Sept.] 



The Kitchen Garden. 417 



Choofe a dry fpot in the melon-ground, to make the 

 bed on, or on any other dry fheltered fituation; and the 

 bed may be made either wholly upon the furface of the 

 ground, or in a fhallow trench only fix inches deep and 

 the width and length of the bed, and the excava'ted earth 

 of the trench will ferve to earth it. 



Mark out on the ground the width and length of the 

 bed, which muft be four feet wide, and as long as you 

 Ihall think convenient for the quantity you intend to 

 raife, and is to be made ridge ways, like the roof of an. 

 houfe, and three or four feet high. 



Bring in the dung, and lay the bottom of the bed to 

 the full extent; and, as you advance in height, to draw 

 both fides in gradually from the bottom, till you bring 

 it, as it were, to nothing at the top. 



As you proceed in making the bed, obferve to fhake 

 and mix the dung well together, but do not tread it, but 

 beat it down firmly with the fork, and permit the whole 

 to fettle gradually of itfelf. 



Thus let the bed be carried on till you have ralfed it 

 to the height of, at leaft, three feet and a half, or four 

 feet high, iinifhing the whole in the form of a ridge of a 

 houfe, as aforefaid. 



Having made the bed, you rauft let it remain for at 

 lead a fortnight, or three weeks or a month, according 

 to its fubftance and extent, before you put in the fpawn,, 

 or at leaft till the heat is become quite moderate ; for the 

 bed will be very warm in a day or two after it is made^ 

 and will continue fo for many days ; and if the fpawn was 

 to be put in while the heat is ftrong, it would be en- 

 tirely deftroyed ; therefore have two or three long fticlcs 

 thruil into the dung, to pull up occafionally to try the' 

 heat; which be fure let be quite miJd, reduced to a very 

 low warmth, before you venture the fpawn in : for this 

 is veiy delicate; impatient both of too much heat and 

 copious moilture. 



Remember, after the bed is made, that if there Oiould 

 happen to fall much rain before it is ready for the fpawn, 

 to cover the \yhole a good thicknefs at the top with long 

 dry litter, for much wet would fpoil the bed. 



When the bed is in a due condition, let the fpawn be 

 brought out in a dry day, and plant it in rows length- 

 ways of the bed, obferving to begin the firH row wi'thin 

 about fix inches of the bottom. 



T 5 Plant 



