sun, and enriched with any good manure, that from the stable being
undoubtedly the best. The most satisfactory way to begin is with
well-grown roots, as they make a return at once with the least
imaginable trouble. Let the ground be well dug two spits deep, and put
a coat of manure between; or if it is a good substantial loam, plant
without manure, and the results will be excellent. As the thriving
plant covers a considerable space, and there must be a certain amount
of traffic on the ground to manage it, there should be one row in the
centre of a four-feet bed, with a broad alley on one side; or, better
still, mark out a ten-feet space, with a three-feet alley on each side,
and in this space plant three rows two and a half feet apart, and the
roots one and a half to two feet apart. The planting may be done at any
time after the leaves have fallen, late in autumn, and during winter
and early spring. On warm, dry ground, winter planting answers
perfectly, and enables the gardener to complete the task, for there is
always enough to do in the spring months. But on damp ground and in
exposed situations the best time to plant is the month of March. Put
down the line, and open a trench one foot deep; plant the roots with
their crowns two inches below the surface, filling in and treading
firmly as each trench is planted. The precaution may be taken to pare
off all the pointed prominent buds on each crown, as this will prevent
the rise of flower-stems; but if this is neglected, the cultivator must
take care to cut out all the flowering-shoots that appear, for the
production of flowers will prove detrimental to the crop of Sea Kale in
the following season. Our custom, when a plantation has been thus made,
is to grow another crop with it the first season. The ground between
the rows is marked out in narrow strips, and lightly forked over, and
if a coat of rotten manure can be spared it is pricked in, and a neat
seed-bed is made of every strip, eighteen to twenty-four inches wide.
On this prepared bed sow Onions, Lettuces, and other light crops, and
as the Sea Kale advances take care to remove whatever would interfere
with their expansion, for the stolen crop should not stand in the way
of that intended for permanent occupation. A crop of early Cauliflower,
small Cabbage, or even Potatoes, may be taken, in which case there will
be room for only one row alternately with each row of Kale, and perhaps
one row also in the alleys.
The growth of the Kale should be promoted by all legitimate means, and
in high summer it will take water, liquid manure, and mulchings of rich
stuff, to almost any extent, with advantage. The irrigation that suits
the Kale will probably also suit the stolen crop, but irrigation is not
good for Onions or Potatoes; where these crops are grown care must be
exercised to bestow the fluid on the Sea Kale only.
As the leaves decay in autumn they should be removed, and the ground
kept thoroughly clean. When finally cleaned up, let it be forked over,
but with care not to put the tool too near the plants; and if manure is
plentiful, lay down a coat for a finish, or fork it in at the general
clear up. There should now commence a systematic saving of clean
leaves. Mere vegetable rubbish is not to be thought of. Proceed to
cover the ground with leaves in heaps or ridges sufficient to make a
coat finally of about one foot deep, or say nine inches at the very
least. If there is any store of rough planking on the premises, let the
planks be laid on the ridges of leaves on whichever side the prevailing
wind may be. This will prevent the leaves being blown away, and the
planks will be handy for the next stage in the business.
At the turn of the year put the planks on edge by driving posts down in
any rough way that will hold them firmly for a brief season, and then
spread the leaves equally. If there are not sufficient leaves to cover
the bed for the requisite thickness, raise a good heap over each crown,
and sprinkle a little earth to keep the heap together. But a better
mode of procedure is to have a sufficiency of Sea Kale pots with
movable covers, or in place of these large flower-pots, or old boxes.
Put these over the crowns, and then heap the leaves over and around,
and the preliminaries are completed. A very early growth will be the
result, and the quality will be finer than that of forced Sea Kale.
Uncover occasionally to see how the crop goes on, remembering that
perfect darkness is needed to blanch it completely, and to produce a
plump and delicate sample. Cut close over, taking a small portion of
the woody part of the crown, and when all the growth of a crown is
taken, remove the pot or box, but leave a thin coat of leaves on the
cut crown to protect it, as at the time of cutting Sea Kale keen east
winds are prevalent, and it is unfair to the plants to expose them
suddenly. When the crop has been taken, remove the leaves and the
planks, and dig in between the rows a thick coat of fat manure. The
growth will be too strong now for a stolen crop, and will so continue
for many years. After the crop has been secured, each crown will throw
out a number of buds or shoots. These should all be removed except two
or three of the strongest, which will form the crowns for cutting in
the following year. At the same time take away any small blanched
shoots that may have been left because they were too small or
insignificant for table use. This proceeding will prevent the
production of flower-stems, which is injurious to the plant, and there
never need be any fear that the crop will be diminished, because plenty
of buds around the crowns, that do not show themselves in the first
instance, will come forward in due time.
