THE DAWN OF SPRING 



upright (" Cos ") Lettuces the best may sow the Superb March 

 White. Favourite and Continuity are good varieties of 16-31 

 Cabbage Lettuce. The soil in the seed bed should be 

 made fine, the drills drawn a foot apart and half an inch 

 deep, the seed sprinkled in very thinly, protection from 

 birds provided in the form of fish netting, the ground 

 hoed regularly, the plants thinned to prevent crowding, 

 and the seedlings transplanted to positions along borders, 

 or between Pea rows, when they are about three inches 

 high. 



Mushrooms. — Note the remarks on making beds in 

 Chapter IL A bed may be prepared now, and the 

 earlier the better. 



Mustard and Cress. — Successional sowings may now 

 begin in the open air. The principal trouble with the 

 outdoor sowings is that particles of soil are apt to get 

 into the plants, making the salad gritty. This may be 

 avoided to some extent by making the soil exceedingly 

 fine, and only just covering the seed. 



Onions. — The principal crop may now be sown out 

 of doors, if the plan of raising the plants in boxes under 

 glass in winter (see previous remarks) is not preferred. 

 The soil should have been made deep and rich by 

 bastard trenching and manuring in the manner already 

 recommended, but this work may still be done. The 

 surface should be well pulverised when the soil is dry 

 enough to crumble, so that a fine sowing tilth can be 

 secured. It is not desirable that the seed should be 

 covered more than an inch deep. Nine inches will be 

 a sufficient distance between the rows for small, hard, 

 long-keeping sorts like James's, Brown Globe, Bedford- 

 shire Champion, Blood Red, Danvers' Yellow, White 

 Spanish, and White Lisbon ; but larger varieties, such 

 as Ailsa Craig, Cranston's Excelsior, and A i should 

 161 L 



