60 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



period, by digging it well over neatly, one spade 

 deep, and breaking the surface fine ; then sow the 

 seed, and rake it in evenly and lightly ; or, before 

 the seed is sown, gently beat and smooth the surface 

 of the bed with the back of a spade ; sow the seed 

 and sift over it about a quarter of an inch of light 

 mould. 



When the weather is dry, gentle waterings in the 

 evening are necessary, both before and after the 

 plants appear; and if very hot dry weather, it is 

 advisable to shade the bed with mats, or some light 

 covering, in the heat of the day, but by no means 

 let the plants be drawn up weakly. Should they rise 

 too thick, or in clusters, they must be thinned out, 

 so as to leave them single at a small distance apart. 

 All the culture necessary afterwards is occasional 

 watering and weeding, until towards the latter end 

 of September, when their leaves will be an inch or 

 two broad : a quantity of the best plants should then 

 be pricked out in three feet beds of rich earth, in 

 rows three or four inches apart, rejecting all crooked 

 and, as we gardeners term them, black-shanked 

 , plants. As soon as they are planted, a moderate 

 watering should be given, which, when the weather 

 continues dry, may be occasionally repeated. The 

 plants must remain there till about the end of 

 October or beginning of November, when prepara- 

 tion must be made for transplanting them into their 

 winter quarters, some being planted out under hand- 

 glasses for the earliest crops, others into garden 

 frames, to be occasionally protected by glasses till 

 planted out in spring. 



The plants intended to be wintered in frames may 



