Nov.

THE GARDENER'S KALENDAR.

101

earth, and then carried into some convenient dry place tobe preserved for use, in the following manner:

Lay on the floor a bed of dry sand, about two or threeinches thick ; place the roots upon the sand close together,observing to lay the crowns of the roots outwards.

Cover the roots with sand two inches thick, then laysnore roots -upon that, arid then more sand ; proceedingin this manner with a layer of sand, and another ofroots, till all are deposited, covering the upper layer ofroots with sand, and laying some dry straw over thewhole.

Polatces.

If any of your potatoes still remain in the ground, letthem be taken up as soon as possible, before the severefrosts begin ; for these roots are very soon affected bythe frost, which renders them watery, and unfit for thetable.

As soon as your potatoes are taken up, let them be laidin a dry room, and covered with dry straw a foot thick,as soon as the frost begins.

It will also be necessary to look them over from timeto time, taking away all such as have any tendency torottenness, for otherwise they will soon infect the wholeheap.

Spinage.

Remember to keep your beds of spinage perfectlyclean from weeds ; and wherever you perceive the plantsstand too thick, let the smallest be taken up for use, sothat every plant may stand singly. By this means thefun and air will have free access to the surface of theground, to warm and dry it, which will cause the plantsto thrive greatly.

You should also remember, in gathering spinage,to cut only the large outside leaves; by which meansthe inner ones will grow larger, and be sit to gather intheir turn.

Artichokes .

.. About the middle or latter end of the month, theleaves of your artichokes must be cut down close to theground, and the plants earthed up, to protect them fromthe severe frosts of the winter. There are two methodsof earthing, or as the gardeners call it, landing up ar-tichokes. The first method is this:

Let trenches, about twenty inches wide, be markedout between all the rows, and the ground dug out a goodspade deep, laying the earth, as it is dug up, over therows of the plants, and observing to cover the crowns ofthem six or eight inches deep at least.

The second method practised by many gardeners isas follows:

The line is to be extended exactly along the middleof the spaces, between the rows of the plants, and a markcut with the spade under the line. With these lines akind of beds, four or five feet, are formed, havirtg a rowof plants standing along the middle of each bed. Theground is then to be dug regularly bed by bed, diggingclose about and between all the plants; at the fame timeworking, or rearing the earth gradually from the abovelines or marks on each side the row of plants, into aridge sloping equally on each side with the row of plantsin the middle of the said ridge.

By either of these methods the artichokes will beprotected from the frost, unless it be remarkably severe,

when it will be necessary to lay over every ridge a co-vering of straw, or other long litter, which, withthe earth thrown up, will be a sure protection to theplants.

Some gardeners, indeed, content themselves with co-vering the plants with long dung ; but the plants are notso effectually protected by this method, as by either ofthe former.

You should remember, in dressing artichokes, that ifany of the strong plants should now sliewfruit, and youare desirous of saving it, not to cut the leaves, but to tiethem up close with a hay-band, and then to lay the earthover the roots as above directed, closing it well about theoutsides of the leaves. By this method the plant will bepreserved in a growing state, and consequently bring thefruit to perfection.

Asparagus .

If your asparagus beds were not dressed last month, itmust be done now, and the sooner in the month thebetter.

In order to which, let the stems or haulms of the as-paragus be cut close to the surface of the beds, and car-ried away directly.

When this is done, let every weed on the beds be cutup with a sliarp hoe, and drawn off into the alleys.

The beds being thus cleaned, stretch your line alongthe side of each bed, and with your spade mark out thealleys about eighteen or twenty inches wide ; and letthe alleys be dug out one spade deep, and the earth laidneatly over the beds. Remember, as you go on, tobury the weeds drawn off the beds a proper depth in thealleys, and to make the edge of every bed straight andfull.

Sow Radishes.

If a little radisli feed be sown at the beginning of themonth, in a warm border near a wall, or other fence,there will be great hopes of success, provided the wea-ther be not too severe. Those that survive the frost willcome early in the spring, and are therefore valuable. Re-member to sow the seed pretty thick, to do it in a dryday, and to rake it in lightly with an even hand.

Sow small Sallai Herbs

If a constant supply of small sallad herbs, such as mus-tard, cresses, radish, rape, and lettuce, be requiredfor the table, they should be sown every ten or twelvedays.

But the bed should now be made in a warm situation,where the earth is rich and light. The bed should beproperly adapted to the length of a three-light frame,observing to raise it a foot or more higher in the backthan in the fore part, and to make the surface verysmooth.

When this is done, put on the frame, sinking theback part of it in the ground, so that the surface of thebed may be every where within six or eight inches of theglasses.

The feeds must be sown in shallow drills, and justcovered, not more than a quarter of an inch at most,with earth.

This being done, put on the glasses, and as soon asthe plants appear, let them have air, by raising thelights, or taking them entirely away, as you fee neces-sary ; remembering to cover them close every night.

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