
will grow on almost any soil, but for the production of large fleshy
heads, deep rich ground is requisite. The preparation of the soil
should be liberal, and apart from the use of animal manure the plant
may be greatly aided by wood-ashes and seaweed, for it is partial to
saline manures, its home being the sandy seashores of Northern Africa.
The simplest routine of cultivation consists in sowing annually, and
allowing each plantation to stand to the close of the second season.
Seed may be sown in February in boxes of light soil, or in the open
ground in March or April. In the former case, put in the seeds one inch
deep and four inches apart, and start them in gentle heat. Grow on the
seedlings steadily, and thoroughly harden off preparatory to planting
out at the end of April, giving each a space of three to four feet
apart each way. Under favourable conditions the plants from the
February sowing will produce heads in the following August, September,
and October. In the second year, the heads will be formed during June
and July. This arrangement not only insures a supply of heads from June
to October, but admits of a more effective rotation of crops in the
garden.
Sowings in the open ground should be made in March or April, in drills
one foot apart. Thin out the plants to six inches apart in the rows and
allow them to stand until the following spring, when they may be
transplanted to permanent beds.
Globe Artichokes may also be grown from suckers planted out in April
when about nine inches high. Put them in rather deep, tread in firmly,
and lay on any rough mulch that may be handy. Should the weather be dry
they will require watering, and during a hot dry spell water and liquid
manure should be given freely to insure a good supply of large heads.
Seedlings that are started well in a suitable bed take better care of
themselves than do plants from suckers, especially in a dry season.
Vigorous seedlings send down their roots to a great depth.
To advise on weeding and hoeing for the promotion of a clean and strong
growth should be needless, because all crops require such attention.
But as to the production of large heads, a few words of advice may be
useful. It is the practice with some growers to twist a piece of wire
round the stem about three inches below the head. This certainly does
tend to increase the size, but the same end may be accomplished by
other means. In the first place, a rich deep bed and abundant supplies
of water will encourage the growth of fine heads. Further aid in the
same direction will be derived from the removal of all the lateral
heads that appear when they are about as large as an egg. Up to this
stage they do not tax the energies of the plants in any great degree;
but as the flowers are forming within them their demands increase
rapidly. Their removal, therefore, has an immediate effect on the main
heads, and these attain to large dimensions without the aid of wire.
The small heads will be valued at many tables for eating raw, as they
are eaten in Italy, or cooked as ‘artichauts frits.’ The larger main
heads are the best for serving boiled in the usual way. After the heads
are used the plants should be cut down.
Chards are the blanched summer growth of Globe Artichokes, and are by
many preferred to blanched Cardoons. In the early part of July the
plants selected for Chards must be cut over about six inches above the
ground. In a few days after this operation they will need a copious
watering, which should be repeated weekly, except when heavy rains
occur. By the end of September the plants will have made much growth
and be ready for blanching. Draw them together, put a band of hay or
straw around them, and earth them up, finishing the work neatly. The
blanching will take fully six weeks, during which time there will be
but little growth made—hence the necessity for promoting free growth
before earthing up. Any Chards not used before winter sets in may be
lifted and preserved by packing in sand in a dry shed.
The Artichoke is hardy on dry soils when the winter is of only average
severity. But on retentive soils, which are most favourable to the
production of fine heads, a severe winter will destroy the plantations
unless they have some kind of protection. The usual course of procedure
is to cut down the stems and large leaves without touching the smaller
central leaves, and, when severe frost appears probable, partially
earth up the rows with soil taken from between; this protection is
strengthened by the addition of light dry litter loosely thrown over.
With the return of spring the litter is removed, the earth is dug back,
and all the suckers but about three removed: then a liberal dressing of
manure is dug in, care being taken to do as little injury to the plants
above and below ground as possible. At the end of five years a
plantation will be quite worn out; in somewhat poor soil it will be
exhausted in three years. But on any kind of soil the cultivation of
this elegant vegetable is greatly simplified by sowing annually, and
allowing the plants to stand for two years only, as already advised.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Helianthus tuberosus
The Jerusalem Artichoke is a member of the Sunflower tribe, quite
hardy, and productive of wholesome roots that are in favour with many
as a delicacy, and by others are regarded as worthless. It is said that
wise men learn to eat every good thing the earth produces, and this
root is a good thing when properly served; but when cooked in the same
way as a Potato it certainly is a very poor vegetable indeed. It is a
matter of some interest, however, that in respect of nutritive value it
is about equal to the Potato; therefore, in growing it for domestic use
nothing is lost in the way of food, though it needs to be cooked in a
different way.
