SPINACH. 301 



the plants have three or four leaves an inch broad, 

 they should be thinned out to three inches apart, 

 and cleared from weeds, either by the hoe or hand ; 

 but the former will be found the most eligible, 

 especially for the broad- cast sown crops. In about 

 three weeks afterwards, they require (unless it is 

 intended to begin thinning out the plants for use 

 whilst young) to be again thinned out and hoed to 

 six or seven inches apart, especially the spring and 

 summer crops of the Flanders and round spinach, 

 which, having proper room, will grow very large, 

 and spread its broad leaves widely, and does not 

 run to seed so soon as if left close. 



When the plants have leaves two or three inches 

 broad, they will be fit for gathering. This is done 

 in two ways; either by cutting them up with a knife 

 wholly to the bottom, or drawing and cleaning 

 them out by the root, or only cropping the large 

 outer leaves, the root and heart remaining to shoot 

 out again. Either method can be adopted, accord- 

 ing to the season and other circumstances. The 

 author would suggest to the young gardener, who 

 most likely has a table to serve in the depth of winter, 

 when the ground is covered with frost and snow, 

 whether it may not be necessary, in that season, to 

 have one or more beds of spinach protected with 

 garden mats or some other sort of close covering. 

 Such matters speak for themselves, and require but 

 little consideration, their utility being so obvious. 



