Sutton and Sons - The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition

S >> Sutton and Sons >> The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition

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==Autumn Broccoli.==--To grow Autumn Broccoli profitably, sow in February,
March, and April, the early sowings in a frame to insure vigorous
growth, and the later sowings in the open ground. Plant out as soon as
possible in fresh land that has been deeply tilled. If the soil is poor,
draw deep drills, fill them with fat manure, and plant by hand, taking
care to press round each root crumbs from the surface soil. This will
give them a good start, and they will take care of themselves
afterwards. When they show signs of heading in, run in shallow drills of
Prickly Spinach between them, and as this comes up the Broccoli will be
drawn, leaving the Spinach a fair chance of making a good stolen crop,
needing no special preparation whatever. Another sowing of Broccoli may
be made in May, but the early sowings, if a little nursed in the first
instance, will pay best, because early heads are scarce, whereas late
Broccoli are plentiful.

==Winter Broccoli== should not be sown before the end of March and thence
to the end of April. As a rule, the April sowing will make the best
crop, although much depends on season, soil, and climate. Begin to plant
out early, and continue planting until a sufficient breadth of ground is
covered. Within reasonable limits it will be found that the time of
planting does not much affect the date when the heads turn in, and only
in a moderate degree influences the size of them.

==Spring Broccoli== are capricious, no matter what the world may say. It
will occasionally happen that sorts planted for cutting late in spring
will turn in earlier than they are wanted, and the sun rather than the
seedsman must be blamed for their precocity. In average seasons the late
sorts turn in late; but the Broccoli is a sensitive plant, and
unseasonable warmth results in premature development. Sow the Spring
Broccoli in April and May, the April sowing being the more important. It
will not do, however, to follow a strict rule save to this effect, that
early and late sowings are the least likely to succeed, while mid-season
sowings--say from the middle of April to the middle of May--will, as a
rule, make the best crops. Where there is a constant demand for Broccoli
in the early months of the year, two or three small sowings will be
better than one large sowing.

==Summer Broccoli== are useful when Peas are late, and they are always
over in time to make way for the glut of the Pea crop. Late Queen may,
in average seasons, be cut at the end of May and sometimes in June, if
sown about the middle of May in the previous year, and carefully
managed. This excellent variety can, as a rule, be relied on, both to
withstand a severe winter in an exposed situation and to keep up the
supplies of first-class vegetables until the first crop of Cauliflower
is ready, and Peas are coming in freely. Generally speaking, smallish
heads, neat in shape and pure in colour, are preferred. They are the
most profitable as a crop and the most acceptable for the table. An
open, breezy place should be selected for a plantation of late Broccoli,
the land well drained, and it need not be made particularly rich with
manure. But good land is required, with plenty of light and air to
promote a dwarf sturdy growth and late turning in.

==Protection in Winter==.--Various plans are adopted for the protection of
Broccoli during winter. Much is to be said in favour of leaving them to
the risk of all events, for certain it is that finer heads are obtained
from undisturbed plants than by any interference with them, provided
they escape the assaults of winter frost. But in such a matter it is
wise to be guided by the light of experience. In cold districts, and on
wet soils where Broccoli do not winter well, heeling over may be
adopted. There are several ways of accomplishing the task, the most
successful method being managed thus. Open a trench at the northern end,
and gently push over each plant in the first row so that the heads
incline to the north. Put a little mould over each stem to settle it,
but do not earth it up any more than is needful to render it secure.
Push over the next row, and the next, and so on, finishing off between
them neatly and leaving the plants nearly as they were before, save that
they now all look northward, and their sloping stems are a little
deeper in the earth than they were in the first instance. This should
be done during fine weather in November, and if the plants flag a little
they should have one good watering at the roots. In the course of about
ten days it will be scarcely perceptible that they have been operated
on. They may be lifted and replanted with their heads to the north, but
this is apt to check them too much. In exceptionally cold seasons cover
the plot with straw or bracken, but this must be removed in wet weather.
When it is seen that the heads are forming and hard weather is
apprehended, some growers take them up with good balls of earth and
plant them in a frame, or even pack them neatly in a cellar, and the
heads finish fairly well, but not so well as undisturbed plants. It is
impossible, however, to cut good heads in a very severe winter without
some such protective measures. In many gardens glass is employed for
protecting Winter Broccoli, in which case the plantations are so shaped
that the frames will be easily adapted to them without any disturbance
of the plants whatever. There must be allowed a good space between the
beds to be covered, and the plants must be fifteen to eighteen inches
apart, with the object of protecting the largest number by means of a
given stock of frames.

