FEB.] THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 125 



for the former pretty thin ; the cos lettuces, not growing flat or in 

 a spreading manner, are peculiarly adapted for sowing- in hot-beds 

 at this season, but either of the kinds may be sown, and with due 

 care and proper thinning, be brought to good and early perfection. 

 Lettuces which have stood the winter, closely planted, in frames, 

 should, about the end of this month, be thinned to abcut nine 

 inches, or if expected to grow very large, a foot asunder j the 

 plants which are drawn out, may be planted into other frames, or 

 into warm borders, where they can be well protected with mats, or 

 some suitable covering, till they are inured by degrees to bear the 

 open air ; but if the weather is unfavourable, and that you have not 

 a sufficiency of frames to receive the plants, it will be better to de- 

 fer this work till next month, being particular to pick off all decay- 

 ed leaves, and to stir the earth a little about their roots. 



Solving Carrot Seed. 



When carrots are desired at an early season, some seed may be 

 sowed in a slight hot-bed in the beginning or middle of this month, 

 make this bed^two and a half feet high put on the frame, and cover 

 the bed with light dry earth six or eight inches deep ; sow the 

 seed thinly on the surface, and cover it about a quarter of an inch, 

 with the same kind of earth ; when the plants are up, give them 

 plenty of air, and thin them as they advance in growth ; keep the 

 glasses well covered at night, and in extremely severe weather, and 

 in April you may expect handsome roots. 



This seed if sown as above, towards the latter end of the month, 

 will succeed very well, without the assistance, of glass, if the bed, 

 is carefully covered at nights, and occasionally, as the weather may 

 happen to be severe, in the day time, with garden mats, &c. you 

 may also, about the end of the month, sow a small quantity of car- 

 rot seed, on a warm border of light, dry rich earth, and, if the 

 season proves favourable they will succeed tolerably well, and be fit 

 for use at a very acceptable period : for the method of doing which.j 

 see March. 



Parsnefis and Beets. 



Parsneps being very hardy plants, and the seeds remaining in the 

 ground a long time before they vegetate, may be sown as early in 

 this month as the ground can be got in proper condition to receive 

 the seed, which ought always to be a principal consideration ; for 

 nothing can be worse than to work ground whilst too wet. I would 

 not, however, advise to sow more at this time, than what may answer 

 for a first early crop. 



Sow a small quantity of beet-seed on a warm border, in drills, for 

 a first crop ; but this ought not to be done till about the end of the 

 month. 



Observe, that seeds which are sown in the open ground at this 

 time, cannot have much advantage, as to earliness, over those which 

 y be sown two weeks later ; therefore would advise, never to sow 