The Jerusalem Artichoke will grow anywhere; indeed, it will often yield
a profitable return on land which is unsuitable for any other crop, but
to insure a fine sample it requires a deep friable loam and an open
situation. We have grown immense crops on a strong deep clay, but it is
not a clay plant, because it soon suffers from any excess of moisture.
To prepare the ground well for this crop is a matter of importance, for
it roots freely and makes an immense top-growth, reaching, when very
vigorous, a height of ten or twelve feet. Trench and manure in autumn,
and leave the land rough for the winter. Plant in February or March,
using whole or cut sets with about three eyes to each, and put them in
trenches six inches deep and three feet apart, the sets being one foot
apart in the trenches. When the plants appear, hoe the ground between,
draw a little fine earth to the stems, and leave the rest to Nature.
Take up a portion of the crop in November and store in sand and dig the
remainder when wanted, as recommended in the case of Parsnips. The
tubers must be dug with a fork by opening trenches and cleaning out
every scrap of the roots, for whatever remains will grow and become
troublesome in the following season.
ASPARAGUS
Asparagus officinalis
Asparagus is a liliaceous plant of perennial duration, and it demands
more generous treatment than the majority of Kitchen Garden crops.
Under favourable conditions it improves with age to such an extent as
to justify the best possible cultivation. Plantations that have stood
and prospered for twenty or even thirty years are not uncommon, but a
fair average term is ten years, after which it is generally advisable
to break up a bed, the precaution being first taken to secure a
succession bed on fresh soil well prepared for the purpose. Plantations
are made either by sowing seeds or from transplanted roots; and
although roots are extremely sensitive when moved, success can, as a
rule, be insured by special care and prompt action, assuming that the
proper time of year is chosen for the operation. The advantage of using
roots is the saving of time, and in most gardens this is an important
consideration. Fortunately roots may be planted almost as safely when
two or three years old as at one year.
Soil.—Asparagus will grow in any soil that is well cultivated; a deep
rich sandy loam being especially suitable. Calcareous soil is by no
means unfavourable to Asparagus; still, a sand rich in humus is not the
less to be desired, as the finest samples of European growth are the
produce of the districts around Paris and Brussels. The London
Asparagus, which is prized by many for its full flavour and tenderness,
is for the most part grown near at hand, in deep alluvial soils
enriched with abundance of manure. Nature gives us the key to every
secret that concerns our happiness, and on the cultivation of Asparagus
she is liberal in her teaching. The plant is found growing wild on the
sandy coasts of the British Islands—a proof that it loves sand and
salt.
Preparation of Ground.—The routine cultivation must begin with a
thorough preparation of the ground. Efficient drainage is imperative,
for stagnant water in the subsoil is fatal to the plant. But a rich
loam does not need the extravagant manuring that has been recommended
and practised. Deep digging and, where the subsoil is good, trenching
may be recommended, but an average manuring will suffice, because
Asparagus can be effectually aided by annual top-dressings, and proper
surface culture is of great importance in the subsequent stages. It is
necessary to choose an open spot for the plantation. Preparation of the
ground should commence in the autumn and be continued through the
winter, a heavy dressing of half-rotten stable manure being put on in
the first instance, and trenched in two feet deep. In the course of a
month the whole piece should be trenched back. If labour is at command
a third trenching may be done with advantage, and the surface may be
left ridged up until the time arrives to level it for seeding. It will
be obvious that this routine is of a somewhat costly character, but we
are supposing the plantation is to remain for many years, making an
abundant return for the first investment. Still we are bound to say
that a capital supply for a moderate table may be obtained by preparing
a piece of good ground in an open situation in a quite ordinary manner
with one deep digging in winter, adding at the time some six inches or
so of fat stable manure, and leaving it thus until the time arrives for
sowing the seed. Then it will be well to level down and point in, half
a spade deep, a thin coat of decayed manure to make a nice kindly
seed-bed.