==Sprouting Broccoli==, both white and purple, are invaluable to supply a
large bulk of a most acceptable vegetable in winter and early spring.
Sow in April and the plants may be treated in the same way as other
hardy winter greens. They should have the most liberal culture possible,
for which they will not fail to make an ample return. The Purple
Sprouting Broccoli is a favourite vegetable in the kitchen, because of
its freedom from the attacks of all kinds of vermin.

==BRUSSELS SPROUTS==

==Brassica oleracea bullata gemmifera==

Brussels Sprouts are everywhere regarded as the finest autumnal
vegetable of the strictly green class. They are, however, often very
poorly grown, because the first principle of success--a long growing
season--is not recognised. It is in the power of the cultivator to
secure this by sowing seed at the end of February, or early in March, on
a bed of light rich soil made in a frame, and from the frame the plants
should be pricked out into an open bed of similar light fresh soil as
soon as they have made half a dozen leaves. From this bed they should
be transferred to their permanent quarters before they crowd one
another, the object being at each stage to obtain free growth with a
sturdy habit, for mere length of stem is no advantage; it is a
disadvantage when the plant is deficient of corresponding substance. The
ground should be made quite firm, in order to encourage robust growth
which in turn will produce shapely solid buttons. This crop is often
grown on Potato land, the plants being put out between the rows in the
course of the summer. It is better practice, however, to plant Kales or
Broccoli in Potato ground, because of the comparative slowness of their
growth, and to put the Sprouts on an open plot freely dressed with
somewhat fresh manure. If a first-class strain, such as Sutton's
Exhibition, is grown, it will not only pay for this little extra care,
but will pay also for plenty of room, say two and a half feet apart
every way at the least; and one lot, made up of the strongest plants
drawn separately, may be in rows three feet apart, and the plants two
and a half feet asunder. For the compact-growing varieties two feet
apart each way will generally suffice. Maintain a good tilth by the
frequent use of the hoe during summer, and as autumn approaches
regularly remove all decaying leaves. Those who have been accustomed to
treat Sprouts and Kales on one uniform rough plan will be surprised at
the result of the routine we now recommend. The plants will button from
the ground line to the top, and the buttons will set so closely that,
once taken off, it will be impossible to replace them. Moderate-sized,
spherical, close, grass-green Sprouts are everywhere esteemed, and there
is nothing in the season more attractive in the markets.

Crops treated as advised will give early supplies of the very finest
Sprouts. For successional crops it will be sufficient to sow in the open
ground in the latter part of March, or early in April, and plant out in
the usual manner; in other words, to treat in the commonplace way of the
ordinary run of Borecoles. With a good season and in suitable ground
there will be an average crop, which will probably hold out far into the
winter. It is important to gather the crop systematically. The Sprouts
are perfect when round and close, with not a leaf unfolded. They can be
snapped off rapidly, and where the quantity is considerable they should
be sorted into sizes. The season of use will be greatly prolonged, and
the tendency of the Sprouts to burst be lessened, if the head is cut
last of all.