Forcing.—It is so easy to force Sea Kale that the cultivator may safely
be left to his own devices. But it will be well, perhaps, to say that
perfect darkness is requisite, and the temperature should not exceed
60° at any time, this being the maximum figure. A rise above 60° will
produce a thin or wiry sample. It is sufficient to begin with a
temperature of 45°, and to rise no higher than 55°, to insure a really
creditable growth. The market growers are not very particular as to
temperature, but then they do not eat the crop, or know much of it
after it has left their hands. With the gardener in a domestic
establishment the case is different; and we venture to advise young
men—to whom book advice is often valuable as entailing no
obligations—that Sea Kale slowly forced may be nearly as good as that
grown under pots in the open without any heat at all; better it cannot
be. Any spare pits or odd places may be made use of for this crop,
provided only that the heat is not too great. Pack the roots in mould
or leaves, or even half-rotten manure, and shut them up to exclude
light, and the crop will be ready in five or six weeks, unless forcing
is commenced very early, in which case seven weeks at least must be
allowed from the time of planting to that of the first cutting. Roots
that have been lifted for forcing should be thrown away when the crop
has been secured, but roots forced in the open ground suffer so little
by the process that they may be forced for several years in succession
ere it becomes necessary to renew the plantation, provided, of course,
that the work is well done. The outdoor forcing is accomplished in the
way described for growing the crop, with the aid of leaves only, but
with certain differences. In the first place, care must be taken to let
the plants feel the cold, but at the same time to prevent the ground
becoming frozen. A touch of frost will render them more ready to grow
when the cultivator brings his persuasions to bear by heaping hot
manure over the pots, and covering the bed with a thick coat of the
same. This is all that can be done, but it is sufficient. In cases
where leaves and other suitable materials are not available, good Sea
Kale may be grown by simply raising over each crown a heap of sand or
sifted coal ashes, provided some clean material be interposed to keep
the sand or ashes from actual contact with the plant. When this heap
begins to crack at the top it will be worth while to examine it at the
bottom, when there will be found a fine head of blanched Sea Kale, and
the mound will have served its purpose.
To grow Sea Kale from seed is a simple matter enough, but there is a
loss of a year as compared with growing it from roots. The ground
should be rich and well worked, and the seed sown in March or April in
drills one foot asunder if for planting out, or in patches about two
and a half feet apart each way if to remain. It is believed by many
that Sea Kale should stand where sown, and we admit that analogies are
in favour of the proposal. But every year such fine produce is obtained
from transplanted roots that we have not the courage to condemn a
course of procedure which may not be theoretically correct. The fact
is, the root is tough and enduring, and suffers but little by moderate
exposure to the atmosphere if handled in a reasonable manner. But to
return to the seeds: they sprout quickly, and, soon after, the plants
make rapid progress. Let them have liberal culture, keep them
scrupulously clean, and thin in good time. If quite convenient, give a
light sprinkling of salt occasionally in the summer: they will enjoy
it, and the leaves will not be injured in the least.
SHALLOT
Allium ascalonicum
The old-fashioned mode of culture is to plant on the shortest, and lift
the crop on the longest, day; but that is only applicable to the milder
parts of the country. As a rule, spring is the best time for planting,
and it should be done as early as the ground can be got into working
order—certainly not later than the middle of April. The soil should be
in a friable condition, and it must be trodden firmly, after the manner
usual for an Onion bed. Merely press the bulbs into the soil to keep
them in position, and put them in rows one foot apart, and nine inches
apart in the rows. They should not be earthed up, but, on the contrary,
when approaching maturity the soil should be drawn away so as to expose
the bulbs, for this facilitates the ripening process.
To store the roots for any length of time it will be necessary to have
them well ripened, and this point demands consideration. If dry weather
could be insured for harvesting the crop, it might be allowed to finish
in the ground; but as this cannot be relied on, it is a wise precaution
to lift the crop on some suitable opportunity before it is quite ready,
and allow the ripening to be completed in a protected airy place.
