50 OF THE CULTIVATION SECT. IV. 



In the f ricking and planting out of crops, be fure to 

 do it as early as may be ; let every thing be regular, 

 (not fparingto ufc the line) allowing always room enough 

 fortius work ; and being thus treated, vegetables will 

 come forwarder, larger, and of a fuperior flavour. 

 Thefe advantages are feen in all things, but in lettuces 

 particularly, which often have not half the room al- 

 lowed them they mould. Over cropping robs the 

 ground of flrength to no purpofe, except iucreafing 

 the dunghill ; it makes it alfo inconvenient to weed, 

 rake and clean up, which in a private garden (at leaf!) 

 it is proper frequently to do. 



Dibble planting, as being eafy and expeditious, is 

 the common way of fetting out plants by ; but (ex- 

 cept indeed quite fmall ones) they are belt put in by a 

 fmdW/pade or troivel. In the former method, the roots 

 are frequently doubled and diflorted, fo as to receive 

 (at leaftj a great check, if not to occafion a failure, 

 when fo put out towards winter; but in the latter way 

 the roots lie free and eafy, and prefently eftablilh them- 

 felves in health and flrength. There is more in this 

 than gardeners in general allow oi. Ground defigned 

 to be planted, is beft dug a day or two before wanted. 



Watering is a thing of fome importance in cultiva- 

 tion, though not fo much as many make it. It is a 

 moot point, whether more harm than good is not 071 

 the -whole, done by it, when it is thought generally ne- 

 cefTary in a dry feafon. In a large garden, it is an 

 Herculean labour to water every thing, and fo the 

 temptation generally prevails either wholly to negleft 

 it, or to do it irregularly or defectively. To water 

 nothing is too much on the dry fide : but there is fuch 

 a thing as watering too much, which fpoils the flavour, 

 and makes efculents lefs wholefome. 



But watering will alluredly benefit fome things; as 



(fparingly) new planted trees, flowers and vegetables. 



Watering is of ufe to fettle the earth about the roots 



of plants newly fet, for it is by a clofe union, (as it 



6 were) 



