KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



stick. From the bottom of the eye to the point of the 

 stick should be about nine inches in length. The stick 

 should not be tapering; but nearly of equal thickness all the 

 way down, to within an inch and a half of the point, where 

 it must be tapered off to the point. If the wood be cut 

 away all round, to the thickness of a dollar, and iron put 

 round in its stead, it makes a very complete tool. The 

 iron becomes bright, and the earth does not adhere to it, 

 as it does to wood. Having the plant in one hand, and 

 the stick in the other, make a hole suitable to the root 

 that it is to receive. Put in the root in such a way as 

 that the earth, when pressed in, will be on a level with 

 the butt-ends of the lower, or outward leaves of the 

 plant. Let the plant be rather higher than lower than 

 this ; for, care must be taken not to put the plants so 

 low as for the earth to fall, or be washed, into the heart of 

 the plant, nor even into the inside of the bottom leaves. The 

 stem of a cabbage, and stems of all the cabbage kind, send 

 out roots from all the parts of them that are put be- 

 neath the surface of the ground. It is good, therefore, 

 to plant as deep as you can without injury to the leaves. 

 The next consideration is, the fastening of the plant in the 

 ground. I cannot do better than repeat here what I have 

 said in my Year's Residence, Paragraphs 83 and 84 : 

 " The hole is made deeper than the length of the roots ; 

 " but the root should not be bent at the point, if it can 

 (< be avoided. Then, while one hand holds the plant, with 

 <( its root in the hole, the other hand applies the setting 

 " stick to the earth on one side of the hole, the stick being 

 " held in such a way as to form a sharp triangle with the 

 " plant. Then, pushing the stick down, so that its point go 

 " a little deeper than the point of the root, and giving it a 