Where soil known to be unsuitable, such as a damp clay or pasty loam,
has to be prepared for Asparagus, it will be found an economical
practice to remove the top spit, which we will suppose to be turf or
old cultivated soil, and on the space so cleared make up a bed of the
best possible materials at command. Towards this mixture there is the
top spit just referred to. Add any available lime rubbish from
destroyed buildings, sand, peat, leaf-mould, surface soil raked from
the rear of the shrubberies, &c., and the result should be a good
compost obtained at an almost nominal cost.
Size of Bed, and Sowing Seed.—At this juncture several questions of
considerable importance arise. And first, whether the crop shall be
grown on the flat or in raised beds. Where the soil is sufficiently
deep, and the drainage perfect, the flat system answers well. The
advantages of raised beds are that they deepen the soil, assist the
drainage, promote warmth, and thus aid the growth of an early crop. In
fact, raised beds render it possible to grow Asparagus on soils from
which this vegetable could not otherwise be obtained. The preparation
is the same in either case, and therefore we shall make no further
allusion to flat beds, but leave those to adopt them who find their
soil and requirements suitable. Now comes the question of distance, on
which depends the width of the beds. The first point may be settled by
the measure of the plant, and the second by the measure of the man.
Monster sticks are valued at some tables, and we shall refer to these
later on, but an abundant crop of handsome, though not abnormal,
Asparagus meets the requirements of most households. After many
experiments, we have come to the conclusion that the best mode of
insuring a full return of really good sticks, with the least amount of
labour, is to lay out the land in three-feet beds, with two-feet alleys
between. In some instances, no doubt, five-feet beds, containing three
rows of roots, one down the middle and one on each side at a distance
of eighteen inches, are preferable. For the majority of gardens,
however, the three-feet bed is a distinct advantage, were it only for
the fact that all excuse for putting a foot on the bed is avoided. On
this narrow bed only two rows of plants will be necessary. Put down the
line at nine inches from the edge on both sides, and at intervals of
fifteen inches in the rows dibble holes two inches deep, dropping two
or three seeds in each. This will give a distance between the rows of
eighteen inches. In very strong land, heavily manured, the holes may be
eighteen inches apart instead of fifteen. April is the right month for
sowing.
Thinning.—When the ‘grass’ from seeds has grown about six inches high,
only the strongest plant must be left at each station, and they should
finally stand at a distance of fifteen or eighteen inches in the row.
Much of the injury reported to follow from close planting has been the
result of carelessness in thinning. The young plant is such a slender,
delicate thing, that, to the thoughtless operator, it seems folly to
thin down to one only. The consequence is that two or three, or perhaps
half a dozen, plants are left at each station to ‘fight it out,’ and
these become so intermixed as to appear to be one, though really many,
and of course amongst them they produce more shoots than can be fed
properly by the limited range of their roots. Severe, or may we say
mathematical, thinning is a _sine quâ non_, and it requires sharp eyes
and careful fingers; but it must be done if the Asparagus beds are to
become, as they should be, the pride of the Kitchen Garden.
Blanching.—The grave question of white _versus_ green Asparagus we
cannot entertain, except so far as concerns the cultivator only. On the
point of taste, therefore, we say nothing; and it is a mere matter of
management whether the sticks are blanched to the very tip, or allowed
to become green for some few inches. Blanching is effected in various
ways. The heaping up of soft soil, such as leaf-mould, will accomplish
it. On the Continent many contrivances are resorted to, such as
covering the heads with wooden or earthen pipes. In a few districts in
France champagne-bottles with the bottoms cut away are employed. But a
strong growth being secured, the cultivator will find it an easy matter
to regulate the degree of colour according to the requirements of the
table he has to serve. As a rule, a moderately stout growth, with a
fair show of purple colour, is everywhere appreciated, and is the
easiest to produce, because the most natural.
