156 



to the cutting, each bed is covered in the course of 

 March very hghtly with dead leaves, to the depth of 

 about eight inches ; and the cutting does not com- 

 mence till the plants peep through this covering, 

 when it is carefully removed from the stems, in order 

 that the finest only may be cut, which are rendered 

 white by their leafy covering, and succulent by the 

 excessive richness of the soil. In the autumn of the 

 third year, after the first cutting, the leaves are re- 

 moved, and the beds are again dressed with fresh 

 night-soil as before ; and these operations are re- 

 peated year after year. In addition to this, the beds 

 are half under salt water annually at spring tides. 

 Let any one compare this mode of culture with ours, 

 and there will be no room for wondering at the dif- 

 ference in the result. The Spaniards use a light, 

 sandy soil ; we are content with any thing short of 

 clay. They irrigate ; we trust to our rainy climate. 

 They know the value of salt water to a sea-coast 

 plant; we take no means to imitate nature in this 

 respect. They dress their beds with the most power- 

 ful of all manures ; we are contented ^^ith the black 

 residuum of a cucumber frame, which is compara- 

 tively a caimt mortuum. Finally, they throw leaves 

 lightly over their beds, by which means they expose 

 the young sprouts to the least amount of resistance, 

 and force them onward by the warmth collected from 

 the sun by such beds of leaves ; we, on the other 



