April.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 315 



directly set on the glasses; if sunny weather, and the sun power- 

 ful, shade them a little with a mat over each glass, and repeat the 

 waterings occasionally, once or twice a week, according to the 

 degree of warmth in the hed, and temperature of the weather; but 

 let moderation be always observed in performing this work, espe- 

 cially when newly planted. 



When the plants are well taken with the ground and growing 

 freely, give them plenty of air, by raising the glasses on one side, 

 and when they have grown so large as to run out under the glasses, 

 let these be raised on brickbats, stones, or pieces of wood, to give 

 full liberty to the plants, and do not take them off" totally till 

 towards the end of May. 



Cucumber and melon seeds may be sown about the middle of 

 this month, on ridges made as above, and protected with glasses; 

 these will be much earlier than if sown in the beginning of May 

 in the open ground, and much more profitable to market-gardeners. 



Planting Cautifloivers. 



In order to have cauliflowers in good perfection, you must be 

 provided with stout early plants, such as are strong, and in the 

 middle states, perfectly tit for planting out, early this month: being 

 furnished with these, select a piece of very rich loam, rather inclin- 

 ing to moisture, but by no means wet, and such as will not be 

 subject either to burn or become stiff and bound by severe drought, 

 always avoiding sand or clay, as much as possible; give it at least 

 four or five inches deep of well rotted cow-dung, or if this cannot 

 be had, other old manure; dig or trench it one good spade or 

 eighteen inches deep, incorporating the manure effectually there- 

 with, as you proceed in digging or trenching. 



Then in the first week of this month, take up your plants, which 

 were managed as directed in the preceding month, with a trans- 

 planter or hollow trowel, one by one, preserving as much earth as 

 possible about their roots, and plant them down to their leaves in 

 rows three feet asunder, and the same distance plant from plant, in 

 the rows, forming a little hollow (basin like) about eight inches 

 over, and two deep, round every plant to receive water occasionally, 

 till fit for earthing up; and which, immediately previous to landing 

 the plants, should be filled with good compost earth, if convenient. 

 Then give each a little water, which repeat at intervals of three 

 or four days, till in a vigorous growing state, and afterwards occa- 

 sionally. Or, after having first manured and dug the ground, you 

 may make trenches as if for celery, in the direction of north and 

 south; and in the bottom of each lay four inches deep of well rotted 

 cow-dung, cast thereon five or six inches of earth, and point over 

 the whole with a spade, mixing the earth and dung effectually: in 

 these trenches plant your cauliflower plants at the above distances, 

 and give occasional waterings as before. 



To attempt planting cauliflowers in poor ground would be 

 labour in vain; they love, nay, they require a deep, very rich, and 