SPINACH
Spinacia oleracea
Spinach plays an important part in the economy of the dinner table.
There are unfortunate beings who cannot eat it, for they describe it as
bitter, sooty, and nauseous. Probably an equal number of persons
entertain a very high opinion as to its value. The rest of mankind
proclaim it a wholesome, savoury, and acceptable vegetable. Spinach
will grow anywhere and anyhow; but some little management is needed to
keep up a constant supply of large, dark green leaves, that when
properly cooked will be rich in flavour as the result of good
cultivation. To produce first-class Spinach a well-tilled rich loam is
needed, but a capital sample may be grown on clay that has been some
time in cultivation.
Summer Spinach.—The early sowings of Round or Summer Spinach should be
in a sheltered situation, but not directly shaded. Sow in drills twelve
to fifteen inches apart, and one inch deep, beginning in January,
although the first sowing may fail, and continue to sow about every
fortnight until the middle of May. The earliest sowing should be on dry
ground, but the later sowings will do well on damp soil with a little
shade from the midday sun. It is important to thin the crop early, as
it should not be in the least drawn. This is the only essential point
in securing a fine growth, for if the plant cannot spread from the
beginning it will never become luxuriant, and will soon run up to seed.
Thin at first to six inches, and if large enough for use, send the
thinnings into the house. Before the leaves overlap thin finally to
twelve inches. Every plant will cover the space, and it will suffice to
take the largest leaves, two or three only from each plant, and thus a
basket may be filled in a few minutes with really fine Spinach.
As the heat of the summer increases, the crop will be inclined to bolt.
The starved plant will bolt first; the plant in rich moist soil, with
plenty of room to spread, will be more leisurely about it, and will
give time for the production of a succession crop to take its place.
The sowings from May to July should be small and numerous, and on rich
moist land, to be aided, if needful, with water. In many gardens there
is a sufficient variety of vegetables after the middle of June to
render it unnecessary to keep up the supplies of Spinach, and it is
best to dispense with it, if possible, during July and August.
Winter Spinach.—The sowing of Winter Spinach should commence in July,
and be continued until the end of September, subject to the
capabilities of the place. In gardens near towns, where the land is at
all heavy, it is generally useless to sow after August, as the autumnal
fogs are likely to destroy a plant that is only just out of the
seed-leaf. But in favoured localities, with a warm soil and a soft air,
seed may be sown up to the very end of the year with but little risk of
loss. The winter crops are sometimes sown broadcast, but drilling is to
be preferred, and the rows may be twelve to fifteen inches apart. Thin
at first to three inches, and afterwards to six inches, and leave them
at this distance, for Winter Spinach may be a little crowded with
advantage, because the weather and the black bot will now and then
remove a plant. Should ground vermin claim attention, the best way to
proceed will be to scratch shallow furrows very near the plants, taking
care not to injure them. This may be done with the hoe, but if time can
be spared it will be better to do it with a short pointed stick, having
at hand, as the work progresses, a vessel into which to throw the grubs
as they come to light when the earth is disturbed. Where small birds
are in sufficient numbers, they will observe the disturbance of the
earth, and diligently search for the grubs at hours when the cultivator
is no longer on the search himself.
The July sowings will be useful in the autumn and throughout the
winter, as the weather may determine; the later sowings will be useful
in spring. Plants may be drawn where they can be spared to make room
for the remainder, but leaves only should be taken when the plant is
large enough to supply them. When symptoms of bolting become visible in
the spring, cut the plants over at the collar, and at once prepare the
ground for another crop.
New Zealand Spinach (_Tetragonia expansa_).—Gardeners are only too well
acquainted with the difficulty of maintaining an unbroken supply of
true Spinach during the burning summer months. But the weather which
makes it almost impossible to produce a satisfactory crop of _Spinacia
oleracea_ brings New Zealand Spinach to perfection. The latter is
prized by some persons because it lacks the peculiar bitterness of the
former. The plant is rather tender, and therefore to obtain an early
supply the seed must be raised in heat. It may be sown in pots or pans
at the end of March or beginning of April. Transfer the seedlings to
small pots immediately they are large enough, and gradually harden in
preparation for removal to the open ground towards the end of May. They
should be put into light soil in a sunny position, and be allowed three
or four feet apart each way. It is not unusual to grow them on a heap
of discarded potting soil, where they can ramble without restraint. The
growth is rapid, and there must be no stint of water in dry weather. In
five or six weeks the first lot of tender shoots will be ready for
pinching off. Those who do not care to incur trouble under glass may
sow in the open in the early part of May, and thin the plants to the
distance named.
