Beans, Scarlet Runner (Phaseolus Multiflorus)

These suffer from drought sooner than the above; but the season must be a very bad one in which they will not make an ample return for the very little care they require. Sow under glass in April, and transplant as soon as the seedlings are in the rough leaf, in rows two feet six inches apart, and one foot asunder in the row, on a warm border. Sow in the open ground from the end of April till the middle of July, at similar distances. When practicable the rows should run north and south. They should always have sticks if they can be procured, and when ridged up when four or six inches high, so much the better, as it will prevent their being blown about during high winds. Keep the soil round and about them frequently stirred, and supply them with water liberally in hot, dry weather.

Beet (Beta Vulgaris)

Very nearly all the varieties of the beetroot may be grown to a considerable size, if desired, by sowing the seed pretty early on deeply-trenched ground, provided a good share of manure is put at the bottom of the trench; but generally speaking small, handsome, deeply-coloured roots are preferred, and to produce them a very rich soil is not requisite, but it must be deeply dug and well pulverized. Seed may be sown from the end of April to the end of May, in rows about a foot apart; and as soon as the plants are large enough for the purpose, have them thinned out to the same distance asunder in the rows. Take up in October or November, being careful not to bruise the roots or cut off any fibres, nor cut the leaves off too close, and store in dry sand, in a shed or elsewhere, till required for use. Those who appreciate salads will require these the whole year round, and by careful storing they may be kept in excellent order until the first supply of roots is obtained from the earliest-sown crops. The spinach beet, or perpetual spinach, is valuable for its leaves and stalks. This may be sown from the commencement of March till the end of May, in precisely the same manner as the ordinary beet.

When the spinach-beet is fully grown, the stalks should be cut off and served up as Asparagus, and the leaves may be treated as spinach. The sea-kale beet, of which some people are very fond, may be sown from the middle of April to the beginning of May. The proper way to use this is to cut out the mid-ribs and serve up as sea-kale.

Borecole, Or Kale (Brassica Oleracea Acephala)

This well-known class is one of the most useful in the garden, especially so to the cottager; it is also well adapted for mixed cropping. They will grow in almost any soil, and with a moderate amount of manure, though they amply repay for liberal cultivation. There are several kinds, but as my object is to condense matters, and to point out what may be termed indispensable things, I shall confine myself to the ordinary "dwarf green kale," curled, and the new "cabbaging or heading kale." The "Buda" is very hardy, and the "Jerusalem kale" is esteemed by some. The other varieties are scarcely worth consideration here; but I may mention the "variegated or garnishing kale" as a fancy kind for decorative purposes. The two kinds here preferred require from eighteen to twenty-four inches between the rows, and from a foot to sixteen inches between the plants. A free use of the hoe, with a little earthing up in September, is all that is requisite. Sow in March and plant out at every opportunity as soon as the plants are large enough for the purpose.

Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea Var. Botrytis Cymosa)

A rich soil is indispensable for their high culture, and they love a sound or rather adhesive loam; of all kinds of soil they most abhor a loose and powdery one which will not hold together under any circumstances. The principal matter for the cultivator to consider is the production of a constant succession of handsome heads during a long period of time, rather than an occasional glut during a few weeks of the entire year. Hence frequent sowings and plantings are necessary and the first start may be made by sowing seed by the aid of gentle heat under glass in February, and thenceforward sowings may be made at intervals between March and June: seed may likewise be sown in the open ground in July. As we have already stated, broccoli must have good culture; in a word, the ground cannot be too vigorously dug, or too well manured. In loam and clay, with marked attention afterwards, the plant thrives amazingly; the winter sorts, however, do well in light soils. Having made a good beginning by a liberal preparation of the soil, all that is afterwards necessary is to sow and plant in a systematic manner, the plants being left in the seed-bed only long enough to attain a proper size for planting, and when put out being aided with water provided the weather is dry, and shaded at first to prevent undue exhaustion.

The plants when two or three inches high should be pricked out to six inches apart in every direction; and for the purpose of encouraging growth they should be watered every evening, and at the end of a month or five weeks finally planted out where they are to remain.