March.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 209 



inferior condition to what it could be had, if cultivated at home. 

 In hopes that this may be attempted by some spirited persons, who 

 may have the welfare of their country, as well as their own at heart, 

 I shall proceed to give the method of bringing this valuable plant to 

 the utmost perfection. 



The liquorice delights in a light sandy rich soil, which should be 

 three feet deep at least, for the goodness as well as the profits 

 arising from the culture of this plant is proportionate to the size 

 and length of its roots; the ground in which you intend to plant 

 it, should be highly manured and well dug the autumn before, that 

 the dung may be perfectly rotted and mixed with the earth; im- 

 mediately previous to planting, trench the ground three spades deep, 

 if the. natural soil be good that depth, and lay it very light; when 

 your ground is thus prepared, you should furnish yourself with 

 fresh plants, taken from the sides or heads of the old roots, observ- 

 ing that each has one or two good buds or eyes, otherwise they are 

 subject to miscarry; these plants should be from six to ten inches 

 long and perfectly sound. 



The best season for planting them in the middle states is the 

 latter end of March, or just when their buds begin to show symp- 

 toms of fresh vegetation, which must be done in the following 

 manner, viz: first strain a line across the ground, then with a long 

 dibble put in the roots so that the whole plant may be set straight 

 in the ground, with the top about an inch under the surface, in a 

 straight line, and about a foot or a little more asunder, and two feet 

 distance from row to row: you may then sow a thin crop of radishes, 

 onions, lettuces or any other small growing crops, in drills, between 

 the rows, keeping the whole clean, particularly the rising plants of 

 liquorice, during the summer and autumn; in the November follow- 

 ing, you should carefully hoe and clean the ground; the shoots and 

 leaves being then decayed, cut them off and spread a little rotten 

 dung on the surface, the virtue of which will be washed into the 

 ground by the rains and the plants greatly improved thereby. 



In the March following you should slightly dig the ground 

 between the rows, burying the remaining part of the dung, but in 

 doing this you should be careful not to injure the roots. Let no- 

 thing now be either sowed or planted between the rows, but keep 

 them always clean, and in autumn when the stalks of the liquorice 

 are decayed, cut them down close to the surface of the earth as 

 before. 



The same work is to be repeated annually, till the plants are 

 three years old, when they will be fit for taking up; that is, slightly 

 stir the ground every spring and autumn, keeping down the weeds 

 in summer by hoeing; but after the first or second year, the stalks 

 will shoot so vigorously as soon to cover the ground and greatly 

 retard the growth of weeds. 



The proper season for taking up the roots is November, for they 

 should not be taken up until the stalks are fully decayed, nor de- 

 ferred till the sap begins to circulate afresh in spring, for in either 

 case the roots would be apt to shrivel and diminish in weight, 

 2C ' 



