IV.] THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 127 



where you have a green-house to be kept warm by 

 fire) must have a covering in severe weather. 

 They require age, ami yet, you must not sow them 

 too early in the fall ; for, if you do, they will have 

 little heads about the size of a dollar, and go off to 

 seed at once without coming to a large head at all. 

 If you be too backward in sowing, the heads do not 

 begin before the great heat comes ; and, in that 

 case, they will not head till the fall. All these cir- 

 cumstances make the raising of them for spring use 

 very difficult. Sow (Long Island) first week, or 

 second week, in September, in the same manner that 

 ycu sow cabbages. When the plants have eight 

 leaves, put them in a warm place, in the natural 

 ground, and do not put much dung in the ground. 

 The back part of the Hot-bed ground WOttld be the 

 place. Plant them six inches asunder upon a piece 

 of ground that your frame will cover ; but do not 

 put on the frame, till sharpish frosts begin to come. 

 Then put it on, and, whenever you expect a frost, 

 put over the lights at night. If there be much 

 rain, keep the lights on, but give plenty of air. 

 Take the lights off whenever you can. When the 

 hard frost comes, put long dung from the stable 

 very thick all round the frame up to the very top of 

 it, and extending a yard wide ; and, in severe wea- 

 ther, cover the glass with a mat, or old carpet first ; 

 then put straw upon the mat ; and then cover the 

 straw with another mat. But, mind, they must be 

 kept in the dark as little as possible. When the 

 sun is out, they must have it ; and, in mild days, 

 they must have a great deal of air. When there 

 is an occasional thawing day, take the lights off 

 a^d hoe and stir the ground ; for, they want strength 

 as well as protection ; and they must have all the 

 air you can, with safety to their lives, give them. 



