OF ESCULENTS. SECT. XV, 



the winter are cut off. When these plants are an 

 inch high, they should be pricked out, four inches 

 asunder, upon another gentle hot-bed ; and when 

 they meet, or are four or five inches high, draw every 

 other to plant out in open ground, and let the rest 

 remain to cabbage. 



JVinter lettuces, that are forward, are more likely 

 to be destroyed than the smaller, as the wet hangs 

 in them ; let them he covered with frames, hand- 

 glasses, or hoops and mats; but covered plants must 

 have a great deal of air at all opportunities. Win- 

 ter lettuces require a dry soil and situation, and a 

 tvet one is helped by planting them on hillocks, 

 which is a method that frequently saves them from 

 rotting : Those in the open ground are often de- 

 stroyed by grubs lurking about the roots, which evil 

 should be seen to, if suspected. 



To h&vejine winter lettuces, some of the forward- 

 est may be taken up with balls of earth about them 

 in November, and planted at nine or ten inches dis- 

 tance, on a somewhat strong hot-bed, which, as soon 

 as the great heat is certainly over, should be covered 

 with six or seven inches of dry mould for the pur- 

 pose, but give a little water just about the roots : 

 Line the bed when it gets cool. Lettuces must be 

 well attended to ; to give them plenty of air, pick 

 off dead leaves, cover on nights, &c. Frequently stir 

 the surface of the mould, and give water as occasion 

 may dictate. The cabbage lettuce succeeds best in 

 hot-beds. 



Tying lettuces with bass, from the middle upwards, 

 when abaut three parts grown, will somewhat help 

 them to whiten and cabbage ; but let this business 

 be done .carefully. Some gardeners do not think it 

 worth while to practice it ; and indeed, right good 

 sorts (as to seed) will cabbage themselves, and open 



