a-' n. I 



DUN 



filled with light poor sandy earth, and plunging 

 them in the bark -bed oi the stove. When they 

 have stricken root they should he removed, with 

 bulls of earth about their roots, into separate pots 

 filled with poor earth, in order to check their 

 rambling growth. 



These plants, from the singularity of their 

 leaves, and their being evergreen, afford variety 

 in the stove, and at th"c same time serve to cover 

 the walls of it by their climbing property. 



DRAGON'S HEAD. SeeDHACOCEPHALUM. 



DRAGON TREE. See Duac^na. 



DRAWING-FRAME, a sort of deep hot- 

 bed frame, or fixed glass-case, for placing par- 

 ticular sorts of curious, tender, annual flower 

 plants in, for drawing them to a tall stature, 

 such as cock's combs, tricolors, &c. by the 

 assistance of a hot-bed. 



Different sorts are occasionally adopted ; some 

 similar in form to common hot-bed frames, but 

 four or live feet in depth, either moveable or fixed ; 

 others with different divisions to place one upon 

 another; and some more spacious erections of 

 glass-work, or, properly, glass-cases, which are 

 in seneral more adapted for the business than the 

 two first sorts. 



These framt-s are mostly constructed of inch- 

 and-half deal, and, in dimensions, generally the 

 width and length of commonlargehot-bed frames 

 for two or three lights. 



In using such frames, the plants are first raised 

 in a hot-bed under common frames and lights, 

 pricked or planted singly into proper sized pots, 

 in the same or another hot -bed ; and after hav- 

 ing advanced a foot or a little more in growth, 

 »o a^ to reach the glasses, a fresh hot-bed is made 

 for the drawing-frame, which is placed thereon, 

 and the bed earthed at top with light dry earth, 

 or old tan ; then the plants in their pots removed 

 into it, plunging them to their rims in the earth, 

 or other material, and the glasses put on ; being 

 afterwards managed as Tender Annuals. 



Drawing-frames are at present much less in 

 use than formerly, the plants being chiefly suf- 

 fered to lake their natural growth. 



DRILL, a small narrow opening made in tb^ 

 ground by means of a hoe or other implement, 

 for the reception of different sorts of seeds and 

 roots, such as pease, beans, potatoes, and various 

 kinds of small seetls, as well the nuts and stones 

 of several sorts of trees, and the bulbous and 

 tuberous roots of many plants of the flower 

 kind. 



Drills are generally formed by setting a line as 



tight as possible in the direction the crops are to 



be put in, and then with a common hoe held 



corner-ways, with the edge close to the line, 



1 



drawing the drill along it, from half an inch to 

 five or six deep, as the different sorts of seeds 

 and roots may require. 



But drills, for some particular small seeds, 

 may be drawn with a small or middling hoe flat- 

 ways, or the edge downv^'al•ds, in a horizontal 

 position, so as to make a broad flat-bottomed 

 drill ; in that way forming a wider level bottom, 

 with a larger space for the seeds, which admit* 

 of having them more evenly sown to an equal 

 depth. 



For seeds of tender plants which require the 

 aid of hot-beds, as a hoe cannot be introduced, 

 the ends of the two first fingers, or a short flat 

 stick an inch or two broad, may be employed. 



DRILL SOWING, the method of putting in 

 crops by depositing the seed in drills : most sorts 

 of crops that are cultivated in rows are put in 

 to the greatest advantage in this way, as those, 

 of the pea, common bean, and kidney-bean kind, 

 early potatoes, spinach, and beet, as well as 

 parsley, coriander, and a variety of small seeds 

 for the purpose of salLad and other uses. 



It is a mode of sowing which is particularly 

 beneficial in affording the meatus of raising crops 

 with regularity as well as ot keeping the ground 

 free frou* weeds, and earthing up the mould to 

 the roots of the crops, by which their growth is 

 greatly promoted ; and likewise, which admits 

 of the greatest convenience iu gathering the var 

 rious sorts of produce. 



When the seeds or roots of any sort have been 

 sown or planted in drills, the earth should be 

 immediately drawn evenly over them, either with 

 a hoe or rake, or the hand for the very small or 

 moredelicate sorts; but for the large kinds, such 

 as pease, kidney-beans, broad-beans, &c. it may 

 be turned ia upon them expeditiously with the 

 feet alternately, carefully covering all to an equal 

 depth, trimming the top of each drill clear from 

 stones and clods, so as to leave a perfectly 

 smooth and even surface for the crops to come 

 up in. 



DUNG, a substance formed by passing 

 through the bodies of animals, which is made 

 use of in garden culture, both for the purpose 

 of improving the soil, and that of affording a 

 mild moist artificial heat, by which various- 

 sorts of delicate crops may be raised and pro- 

 duced at much earlier periods than could other- 

 wise be the case. 



In the intention of amending tlve condition 

 of the ground, various sorts of dung may be 

 made use of after being considerably reduced 

 by undergoing the process of fermentation ; but 

 w here the production of heat is the principal 

 cbjectj that of the stable kind must be chiefly 



