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I. A C 



the frost ; but in very severe weather they may 

 be prolccttd bv a light covering of dry long 

 litter, which sitould he removed again in d'.ie 

 time when the irost breaks. In iMarch or 

 April, if they remain too thick, some should be 

 thinned out and planted in another place, in 

 rows twelve or fifteen inches asunder : the 

 crops thus wintered in the open ground, come 

 in for use in April and May, to succeed those 

 sown in r.utumn, and sheltered occasionally all 

 winter, and will remain good till the spring 

 sown plants are ready for use. 



In the latter case, or those sown in September, 

 to be wintered in frames, they should be planted 

 about the latter end of October, or beginning of 

 the following month, in rows, from the back to 

 the front of the frame, three inches distant, 

 closing the earth well about each plant, finishing 

 wiih a moderate watering all over the plants, 

 and putting on the glasses to promote their 

 more speedy rooting afreS'h, shoving the lights, 

 however, two or three inches down, to give vent 

 to the moist vapour arising from the mould ; 

 but when the plants have taken fresh root, and 

 are set to growing, the full air should be admit- 

 ted every mild dry day, by taking the glasses 

 entirelv off, which must be continued through- 

 out the winter season, in all dry mild weather, 

 but putting them on every night in cold or very 

 wet weather; also in the day-time when great 

 rains prevail ; and in frosty weather keeping the 

 glasses always on, except in the middle of sunny 

 days, and when the frost is but slight; using 

 also other coverings of mats or long litter over 

 the glasses, and aroimd the sides of the frame, 

 when the frosts are very severe ; during the 

 winter keeping all decayed leaves clean picked 

 off; and as the spring and warm weather ad- 

 vance. Jetting them have the benefit of warm 

 showers. In tfiis way they may be effectually 

 preserved, if those in the open ground should 

 be destroyed by the frost or excessive Tuoisture. 

 About March some of them should be trans- 

 planted into the open ground, in rows, a foot 

 asunder, watering them moderately till fresh 

 rooted ; leaving a crop remaining in the frames 

 or winter-bed, a foot apart, to stand to cabbage; 

 which will arrive to perfection a considerable 

 time before the transplanted ones, and those 

 that have been fully exposed all winter, are ready. 

 Where frames cannot be spared, a quantity of 

 the plants may be pricked out under hand- or 

 bell-glasses in autumn, to siand the winter, 

 either by themselves for a full crop, or some 

 under the hand- or bell-glasses, that are placed 

 over early cauliflowers, as practised by the 

 London gardeners, planting them round just 

 witliin the glasses, and managing them as di- 



rected for those in the frames ; or for want 

 either of a sufficiency of franies or hand-t'lasses, 

 a quai.t'ty may ho planlccl out in October, in 

 four-feet wide beds, in a warm situation, arched 

 over with hoops or rods, to cover with mats 

 and litter in bad weather. In this way they 

 have a better chance of surviving the winter 

 than those fully exposed ; and in spr.ng trans- 

 planting n quantity, by way of thinning, into 

 other beds, as directed above. 



Savhi^ seed. — For this ]nirpo3e some of the 

 best cabbaged early plants of all the sorts should 

 be chosen, as those of the latter crops rarely run 

 soon enough to ripen seeds perfectly before they 

 are attacked by the autumnal rains and cold, 

 which greatly retard the ripening of the seed. 

 It is likewise of Importaneu to have the dif- 

 ferent varieties intended for seed at some di- 

 stance from each other, as when too near toge- 

 ther, the farina of the difilrcnt sorts may mix 

 and fecundate one another, and thereby dege- 

 nerate plants be produced. 



The seed usually ripens in Ausrust and Sep- 

 tember, but that of different plants rarely equal- 

 ly together; so that, as it arrives to perfection, 

 the respective stems, &c. of ripe seed should be 

 pulled up or cut off in dry days, and spread 

 upon a cloth, or tied in small bunches, and 

 hung up across lines in a dry airy place for a 

 week or two, for the seeds to become dry and 

 harden ; then beaten or rubbed out, and cleaned 

 from the down and other rubbish, and expo-ed 

 upon cloths a few days to dry for keeping ; being 

 afterwards put up in bags for use, and hung in 

 a dry room. 



These plants mav in general be considered as 

 annuals and biennials ; as those sown in spring 

 and smnmer attain perfection, run up to seed, 

 and perish the same year; while the autumn 

 sowings stand all winter until the spring follow- 

 ing, when they attain perfection, shoot up to 

 seed, and perish root and branch. All the sorts 

 are sufficiently hardy to grow in any e^od dry 

 common soil, in a free situation open to the 

 sun and air. 



The use of these plants is principally in sal- 

 lads, when arrived at full growth and cabbaged, 

 that the inner leaves become blanched, crisp, and 

 sweet; and sometimes also the young open plant.? 

 of the Cabbage Lettuce sorts are used in winter 

 and spring, till the other general crops arrive at 

 perfection. Young open Lettuces are also often 

 used as small sallad herbs, sowing them thick in 

 rows, like cresses. Etc. and gathering them in 

 the same manner; but this mode is nioie parti- 

 cularly practisedin winter and early spring. 1'hey, 

 however, in general, do not eat any way so 

 crisp, sweet, and palatable as when fully cab- 



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