Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/56

 Merely dig out a hole, about a foot wide and deep; fill it with rich, sandy soil; raise it above the surface about six inches: the hills should be six feet apart each way. Any time in May, sow a few seeds therein, and the result is certain. If the weather be warm, they will grow in a few days; if the nights are cold, protect them. There is frequently a little bug, which preys upon the tender leaves; if so, soot and wood ashes sprinkled over them, while wet with the dew, will retard the progress of the depredator. As soon as the vines have made three rough leaves, nip the points off to make them branch out. They will fruit sooner by it. Three vines to one hill is quite enough. To have young fruit in February and March is rather a nice operation, but any one who can command a few loads of warm horse-manure, can have them from April to October. That farmers in the country may have the article either for family use or for sale, a few hints may be in place on

.—The first requisite is to obtain four feet square of warm stable-manure; turn it up into a heap for eight or ten days, to allow the rank vapor to pass off, when it may be placed into any form to suit a sash. The general size is four by six feet, and three or four feet high at the back, sloping to two and a half or three feet at front. Either make or have made a frame of boards, at least fifteen inches deep, three feet wide, and five feet long, or the full size of the sash. Let the dung-bed be a foot all round larger than the frame. Should heavy rain or snow fall, or it be a severe frost, the manure should be protected with a covering of straw. Care, however, should always be taken that the reduction of the heat in the dung is not carried too far, before making up the bed, as, when that is the case, too little heat will afterwards be produced, and the young plants will be of a yellow color instead of a rich green. The bed should be built square up, and regularly beaten down with the fork. When finished, put on the frame and sash; keep it close for a day or two, to draw