202 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. [MARCH, 



The Liquorice delights in a light sandy rich soil, which should be 

 three feet deep at least ; for the goodness, as well as the profits 

 arising from the culture of this plant, is proportionate to the size 

 arid length of its roots ; the ground in which you intend to plant 

 it, should be highly manured and well dug the autumn before, that 

 the dung may be perfectly rotted and mixed with the earth ; im- 

 mediately previous to planting, trench the ground three spades deep, 

 if the natural soil be good that depth, and lay it very light; when 

 your ground is thus prepared, you should furnish yourself with 

 fresh plants, taken from the sides or heads of the old roots, observ- 

 ing that each has one or two good buds or eyes, otherwise they are 

 subject to miscarry ; these plants should be from six to ten inches 

 long and perfectly sound. 



The best season for planting them, in the middle states, is the 

 latter end of March, or just when their buds begin to show symp- 

 toms of fresh vegitation, which must be done in the following man- 

 ner, viz. first strain a line across the ground, then with a long dib- 

 ble, put in the roots so that the whole plant may be set straight 

 into the ground, with the top about an inch under the surface, in a 

 straight line and about a foot or a little more asunder, and two feet 

 distance row from row : you may then sow a thin crop of radishes, 

 onions, lettuces or any other small growing crops, in drills between 

 the rows, keeping the whole clean, particularly the rising plants of 

 liquorice, during the summer and autumn ; in the November follow- 

 ing, you should carefully hoe and clean the ground ; the shoots and 

 leaves being then decayed, cut them off, and spread a little rotten 

 dung on the surface, the virtue of which, will be washed into the 

 ground by the rains, and the plants greatly improved thereby. 



In the March following you should slightly dig the ground 

 between the rows, burying the remaining part of the dung, but in 

 doing this you should be careful not to injure the roots. Let nothing 

 now be either sowed or planted between the rows, but keep them 

 always clean, and in autumn when the stalks of the Liquorice are 

 decayed, cut them down close to the surface of the earth as before. 



The same work is to be repeated annually, till the plants are three 

 years old, when they will be fit for taking up ; that is slightly stir 

 the ground every spring and autumn, keeping down the weeds in 

 summer by hoeing ; but after the first or second year, the stalks 

 will shoot so vigorously, as soon to cover the ground, and greatly 

 retard the growth of weeds. 



The proper season for taking up the roots, is November, for they 

 should not be taken up until the stalks are fully decayed, nor defer- 

 red till the sap begins to circulate afresh in spring, for in either case, 

 the roots would be apt to shrivel and deminish in weight, which 

 would be a loss to the cultivator, as it is by weight they are always 

 sold. 



The method of taking up the roots is by trenching the ground, 

 beginning at one side and opening a trench close to the first row, 

 three spades deep, or to the depth of the roots ; at which work, thr< 

 or four spadesmen are generally employed at a trench; one go( 

 on with the top spit, a second with the next, another with the 

 third, and the fourth commonly gets to the bottom of the roots, 



