128 AMERICAN GARDENER. 



way down, to within an inch and a half of the 

 point, where it must be tapered off to the point. 

 If the wood be cut away all round, to the thick- 

 ness of a dollar, and iron put round in its stead, 

 it makes a very complete tool. The iron becomes 

 bright, and the earth does not adhere to it, as it 

 does to wood. Having the plant in one hand, and 

 the stick: in the other, make a hole suitable to the 

 root that it is to receive. Put in the root in such 

 way as that the earth, when pressed in, will be on 

 a level with the butt-ends of the lower, or outward 

 leaves of the plant. Let the plant be rather higher 

 than lower than this ; for, care must be taken not 

 to put the plant so low as for the earth to fall, or 

 be washed, into the heart of the plant, nor even 

 into the inside of the bottom leaves. The stem of 

 a cabbage, and stems of all the cabbage kind, 

 send out roots from all the parts of them that are 

 put beneath the surface of the ground. It is good, 

 therefore, to plant as deep as you can without 

 injury to the leaves. The next consideration is, 

 the fastening of the frlant in the ground. I can- 

 not do better than repeat here what I have said 

 in my Year's Residence, Paragraphs 83 and 84 : 

 4 The hole is made deeper than the length of the 

 ' roots ; but the root should not be bent at the 

 4 point, if it can be avoided. Then, while one 

 4 hand holds the plant, with its root in the hole, 



* the other hand applies the setting stick to the 



* earth on one side of the hole, the stick being 

 4 held in such a way as to form a sharp triangle 



* with the plant. Then, pushing the stick down, 

 4 so that its point go a Little deefier than the 

 4 fioint of the root, and giving it a little twist, 



* it presses the earth against the fioint, or bottom 