==CABBAGE==

==Brassica oleracea capitata==

The Cabbage is a great subject, and competes with the Potato for
pre-eminence in the cottage garden, in the market garden, and on the
farm, sometimes with such success as to prove the better paying crop of
the two. It may be said in a general way that a Cabbage may be grown
almost anywhere and anyhow; that it will thrive on any soil, and that
the seed may be sown any day in the year. All this is nearly possible,
and proves that we have a wonderful plant to deal with; but it is too
good a friend of man to be treated, even in a book, in an off-hand
manner. The Cabbage may be called a lime plant, and a clay plant; but,
like almost every other plant that is worth growing, a deep well-tilled
loam will suit it better than any other soil under the sun. It has one
persistent plague only. Not the Cabbage butterfly; for although that is
occasionally a troublesome scourge, it is not persistent, and may be
almost invisible for years together. Nor is it the aphis, although in a
hot dry season that pest is a fell destroyer of the crop. The great
plague is club or anbury, for which there is no direct remedy or
preventive known. But indirectly the foe may be fought successfully. The
crop should be moved about, and wherever Cabbage has been grown, whether
in a mere seed-bed or planted out, it should be grown no more until the
ground has been well tilled and put to other uses for one year at least,
and better if for two or three years. There are happy lands whereon club
has never been seen, and the way to keep these clear of the pest is to
practise deep digging, liberal manuring, and changing the crops to
different ground as much as possible. A mild outbreak of club may
generally be met by first removing the warts from the young plants, and
then dipping them in a puddle made of soot, lime, and clay. But when it
appears badly amongst the forward plants, their growth is arrested, the
plot becomes offensive, and the only course left is to draw the bad
plants, burn them, and give up Cabbage growing on those quarters for
several years. The question as to why the roots of brassicaceous plants
are subject to this scourge on some soils, while plants from the same
seed-bed remain healthy when transferred to different land, is deeply
interesting, and the subject is discussed later on in the chapter on
'The Fungus Pests of certain Garden Plants.' Here it is sufficient to
say that the presence of the disease is generally an indication that the
soil is deficient in lime. A dressing at the rate of from 14 to 28 or
even 56 pounds per square pole may be necessary to restore healthy
conditions. The outlay will not be wasted, for lime is not merely a
preventive, it has often an almost magical influence on the fertility of
land.

For general purposes Cabbages may be classified as early and late. The
early kinds are extremely valuable for their earliness, but only a
sufficient quantity should be grown, because, as compared with
mid-season and late sorts, they are less profitable. In the scheme of
cropping it may be reckoned that a paying crop of Cabbage will occupy
the ground through a whole year; for although this may not be an exact
statement, the growing time will be pretty well gone before the ground
is clear. After Cabbage, none of the Brassica tribe should be put on the
land, and, if possible, the crop to follow should be one requiring less
of sulphur and alkalies, for of these the Cabbage is a great consumer,
hence the need for abundant manuring in preparation for it. The presence
of sulphur explains the offensiveness of the exhalations from Cabbage
when in a state of decay.

==Spring-sown Cabbage for Summer and Autumn use==.--To insure the best
succession of Cabbage it will be necessary to recognise four distinct
sowings, any of which, save the autumnal sowing, may be omitted. Begin
with a sowing of the earliest kinds in the month of February. For this,
pans or boxes must be used, and the seed should be started in a pit or
frame, or in a cool greenhouse. When forward enough, prick out in a bed
of light rich soil in a cold frame, and give plenty of air. Before the
seedlings become crowded harden them off and plant out, taking care to
lift them tenderly with earth attached to their roots to minimise the
check. These will heart quickly and be valued as summer Cabbages. The
second sowing is to be made in the last week of March, and to consist of
early kinds, including a few of the best type of Coleworts. As these
advance to a planting size, they may be put out a few at a time as plots
become vacant, and they will be useful in various ways from July to
November or later. A third sowing may be made in the first or second
week of May of small sorts and Coleworts; and these again may be planted
out as opportunities occur, both in vacant plots for hearting late in
the year, and as stolen crops in odd places to draw while young. The
second and third sowings need not be pricked out from the seed-bed, but
may be taken direct therefrom to the places where they are to finish
their course.

