May*] 



THE CULINARY GARDEN. 



163 



THINNING THE CROPS OF BEET. 



The crops of beets which are in a forward state will require 

 to be thinned about the middle of this month ; this operation 

 should, however, be performed gradually; nor should the 

 plants be thinned out all at once. In the first place, they 

 should be thinned to about two or three inches distant, and to 

 five or six in a few weeks afterwards. A showery time should 

 be chosen, or the earth should be settled about the plants by 

 a liberal watering. The ground should be previously hoed, 

 and closed well about their roots. 



LOVE-APPLES. 



Towards the end of the month, if the weather be favorable, 

 plant out the love-apple plants reared in the hot-houses. These 

 plants are of a trailing rambling habit, and require to be sup- 

 ported or trained against a wall or pales. In cold situations, 

 they will require a southern exposure to ripen them, and to 

 facilitate their ripening, the shoots should be shortened or 

 topped, when they have shown a sufficient number of flowers 

 and are beginning to set their fruit. All lateral branches 

 should be removed, and as the fi'uit begins to ripen, pick off 

 some of the leaves, in order to admit the sun to the fruit. In 

 dry weather, they will require a plentiful supply of water ; and 

 as they are great exhausters of the ground, they should not be 

 planted too near to the fruit-trees. In warm situations, they 

 will bring their fruit to great perfection if planted on a bed of 

 mould, made so as to slope to the sun ; upon this bed, which 

 should have a considerable inclination, they may be trained 

 and pegged down like cucumber-plants, and, in many instances, 

 they will emit roots at their joints, which will materially tend 

 to strengthen them. The surface of this bed may be covered 

 with plain tiles or slates, which will not only hasten their .ma- 

 turity, by increasing the heat on the surface, but also keep the 

 fruit clean and free from any earthy particles, which might be 

 washed upon them, during the process of watering, heavy rains, 

 or the like. In whatever way they are grown, they should 

 not be allowed to grow too rambling, for if not pruned, and 



