Oct.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 513 



In the middle states, if the water is tolerably mild, but particu- 

 larly in the southern states, lettuces will stand in warm south bor- 

 ders of light sandy ground with a very slight protection, and aft'ord 

 an early supply in spring; in these beds or borders they may be 

 planted at the distance of three or four inches every way, and the 

 supernumerary plants may be taken up in March and planted either 

 in hot-beds for forcing, or into other beds in warm exposures for 

 heading in due season. 



The lettuces which you plant in warm borders in the open ground 

 may, on the approach of winter, be protected by placing hoops over 

 the beds, on which to lay mats or other covering in severe weather, 

 or by placing a frame of boards around them, on which to lay others 

 slightly covered with litter when necessity requires; or by sticking 

 in small branches of pine or cedar between the rows, which will 

 yield them considerable protection, especially if some long dry 

 straw be laid over these in frosty or cutting weather. Or you may 

 stick down forked sticks about a foot high, lay long poles from one 

 fork to another, and on these boughs of pine or cedar pretty thick, 

 and likewise around the edges of the beds; those branches being 

 supported ten or twelve inches above the plants will admit a free 

 circulation of air and prevent mouldiness. This protection is not to 

 be given until the severe frosts commence, nor is it then to be taken 

 entirely off, especially in sunshine, until after the general thaw 

 takes place in spring; in very dry mild days, when the sun does 

 not shine, or when it is not powerful, you may take off the covering 

 for a few hours to air the plants; but you must as carefully guard 

 against strong sunshine, especially towards the latter end of 

 February, as against the most severe frosts; for after tender plants 

 are severely pinched by frost, a too powerful sun literally dis- 

 solves and destroys them; whereas, if they were protected from 

 such till gradually recovered and the commencement of free vege- 

 tation, there would not be the least danger of their success. This 

 is not common to lettuces only, but to cabbage and cauliflower 

 plants, stock-gilly flowers, wall flowers, and every other kind that 

 can be in the least affected by frost. 



In the beo-inning; of this month sow some of the brown Dutch 

 hardy cabbage, Hammersmith hardy green, and green cos lettuces 

 in a frame or frames, to be kept where sown, during winter, under 

 the protection of glasses, &c, in order to afford a supply of young 

 plants for forcing or planting out in the early spring months. 



Cabbage Plants. 



The young cabbage plants arising from the seeds sown last 

 month, and intended for the production of early summer cabbages 

 should, as soon in this month as they shall have attained a sufficient 

 size, be planted into the b^ds in which they are to remain during 

 winter. 



Let a bed or beds be prepared for them in a warm, well sheltered 

 part of the garden, where the sun has the greater power; for although 

 direct sunshine, when the plants are in a frozen state, is almost 

 3 R 