There is, however, an interesting point in connection with the
production of green Asparagus, and it is that if wintry weather
prevails when the heads are rising (as unfortunately is often the case)
the tender green tops may be melted by frost and become worthless, or
may be rendered so tough as to place the quality below that of blanched
Asparagus; for the blanching is also a protective process, and quickly
grown white Asparagus is often more tender and tasty than that which is
green, but has been grown slowly. As the season advances and the heads
rise rapidly the green Asparagus acquires its proper flavour and
tenderness, and thus practical considerations should more or less
influence final decisions on matters of taste. The business of the
cultivator is to produce the kind of growth that is required, whether
white or green, or of a quality intermediate between the two. This is
easily done, making allowance for conditions. When green Asparagus is
alone in demand, the cultivator may be advised to have in readiness, as
the heads are making their first show, a sufficient supply of some
rough and cheap protecting material, such as grass and coarse weeds,
cut with a sickle from odd corners of the shrubbery and meadow land, or
clean hay and straw perfectly free from mildew; but for obvious reasons
stable litter should not be used. A very light sprinkling of material
over an Asparagus bed that is making a first show of produce will ward
off the morning frosts, and amply compensate for the little trouble in
saving many tender green sticks that the frosts would melt to a jelly
and render worthless. After the second or third week in May the litter
may be removed if needful; but if appearances are of secondary
importance, it may be left to shrink away on the spot.
Cutting.—Asparagus as supplied by market growers is needlessly long in
the stem. The bundles have an imposing appearance, no doubt, but the
useless length adds nothing to the comfort of those at table, and is a
wasteful tax on the energy of the plant. For home consumption it will
generally suffice if the white portion is about four inches long, and
this determines the depth at which the sticks should be cut. Here it
may be useful to remark that deeply buried roots do not thrive so well
as those which are nearer the surface, nor do they produce such early
crops. The sticks are usually cut by thrusting down a stiff
narrow-pointed knife, or specially made saw, close to each shoot; and
it is necessary to do this with judgment, or adjacent shoots, which are
not sufficiently advanced to reveal their presence by lifting the soil,
may be damaged. To avoid this risk of injury by the knife it is
possible from some beds to obtain the sticks without the aid of any
implement by a twist and pull combined, but the process needs a
dexterous hand and is impracticable in tenacious soils. The sticks of a
handsome sample will be white four or five inches of their length; the
tops close, plump, of a purplish-green colour, and the colour extending
two or at most three inches down the stems. Both size and degree of
colouring are, however, so entirely questions of taste that no definite
rule can be stated. It is more to the purpose to say that, if liberally
grown, the plant may be cut from in the third year; and that cutting
should cease about the middle of June, or early in July, according to
the district. For the good of the plant the sooner cutting ceases the
better, as the next year’s buds have to be formed in the roots by the
aid of the top-growth of the current season.
Weeding and Staking.—Two other points relating to the general
management are worthy of attention. Some crops get on fairly well when
neglected and crowded with weeds. Not so with Asparagus. The plant
appears to have been designed to enjoy life in solitude, being unfit
for competition; and if weeds make way in an Asparagus bed, the
cultivator will pay a heavy penalty for his neglect of duty. The
limitation of the beds to a width of three feet, therefore, is of
consequence, because it facilitates weeding without putting a foot on
them. The other point arises out of the necessity of affording support
to the frail plant in places where it may happen to be exposed to wind.
When Asparagus in high summer is rudely shaken, the stems snap off at
the base, and the roots lose the service of the top-growth in maturing
buds for the next season. To prevent this injury is easy enough, but
the precautions must be adopted in good time. A free use of light,
feathery stakes, such as are employed for the support of Peas, thrust
in firmly all over the bed, will insure all needful support when gales
are blowing. In the absence of pea-sticks, stout stakes, placed at
suitable distances and connected with lengths of thick tarred twine,
will answer equally well. In sheltered gardens the protection of the
young growth with litter, and of the mature growth with stakes, need
not be resorted to, but in exposed situations these precautions should
not be neglected.