In planting out, the spacing must be regulated according to the size of
the variety grown. If put out in beds, the plants may be placed from
one to two feet apart, and the rows one and a half to two feet asunder.
All planting should be done in showery weather if possible, or with a
falling barometer. It may not always be convenient to wait for rain, and
happily it is a peculiarity of Brassicas, and of Cabbage in particular,
that the plants will endure, after removal, heat and drought for some
time with but little harm, and again grow freely after rain has fallen.
But good cultivation has in view the prevention of any such check. At
the best it is a serious loss of time in the brief growing season.
Therefore in droughty weather it will be advisable to draw shallow
furrows and water these a day in advance of the planting, and if labour
and stuff can be found it will be well to lay in the furrows a
sprinkling of short mulchy manure to follow instantly upon the watering;
then plant with the dibber, and the work is done. If the mulch cannot be
afforded, water must be given, and to water the furrows in advance is
better than watering after the planting, as a few observations will
effectually prove. If drought continues, water should be given again and
again. The trouble must be counted as nothing compared with the certain
loss of time while the plant stands still, to become, perhaps, infested
with blue aphis, and utterly ruined. As a matter of fact, a little water
may be made to go a long way, and every drop judiciously administered
will more than repay its cost. The use of the hoe will greatly help the
growth, and a little earth may be drawn towards the stems, not to the
extent of 'moulding-up,' for that is injurious, but to 'firm' the plants
in some degree against the gales that are to be expected as the days
decline.

==Autumn-sown Cabbage for Spring and Summer use.==--The fourth, or autumn,
sowing is by far the most important of the year, and the exact time when
seed should be put in deserves careful consideration. A strong plant is
wanted before winter, but the growth must not be so far advanced as to
stand in peril from severe and prolonged frost. There is also the risk
that plants which are too forward may bolt when spring arrives. In some
districts it is the practice to sow in July, and to those who find the
results entirely satisfactory we have nothing to say. Our own
experiments have convinced us that, for the southern counties, August is
preferable, and it is wise to make two sowings in that month, the first
quite early and the second about a fortnight later. Here it is necessary
to observe that the selection of suitable varieties is of even greater
consequence than the date of sowing. A considerable number of the
Cabbages which possess a recognised value for spring sowing are
comparatively useless when sown in August. Success depends on the
capability of the plant to form a heart when the winter is past instead
of starting a seed-stem, and this reduces the choice to very narrow
limits. Among the few Cabbages which are specially adapted for August
sowing, Sutton's Harbinger, April, Flower of Spring, Favourite, and
Imperial may be favourably mentioned, and even in small gardens at least
two varieties should be sown. Where Spring Cabbages manifest an unusual
tendency to bolt, sowing late in August, followed by late planting, will
generally prove a remedy, always assuming that suitable varieties have
been sown.

The planting of autumn-sown Cabbages should be on well-made ground,
following Peas, Beans, or Potatoes, and as much manure should be dug in
as can be spared, for Cabbage will take all it can get in the way of
nourishment. If the entire crop is to be left for hearting, a minimum of
fifteen inches each way will be a safe distance for the smallest
varieties. Supposing every alternate plant is to be drawn young for
consumption as Coleworts, a foot apart will suffice, but in this case
the surplus plants must be cleared off by the time spring growth
commences. This procedure will leave a crop for hearting two feet apart,
and when the heads are cut the stumps will yield a supply of Sprouts. As
these Sprouts appear when vegetables are none too plentiful, they are
welcome in many households, and make a really delicate dish of greens.

By sowing quick-growing varieties of Cabbage in drills during July and
August, and thinning the plants early, thus avoiding the check of
transplanting, heads may often be had fit for cutting in October and
November.

==The Red Cabbage== is grown for pickling and also for stewing, being in
demand at many tables as an accompaniment to roasted partridges. The
plant requires the best ground that can be provided for it, with double
digging and plenty of manure. Two sowings may be made, the first in
April for a supply in autumn for cooking, and the second in August for a
crop to stand the winter and to supply large heads for pickling.

==SAVOY CABBAGE==

==Brassica oleracea bullata==

The Savoy Cabbage is directly related to Brussels Sprouts, though
differing immensely in appearance. It is of great value for the bulk of
food it produces, as well as for its quality as a table vegetable
during the autumn and winter. In all the essential points the Savoy may
be grown in the same way as any other Cabbage, but it is the general
practice to sow the seed in spring only, the time being determined by
requirements. For an early supply, sow in February in a frame, and in an
open bed in March, April, and May for succession. This vegetable needs a
rich deep soil to produce fine heads, but it will pay better on poor
soil than most other kinds of Cabbage, more especially if the smaller
sorts are selected. Savoys are not profitable in the form of Collards;
hence it is advisable to plant in the first instance at the proper
distances, say twelve inches for the small sorts, eighteen for those of
medium growth, and twenty to twenty-four where the ground is strong and
large heads are required. In private gardens the smaller kinds are much
the best, but the market grower must give preference to those that make
large, showy heads.

