150 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



the various species of Veronicat and other early annuals, which, 

 if not attended to, would spill their seeds on the ground, and 

 produce them in a thousand fold. Have all roots, docks, 

 dandelions, and similar weeds, carefully dug up with a fork, 

 and immediately carried off in a basket to the woods. Let 

 order and neatness be your constant aim. The garden, although 

 appropriated solely to the culture of culinary vegetables, and 

 not flowers, is not to be kept, like the garden of the sluggard, 

 overgrown with briars and thistles. See every evening that all 

 the tools used throughout the day have been carefully removed 

 to the tool-shed. Nothing indicates carelessness more than 

 seeing tools left in all directions, independently of the con- 

 fusion which it makes, when they may be wanted on the mor- 

 row. Be careful to destroy all snails and slugs, which at this 

 season are invited abroad by the gentle showers of rain pecu- 

 liar to the season, for if they be suffered to increase, they will 

 become very troublesome and destructive to many of the crops. 



After a shower of rain draw the earth up to the stems of 

 cabbages and cauliflower-plants, which were planted either in 

 autumn or early in the spring. This is absolutely necessary, 

 to guard their stems from the sun and wind, which dry and 

 harden them ; but, in performing this operation, care must be 

 taken not to draw the earth up into their hearts, which will 

 destroy them. Hoeing at this season not only gives a neat 

 appearance to the surface, but also promotes vegetation in the 

 plants, and in dry weather prevents the too rapid evaporation 

 of the moisture in the soil. As the operation of hoeing pro- 

 ceeds, let the whole be neatly raked over, which will destroy 

 those weeds which the hoe may have left. 



