Economical Substitute for Hand-Glasses. 77 



is, when they are shooting up to seed, by forking, frequent 

 hoeing, mulching, and watering between the rows, as if flowers 

 and seed were all we wanted, we shall invigorate the plants, and 

 enable them to form fine plump crowns for next season : but I 

 cannot see how banking the beds up with soil, or mulching them 

 with strawy litter before winter (the roots being then in a state 

 of rest), can be of any great service to the plants. A short time 

 before the buds appear in spring, a little fine soil may be drawn 

 over the crowns, in order to blanch the lower halves of the 

 buds. 



In cutting, let the earth be first scraped away from the bud, 

 that the gatherer may see where and what he is about to cut. 

 Two or three years must elapse, after planting, before any buds 

 can be profitaJbly gathered for use; after which term, the lines 

 may be allowed to remain until they become straggling and 

 unproductive. In most gardens, however, they are generally 

 wanted for forcing after six or seven years' bearing ; in which 

 case only a very slight hot-bed is necessary (say 80° bottom 

 heat), with 2 in. or 3 in. of any soil under and about the roots ; 

 and 5 in. or 6 in. of old tan, or any light soil, over them : atmo- 

 spheric temperature about 55°. 



Roots, placed between two layers of soil in pots or boxes, may 

 be introduced into any early forcing-house at work ; or trenches 

 may be cut between the lines in the open ground, and hot dung 

 or leaves introduced under hoops and mats. Beds for forcino- 

 asparagus, with trenches between cased with brickwork, I con- 

 sider as expensive and unprofitable, 



Isleworth, Dec. 14. 1836. 



Art. XIV. An economical Substitute Jor Hand-Glasses in Gardenino-. 



By N. M. T. 



Having always had the misfortune to live where there was a 

 scarcity of hand-glasses, to obviate this defect I have lately 

 grown my cauliflower plants in pots. I do not adopt the com- 

 monplace plan of stuffing the roots into a pot, and leaving the 

 head out. I do the very reverse of this : I put the head in, and 

 leave the roots out. But a description of my present plant- 

 ation will develope the whole system. The caiiliflowers are 

 planted in rows across a 10 ft. border, 3 ft. between the rows, 

 and six plants in a row. After they are planted, I provide a 

 flower-pot (32.) for each plant, introducing it through the hole 

 (1 in. in diameter) in the bottom of the pot. The pot is then 

 firmly pressed down, earthed up about half way outside, to 

 prevent its being upset, and the operation is completed. When 

 protection becomes necessary, I provide a board, 9 ft. long and 



