FEB.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 133 



are generally made larger than wood, say twenty-four feet long (which, 

 will 'require six sashes, each four feet wide by five feet ten inches 

 long), six feet deep at the back, and four feet six inches in front ; to 

 be about two feet ten inches below the surface ; the wall to be from 

 one foot to eighteen inches thick. In these frames you can raise any 

 kind of vegetables that are wanted early ; or small flowers, such as 

 roses, carnations, stock-gilly, wall flowers, mignonette, heliotrope, 

 nerembergias, pseonies, or any low growing plants that you wish to 

 bloom at an early season. By placing the pots at the back side, they 

 will not interfere with cauliflowers, melons, or any other plants raised 

 in a hot-bed, while they are small. In making the hot-bed, observe 

 the directions in January, page 21, except that by having the bed 

 below the surface you can use a foot or eighteen inches of old leaves 

 or tan in the bottom ; and then finish off as directed for cucumbers 

 and melons. Plant the cauliflowers about two feet distant every way ; 

 and between the cauliflowers you may plant lettuce and sow radish 

 or turnip seed ; white turnip is the best for this purpose : these will 

 be used before the cauliflowers bloom. It will be necessary to look 

 over the cauliflowers to see if any show flowers before they attain 

 their proper size, in which case, pull them up and plant others in 

 their place. Those early autumnal sown plants which you have in 

 frames, and that you are endeavoring to protect with a covering of 

 boards and mats, &c., without the assistance of glass, should never 

 have powerful sunshine admitted to them while in a frozen state j 

 for its sudden action upon these tender plants, whilst in that condi- 

 tion, would prove their total destruction ; therefore admit it only at 

 intervals, when weak, until the plants and ground around them are 

 completely thawed. 



The cauliflower plants which were raised from seed sown last 

 month, should, as soon in this as they may arrive at a sufficient size, 

 which is about four or five inches, be transplanted in to 'a new mode- 

 rate hot-bed, which will greatly strengthen and forward their growth. 



Make the bed two feet and a half high and put a frame on, lay on 

 six inches deep of rich earth, when this is warm prick the plants 

 therein two or three inches apart, and give them a little water j as 

 soon as they have taken root give them plenty of air ; and in mild 

 warm days take the glasses totally off, but let them be carefully 

 covered every night and the glasses only raised a little behind in cold 

 weather. 



Plants thus treated will become strong and well rooted, bear trans- 

 planting much better than if left in the seed-bed, and produce larger 

 and better heads ; for, by transplanting, the tap-roots are checked, 

 and the plants push a number of lateral roots, which afford them 

 nourishment and strength ; they become short-stemmed and stout, 

 and consequently more fit for a final and successful transplantation 

 than if suffered to remain in the seed-bed. 



Were these to be transplanted again, early in March, into another 

 bed, it would be an additional advantage ; it is by the neglect of this 

 necessary treatment that we have so few good flowers, for the plants, 

 when continued in the seed-bed till finally transplanted, become long 

 and spindling, tender and unfurnished with roots or fibres; when 



