Cultivation of Arable Land. Madder Sets Time, $c. of planting. 67 



ploughing and harrowing may be given. In the laft operations, the ground fhould 

 be left in as level a ftate as poffible. It is then ready for the reception of the 

 plants. 



Sets. The plants may be obtained either by fowing the feed upon a bed of 

 earth which is rich, and made perfectly fine by digging and raking, in the fpring, it 

 being lightly covered in, or from offsets or fuckers from the old plants. In the 

 firfl method, on the plants appearing they mould be made perfectly clean by weed 

 ing, and be fet out to the diftance of three inches in the beds by the hoe. In this 

 way, by keeping the ground quite clean and well ftirred about the plants, they will 

 be ready to fet out in thefecond autumn, though it will moftly be better to defer 

 the bufinefstill the fpring. The latter practice is the better in this climate, if the 

 fets can be procured, as the plants feldom ripen their feed perfectly, or afford it in 

 a (late to vegetate well. It requires about twenty thoufand plants for fetting an 

 acre of land. 



Time and method of planting. The proper time of taking the fets is mown by the 

 plants having obtained the height of ten or twelve inches from the ground, and the 

 fuckers having thrown out fibrous roots at their bottoms. This may be feen by 

 drawing up a few of the plants, and is ufually about the latter end of Mi/ or be 

 ginning of June. It is quite neceflary that the fets have formed root fibres at the 

 bottoms before they are removed, as where that is not the cafe they fcarcely ever 

 fucceed well. 



The plants being in this fituation, and the land prepared as before directed, a 

 fufficient number of labourers are to be provided, that the work may be performed 

 as expeditioufly as poffible. In taking off the fets, much care is necefTary not to- 

 injure them. Some perform it by means of a dibble with a flat edge, and which 

 is mod with iron : this tool, on being thruft into the ground on the fide of the 

 fhoots, divides and feparates them by depreffing the handle, without hurling the 

 fine fibrous roots. The number of plants that can be fet in a fhort fpace of time 

 mould only be taken up at once. They mould be prepared by having about a 

 third of their top parts cut off. A fort of thin batter fhould likewife be made by 

 mixing good vegetable mould and water well together, into which the roots of the 

 fets mould be dipped before they are placed in the earth, as by this means the 

 neceflity of watering the plants afterwards is prevented. This work is executed 

 by a perfon before the planting commences. Two others are employed afterwards 

 in diftributing the plants fo as to be convenient for putting into the ground.* 



* Corre&ed Agricultural Report ot Kent, 



M m 2 



