92 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Feb. 



almost any soil, and are easily propagated by sets. They may 

 be planted in rows, eight or nine inches asunder, and four or 

 five in the row. Any time in this month, or in March, will 

 be proper for planting. 



SOWING SPINACH. 



At the beginning of this month, spinach of the round sort 

 may be sown on an open spot, and also for successional crops at 

 the end of the month. The winter crops must now be hoed and 

 cleared, and although entirely free from weeds, yet the earth 

 should be stirred about the plants. If these crops have been 

 sown broad-cast, they should be thinned out to eight or nine 

 inches square, and if in drills, to three or four inches between 

 the plants. Spinach, managed according to this system, will, 

 if in rich land, produce a fine large leaf, and a much more 

 abundant crop than if lefi; unthinned, which is too frequently 

 the case. Fine weather must be chosen for this purpose, and 

 the surface must be well loosened among the plants, parti- 

 cularly if the soil be of a stiff' nature, and the ground have 

 been much affected by heavy rains, or f^odden upon during 

 winter. 



Spinach requires a richer soil than almost any other culinary 

 vegetable to bring it to perfection, as it has to yield fi-equent 

 gatherings or cuttings, and therefore requires a repeated de- 

 velopment of parts, which cannot be expected without an 

 abundance of food. The finest crops of this vegetable may be 

 expected from ground glutted with manure, so far as the attain- 

 ment of bulk of vegetable matter is concerned. 



LEEKS. 



Leeks should be sown in a bed of rich land, and moderately 

 thick, as they must be afterwards transplanted. 



MUSHROOMS, 



Be carefiil that the mushroom-beds be well protected froyn 

 heavy rains and frost ; either of which would destroy the spawn. 