Manuring Permanent Beds.—The management of Asparagus includes a careful
clean-up of the beds in autumn. The plants should not be cut down until
they change colour; then all the top-growth may be cleared away and the
surface raked clean. Give the beds a liberal dressing of half-decayed
manure, and carefully touch up the sides to make them neat and tidy. It
is usual at the same time to dig and manure the alleys, but this
practice we object to _in toto_, because it tends directly to the
production of lean sticks where fat ones are possible; for the roots
run freely in the alleys, and to dig is to destroy them. In the spring
clear the beds of the autumn dressing by raking any remnant of manure
into the alleys, and the beds and the alleys should then be carefully
pricked over with a fork two or three inches deep only, and with great
care not to wound any roots.
The application of salt requires judgment. For a time it renders the
bed cold, and when followed by snow the two combine to make a freezing
mixture which arrests the growth of established plants. On a newly made
bed salt is unnecessary, and may prove destructive to the roots. The
proper time for applying salt must be determined by the district and
the character of the season; but in no case should the mineral be used
until active growth has commenced, although it is not needful to wait
until the growth is visible above the surface. In the southern counties
a suitable opportunity may generally be found from the beginning to the
middle of April. Second and third dressings may follow at intervals of
three weeks, which not only stimulate the roots but keep down weeds.
Planting Roots.—In many gardens where there is space for two or three
beds only there will be the very natural desire to secure Asparagus in
a shorter time than is possible from seed, and we therefore proceed to
indicate the best method of planting roots. Asparagus roots do not take
kindly to removal, especially old and established plants. The mere
drying of the roots by exposure to the atmosphere is distinctly
injurious to them. They will travel safely a long distance when well
packed, but the critical time is between the unpacking and getting them
safely into their final home. Everything should be made ready for the
transfer before the package is opened, and the actual task of planting
should be accomplished in the shortest time possible.
A three-feet bed should be prepared by taking out the soil in such a
manner as to leave two ridges for the roots. The space between ridges
to be eighteen inches, and the tops of the ridges to be so far below
the level of the bed that when the soil is returned, and the bed made
to its normal level, the crowns will be about five inches beneath the
surface. This may be understood from the following illustration of a
section cut across the bed.
[Illustration: bedlayout]
A, A represent the alleys between the beds, and B the top of one bed.
The dotted lines show the ridges on which the roots are to rest at C,
C. When the bed is ready, open the package and place the Asparagus on
the ridges at fifteen or eighteen inches apart, allowing about half the
roots of each plant to fall down on either side of the ridge. As a rule
it will be wise to have two pairs of hands engaged in the task. The
soil should be filled in expeditiously, and a finishing touch be given
to the bed. Very rarely will it be safe to transplant Asparagus until
the end of March or beginning of April, for although established roots
will pass unharmed through a very severe winter, those which have
recently been removed are often killed outright by a lengthened period
of cold wet weather, and especially by thawed snow followed by frost.
Giant Asparagus.—Some of the most critical judges of Asparagus in the
country are extremely partial to giant sticks. Their preference is not
based on mere superiority in size, but on the special flavour which is
the peculiar merit of these extra-large Asparagus when they are
properly grown. Although there is no difficulty whatever in producing
them, it must be admitted that to insure specimens weighing nearly or
quite half a pound, plenty of space must be allowed for the full
development of each plant and a prodigal use of manure is imperative.
Where drainage is effectual, the soil of any well-tilled garden can be
made suitable. The roots may be grown in clumps or in rows. Clumps are
planted in triangular form, two feet being allowed between the three
plants of each group, with a distance of five feet between the groups.
The more usual method, however, is to plant in rows. In both cases the
cultural details are almost identical, and to obtain the finest results
it is wise to get the preparatory work done at convenient times in
advance of the planting season. Assuming that rows are decided on,
commence operations by digging a broad deep trench, throwing out the
soil to the right and left to form sloping sides until there is a
perpendicular depth of twenty-seven inches from the top of the ridge.
