10 THE FABM. 



seeds are usually sown in a hot-bed, and either rtinain there to frnit, 

 or are transplanted into pots of rich earth, which are set in beds of tan- 

 ners' bark, and carefully sheltered from the cold and night air ; they 

 fruit in August and September. 



Gourds, cucumbers, and tomatoes, or love-apples, should be raised in 

 a hot-bed, and transplanted into warm, sheltered situations; they 

 should, for some time after transplanting, be sheltered from frosts du- 

 ring the most inclement weather. But they thrive best, and produce 

 the finest fruit, when suflfered to come to maturity in the hot-bed, with 

 the cover raised during the day in the finest weather, and sheltered 

 only during the colder nights. 



Capsicums also come under this denomination, being grown for their 

 seed-shells; they should be raised in a well-prepared, rich soil, and 

 sheltered from the cold nights, as the frost easily, and often fatally 

 affects them. 



Mushrooms are raised from spawn in a hot-bed ; this spawn is a white 

 fibrous matter, found in lumps of rotten dung, horse-mill tracks, horse- 

 rides, in stables, etc. The beds may be made in August or September. 



The aromatic, or small shrub-like plants, or herbs, as they are usually 

 termed, are raised from seeds, or by parting their roots. They grow 

 best in good, rich, light earth. They should be gathered when in 

 flower,and dried in the shade. Tiiey are mostly annuals, and require 

 to be sown in the spring; the perennials should also be sown in the 

 spring, and may be propagated by slips and cuttings, as well as by part- 

 ing the roots. 



Sweet marjoram, summer savory, and basil, are raised from seed only. 



Chamomile, winter savory, and tansy, are also raised from seed, but 

 may be increased by parting the roots. 



Balm, hyssop, lavender, mint, rosemary, rue, sage, winter savory, and 

 thyme, are all raised from seed in the first instance, but may be propa- 

 gated by parting the roots, and also by slips, cuttings, and off-sets. 



Salads and dressing-plants are, with a few exceptions, all annuals, and 

 require a rich soil, similar to that for herbs ; they should be frequetitly 

 sowed, the early kinds in spring, in hot-beds, and the latter sorts in 

 warm borders. The annual kinds are small salad (for which sow cress, 

 mustard, and radish), cos-lettuce, cabbage, corn-salad, mustard, rape, 

 clary, endive, celery, celeriac or dwarf celery, angelica, parsley, purs- 

 lane, radish, marigold, chervil, coriander, dill, and radish, and nastur- 

 tiums for pickling. 



The perennials, the whole of which are raised by seed, and may be 

 propagated by parting.the roots, and by slips and cuttings, are tarragon, 

 sorrel, fennel, horse-radish, burnet, and cress. 



A rotation, or change of crops, is a matter of much importance, as it 

 is well known to most cultivators that each sort of plant requires a 

 somewhat different nourishment, so that one crop may immediately 

 succeed another; but it should be contrived that a wide crop should fol- 

 low a close one, and then the contrary. 



THE VEGETABLES TO CULTIVATE.— The vegetables appropriate to the 

 kitchen-garden are : artichokes, asparagus, beans, beet, broccoli, cauli- 

 flower, cabbage, celery, cress, cucumber, carrot, early com, egg-plant, 



