OCT.] FLOWER-GARDEN. 529 



middle of the bed, which will give it a small degree of convexity. 



The bed should be thus prepared a week or ten days previous to 

 planting the roots, in order to give it time to settle, so as to be 

 about two inches higher than the circumjacent paths ; but if heavy 

 rains intervene, between this preparation of the bed and planting, 

 it will be proper to keep them off, in order to preserve the earth 

 from becoming too compact, by a redundancy of moisture, for the 

 young fibres to pass freely through it. 



On the day made choice of for planting, rake the surface of the 

 bed smooth, and level any inequalities, still preserving its convexity, 

 and mark the exact situation for every root upon it. The proper 

 distance between each root, is seven inches every way. 



A bed consisting of seven rows, makes the most grand appear- 

 ance, when it is of sufficient length, with a path round it about two 

 and a half or three feet wide ; but where the number of roots is 

 small, five rows may suffice, and the path, in that case, may either 

 extend quite round the bed, or only on one side, at pleasure. 



If the bed consists of seven rows it should consequently be fifty 

 inches Wide, which will allow a space of four inches between the 

 outside rows and the sides of the bed ; but if the bed contains only 

 five rows, it will only require to be three feet wide, to give the roots 

 similar distances. 



Having sprinkled a li(f!e clean sand where the roots are to be 

 set, place them with great exactness, and add some very sandy 

 earth, so as to completely envelope each root in a little cone of it ; 

 then cover the whole very carefully, with strong, sound, fresh 

 loam, about four inches thick or a little better, if the roots are strong, 

 so as to allow the covering to be from three and a half to four 

 inches thick, after the earth shall have settled, still observing to pre- 

 serve the original convexity of the bed. 



The tallest growing kinds should be placed in the middle, and 

 the lower towards the outsides. No tulip root, whatever may be 

 its size or strength, should be planted more than four inches deep 

 from the upper side of the root ; nor should any blooming root be 

 planted less than three inches deep, however small it may be. The 

 soil made use of for covering the bulbs, should be frequently turned 

 over, and thoroughly exposed to the sun and air, sometime before it 

 is made use of, that it may be rendered perfectly sweet, and free 

 from the acrid quality that most soils are subject to, when taken 

 considerably below the surface. 



If the bed is only to contain five rows, with a path in the front, 

 and not behind, then it will be proper to plant the smallest and low- 

 est growing kinds, in the front, next the path, and so gradually to 

 increase in the size to the fifth, or last row, which should contain 

 the strongest and tallest of all. Board edgings may be placed 

 round the beds, as high or an inch higher, than the surface ; this 

 will not only keep the earth from crumbling down from the outside 

 rows, but give a degree of neatness to the whole. 



When the operation of planting is concluded, in order to pre- 

 serve the bed from heavy rains, or severe frosts, it should be arched 

 over with hcops at convenient distances, on which to lay mats or 



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