About one foot of prepared soil should be placed in the bottom of the
trench. This may be composed of such material as the trimmings of
hedges, sweepings of shrubberies, twigs from a faggot pile, wood ashes
and leaf-mould. The constituents must to some extent depend on the
materials at command. What is wanted is a light compost, consisting
almost wholly of vegetable matter in a more or less advanced state of
decomposition. Add three or four inches of rich loam, and on this, at
the beginning of April, plant strong one-year roots of a robust-growing
variety. Between the plants it is customary to allow a space of at
least two feet, and some growers put them a full yard apart. Cover the
crowns with three inches of rich soil, previously mixed with manure and
laid up for the purpose. The second and following rows are to be
treated in the same way, and the work must be so managed that an equal
distance of four and a half or five feet is left between the rows. When
the foliage dies down in autumn, a layer of fertile loam mixed with
rotten manure should be spread over the surface. In the succeeding
spring remove just the top crust of soil and give a thick dressing of
decayed manure alone, upon which the soil can be restored. During the
autumn of the second year the furrow must be filled with horse manure
for the winter. Remove this manure in March, and substitute good loam
containing a liberal admixture of decayed manure previously
incorporated with the soil. The slight ridges that remain can then be
levelled down. By this treatment large handsome sticks of Asparagus may
be cut in the third year. To maintain the plants in a high state of
efficiency, it must be clearly understood that forcing with horse
manure will be necessary every subsequent year. Blanching may be
carried out by any of the usual methods, and Sea Kale pots are both
convenient and effectual. Not a weed should be visible on the beds at
any time.
Forcing is variously practised, and the best possible system,
doubtless, is to force in the beds, and thereby train the plants to
their work so that they become used to it. The growers who supply Paris
with forced Asparagus produce the white sample in the beds, and the
green by removal of the roots to frames. Forcing in beds may be
accomplished by means of trenches filled with fermenting material or by
hot-water pipes, the beds in either case being covered with frames.
Where the demand for forced Asparagus is constant, there can be no
doubt the hot-water system is the cheapest as well as the cleanest and
most reliable; for a casual supply forcing in frames answers very well,
but it is attended with the disadvantage that when the crop has been
secured the roots are worthless. The practice of forcing may be said to
commence with the formation of the seed-bed, for if it is to be carried
on in a systematic and profitable manner, every detail must be provided
for in the original arrangements. The width of the beds and of the
alleys, and the disposition of the plants, will have to be carefully
considered, so as to insure the best results of a costly procedure, and
it will be waste of time to begin forcing until the plants have
attained their fourth year. The rough method of market growers consists
in the employment of hot manure in trenches, and also on the beds,
after the frames are put on. The beds are usually four feet wide, the
alleys two feet wide and twenty inches deep, and the plants not more
than nine inches apart in the row, there being three or four rows of
plants in the bed. The frames are put on when forcing commences, but
the lights are withheld until the shoots begin to appear. Then the
fermenting material is removed from the beds, the lights are put on,
and no air is given, mats being added in cold weather, both to retain
warmth and promote blanching. This method produces a fair market
sample, but a much better growth may be obtained by a good hot-water
system, as will be understood from a momentary consideration of
details. By the employment of fermenting material the temperature runs
up rapidly, sometimes extravagantly, so that it is no uncommon event
for the growth to commence at 70° to 80° Fahr., which may produce a
handsome sample, but it will be flavourless. The hot-water system
allows of perfect control, and the prudent grower will begin at 50°,
rise slowly to 60°, and take care not to exceed 65°; the result will be
a sample full of flavour, with a finer appearance than the best
obtainable by the rougher method.
Forcing in frames is systematically practised in many gardens, and as
it exhausts the roots there must be a corresponding production of roots
for the purpose. The first requisite is a good lasting hotbed, covered
with about four inches of light soil of any kind, but preferably
leaf-mould. The roots are carefully lifted and planted as closely as
possible on this bed, and covered with fine soil to a depth of six
inches. The sashes are then put on and kept close; but a little air may
be given as the heads rise, to promote colour and flavour. The heat
will generally run to 70°, and that figure should be the maximum
allowed. Experienced growers prefer to force at 60° or 65°, and to take
a little more time for the advantage of a finer sample.
