KITCHEN-GARDENING. 33 



should be kept free from weeds, and the earth often loosened 

 around them. 



The business of transplanting may be done in cloudy or wet 

 weather, at any time after the plants are from nine to twelve 

 inches high. Having fixed upon a proper soil and situation, 

 lay on it a good quantity of rotten dung, and trench the 

 ground one good spade or eighteen inches deep, incorporating 

 the manure therewith. When this is done, take up the plants ; 

 and after shortening their tap-roots a little, and dressing their 

 leaves, plant them with a dibble, in rows five feet asunder, and 

 two feet from plant to plant, leaving part of their green tops 

 above ground, and the hearts of the plants free from any earth 

 over them, and give each plant a little water to settle the 

 roots. 



WINTER MANAGEMENT. 



The winter dressing of Artichokes is an important opera- 

 tion ; on it depends much of their future success. This should 

 not be given them as long as the season continues mild, that 

 they may have all possible advantage of growth, and be gradu- 

 ally inured to the increasing cold weather ; but it should not 

 be deferred too late, lest by the sudden setting in of hard 

 frost, to which we are subject in the Northern States, the 

 work be neglected, and the plants consequently exposed to 

 devastation and loss. 



In the first place, cut all the large leaves close to the ground, 

 leaving the small ones which rise from the hearts of the plants. 

 After this, line and mark out a trench in the middle, between 

 each row, from fourteen to sixteen inches wide, presuming 

 that the rows are five feet apart, as directed. Then dig the 

 surface of the beds lightly from trench to trench, burying the 

 weeds ; and as you proceed, gather the earth around the crowns 

 of the plants to the height of about six inches, placing it in 

 gently between the young rising leaves, without burying them 

 entirely under it. This done, dig the trenches one spade deep, 

 and distribute the earth equally between and on each side of 



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