216 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [MARCH 



DILL. 



This plant is extremely valuable as an ingredient in pickles, to 

 which it gives a most exquisite flavor : the seeds when ripe are fre- 

 quently used for that purpose, but it is the more general practice when 

 they are formed, and not yet perfect, to cut off the umbels or heads, 

 and then use them as above. 



This seed should be sown in any of the autumn months after being 

 ripe, and will come up the spring following, for when kept out of 

 ground till the latter period, one-third of it and perhaps less, will not 

 vegetate till that time twelve months, but if sown very early in March, 

 and thick, you may expect a tolerable crop that season ; sow it broad- 

 cast on four feet wide beds, covering it, if sown in autumn, half an 

 inch, and if in spring, a quarter of an inch deep ; when the plants 

 come up, thin them to six inches distant, and the same season they 

 will perfect their seeds, which, if any are suffered to shed, will not 

 fail to come up plentifully the next year. 



FINOCHIO, OR AZORIAN FENNEL. 



The Finochio has very short stalks, which swell just above the 

 surface of the ground to three or four inches in breadth, and near 

 two thick, being fleshy and tender ; this is the part which is eaten 

 when blanched with oil, vinegar and pepper as a cold salad. 



For the cultivation of this plant, make choice of a good spot of 

 light rich earth, not dry nor very wet, for in either extreme it will 

 not thrive. Sow the seeds pretty thin in shallow drills about eigh- 

 teen inches asunder, covering them half an inch deep ; when they 

 come up thin them, leaving the best plants six inches distant from 

 one another : about the beginning of July your first crop, if sown in 

 March, will be fit for blanching, at which time you are to earth it up 

 as you do celery, and in three weeks after it will be in a good condi- 

 tion for use. To have a regular succession of this plant, some seed 

 must be sown every three weeks during the season, and your late 

 crops may be preserved in winter as you do celery. 



CAPSICUMS OR RED-PEPPERS, TOMATOES, AND EGG-PLANTS. 



The different varieties of the capsicums, tomatoes, and egg-plants 

 being in much estimation for culinary purposes, you should sow some 

 of each kind now in pots, and forward them in your hot-beds, so as 

 to have strong plants ready for planting out into the open ground as 

 early in May as the night frosts shall have totally disappeared. Each 

 and every of these kinds bear transplanting extremely well, and from 

 this sowing you may expect early and abundant crops. For further 

 particulars, see April, May, &c. 



PLANTING OUT CABBAGES, BEETS, TURNIPS, ETC., FOR SEEDS. 



As early in this month as the weather gets open and tolerably 

 mild, plant out such cabbages, beets, carrots, turnips, pursneps, &c., 



