SPINACH 119 



management, especially in hot weather when the soil 

 is light or gravelly. Again, in the winter and early 

 spring there is a short supply at times, frost soon 

 injuring the leaves. To get good results well- 

 manured land deeply dug will be best for what is 

 termed the standing crop, that is, for the August sown 

 seed to give a winter and early spring supply. For 

 many years no one would think of sowing any other 

 variety than the prickly Spinach for a standing crop, 

 but we have several very fine varieties, one of the 

 most famous being the new Carter Spinach, a large- 

 leaved variety, very hardy and good at all seasons. 

 Another good Spinach is Round Victoria, which is far 

 better than the ordinary round summer Spinach, and 

 very good for winter and early spring supplies, while 

 it does not run to seed so quickly as the old varieties. 

 The ground for autumn -sown Spinach should be 

 deeply cultivated, and ample supplies of lime, soot 

 and wood ashes incorporated with it, if there is the 

 least difficulty in culture. One sometimes reads that it 

 is useless to attempt Spinach culture in winter, owing 

 to the bad attacks of wire-worm, but this pest is 

 quickly destroyed by dressings of gas lime given some 

 months in advance of sowing the seed. Spinach is 

 generally sown too thickly. The wise gardener thins 

 early and freely, leaving the plants from six to nine 

 inches, that is when they are to stand for any length 

 of time, with a distance of eighteen inches between 

 the rows. Two sowings are advisable at times in 

 genial weather. Spinach sown in July or August, 



