140 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [FEE, 



PARSNEPS AND BEETS. 



Parsneps being very hardy plants and the seeds remaining in the 

 ground a long time before they vegetate, may be sown as early in 

 this month as the ground can be got in a proper condition to receive 

 the seed, which ought always to be a principal consideration, for 

 nothing can be worse than to work ground whilst too wet. I would 

 not, however, advise to sow more at this time than what may answer 

 for a first early crop. 



Sow a small quantity of beet-seed on a warm border in drills for 

 a first crop ; but this ought not to be done till about the end of the 

 month. 



Observe that seeds which are sown in the open ground at this 

 time, cannot have much advantage, as to earliness, over those which 

 may be sown two weeks later ; therefore would advise never to sow 

 seeds till the ground is in a good dry state, and proper condition to 

 receive them. 



SOWING PEAS. 



Towards the latter end of this month, prepare a dry and well situ- 

 ated piece of ground for an early crop of peas, the gangster's early, 

 early frame, and early emperor, are the kinds most suitable for this 

 crop, but more particularly the first, though the others are excellent, 

 and will immediately succeed the early frame. 



Sow each sort separate, and pretty thick, in rows or drills three 

 feet asunder, covering them not more than about an inch and a half; 

 or if the ground be very loose and light, two inches deep ; but if it 

 is of a stiff nature, one inch will be sufficient. 



But in order to give the first early crops a greater advantage, pre- 

 pare a south border of dry light earth for their reception, and raise 

 the earth into narrow sloping ridges, about a foot broad at the base, 

 and nine inches high, and at the distance of three feet from each 

 other ; ranging these in a southwest direction from the north side of 

 the border ; then on the easterly sides of these ridges, about half 

 their height, sow your drills of peas, giving them the same depth of 

 covering as above directed. In this situation they will have all the 

 advantage of the morning and mid-day sun, lie dry, and will conse- 

 quently advance in vegetation much more rapidly than if sown in the 

 ordinary way. 



RAISING PEAS IN HOT-BEDS, ETC. 



Where a few peas are particularly required in the most early season, 

 they may be obtained by sowing some of the early dwarf kinds in a 

 hot-bed, to remain, or rather to be transplanted from that into another; 

 either of which methods should be performed early in this month if 

 neglected in last. These may be sown in a large hot-bed in rows 

 from the back to the front of the bed, to remain : or it would be 

 rather more eligible to sow them thick on a small hot-bed, to be trans- 

 planted into a larger when about an inch or two high : and if you 



