S P 11 



S P R 



affording a very profitable after-crop. The fprouts pro- 

 duced on the Italk;! of the early-cut cabbages often alfo 

 cabbage into tolerable little firm heads towards autumn, in 

 the fugar-loaf cabbage particularly, and other forward 

 kinds ; producing abundance of fine fprouts in fummer, 

 which, being gathered while young and green, conftitute 

 feme of the moll excellent culinary greens of the feafon. 

 Likewife forward favoys, being cut early in autumn, the 

 remaining italks produce fine large fprouts the fame year, 

 fit for ute in the early part of winter : later crops of the 

 fame plants produce alfo abundance of fmall fprouts in the 

 fpring ; and the borecole is remarkable for its great pro- 

 du6lion of fprouts towards fpring, emitted all along the 

 fmall Hems from the very bottom to the top : alfo, purple 

 brocoli never fails to produce a fecondary crop of excellent 

 fprouts, furnilhed with little tender heads. 



In the culture of all the varieties of the cabbage kind, it 

 is proper, therefore, after gathering the main heads, to 

 leave a quantity of the (talks of the bed and more forward 

 crops, of the refpe6tive iorts, to produce fprouts ; and if, 

 towards autumn or winter, and other feafons, the ground 

 (hould be wanted for other crops, the ilalks may be removed, 

 and trenched in by the roots in another place, not in a (hady 

 bye corner, as often prattifed, nor placed too clofe, as the 

 fprouts would, in fuch cafes, prove fmall and trifling, and 

 be liable to be eaten up by flugs ; but in an open iituation, 

 in rows a foot afunder : in which method the fprouts will 

 continue their growth in much greater perfection, though 

 probably not in fo good condition as if the Italks had re- 

 mained undillurbed. 



As the Italks of cauliflowers and cauliflower-brocoli 

 rarely produce any fprouts, it is needlefs to leave them 

 itanding on the ground, alter their heads have been cut from 

 them. 



The fprouts of this kind which are produced in the fum- 

 mer and autumnal feafons are by much the fined, and con- 

 tinue the longell in perfection ; yet, though the fpring 

 fprouts may be of a fmaller fize, and continue a much fliorter 

 time before they run up for producing feed, they are, not- 

 withltanding, often found highly advantageous, ufeful, and 

 acceptable at fuch a feafon, on account of the great defi- 

 ciency of other forts of green vegetable produfts, and for 

 the variety which they afford at the table. 



All fprouts of this nature, and for this ufe, fliould con- 

 ftantly be plucked or taken off from the ftems of the old 

 plants while they are in their young, full, and early growth, 

 in order that they may boil in a green and tender manner ; 

 as they are liable to become hard and dicky, when left to 

 an old date of growth, and are not by any means fo fale- 

 able in the market. 



Spuouts or Shoots of Potatoes, Planting of. Tliefe are the 

 fprouts, fiioots, or rur.ning branches, which are fcnt off from 

 them in their early growth. Such young fprouts or fhoots 

 have lately had different experiments made with them, by 

 which it has been fliewn, that they are capable of being ulcd 

 with advantage in raifing crops of this very neceffary root, 

 in fome cafes. In Sullex, the carl of Egremont, according 

 to tlie writer of the corrected account of the agriculture 

 of that didridt, has taken much intcred in trials for raifing 

 them in this way. 



In regard to the method of breaking off the fprouts or 

 fiioots from the potatoe', there is no realon, it is faid, to 

 be apprehenfivc liow or in what manner they are taken od ; 

 and if the fprouts dr flioots, alter they have been leparated 

 from the potatoe, be put into a balket, and have a little 

 earth thrown over them, they will keep in this date, it is 

 aliened, if not immediately wanted, for months. The 



Vol. XXXIII. 



kidney potatoe, after its fecond cropping, is noticed to de- 

 creafe in the number of its fprouts or Ihoots. No fort is 

 fuppofed to equal the red cinder kind. The early kidney 

 comes up before any other fort ; the cluder is the next ; 

 and the ox-noble the lad. The cluder throws out more 

 fprouts or fhoots than any other kind, even fo far as up to 

 thirty at a time. 



The fprouts or fhoots are planted promifcuoufly from one 

 to fix or feven inches in length. Until the third or fourth 

 month after planting, the fprouts or fiioots have, it is faid, 

 but a (mall apple, not above the fize of the end of a per- 

 fon's finger ; but afterwards they wonderfully increafc their 

 fize. Hence it follows, it is fuppofed, that the eye, hav- 

 ing a greater and more fubdantial root to fupport the vege- 

 tative power of the plant, comes eafier to perfection ; but 

 that the fprout or fiioot, though dationary at fird, will in 

 the end more than equal the other in produce ; and if to 

 this be added the faving of feed, the advantage will be (till 

 more confiderable. 



Hence it is faid, that it may be inferred, that this method 

 of cultivating the potatoe, which is practifed at Petworth, 

 in the above county, with fuccefs, merits the attention of 

 farmers, and probably of garden cultivators alfo. For an 

 early market it is the only method, it is thought, of raifing 

 them ; and befides, the feed and expences of cutting are 

 faved. 



It has been long known that the potatoe is capable of 

 being readily raifed by planting the fprouts or fhoots, and 

 recourfe has, for a confiderable length of time, been had 

 to it, in fome mealure, for the production of early crops, in 

 the county of Lancader. 



The want of fubdance in the fprouts or (hoots would 

 feem to be a great objeftion to the fprout manner of raifing 

 potatoe crops, as there mult be a deficiency of fupport in 

 the early growth of the plants which conditute fuch crops ; 

 as it has been found that even fmall cuttings, where the eyes 

 are preferved, are not fo good for raifing full crops, on ac 

 count of their want of fubltance, as thofe of large ones ; 

 and fcooped eyes, as fets, have now almod been wholly re- 

 jected by cultivators, in confequence of their defeft of fub- 

 dantial nutrient matter for the fupport of the young plant 

 in its fird or very infant growth. The matter remains, 

 however, to be fully cleared up, and placed in a decided 

 point of view, by more full and more corredt trials made 

 direftly in this intention, as the fprouts or flioots are un- 

 quedionably the natural modes in which the plants arc railed. 

 See Potatoe and Solakum. 



Sprout-/////, a name fomctimes given to the ant-hill. 

 See Ant-//;//. 



The moll ready way of removing fprout-hilU is probably 

 by frequent heavy rolling of the land, immediately on their 

 fird appearance. The turning of a dream of water over the 

 ground, where it can be conveniently done, may alfo fomc- 

 times perhaps be efte£tual in the fame intention. There arc 

 different implements and machines which perform this fort of 

 work in a very complete, expeditious, and effectual manner, 

 that may be had recourfe to £or the purpofc. See SwARU- 

 Cutter, and Striking AnI-hUl MaMne. 



SPROUTING, the germination or firft fending forth 

 of youg fprouts from feeds, cuttings, or plants. 



The fprouting and early growth of almod all forts of field 

 and garden feeds and plants are greatly promoted by placing 

 them to proper depths, in properly dry and fuit.ibly rich foils 

 and (Ituations, as well as by a nice attention to their cul- 

 ture, while they are in their young rifing date or condition. 

 'J'his is particularly the cafe in the latter forts of feeds and 

 plants. 



4M SPRUCE, 



