KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



two feet and a half wide. As you mark out your beds, 

 drive down, at each corner, a pin of some durable wood, 

 about the size of your wrist (if it be a stout one), and 

 going down into the ground a foot and a half at least, 

 leaving six inches to be above ground j these pins being 

 always ready to apply the line to, will prevent the beds 

 from ever getting out of their proper shape. Having 

 laid out the beds, make three lines along each, placing 

 the first line at six inches from the outside of the bed. 

 The lines are to be a foot apart, and that will leave six 

 inches from the outside line to the outside of the bed j 

 sow the seed along these lines, press it well down into 

 the ground, and cover it lightly. The plants will be up 

 in June ; and, as soon as they are fairly up, thin them to 

 a foot apart, and keep them very clean and nicely hoed 

 all the summer. They will, in the autumn, have stalks 

 or haulm about a foot high, which will turn yellow in the 

 month of November. When it do so, cut it off, and 

 cover the bed an inch or two deep with a mixture of 

 wood ashes or other compost. Thus the beds will lie all 

 the winter. In the spring, March or early in April, move 

 the tops of the beds with a fork, and carefully pick out 

 all weeds that make their appearance ; and then throw 

 upon the beds earth about two inches deep from the 

 alleys, making that earth very fine, and keeping the 

 edges of the alleys very smooth and straight. The 

 plants will now send out several shoots from each crown, 

 and, if kept clean during the summer, the haulm will 

 attain the height of three feet. This year, the plants will 

 bear some seed , but, no notice is to be taken of that ; 

 and, in the month of November, when the haulm becomes 

 yellow, you cut it off again close to the ground, and lay 



