The Gardener's New Director. 145 

 The compofl:, which you are to prepare Tome months 

 before, is to confift ot two thirds of good Iramy kitchen- 

 garden mould, and if of a yellow rich loam, the better, 

 one third of old rotted cows dung, and when the latter 



is 



fome perfons the crown is thought preferable to the 

 fuckers, as fuppofing it will produce fruit fooner which 

 is certainly a miftake; for by conftant experience I 

 find the fuckers (if equally ftrong) will fruit as foon, and 

 produce as large fruit, as the crowns. 



The fuckers and crowns muft be laid to dry in a warm 

 place, for four or five days, or more, (accordin.^ to the 

 moifture of the part which adhered to the old plant or 

 fruit) ; for, if they are immediately planted, they will 

 rot. The certain rule of judging when they are fit to 

 plant, is by obferving if the bottom is healed over, and 

 become hard ; for if the fuckers are drawn off carefully 

 from the old plants, they will have an hard ikin over the 

 lower part ; fo need not lie fo long as thofe which by ac- 

 cident may have bten broken. But whenever a crown 

 is taken from the fruit, or the fuckers from old plants, 

 they fhould be immediately diverted of their bottom- 

 leaves, fo high as to allow depth for their planting; fo 

 that they may be thoroughly dry and healed in every 

 part, lelT, when they receive heat and moiflure, they 

 fhould perifh, which often happens v^hen this method 

 is not purfued. If thefe fuckers or crowns are taken off 

 late in the autumn, or during the winter, or early in the 

 fpring, they fhould be laid in a dry place in the rtove, 

 for a fortnight or three weeks before they are planted ; 

 but in the fummer-fcafon they will be fit for planting in 

 three or four days. 



As to the earth in which thefe fhould be planted ; if 

 you have a rich good kitchen-garden mould, not too 

 heavy, fo as to detain the moifture too long, nor over- 

 light and fandy, it will be very proper for them without 

 any mixture : but where this is wanting, you fhould pro- 

 cure fome trtfh earth from a good paflure; which fliould 

 be mixed with about a third part of rotten neats-dung, 

 or the dung of an old Melon or Cucumber-bed, which 

 =* L is 



