14 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



hollowed out to the depth of about 4 in., the soil being trans- 

 ferred to the alleys. Well-rotted farmyard manure, or some other 

 active fertiliser, is then spread over the surface of the bed. In the 

 vicinity of Paris, well-rotted manure or street-sweepings are much 

 used for this purpose. The positions for the stools are then marked 

 out, in two or three rows according to the width of the beds, at the 

 distances mentioned above. At each of these positions is deposited 

 a small heap of well-manured soil or leaf-mould, about 2 in. high, 

 on the top of which the young stool is placed, care being taken to 

 spread out the roots all around and to press them gently into the 

 soil. When all the stools are in position, they are covered with 

 leaf-mould or soil mixed with rotten manure, and a sufficient 

 quantity of soil is spread over all to restore the bed almost to 

 its former level. In this way the crowns of the stools will not be 

 buried deeper than about 2 in., and the ends of the roots not deeper 

 than 4 in. A good deal of soil which was replaced by the manure 

 will remain in the alleys and between the rows, and this will be 

 found useful afterwards for earthing- up the plants. 



During the first year, the plantation requires no attention 

 beyond the frequent use of the hoe and occasional waterings. 

 At the commencement of winter, the stems are cut down to 

 8 or 10 in. from the ground, the portions so left serving to indicate 

 the position of each stool. (It is a good plan also, at the time of 

 planting, to stick a small rod into the ground beside each stool to 

 mark its position, as the manure can then be placed exactly over 

 the roots, and there will be little danger of injuring them in the 

 course of hoeing or in any other way.) A portion of the soil which 

 covers the stool is then cautiously removed, leaving only enough 

 to cover the stool to the depth of between i and 2 in., and then 

 the manure is applied. This is of various kinds. Those which, 

 from experience, are considered the best, are well-rotted farmyard 

 manure, street-sweepings to which a little sea-salt is sometimes 

 added, and calcareous composts plaster, marl, lime rubbish, 

 quarry-dust, etc. if the soil is deficient in such ingredients. The 

 manure is allowed to remain on the surface all through the winter, 

 and at the end of March is dug into and well mixed with the soil. 

 The surface is then neatly levelled down, and the plantation, during 

 the remainder of the second year, is treated exactly in the same 

 way as in the previous year. When the stools are uncovered in 

 the autumn, care should be taken to cut away, close to the root, the 

 withered remnants of the stems which were previously shortened 

 in October. A fresh covering of manure is then applied, which, as 

 before, is left to lie on the surface all through the winter and dug 

 in at the commencement of spring. 



In the third year the plants are, for the first time, earthed up. 

 This operation consists in heaping up over each stool some of the 



