Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/128

 about the end of March, and, frequently, to the middle of May. It succeeds in any common garden soil, but the more it has been previously enriched with manure, the better. Indeed it will not produce its large, expansive leaves, nor fully developed its extraordinary growth, unless highly nurtured. It is a rank grower, and consequently a gross feeder. Always select an open situation, avoiding the vicinity of trees or buildings. If the ground is light and dry, it should be trodden down firmly, or rolled with a roller. The Spring crops can be sown very conveniently between Peas, or on ground where the Pole Beans are intended to be planted. The crop must be well hoed and faithfully cultivated, which draws the moisture to the roots, encouraging the growth. Where the ground is in proper condition, the plants may stand nine inches apart, and the crop will be easily gathered; but if the ground is poor and the plants stinted, the produce is nearly worthless. The seeds will come up in from ten days to two weeks. Thin out the plants when too thick; if they have three or four leaves an inch broad, they may be used till the main crop is sufficiently thinned. When the plants have leaves two or three inches broad, they will be fit for gathering, which is done by croping the outer leaves, the root and heart remaining to shoot out again. We have seen leaves of the Round and Flanders Spinach two feet in circumference. In this vicinity, the Winter Spinach has generally a very thin layer of straw or other light covering laid over it, which greatly protects the roots and prevents their being thrown out by the frost. Gardeners who have any emulation, endeavor to cover a portion of their most advanced crop with mats, or any covering that they can take off in mild weather. This enables them to procure a dish of this vegetable at any period during the Winter months. We would further observe, that if this crop is not kept quite thin, but one plant allowed to touch its neighbor, they will draw up and speedily run to seed. Two ounces of seed will plant five drills, each forty feet long.