504 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. [OCT. 



south borders of light sandy ground, with a very slight protection, 

 and afford an early supply in spring ; in these beds or borders they 

 may be planted at the distance of three or four inches every way, 

 and the supernumerary plants may be taken up in March and 

 planted either into hot-beds for forcing, or into other beds in warm 

 exposures, for heading in due season. 



The lettuces which you plant in warm borders in the open ground 

 may, on the approach of winter, be protected by placing hoops 

 over the beds, on which to lay mats or other covering in severe 

 weather ; or by placing a frame of boards round them on which to 

 lay others slightly covered with litter, when necessity requires ; 

 or by sticking in small branches of pine or cedar between the 

 rows, which will yield them considerable protection, especially if 

 some long dry straw be laid over these in frosty or cutting weather. 

 Or you may stick clown forked sticks, about a foot high, lay long 

 poles from one fork to another, and on these, boughs of pine or 

 cedar pretty thick, and likewise round the edges of the beds ; those 

 branches being supported ten or twelve inches above the plants, 

 will admit a free circulation of air, and prevent mouldiness. This 

 protection is not to be given until the svere frosts commence, nor 

 is it then to be taken entirely off, especially in sun-shine, until 

 after the general thaw takes place in spring : in very mild dry days 

 when the sun does not shine, or when it is not powerful, you may 

 take off the covering for a few hours to air the plants ; but you 

 must as carefully guard against strong sun-shine, especially, to- 

 wards the latter end of February, as against the most severe frosts ; 

 for after tender plants are severely pinched by frost, a too powerful 

 sun, litterally desolves and destroys them ; whereas, if they were 

 protected from such, till gradually recovered, and the commence- 

 ment of free vegetation, there would not be the least danger of their 

 success. This is not common to lettuces only, but to cabbage and 

 cauliflower plants, stock-gilly flowers, wallflowers, and every other 

 kind that can be in the least affected by frost. 



In the beginning of this month sow some of the brown Dutch, 

 hardy cabbage, Hammersmith hardy green, and green cos lettuces, 

 in a frame or frames, to be kept where sown, during winter, under 

 the protection of glasses, Sec. in order to afford a supply of young 

 plants, for forcing or planting out in the early spring months. 



Cabbage Plants. 



The young cabbage plants arising from the seeds sown last 

 month, and intended for the production of early summer cabbages, 

 should as soon in this month as they shall have attained a sufficient 

 size, be planted into the beds in which they are to remain during- 

 winter. 



Let abed or beds be prepared for them in a warm well sheltered 

 part of the garden, where the sun has the greatest power ; for al- 

 though direct sun-shine, when the plants are in a frozen state, is 

 almost certain destruction to them, yet its influence will prevent 

 that intense frost so prevalent in colder aspects, and when the plants. 



