210 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN; [March, 
The Liquorice delights in a light sandy rich soil, which should be 
three feet deep at least; for the goodness, as well as the profits 
arising from the culture of this plant, is proportionate to the size 
and length of its roots; the ground in which you intend to plant 
it, should be highly manured and well dug the autumn before, that 
the dung may be perfectly rotted and mixed with the earth; im- 
mediately previous to planting, trench the ground three spades deep, 
if the natural soil be good that depth, and lay it very light; when 
your ground is thus prepared, you should furnish yourself with 
fresh plants, taken from the sides or heads of the old roots, observ- 
ing that each has one or two good buds or eyes, otherwise they are 
subject to miscarry; these plants should be from six to ten inches 
long and perfectly sound. 
The best season for planting them, in the middle states, is the 
latter end of March, or just when their buds begin to show symp- 
toms of fresh vegetation, which must be done in the following man- 
ner, viz. first strain a line across the ground", then with a long dib- 
ble, put in the roots so that the whole plant may be set straight 
into the ground, with the top about an inch under the surface, in a 
straight line and about a foot or a little more asunder, and two feet 
distance row from row: you may then sow a thin a crop of radishes, 
onions, lettuces or any other small growing crops, in drills between 
the rows, keeping the whole clean, particularly the rising plants of 
liquorice, during the summer and autumn; in the November follow- 
ing, you should carefully hoe and clean the ground; the shoots and 
leaves being then decayed, cut them off, and spread a little rotten 
dung on the surface, the virtue of which, will be washed into the 
ground by the rains, and the plants greatly improved thereby. 
In the March following you should slightly dig the ground 
between the rows, burying the remaining part of the dung, but in 
doing this you should be careful not to injure the roots. Let nothing 
now be either sowed or planted between the rows, but keep them 
always clean, and in autumn when the stalks of the Liquorice are 
decayed, cut them down close to the surface of the earth as before. 
The same work is to be repeated annually, till the plants are three 
years old, when they will be fit for taking up; that is slightly stir 
the ground every spring and autumn, keeping down the weeds in 
summer by hoeing; but after the first or second year, the stalks 
will shoot so vigorously, as soon to cover the ground, and greatly 
retard the growth of weeds. 
The proper season for taking up the roots, is November, for they 
should not be taken up until the stalks are fully decayed, nor defer- 
red till the sap begins to circulate afresh in spring, for in either case, 
the roots would be apt to shrivel and diminish in weight, which 
would be a loss to the cultivator, as it is by weight they are always 
sold. 
The method of taking up the roots is by trenching the ground, 
beginning at one side and opening a trench close to the first row, 
three spades deep, or to the depth of the roots; at which work, three 
or four spadesmen are generally employed at a trench; one goes 
on with the top spit, a second with the next, and another with the 
third, and the fourth commonly gets to the bottom of the roots. 
