248 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



warmer the weather the quicker the plants will grow, and 

 the warmer and drier the atmosphere is, the more water 

 the seed-bed will need. Select rich, friable soil and sow 

 the seed evenly and only moderately thick. Cover the seed 

 but lightly, as they are very small, and firm the soil well. 

 Keep the soil or bed moist, not soaking wet, but never 

 dry, and have patience as they are slow to germinate. 

 Keep free from weeds and thin if too thick ; one plant to 

 the square inch is about right. When the plants get about 

 three inches high, clip the tops off, not too close, but 

 about half way, and continue to keep the bed moist, and 

 when about four inches high clip again, and they will be 

 ready to plant. 



In about a week or ten days lift the plants with a shovel 

 or garden trowel so as not to disturb the fine roots more 

 than is necessary. Trim the main or taproot to two or 

 three inches and keep the roots moist until planted. Se- 

 lect a good, rich plat where water is handy, as the ground 

 should be as moist as possible to work, and draw shallow 

 furrows, say about four inches below the level, and put 

 the plants six inches apart in the row. I would prefer a 

 single row of sufficient length to two or more shorter ones. 



Take a hard-wood peg, about one and a quarter inches 

 in diameter and six inches long ; sharpen one end to make 

 the holes for the plants. Put the roots straight, and be 

 sure and firm the soil well around each plant. 



Stir the ground around the plants and keep the soil 

 away instead of up to them till the plants get 12 or 14 in- 

 ches high, then work the soil to the plants (but only when 

 they are dry) , and keep the roots moist. If in the interior 

 valleys, it is better to blanch it with boards than by bank- 

 ing with earth. Blanch by setting 12-in. boards on edge 

 on each side of the row and secure them with stakes stuck 

 in the ground and tied at the top, or some dirt thrown 

 against the bottom of the boards and the tops held to- 

 gether with notched strips. It requires from two to three 

 weeks to blanch the White Plume and longer for the green 

 sorts. One set of boards will blanch two or three lengths, 