BROAD BEAN
Faba vulgaris
The Broad Bean is a thrifty plant, as hardy as any in the garden, and
very accommodating as to soil. It is quite at home on heavy land, but
in common with nearly all other vegetables it thrives on a deep sandy
loam. Considering the productive nature of the plant and its
comparatively brief occupation of the ground, the common Bean must be
regarded as one of our most profitable garden crops. Both the Longpod
and Windsor classes should be grown. For general work the Longpods are
invaluable; they are early, thoroughly hardy, produce heavy crops, and
in appearance and flavour satisfy the world at large, as may be proved
by appeal to the markets. The Windsor Beans are especially prized for
their superior quality, being tender, full of flavour, and, if well
managed, most tempting in colour when put upon the table.
For early crops the Longpods claim attention, and sowings may be made
towards the end of October or during November on a dry soil in a warm
situation, sheltered from the north. Choose a dry day for the
operation. On no account should the attempt be made while the soil
conditions are unfavourable, even if the sowing is thereby deferred for
some time. The distance must depend upon the sorts, but two feet will
answer generally as the distance between the double rows; the two lines
forming the double rows may be nine inches apart, and the seed two
inches deep. On strong ground a distance of three feet can be allowed
between the double rows, but it is not well to give overmuch space,
because the plants protect each other somewhat, and earliness of
production is the matter of chief moment. Thoroughly consolidate the
soil to encourage sturdy hard growth which will successfully withstand
the excessive moisture and cold of winter. It is an excellent practice
to prepare a piece of good ground sloping to the south, and on this to
make a plantation in February of plants carefully lifted from the seed
rows, wherever they can be spared as proper thinnings. These should be
put in double rows, three feet apart. If transplanted with care they
will receive but a slight check, and will give a successional supply.
Main Crops.—Another sowing may be made towards the end of January, but
for the main crop wait until February or March. For succession crops
sowings may be made until mid-April, after which time there is risk of
failure, especially on hot soils. A strong soil is suitable, and
generally speaking a heavy crop of Beans may be taken from a
well-managed clay. But any deep cool soil will answer, and where there
is a regular demand for Beans the cultivator may be advised to grow
both Longpods and Windsors—the first for earliness and bulk, the second
for quality. The double rows of maincrop Beans should be fully three
feet apart, and the plants quite nine inches apart in the rows. The
preparation of the seed-bed must be of a generous nature. Where grass
land or land of questionable quality is broken up and trenched, it will
be tolerably safe to crop it with Beans as a first start; and to
prepare it for the crop a good body of fat stable manure should be laid
in between the first and second spits, as this will carry the crop
through, while insuring to the subsoil that has been brought up a time
of seasoning with the least risk of any consequent loss.
There is not much more to be said about growing Beans; the ground must
be kept clean, and the hoe will have its work here as elsewhere. The
pinching out of the tops as soon as there is a fair show of blossom is
a good plan, whether fly is visible or not, and it is also advisable to
root out all plants as fast as they finish their work, for if left they
throw up suckers and exhaust the soil. The gathering of the crop is
often so carelessly performed that the supply is suddenly arrested.
Sowings under Glass.—In an emergency, Beans may be started in pots in
the greenhouse, or on turf sods in frames for planting out, in
precisely the same way as Peas for early crops. This practice is
convenient in cases where heavy water-logged ground precludes outdoor
sowing in autumn and early spring. In all such cases care must be taken
that the forcing is of the most moderate character, or the crop will be
poor and late, instead of being plentiful and early. When pushed on
under glass for planting out, the young stock must have as much light
and air as possible consistent with safety, and a slow healthy growth
will better answer the purpose than a rapid growth producing long legs
and pale leaves, because the physique of infancy determines in a great
degree that of maturity, not less in plants than in animals.
DWARF FRENCH BEAN
Phaseolus vulgaris
Among summer vegetables Dwarf French Beans are deservedly in high
favour, and are everywhere sown at the earliest moment consistent with
reasonable expectations of their safety. This early sowing is
altogether laudable, for although it occasionally entails the loss of a
plantation, the aggregate result is advantageous, and a very little
protection suffices to carry the early plant through the late spring
frosts. But those who supply our tables with green delicacies do not
all recognise the importance of late sowings of Dwarf Beans. Here,
again, a risk must be incurred, but the cost is trifling, and when the
summer is prolonged to October the late-sown Beans are highly prized.