==CAPSICUM and CHILI==

==Capsicum annuum, C. baccatum==

Capsicums and Chilis are so interesting and ornamental that it is
surprising they are grown in comparatively few gardens. Sometimes there
is reason to lament that Cayenne pepper is coloured with drugs, but the
remedy is within reach of those who find the culture of Capsicums easy,
and to compound the pepper is not a difficult task. The large-fruited
varieties may also be prepared in various ways for the table, if
gathered while quite young and before the fruits change colour.

The cultivation of Capsicums is a fairly simple matter. The best course
of procedure is to sow seed thinly in February or March in pots or pans
of fine soil placed on a gentle hot-bed or in a house where the
temperature is maintained at about 55 deg.. Pot on the young plants as they
develop and keep them growing without a check. Spray twice daily, for
Capsicums require atmospheric moisture and the Red Spider is partial to
the plant. Nice specimens may be grown in pots five to eight inches in
diameter, beyond which it is not desirable to go, and as the summer
advances these may be taken to the conservatory. Plants intended for
fruiting in warm positions out of doors should be hardened off in
readiness for transfer at the end of May. In gardens favourably
situated, as are many in the South of England, it is sufficient to sow a
pinch of seed on an open border in the middle of May, and put a hand
glass over the spot. The plants from this sowing may be transferred to
any sunny position, and will yield an abundant crop of peppers.

The Bird Pepper or Chili is grown in precisely the same way as advised
for Capsicum.

To prepare the pods for pepper, put the required number into a wire
basket, and consign them to a mild oven for about twelve hours. They are
not to be cooked, but desiccated, and in most cases an ordinary oven,
with the door kept open to prevent the heat rising too high, will answer
perfectly. Being thus prepared, the next proceeding is to pound them in
a mortar with one-fourth their weight of salt, which also should be
dried in the oven, and used while hot. When finely pounded, bottle
securely, and there will be a perfect sample of Cayenne pepper without
any poisonous colouring. One hundred Chilis will make about two ounces
of pepper, which will be sufficient in most houses for one year's
supply. The large ornamental Capsicums may be put on strings, and hung
up in a dry store-room, for use as required, to flavour soups, make
Chili vinegar, Cayenne essence, &c. The last-named condiment is prepared
by steeping Capsicums in pure spirits of wine. A few drops of the
essence may be used in any soup, or indeed wherever the flavour of
Cayenne pepper is required.

==CARDOON==

==Cynara Cardunculus==

This plant is nearly related to the Globe Artichoke, and it makes a
stately appearance when allowed to flower. Although the Cardoon is not
widely cultivated in this country, it is found in some of our best
gardens, and is undoubtedly a wholesome esculent from which a skilful
cook will present an excellent dish. The stalks of the inner leaves are
stewed, and are also used in soups, as well as for salads, during autumn
and winter. The flowers, after being dried, possess the property of
coagulating milk, for which purpose they are used in France.

In a retentive soil Cardoons should be grown on the flat, but the plant
is a tolerably thirsty subject, and must have sufficient water. Hence on
very dry soils it may be necessary to put it in trenches after the
manner of Celery, and then it will obtain the full benefit of all the
water that may be administered. In any case the soil must be rich and
well pulverised if a satisfactory growth is to be obtained.

Towards the end of April rows are marked out three or four feet apart,
and groups of seed sown at intervals of eighteen inches in the rows. The
plants are thinned to one at each station, and in due time secured to
stakes. Full growth is attained in August, when blanching is commenced
by gathering the leaves together, wrapping them round with bands of hay,
and earthing up. It requires from eight to ten weeks to accomplish the
object fully. The French method is quicker. Seed is sown in pots under
glass, and in May the plants are put out three feet apart. When fully
grown the Cardoons are firmly secured to stakes by three small straw
bands. A covering of straw, three inches thick, is thatched round every
plant from bottom to top, and each top is tied and turned over like a
nightcap. A little soil is then drawn to the foot, but earthing up is
needless. In about a month blanching is completed.