222 GARDENING FOE PROFIT. 



swers the purpose quite as well, as deep hoeing at this 

 early stage of planting is perfectly useless. In ten or 

 twelve days more, the same operation is repeated with 

 the steel rake, which usually effectually destroys all weeds 

 the seeds of which are near enough to the surface to 

 germinate. We use the steel rake in lieu of a hoe on all 

 our crops, immediately after planting, for, as before said, 

 deep hoeing on plants of any kind when newly planted, 

 is quite unnecessary, and by the steady application of the 

 rake, weeds are easily kept down, and it is great economy 

 of labor never to allow them to start. The herb crop usu- 

 ally covers the ground completely by the middle of Sep- 

 tember. Then, every alternate line is cut out, each plant 

 making about two " bunches." The object in cutting out 

 the lines alternately is, to give room for the remaining 

 lines to grow ; in this way nearly double the weight of 

 crop is taken off the ground than if every line had been 

 cut, and it frequently happens, on particularly rich soils, 

 that at a second cutting every alternate line is again tak- 

 en when the remaining lines, now standing 4 feet apart, 

 will again meet. I had about an acre of Thyme treated 

 by this process, in the fall of 1864, that sold for over 

 $2000, — but this was an exceptional case, the crop being un- 

 usually fine, and prices at that time were nearly double the 

 ordinary ones. As before stated, the average yield is about 

 8500 per acre. Herbs are always a safe crop for the mar- 

 ket gardener ; they are less perishable than anything else 

 grown, for, if there be any interruption to their sale in a 

 green state, they can be dried and boxed up and sold in 

 the dry state, months after, if necessary. The usual price 

 is from $10 to $15 per 1000 bunches, and we always pre- 