Even if they produce plentifully through September there is a great
point gained, but that cannot be secured from the earliest sowings; it
is impossible. After July it is useless to sow Beans, but where the
demand is constant, two or three sowings may be made in this month,
choosing the most sheltered nooks that can be found for them. For late
sowings the earliest sorts should have preference.
Dwarf Beans for main crops require a good though somewhat light soil;
but any fairly productive loam will answer the purpose, and the crop
will yield an ample return for such reasonable digging and dressing as
a careful cultivator will not fail to bestow. At the same time, it is a
matter of some practical importance that the poorest land ever put
under tillage will, in an average season, yield serviceable crops of
these legumes, and on a rich soil of some depth the Dwarf Bean will
endure summer drought better than any other crop in the Kitchen Garden.
Earliness of production is of the highest importance up to a certain
point; but an early crop being provided for, abundance of production
next claims consideration, the heaviest bearers being of course best
adapted for main-crop sowing. As regards the sowing and general
culture, it is too often true that Dwarf Beans are crowded injuriously,
even in gardens that are usually well managed. Nothing is gained by
crowding. On the contrary, loss always ensues when the individual
plant, through deficiency of space, is hindered in its full
development.
For early crops which are eventually to come to maturity in the open
ground, the first sowings may be made in the month of April, either in
boxes in a gentle heat, or better still in a frame on a sunny border
without artificial heat. In districts where frost frequently prevails
in May, and on heavy soils where early sowings outdoors are
impracticable in a wet spring, the forwarding of plants under glass is
very desirable, but the actual date for sowing must depend on local
conditions. The tender growth that is produced by a forcing process is
not well adapted for planting out in May; but a plant produced slowly,
with plenty of light and air, will be stout and strong, and if put out
with care as soon as mild weather occurs in May, will make good
progress and yield an early crop. The seed for this purpose should be
sown in rather light turfy soil, as the plants may then be lifted
without injury to their fleshy roots. Careful treatment will be
desirable for some time after they are planted, such as protection from
sun and frost, and watering, if necessary, although the less watering
the better, provided the plants can hold their ground. The plot to
which these early sowings are to be transplanted should be light and
rich, and lying towards the sun; open the lines with the spade or hoe
in preference to using the dibber, and as fast as the roots are dropped
into their places with their balls of earth unbroken, carefully restore
the fine soil from the surface. Rough handling will seriously interfere
with the ultimate result, but ordinary care will insure abundant
gatherings of first-class produce at a time when there are but few in
the market. On dry soils a small sowing may be made about the second
week of April on a sheltered south border. Sow in double rows six
inches apart, and allow a distance of two feet between the double rows.
When the seedlings appear give protection if necessary, and in due
course thin the plants to six inches apart in the rows.
Main crops are sown from the last week in April to the middle of June.
The distance for the rows may be from one and a half to two feet apart,
according to the vigour of the variety, the strongest growers requiring
fully two feet, and the distance between the plants may be eight to
twelve inches; therefore it is well to sow the seed two to three inches
apart, and thin out as soon as the rough leaves appear. The ground
being in fairly good condition, it will only be necessary to chop over
the surface, if at all lumpy, and with the hoe draw drills about two
inches deep, which is far better than dibbling, except on very light
soil, when dibbling about three inches deep is quite allowable.
Generally speaking, if the plot be kept clean, the Beans will take care
of themselves; but in droughty weather a heavy watering now and then
will be visibly beneficial, for although the plant bears drought well,
it is like other good things in requiring something to live upon. In
exposed situations and where storms are prevalent, it is an excellent
practice to support the plants with bushy twigs.
Late Crops.—To extend the outdoor supply sowings may be made early in
July. When the ground has become dry and hard, it is advisable to soak
the seed in water for five or six hours; the drills should also be
watered, and, if possible, the ground should be covered with rotten
dung, spent hops, or some other mulchy stuff to promote and sustain
vegetation.