D A U 



DEC 



The time of sowing this sort of crops must 

 vary accordinc as they arc wanted. When tliey 

 arc required in snccession, three or four diflir- 

 ent sowings should l)e made ironi .lannarv till 

 the heginning of N]ay; hut for the principal 

 crop, the sowings should always be jierfornsed 

 about the latter end of January, or in the bcein- 

 ning of the following month. A sowing n)av 

 likewise be made in August, to stand throusrh 

 the winter, for producing an early spring crop ; or 

 early crops of this sort may be obtained by for- 

 cing them on hot-beds. The principal crop ge- 

 nerally btcomes ready for use about the bcsrui- 

 nmg ot June. 



In the sowing of the seed, after the surfiice of 

 the beds has been rendered perfectly smooth 

 and eyen by the rake, it should be distriliuted 

 in as itvcn a manner as possible oyer the whole, 

 and then carefully raked in. As the seed is of 

 a light and chaftV nature, a calm drv time 

 should be chosen for the purpose, to prevent its 

 being blown in an irregular manner into heaps. 

 It is also useful to rul) and separate the chafiy 

 parts of the seed well before sowing, and some 

 think it an advantage to have sand or dry line 

 mould well mixed with it. It should be sown 

 moderately thick, especially when the soil in- 

 clines to be heavy. In very liuht soils it is 

 somctiuKs the practice to tread in the seed, to 

 prevent its risinc in heaps, raking ihe surface 

 over afterwards; but this should never be done 

 where there is any decree of stiflhcss in the 

 land. The sowings arc usually performed on 

 beds of four or tive feet in breadth, but they may 

 be made on large plats where ncces*;yy. 



After the plants have attained three or four 

 inches in growtii, they should be thinned out to 

 from six to eight inches distance, in proportion 

 to the size that is wanted; and be kept perfeellv 

 free from weeds : this is performed bv a small 

 hoc with the greatest readiness ; but some thin 

 their plants out by the hand; the former is 

 liowever the better method, as the earth is at 

 the same time stirred about the roots of the 

 plants. The work is best done w hen the wea- 

 ther is dry. The crops should afterwards he 

 occasionally looked over every fortnight or three 

 weeks, to be further thinned when necessary, 

 and to keep the weeds from risino. 



Where these roots are much wanted at an 

 early period while voung, it is better to sow a 

 piece (){ ground f )r the purpose tlian to depend 

 upon the thinnings of the general crops. 



'Ihe crops put in in August for the following 

 spring produce, should be manaeed in the same 

 ■way, but It will be necessary to protect the 



Elants in winter, when the weather is severe, 

 y coverings of some light dry materials. 



rnch as litter, straw, 8cc. so .is to prevent their 

 lops from being injured. 



Culture oil llnt-heiU fur cnrli/ U\c. — In this 

 method cr>>ps may be provided for early use 

 where those of the autumn have been injured or 

 destroyed. 



In this intention the sowings should be made 

 in the beginning of January and the following 

 month, on hot-beds formed of dung, moulded 

 eight or ten inches deep, and covered bv frames 

 and glasses. In the growth of the plants air 

 must be freely admitted by having the glasses 

 removed, except in the niglu-lime and when the 

 weather is severe. When ihe plants are an inch 

 or tw o in height, they must be thinnetl out to 

 the distance of three or four inches, an.->pb 

 occasionally supplied with water in a moderate 

 proportion. When the heat of the beds de- 

 clines much, linings should be had recourse to 

 as there may be occasion. 



By this management these roois may be pro- 

 vided a month or six weeks sooner than in the 

 other methods. 



In order to preserve the roots of the main 

 crops in the winter, they should be taken up 

 about November, when the season is dry ; and 

 when sufTieiently dried in the air, and cleared 

 from eartii, anil their tops cut off close, be 

 packed up in dry sand in a shed, cellar, or other 

 convenient place, being well covered on the lop 

 with straw. In tliis mode they n)av be pre- 

 served till March or April. If they arc suffered 

 to remain in the ground, they arc not only liable 

 to*be destroyed by vermin, but to become can- 

 kery, and rotten. 



In order to save the seed of thc<c plants, 

 some of the finest roots should be planted out 

 about Februarv, in rows two feet apart, and one 

 foot distant from plant to plant. They shoot 

 up to stem in April or the I'oUowing nionth, 

 flower about .lune, and in Ausiust the seed be- 

 comes ripe; then the tops should be cut off 

 when dry, exposed in the sun, and, after becom- 

 ing perfectly drv, the seed tkra?lied out, and 

 put up into baus for use. 



DECIDUOUS I'LANT.'?, such plants, whe- 

 ther of tlic tree or slirub kind, as shed or lose 

 their leaves in the autumnal or winter seasons. 



It embraces a great variety of both the former 

 and latter sorts, in. most of which the leaves be- 

 gin to fa!'; off in the autumn, and the whole are 

 naked during/ the winter season. 



Almo-; af! the valuable timber and fruit-trees 

 are of this trilx', as welt as the greatest part o 

 the ornamental trees and shr^ibs that are intro- 

 duced in plantations and shubberies. There aix' 

 likewise several other plants that may be termed 

 deciduous, from- their sheddin!i their leaves ou 



