The Gardener's New DinECTOR. 119 



Tbe Culture and Manage ni-rrit of Tiib:rofes. 



I SHALL now treat of tlic culture of TuhtTofes, 

 which 1 own is a^^ainfl: tlie rule I laid down at the 

 beginning of this work, which was to write of no- 

 thing but fruits, or of kitchen-garden plants ; but as 

 thcfe roots are planted in hot beds made of dung, and 

 not in the llove-work, I judged it wtnild be very accep- 

 table to have iome directions given lor their culture. 



■ Thcfe roots are annually brouglit Irom Genoa. I 

 made my plantations ot Tuberofcs at two feafons, viz. 

 the firfi: in jjpril, and the other in M(iy. As Toon as my 

 roots arrived, 1 prepared a hot-bed in the iame manner 

 as for Cucumbers, covering it with a fr:ime two feet 

 •and an half deep at tlie back, iloping to cine foot in 

 front, and covered the dung with eight inches of good 

 rich light earth, the fame as I nfed for hyacinths ; tak- 

 ing trom the roots all their old flcins and withered fibres, 

 and all their off-fets, i planted them in this earth two 

 roots very near one another, in fuch a manner, as tbrft 

 the top of the bulbs were but jufl covered ; for if 

 they arc planted deeper, they often lail. Between 

 the'c roots planted by pairs, I left a fpace of eipht inch- 

 es, that when they were fit to be potted, they migiit be 

 lifted with a good ball of earth to each pair, as f potted 

 each pair in a two-penny pot. I do not approve of 

 planting them into pots, to be fet in the hot-bed, as the 

 fides of the pot cramp and flunt their fibres, whereby 

 they do not flower fo well, as when they are planted 

 in the earth, where their fibres run at plealure, and form 

 well, which makes them blolTom (Irong. 



As foon as th.ey made th.eir appearance, I gave them a 

 little water ; when they fhe\« ed their flower ftems, I gave 

 it in greater plenty, and took care not to force tlum io 

 much, as to hurry up their flower ftalks, fo as to 

 grow too fiender. I gave them air in mild weather by 

 taking off the glafles, which I laid on again at night, 

 and in very bad weather. When their (lower flems were 

 a foot and a half high, I gently tied them to flcndcr 

 ftjcks, to prevent their being broke, and as foon as they 

 touched the glafTes, I took, them off, fixing hoops in 



I /| their 



