194 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



way ; observe to take off all the tap-roots, give a little water, 

 and put on the lights ; give plenty of air, and when the plants 

 are well rooted, take off the lights every mild day, and leave 

 plenty of air at nights. When the plants have become tolerably 

 strong and hardy, remove the lights altogether, and cover only 

 at nights with a mat, watering freely in di-y weather. When 

 the plants have reached the height of six or eight inches, they 

 ought then to be removed into the trenches : cut the plants out 

 in squares, placing them carefully about eight inches apart in 

 the trench. When the work is performed by a careful and 

 active hand, they will scarcely feel their removal ; their roots 

 will reach the puddle in the space of fifteen or twenty days, 

 when their growth will be accelerated in a rapid degree. There 

 will be a visible change in their external appearance, fi'om an 

 ordinary hue to a deep dark green, nearly bordering upon 

 black. When the plants have grown to the height of eighteen 

 or twenty inches, they will then require a little earthing up, 

 but be sure to give a good watering first, and place a little 

 water-run sand round each plant, which keeps all clean and 

 free from worm-eating and canker. Where a retentive bottom 

 is found, this preparation is not necessary ; but to prevent worm- 

 eating or canker, when the trenches are prepared in the ordi- 

 -.tary way, draw a drill three inches deep, in the centre of 

 each crop, fill the drill with sand and plant as usual. 



If a good stock of celery plants be planted in a composi- 

 tion as directed above (but not in a hot-bed), upon a piece of 

 ground beaten hard to prevent the roots striking deep, you 

 may with these plants fill the early celery ti'enches the second 

 time in the same year, and one quarter of the dung used in 

 the common way will do to renew the trenches after the first 

 year. By allowing the plants four inches distance from each 

 other in the composition, they will grow strong, and remove 

 when twelve or fifteen inches high, and be soon ready to 

 earth up. 



BORECOLE. 



The different sorts of greens under this general name should 

 be planted, as directed last month. Let every piece of vacant 