Perpetual Spinach, or Spinach Beet (_Beta Cicla_).—A valuable plant for
producing a regular supply of leaves which make an excellent Spinach at
a period of the year when the ordinary Summer Spinach is past its
prime. Although it is a true Beet, the roots are worthless, and there
should be liberal treatment to insure an abundant growth of leaves.
Seed may be sown from March to the end of July or beginning of August,
in rows one foot apart. Thin the plants to a distance of six or eight
inches in the rows. When the leaves are ready for gathering, they must
be removed, whether wanted or not, to promote continuous growth.
Orache is frequently used as a substitute for Spinach where the
ordinary variety fails. Seed should be sown during the spring months,
and as the plant frequently attains a height of five feet allow a
distance of at least three feet in each direction for development. Red
Orache is useful for growing in ornamental borders, but it is not so
suitable for culinary purposes as the white variety. The leaves only
are eaten.
STACHYS TUBERIFERA
This vegetable is commonly known as the Chinese Artichoke, and from the
peculiar form it is also called Spirals. A wide difference of opinion
exists as to its value, but in its favour the fact may be stated that
tubers are often exhibited in the finest collections of vegetables
staged for competition.
The time for planting is early spring, in rows eighteen inches apart,
allowing a distance of nine inches in the rows. The proper depth is
four inches. The roots are quite hardy and the crop gives no trouble.
After planting it is only necessary to keep the plot free from weeds.
The tubers do not mature until late in autumn, and as far as possible
it is advisable to lift them when they are wanted. Should it be
necessary for any reason to clear the ground, the Stachys must be
covered with soil. When exposed to light and air they soon become
discoloured and are then unfit for cooking. It is usual to boil them in
the same manner as Potatoes, but the finish must be by steam alone. An
agreeable variation consists in frying the boiled roots with butter
until slightly brown, when the dish is considered by many connoisseurs
to be very delicious and suitable for serving with poultry or joint.
STRAWBERRY
Fragaria
Probably the first thought will be that the Strawberry is a fruit, and
that the consideration of its treatment is out of place in a series of
articles on the culture of vegetables. The answer is that the plant
forms an essential feature in every good Kitchen Garden, and the
general routine of work has to be arranged with due regard to this
crop, so that we need make no apology for alluding to it here.
When to Plant.—The Strawberry is the most certain of all our hardy
fruits, and is much valued both for eating fresh as a summer luxury and
as a preserve for winter use. Although it deserves the best of
cultivation, its demands are few, for under the poorest system of
management it is often extremely prolific, and not unseldom the most
profitable crop in the garden. We have choice of seeds, divisions, and
runners in making a plantation of Strawberries. The universal way is
the best way, and it consists in planting rooted runners of named sorts
in an open sunny spot in well-prepared ground any time during spring or
autumn, when fresh and good runners are obtainable; but late planting
is undesirable, for when the plants have not time to establish
themselves before winter sets in many are lost. If, therefore, the
planting cannot be accomplished at the latest by the beginning of
October, it is better to defer the task until the spring. Plants put in
at the latter time should have the flower-stems removed, and will then
yield a heavy crop in the succeeding season.
Treatment of Soil.—The best soil for Strawberries is a rich, moist,
sandy loam, but a heavy soil will answer perfectly if it is well
prepared. The ground should be trenched and liberally enriched with
rotten manure placed between the top and bottom spits, where the plants
will reach it when they are most in need. In a new soil that is rather
stiff it will be advisable, when the trenching has been completed, to
put down the line and cut shallow trenches, which should be filled with
any rather fine kindly stuff that may be at hand, such as old hot-bed
soil, leaf-mould, or a mixture of material turned out of pots, with
some good decayed manure. In this the young plants will root freely and
quickly without becoming gross, for they should attain a certain degree
of vigour; but an excessive leaf growth may result in losses during
winter, and a small crop of fruit in the following year.
