SPINACIA. 



leaves are triangular and (harp arrow-pointed, the feeds 

 fomewhat armed with (hort fpines ; the round witli fmooth 

 feeds, which has ovate thick leaves, not angular at their 

 bafe ; botn the ftalks and leaves are mucl> more flefhy and 

 fucculent than in the other fort ; and the feeds are fmooth, 

 without any fpines. Of this alfo there are two or three 

 fub-varieties, differing in the Ihape, thicknefs, and fize of 

 their leaves. 



In each of the principal forts there are variations in the 

 leaves, as to their form and magnitude, but the broadeft and 

 thickeft-leaved forts are far the bed in quality. Thofe with 

 the molt thick and ftocky leaves, of a ttrong dark green co- 

 lour and luxuriant growth, are commonly fuppofed the moil 

 valuable fort of the round kind. 



Method of general Culture. — In thefe plants it is efit-aed 

 only by feed, by fowing it every year in fpring and autumn ; 

 the former funiifhing the main fpring and fummer crops ; 

 and the latter the winter, and thofe for early fpring ufe. 

 The prickly fort is the beil for winter crops, and the round 

 for the lummer ones. 



The feed (hould be fown at feveral intervals of time from 

 January till Auguft, as every month, three weeks, or fort- 

 night, according to the earlinefs or advanced period of the 

 feafon, fo a^ to obtain a regular fucceflion molt part of the 

 year. The general fpring crop (hould be fown in March, 

 and the general winter crop about the beginning of 

 Auguft. 



But in the fpring fowings, as the crops in the very early 

 fowings in January run foon to feed, a moderate quantity 

 fhould only be fown. However, in the autumn fowings, as 

 the plants do not run the fame year, good full crops, to 

 ftand for winter and early fpring ufe, may be put in. 



Thefe plants fucceed in any common foil of the kitchen- 

 garden ; but the richer in dung the better ; always choofing 

 an open fituation, not too near low fpreading trees, &c. as 

 they never fucceed in clofe or (hady places, in which they 

 are always drawn up weak, and foon run to feed without 

 attaining perfection : a warm border may be proper for 

 the early crops ; but for the main crops in general, the 

 open quarters are the moft fuitable, though a broad 

 warm-lying border may alfo be proper for fome part of 

 the later fewn winter crops occafionally, for the pur- 

 pofe of having the advantage of a little flielter of the 

 fence, and benefit of the fun during the winter feafon ; and 

 frefh feed fhould be procured for each fowing, as this wall 

 be found of great importance in the free growth of the 

 plants : for the autumn fowings of the winter crops, it is of 

 advantage to procure new feed of the fame year. 



And after the ground has been properly dug, the feed 

 miy either be fown broad-cad, and raked in, or in (hallow 

 drills a foot afunder ; though broad-ca(t is the moft expedi- 

 tious, and probably the molt proper method for the growth 

 of the crops in the product of large full leaves ; fowing it 

 all over the furface moderately thin, either in one continued 

 plat, and trodden down evenly, if light groimd, and raked 

 in with a large rake or light harrow ; or the ground may 

 be divided iato four or five-feet wide beds, with foot-wide 

 alleys between each, efpecially for the early and winter 

 crops in moift ground ; the feeds being fown as above, raking 

 them in evenly : drill-fowing may alio be occafionally prac- 

 tifed with convenience and advantage, in which the drawing 

 of the drills fhould be performed with a hoe flatways, near 

 an inch deep, and ten or twelve inches afunder, then icatter- 

 ing the feeds thinly along them, raking the earth over full 

 half an inch deep ; which mode is often very proper in fowing 

 between other crops, as between wide rows of beans, peas, 

 9 



cabbages, &c. as it admits of hoeing up the weeds between 

 the rows with facility ; and if fown thin, and the plants be 

 thinned out properly, they grow large and fine, and the pro- 

 duce is very conveniently gathered. It may likewife be 

 fown in wide drills alone, about a foot diftance, for a dif- 

 tintt full crop : or in rows two feet afunder, to admit of 

 intercropping in the intervals, with rows of cabbages, beans, 

 and other things occafionally. In thefe fowings the feeds 

 (liould be fcattered moderately thin, and the plants be after- 

 wards thinned out to three inches diftance at leaft, the feeds 

 being direftly raked regularly in : and when fown broad> 

 caft all over the furface, if in light loofe land, and a dry 

 warm feafon in the advanced part of fpring, or in the fum- 

 mer and autumn, it may be proper firft to tread the feed 

 evenly down, then raking it in eneftually with a large rake. 

 The feeds moftly come up in a fortnight ; or perhaps, if 

 fown very early in fpring, it may be three weeks or a month 

 before they appear. 



In refpeft to the after-culture of the crops, when the 

 plants have three or four leaves an inch broad, they (hould 

 be thinned out and cleared from weeds, either by hoe or 

 hand ; but the former is the moft eligible, efpecially for the 

 broad-caft fown crops ; choofing dry weather, and cutting 

 out the plants to three or four inches diftance, together with 

 all the weeds in every part ; but the above diftance is fcarcely 

 fufEcient, unlefs it is intended to begin thinning out the 

 plants for ufe while young : in other cafes it is advifable to 

 hoe them out fix or eight inches afunder, efpecially the fpring 

 and fummer crops of the round fpinach, which, havmg 

 proper room, will grow very large, and fpread its broad 

 leaves widely, and does not run to feed fo foon as if left 

 clofe. When the fpring and fummer-fown crops are left 

 too clofe, they are apt to draw up weak, and foon go to 

 feed. The winter crops of triangular or prickly fpinach, 

 it will be fufficient in moil cafes to thin out finally to three 

 or four inches diftance. 



Thefe crops are often fown in fpring with other crops, 

 for the fake of cropping the ground to the beft advantage ; 

 but it is beft when performed alone in moft inftances. 



They may, however, in fome cafes, be put in between the 

 rows of particular plants with fome utihty in the way of 

 faving ground, where that is material, as between young 

 cabbage and cauliflower plants, which have been finally fet 

 out at wide diftances for main crops, as well as in the large 

 intervals of pea and bean crops, efpecially when of the low 

 or dwarf kind, and between fome other forts of general 

 rowed crops with wide fpaces. The fpinach feed, in thefe 

 circumftances, is moftly beft put into the ground in fingle 

 or double drills in the middle parts, according to the dif- 

 tances of the rows of the other plants ; but it is fometimes 

 fown in the broad-caft manner over the whole furfaccs of 

 the intervals, and raked in. And it is occafionally fown 

 over all the piece of ground in mixture with (hort-top 

 radifh feed, and raked in ; after which, either immediately 

 or in a (hort fuitable fpace of time, the plants or other 

 crops are planted out or fown in their regular modes. 

 The fowing of fpinach feed in this way, commonly takea 

 place in the early parts of February and the following 

 month, and is praftifed upon the borders, as well as the 

 large quarters where fuch main fpring crops are to be 

 grown and cultivated. The plants or other crops in this 

 mode growing quickly, have foon the advantage of the 

 mixed crops between their rows, though the fmall plants 

 of thefe kinds are not injured or retarded in their growth 

 thereby, as they are ready to be gathered and removed for 

 ufe long before the main crops have any hurtful tendency. 



Immediately 



