e suitable. =No trees must be
allowed near them=, but a sunny open piece of ground be given up to them.
March is the month to plant and the rows should be from fifteen inches to
two feet apart.

=Carrots and turnips= also prefer a light soil and sunny situation. Seeds
of both should be sown in March, when the soil is in a friable condition,
several times subsequently; the seeds must be well thinned out, and the
space between the rows constantly turned by the hoe; the latter operation
is particularly needful in heavy land, as it not only destroys weeds, but
prevents the soil from caking: the rows should be about a foot apart.
Before the turnips are ready, the young green tops make a vegetable by no
means to be despised.

=Herbs=, such as mint, parsley, mustard and cress, should be grown in
every garden, as they take up but little space and are so much dearer to
buy. =Mint= is perennial, and will come up year after year, giving no
trouble whatever; it spreads rapidly and will grow anywhere. To start a
bed, roots can be bought from some market-gardener, or cuttings can be
struck from the bunches bought in the shops.

=Parsley= is a biennial, though generally grown as an annual, because the
leaves from young plants are much the best; the seeds should be sown two
or three times a year, beginning about February, in a sheltered nook;
=this herb likes plenty of sun=; even the curliest varieties degenerate
if placed in a damp shady situation. It prefers light soil, and gives a
better winter supply than where the soil is heavy. Flower-heads must be
cut off regularly to keep the plants in good condition, though just a few
of the best kinds may be allowed to perfect their seed, which should be
sown as soon as ripe. =Mustard and cress= should also be sown several
times during the summer; the cress must be sown three or four days before
the mustard, to obtain them ready for cutting at the same time; both must
be cut almost directly they appear, as, if allowed to grow tall, they
become tough, and their flavour is lost; these seeds require no thinning
out, the exception that proves the rule.

CHAPTER XIII

Annuals and Biennials

_How to grow annuals--Some good kinds--Some good biennials._

Many amateurs look upon annuals as rubbishy things to grow, and only
suitable for the children's gardens, but that is because they have
generally failed to grow them properly. With the improved kinds now in
cultivation, it is pos