Well-cultivated soils need no such special preparation, but in any case
a good digging and a liberal manuring are absolutely necessary. And
here it may be well to state that after the plants have obtained a firm
hold on the soil it matters not how hard the ground becomes. The
practice of some growers in running a plough lightly between the rows
either for a mulch, or to give the plants the full benefit of rain,
does not in the least degree upset this conclusion, for this only
creates a loose and friable surface, and the operation is so managed
that the soil near the roots remains undisturbed. It may be accepted as
a secret of successful Strawberry culture that the bed should be firm
and compact, and, in forcing, this principle is so far recognised that
the soil is positively rammed into the pots.
Method of Planting.—If Strawberry plants come to hand somewhat dry,
unpack them quickly, and spread them in small lots in a cool shady
place, and sprinkle lightly with water to refresh them. A deluge of
water is not needed, and in fact will do harm, but enough to moisten
them will put them in a condition to begin growing as soon as they are
properly located. In planting, a little extra care in the disposition
of the roots in the soil will be well repaid, for plants merely thrust
into the ground cannot develop that robust root growth on which the
future of the crop largely depends. When preparing the positions it is
an excellent plan to build in the centre of each excavation a mound of
earth over which to spread the fibrous roots. Then return the soil and
firmly tread down. As a finish give each plant a copious watering. On
no account should the plant be deeply buried, but the crown should be
left just clear of the surface level. The distances in planting will
have to be determined by the relative vigour of the varieties and the
nature of the ground. As a rule the rows should be two feet apart, and
the plants eighteen inches in the rows, but some varieties require
fully two and a half feet between the rows. It is good practice to
leave a three-feet space between every two rows for necessary traffic.
A modification of the plan consists in planting a foot apart each way;
and immediately the first crop of fruit is off every alternate row is
removed, and then every alternate plant in each row is also taken out.
This places the remainder at two feet every way. The ground is then
lightly forked and a heavy coat of manure put on.
The general management comprises keeping down weeds, supplying water
abundantly in dry weather, especially when the berries are swelling,
and removing runners as fast as they appear, for to allow them to get
ahead is most injurious, and any serious neglect of this rule is likely
to ruin the plantation. The Strawberry plant makes no proper return on
a dry lumpy soil. Large plantations that cannot be watered must be
aided in the height of the season by covering the ground with any light
material which will prevent evaporation. As to obtaining runners, that
is easy enough, but there is a good way and a bad way. To allow them to
spread and root promiscuously is the bad way; it injures the plants,
makes the bed disorderly, and does not produce good runners. At the
time when runners begin to push, dig and manure the surrounding spaces,
and allow a certain number of runners to come out from each side of the
rows. As they approach maturity and are disposed to make roots, lay
tiles or stones upon the runners near to the young plants to favour the
process, but a neater way will be to peg them down. Or they may be
fixed by short pegs in small pots, filled with light rich earth and
plunged in the soil.
To keep the crop clean many plans are adopted, and the plant probably
takes its name from the old custom of covering the ground with straw
for the purpose. The cultivator must be left to his own devices,
because of the difficulty in many places of obtaining suitable
material. But we must warn the beginner in Strawberry culture against
grass mowings as more or less objectionable. They sometimes answer
perfectly, and at other times they encourage slugs and snails to spoil
the crop, and if partially rotted by wet weather communicate to the
fruit a bad flavour. There is a very simple means of feeding the crop
and making a clean bed for the fruit. It consists in putting on a good
coat of long, strong manure in February, and in doing this it is no
great harm if the plants are in some degree covered. They will soon
push up and show themselves, and by the time the fruit appears the
straw will be washed clean, and the crop being thus aided will be a
great one, weather permitting. As regards cutting off the leaves, we
advise the removal of old large leaves as soon as the crop is gathered.
But this should be done with a knife; to use a scythe amongst
Strawberries is to ruin the plantation. The object of removing old
leaves is to admit light and air to the young leaves, for on the free
growth of these the formation of good crowns for the next year’s use
depends. By encouraging the young leaves to grow, root action is
promoted, and the embryo buds are formed that will, in the next summer,
develop into Strawberries.