SWISS CHAKD. 127 



soft. In about a mouth they will start into growth, and 

 when the shoots or sprouts are about four inches long 

 above the ground, they may be taken off and transplanted 

 into the open ground. The tubers will throw up a suc- 

 cession of shoots, so that three or four sets of them can be 

 had for planting. 



The sprouts may either be set out in ridges or in hills. 

 In the former case, the rows should be four feet apart, and 

 the plants twelve or fifteen inches apart on the row. When 

 planted in hills, they should be four feet apart each way, 

 allowing three plants to a hill, putting a shovelful of 

 rotted manure in each hill. The sprouts should be set one- 

 third to one-half their entire length and watered when 

 set out, continuing the watering occasionally if the weather 

 is dry. They should be kept clear of weeds until the plants 

 begin to cover the ground. 



A hot-bed, five feet square, planted hi April with tubers, 

 will furnish enough of plants to yield twelve or fifteen 

 bushels of potatoes. They may be set out towards the 

 end of May or any time during the month of June. To 

 preserve them in winter, they should be stored in boxes or 

 barrels with sand, and kept in a warm, dry place; cold 

 and damp cause them to decay. 



There are eight or nine varieties; but for cultivation in 

 our northern latitudes, the Nansemond, a yellow sort, and 

 the Red-skinned, are the best two. They aro hardier and 

 earlier than most of the other sorts. 



SWISS CHARD. 



This is a species of beet, producing large, strong leaves 

 with thick midribs, and small roots not useful for culinary 

 purposes. The thin portions of the leaves, and the leaves 



