THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



dry soil, that you may have them till the frosts sur- 

 prize them ; and if they lie on the bair ground, they 

 will sooner ripen by reflection. But if you would 

 have them fruitful, set sticks amongst them while 

 young for their tenderals to climb on, and keep 

 them alwayes clean of weeds. When ripe, you may 

 easily win some for seed ; but sow not every year 

 on the same plot ; to change the ground improves 

 them. I prefer setting them by lines, five rowes in 

 the bed ; make the holes nimbly by the lines, with 

 a dibble an inch and a half deep, and two inches dis- 

 tance from another, or on the same hand fallowing, 

 and put one in each hole : then give the bed a smooth 

 with the rake-head, which fills the holes, and covers 

 the peas : one pound makes more service thus than 

 three otherwayes ; it's soon performed, and they 

 spring orderly. 



Of sallads and pot-herbes : the choisest sallad is 

 asparagus ; sow its seeds in March in good ground, 

 and transplant that time te welv moneths into an ex- 

 ceeding rich and well mixed soil of rotted manure 

 and light earth ; taking care that this manure be 

 six or eight inches below the roots of the asparagus. 

 You may streatch lines along and cross the beds, 

 and mark with the edge of the rule ; then gather 



137 



