March.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 207 
For the cultivation of this plant, make choice of a good spot of 
light rich earth, not dry nor very yvet, for in either extreme it will 
not thrive. Sow the seeds pretty thin in shallow drills about 
eighteen inches asunder, covering them half an inch deepj when 
they come up thin them, leaving the best plants six inches distant 
from one another: about the beginning of July your first crop, if 
sown in March, will be fit for blanching, at which time you are to 
earth it up as you do celery, and in three weeks after it will be in 
a good condition for use. To have a regular succession of this 
plant some seed must be sown every three weeks during the season, 
and your late crops may be preserved in winter as you do celery. 
Capsicums or Red-peppers, Tomatoes, and Egg-Flants. 
The different varieties of the capsicums, tomatoes, and egg- 
plants being in much estimation for culinary purposes, you should 
sow some of each kind now in pots, and forward them in your hot- 
beds, so as to have strong plants ready for planting out into the 
open ground as early in May as the night frosts shall have totally 
•disappeared. Each and every of these kinds bear transplanting 
extremely well, and from this sowing you may expect early and 
abundant crops. For further particulars see April, May, &c. 
Planting out Cabbages, Beets, Turnips, ^c.for Seeds. 
As early in this month as the weather gets open and tolerably 
mild, plant out such cabbages, beets, carrots, turnips, parsneps, &c. 
as you have preserved during the winter to raise seed from; the 
cabbages are to be planted in rows four feet asunder, on.e foot dis- 
tant from each other in the rows, and up to their heads in the earth; 
the others may be planted in four feet wide beds, at the distance 
of ten or twelve inches root from root, or in rows at pleasure; ob- 
serving to tie up the shoots to stakes placed for that purpose, as they 
advance for seeding, to prevent their being broken down by winds, 
heavy rains, &c. 
Planting Potatoes. 
Potatoes may now be planted for an early crop as soon as the 
weather opens, and the frost is entirely out of the ground; let the 
soil in which you plant them be moderately light, a little enriched 
with dung, and advantageously situated. 
Be careful to procure the earliest kinds, from which select a 
quantity of the best formed and soundest roots, and of a tolerable 
size; these are to be cut into sets, a week before planting, in order 
that the wounds should have time to form a dry crust; for if planted 
at this season immediately after being cut, they would imbibe too 
much moisture, many of them rot, and all would be greatly weak- 
ened thereby: cut each root into two, three, or more pieces, accord- 
ing to their size; minding particularly that each cut be furnished 
with one or two good eyes or buds, which is sufficient. They are 
