OCT.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 535 



duly thinned as they advance in growth, and always kept free from 

 weeds. 



The various successive crops of lettuces should be transplanted 

 where they are to remain during winter, whether on warm borders, 

 in slight hot-beds, or under frames and glasses, as early in this month 

 as they shall have attained to two or three inches in growth ; and in- 

 deed a judicious gardener will always have a regular succession of 

 these plants to guard against every kind of disappointment, and the 

 better to insure a constant supply. 



In the middle States, if the winter is tolerably mild, but particu- 

 larly in the southern States, lettuces will stand in warm south bor- 

 ders of light sandy ground with a very slight protection, and afford 

 an early supply in spring; in these beds or borders they may be 

 planted at the distance of three or four inches every way, and the 

 supernumerary plants may be taken up in March and planted either 

 in hot-beds for forcing, or into other beds in warm exposures for 

 heading in due season. 



The lettuces which you plant in warm borders in the open ground 

 may, on the approach of winter, be protected by placing hoops over 

 the beds, on which to lay mats or other covering in severe weather, 

 or by placing a frame of boards around them, on which to lay others 

 slightly covered with litter when necessity requires; or by sticking 

 in small branches of pine or cedar between the rows, which will 

 yield them considerable protection, especially if some long, dry straw 

 be laid over these in frosty or cutting weather. Or you may stick 

 down forked sticks about a foot high, lay long poles from one fork 

 to another, and on these boughs of pine or cedar pretty thick, and 

 likewise around the edges of the beds; those branches being sup- 

 ported ten or twelve inches above the plants will admit a free circu- 

 lation of air and prevent mouldiness. This protection is not to be 

 given until the severe frosts commence, nor is it then to be taken 

 entirely off, especially in sunshine, until after the general thaw takes 

 place in spring ; on very dry, mild days, when the sun does not shine, 

 or when it is not powerful, you may take off the covering for a few 

 hours to air the plants; but you must as carefully guard against 

 strong sunshine, especially towards the latter end of February, as 

 against the most severe frosts ; for after tender plants are severely 

 pinched by frost, a too powerful sun literally dissolves and destroys 

 them ; whereas, if they were protected from such till gradually re- 

 covered and the commencement of free vegetation, there would not 

 be the least danger of their success. This is not common to lettuces 

 only, but to cabbage and cauliflower plants, stock-gilly flowers, wall 

 flowers, and every other kind that can be in the least affected by 

 frost. 



In the beginning of this month sow some of the brown Dutch 

 hardy cabbage, and Hammersmith hardy green lettuces in a frame 

 or frames, to be kept where sown, during winter, under the protec- 

 tion of glasses, &c., in order to afford a supply of young plants for 

 forcing or planting out in the early spring months. 



