GARDENING. 



221 



sirlerable depth. A mere flat hoeing does nothing but 

 keep down the weeds. The hoeing' when the plants 

 aro- become stout, should be deep ; and if done with a 

 hoe that has prongs the better. Deep hoeing is enough 

 in some cases ; but, in others, digging is necessary to 

 produce a fine and i'ull crop. If any body will have a 

 piece of cabbages, and will dig between the rows of one 

 half of them, twice during their growth, and let the oth- 

 er half of the piece have nothing but a flat hoeing, that 

 person will find that the half which has been digged be- 

 tween, will weigh nearly twice as much as the other 

 half. 



In hoeing, caution must be used not to get dirt on the 

 plants, particularly such as have large leaves or wide 

 stems where they join the principal stalk, for dirt re- 

 mains longer on such places and injures the healthiness 

 of the plant. 



That a garden may be kept clean, not one weed 

 should be suffered to have its seed ripen on it. To pre- 

 vent the ground from receiving injury, no more plants 

 ought to be suffered to go to seed than will be sufficient 

 to furnish seed for planting for the next year. 



All refuse leaves of cabbages, &c. should be carried 

 off the ground and given to cattle, or they will give a 

 bad smell to the garden. 



Transplanting. In transplanting plants, a wet time is 

 to be chosen, and the evening is better than any other 

 time. As much of the earth should be left round the 

 roots, as possible, in taking them out of the ground ; 

 and if they are raised with a trowel, by which a bunch 

 of earth can be raised with them, they will be the bet- 

 ter for it. The holes where they are sjet should be wa- 

 tered, and the water should previously be well warmed 

 in the sun. In the act of transplanting, the main things 

 are, not to bury the hesrt of the plant ; and to take 

 care that the earth be well pressed about the point of 

 the root. To press the earth very closely about the 

 stem is of httle use, if you leave the point of the root 

 loose. 



Wateriiig. With regard to watering of plants, all that 

 is necessary to be said, is, that cold water, as drawn from 

 20 



