THE KITCHEN-GAEDEN. " 17 



The plants ninst not be placed flat in the bottom of the trench, but 

 nearly upright against the back of it, and so that the cvown of the 

 plants may also stand upright, and two or three inches below the sur- 

 face of the ground, spreading their roots somewhat regularly against 

 the back of the trench, and at the same time drawing a little earth up 

 against them with the hand as you place them, just to fix the plants in 

 their due position until the row is planted ; when one row is thus 

 placed, with a rake or hoe draw the earth into the trench over the 

 plants, and then proceed to open another drill or trench, as before 

 directed ; and fill and cover it in the same manner, and so on till the 

 whole is planted ; then let the surface of the beds be raked smooth and 

 clear from stones, etc. 



Some gardeners, with a view to have extra large heads, place their 

 plants sixteen inches apart in the rows, instead of twelve ; and by plant- 

 ing them in the quincunx manner, that is, by commencing the second 

 row eight inches from the end of the first, and the fourth even with the 

 second, the plants will form rhomboidal squares, instead of rectangular 

 ones, and every plant will thus have room to expand its roots and 

 leaves luxuriantly. 



In winter, cover them to the depth of three or four inches with rotten 

 manure, to keep the crowns from frost ; if in the spring the earth is 

 found to have settled in any part, the deficiency must be made up with 

 more mould. It is a common practice to sow radishes upon the beds, 

 but it is an injurious one, as it robs the ground of a great portion of its 

 nutriment, so essential to their luxuriant growth. The plants are per- 

 mitted the first two years to run up to stalks, that strong crowns may 

 be formed at their base for the future crop. 



After the third year, the beds will require the following mode of 

 treatment. From the middle of October to the end of November give 

 them their winter dressing, which consists in cutting down the stalks 

 close to the ground and clearing the beds from weeds ; drawing them 

 off at the same time with a rake into the alleys, to be buried or taken 

 to the compost heap, to be mixed up with other litter and again return- 

 ed to the soil. Cover the whole of the bed with two or three inches 

 of manure; the alleys must be dug spade-deep, at the same time spread- 

 ing some soil over the manure on the beds, and leveling the whole evenly. 

 It may be supposed that the annual dressing in this way will in a few 

 years considerably raise the beds; but by the spring forking and raking 

 together, with the hoeing and dressing during summer, a considerable 

 portion of the earth is being continually drawn again into the alleys. 



As soon as the frost is fairly out of the ground in the spring, loosen 

 the surface of the beds with a fork, introdiKiing it three or four inches 

 into the soil, turning up the earth with care not to wound the crown 

 of the roots. Then make the surface of the beds even and equal, 

 drawing off the rough earth, stones, etc., into the alleys; finish by 

 stretching a line along the edge of the beds, and trim them neatly off 

 with the spade. Stirring the bed in this manner enables the shoots to 

 rise in free growth ; admits the air, rain and sunshine into the ground, 

 and encourages the roots to produce buds of a strong size. A full crop 

 may be expected the fourth season after planting. The proper method 



