90 THE AMERICAN GARDENER. [Chap, 



part between the plant and the top of the branch. 

 Offsets are parts of the root and plant separated 

 from the main root. 



CULTIVATION. 



176. Here, as in the foregoing parts of this Chap- 

 ter, I propose to speak only of what is of general 

 application, in order to save the room that would 

 be necessary to repeat instructions for cultivation 

 under the names of the several plants. 



177. The ground being good, and the sowing, or 

 planting, having been properly performed, the next 

 thing is the after-management, which is usually 

 called the cultivation. 



178. If the subject be from seed, the first thing is 

 to see that the plants stand at a proper distance 

 from each other ; because, if left too close, they 

 cannot come to good. Let them also be thinned 

 early ; for, even while in seed-leaf, they injure each 

 other. Carrots, parsnips, lettuces, every thing 

 ought to be thinned in the seed-leaf. 



179. Hoe, or weed, immediately; and, let me 

 observe here, once for all, that weeds never ought 

 to be suffered to get to any size either in field or 

 garden, and especially in the latter. In England, 

 where it rains, or drips, sometimes, for a month to- 

 gether, it is impossible to prevent weeds from grow- 

 ing. But in this fine climate, under this blessed 

 sun, who never absents himself for more than about 

 forty-eight hours at a time, and who will scorch a 

 dock-root, or a dandelion-root, to death in a day. 

 and lengthen a water-melon shoot 24 inches in as 

 many hours : in this climate, scandalous indeed it is 

 to see the garden or the field infested with weeds. 



180. But, besides the act of killing weeds, culti- 

 vation means moving the earth between the plants 

 vhile growing. This assists them in their growth: 



