VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 299 



be accelerated. The plants are very slow in appearing ; 

 never less than three weeks, often four or five months, and 

 sometimes a full year. Water plentifully in dry weather, 

 and keep the seed-beds free from weeds during the season. 

 Thin the plants, as they appear, to an inch apart, and, as 

 they grow strong, to two or three inches, and keep free 

 from weeds. In the autumn, when their leaves decay, clear 

 them away, and earth them up about the crowns with an 

 inch or two of soil from the alleys, or leaf-mould from the 

 woods, and cover over the whole bed, four inches deep, 

 with long litter, and leave it to stand until the time of 

 transplanting. 



As early as possible the spring ensuing, prepare the per- 

 manent bed for those you wish to transplant. Those 

 raised where they are to remain succeed best. 



Let the soil be light, and well enriched with good com- 

 post. Leaf manure is better than hot dung. Dig it up 

 deeply and thoroughly, at least two feet deep, and lay it 

 off in beds three feet wide, with alleys between, two feet 

 in width. Upon each of these beds plant two rows of 

 plants eighteen inches apart, and the same distance in the 

 row. Take up the plants very carefully with the trowel, 

 so as not to disturb the roots. If you plant cuttings of 

 old plants, put two in each place, to guard against failures. 

 In all cases, be careful in transplanting that the roots 

 are not broken or dried by exposure to the sun and 

 air. During the dry, hot weather of summer, the beds 

 should be liberally watered, the first season after replant- 

 ing, as upon their summer growth depends the next 

 season's crop. Keep the soil clean, and after the plants 

 get well rooted, dig over the ground between the rows, 

 making the soil as fine as possible. 



The coming autumn, the earthing-tip must be a little 

 increased ; give a coat of leaf-mould, or compost manure, 

 and over this a thick coat of leaves, which will bring the 

 plants on early in the spring. The next spring remove 



