18 KITCHEN-GARDEN'ING. 



plants may get devoured by insects as fast as they come up. 

 To obviate these difficulties, T have generally allowed a week 

 or ten days for sowing the seed, intending the medium as the 

 proper time for the vicinity of New York. With this clearly 

 borne in mind, the reader who observes the difference in the 

 degrees of heat and cold in the different parts of the country, 

 will know how to apply these instructions accordingly. 



PLANTING IN DRILLS. 



I have, in most cases, recommended drills to be made at cer- 

 tain depths for the different kinds of seed ; and when I have 

 stated that the drills should be two inches deep, it is intended 

 that the seed should be covered only one inch, which it will be 

 when planted in these drills and covered; and so in proportion 

 for any other depth required. This may serve as a guide to 

 the young gardener ; but circumstances alter cases. If, for 

 instance, some particular crops should fail, this would render it 

 necessary, if the season be far advanced, to risk a further plant- 

 ing of seed, even if the weather be hot and the ground dry. 

 If this be planted a little deeper, it may escape the violent heat 

 of the sun, and in the event of a shower, the ground would be- 

 come sufficiently moist to bring it up ; whereas it sometimes 

 happens that seed sown after a shower does not vegetate until 

 after the season is too far advanced to bring the crop to perfection. 



The work of drilling by those who have no machine, may be 

 performed in various ways ; in some cases a plough is used, in 

 others a small hoe, or a dibble drawn along the edge of a board 

 or line. It is of little consequence which way the work is done, 

 if it be well done. While I leave the gardener to make his own 

 choice of tools, I would suggest that he be provided with two 

 or three drilling machines ; these, every handy man can make 

 for himself; they should be in the form of a garden-rake, with 

 a stout, heavy back, and five teeth, about two inches broad, 

 and tapered so as to enter the ground and leave drills two 

 inches deep. If one be made with the teeth eight inches apart, 

 another twelve, and another fourteen, they will be useful in 



