190 THE AMERICAN GARDENER. 



•will stand in a stunted state till the ground be moved 

 about them in dry weather. 



However, there are some very tender plants ; plants 

 30 soft and juicy as to be absolutely burnt up and totally 

 destroyed, stems and all, in a hot sun, in a few houre. 

 Cucumbers and melons, ifor instance, and some flower- 

 ing plants. These, which lie in a small compass, must 

 be shaded at least, if not watered upon their removal. 



In the act of transplanting, the main things are to 

 take care not to bury the heart of the plant ; and to take 

 care that the earth be well pressed about the point of 

 the root of the plant. To press the earth very closely 

 about the stem of the plant is of little use, if you leave 

 the point of the root loose. I beg that this may be 

 borne in mind ; for the growth, and even the life of the 

 plant depend on great care as to this particular. 



CULTIVATION. 



ff the plants be from seed, the first thing is to see that 

 they stand at a proper distance from each other.; be- 

 cause, if left too close, they cannot come to good. Let 

 them also be thinned early ; for, even while in seed-leaf 

 they injure each other. Carrots, parsnips, lettuces, every 

 thing, ought to be thinned in the seed-leaf. 



Hoe, or weed, immediately. Weeds never ought to 

 be sufiered to get to any size either in field or garden, 

 and especially in the latter. 



Besides the act of killing weeds, cultivation means 

 moving the earth between the plants while growing. 

 This assists them in their growth: it feeds them: it 

 raises food for their roots to live upon. A mere flat- 

 hocing does nothing but keep down the weeds. The 

 hoeing when the plants are become stout, should be 

 deep ; and, in general, with a hoe that has tines, in- 

 stead of a mere flat plate. In short, a sort of prong in 

 the posture of a hoe. And the spanes of this prong-hoc 

 may be longer or shorter, according to the nature of the 

 crop to be hoed. Deep hoeing is enough in some cases ; 



