mellower will be the old cultivated foil. În a manner fimilar to this, all foils, which are not naturally rich, ought to be treated. No department of planting calls more loudly for a spirited management than the feminary; which, if not rich and deep by nature, ought to be made fo by art, at almost any expence.

In large undertakings, a feparate feminary may be neceffary; but, in general, a portion of the kitchen garden is better adapted to the purpose. There are, indeed, two very great advantages, in mixing the feminary with the kitchen garden: the feed beds are always under the eye, and are more likely to be defended from weeds and vermin, there, than in a detached feminary, vifited only now and then; and, when the ground has borne a crop of feedling plants, it may be applied to the purpose of culinary herbs; while that which has been long urder crops of thefe, may be changed to nursery beds. In whatever fituation it is placed, it must be carefully fenced against hares and rabbits, or the labour of a whole feafon may be cut off in a few nights in this light, alfo, the kitchen garden has a preference.

Ir would be idle to give particular directions for laying out a feminary, or to fay, under this general head, where this or that feed fhould be fown,

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Suffice it, therefore, to mention, here, that feed beds are generally made from four to four feet and a half wide, with intervals of one foot and a half to two feet. Thefe dimenfions render them convenient to be weeded, without the plants being trodden or kneeled upon.

THE methods of fowing are various; as DIBBLING, DRILLING, and BROADCAST; which laft is the most prevailing method. Seeds fown in the promifcuous broadcast manner, are covered either with the rake, or with the fpade (or fieve). COVERING WITH THE SPADE (or fieve) is the common practice, and is thus performed: The furface being made light and fine, by a recent digging and raking, and the beds formed (operations which every gardener and gardener's man are acquainted with), a thin coat of mold is raked off the beds, into the intervals, in proportion to the depth the feeds require to be buried, and according to the nature of the foil, taken jointly. In a light fandy foil, the feeds require to be buried deeper than they do in a ftrong loam; and while an acorn may be covered from one to three inches deep, the feeds of the Larch will not bear more than from a quarter to three fourths of an inch. The new furface being rendered perfectly fine and level, the feeds are fown, and, in fome cafes, preffed gently into the mold, by patting it with the back of the fpade.

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The earth, which was raked off into the interval (or taken off with a spade and placed in little hillocks in it) is now returned; either by cafting it on with the fpade, with a kind of fleight which nothing but practice can give, or by fifting it on, through a fieve (an operation more easy to the inexpert, and in many cafes preferable) as even and regularly as poffible. The intervals cleared, the beds neated up, and, if the foil be light, or the feed requires it, their furfaces patted with the back of the fpade, fo as to give them a kind of polished firmness, the bufinefs is finished. DRILLING is performed two ways: By drawing open drills, with hoes, in the common manner; or by taking off the furface of the beds, drawing lines upon the new furface, laying or fcattering the feeds along thefe lines, and covering them with the fpade or fieve, as above directed for broadcast fowing. DIBBLING re quires no defcription,

THE next bufinefs of the feminary is to defend the feed and feedlings from birds, vermin, the weather, and weeds. Nets are the best guard against birds, and traps against vermin. As a defence against the scorching heat of the fun, the beds fhould be hooped, and mats occafionally spread over them, in the manner of a tilt or awning; but, when the fcorching abates, the mats fhould be taken off, to give the plants the benefits of the

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atmofphere; and, in dry weather, the beds fhould be kept conftantly watered. The awnings are equally fafeguards against spring frofts, than which nothing is more injurious to feedling plants. In refpect to WEEDS, there is a general rule, which ought not to be departed from; that is, not to fuffer them to get too ftrong, before they be drawn ; for, if they be permitted to form large roots, they not only encumber and rob the ground, but, in drawing them, many feeds, or tender feedlings, will be drawn out with them. To prevent the young plants from being DRAWN OUT OF THE GROUND BY WINTER FROSTS, which they are very liable to, efpecially by a continuance of froft and thaw, alternately, coal afhes may be' fifted over them. If this evil has already taken place, and the roots appear expofed above ground, fome fine mold fhould firft be fifted on, to cover the roots, and then the afhes fifted over the mold. If the plants be BEATEN OUT OF THE GROUND BY HEAVY RAINS, the remedy is fimilar.

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THE length of time between the fowing of the feed and the appearance of the plant, is very uncertain much depends upon the season, and still more upon the nature of the plant itself. Some feeds lie in the ground a whole year before they vegetate, and fome two or three years, as will be mentioned under their refpective Species. Dur

ing this time the beds fhould be kept free from weeds and mofs; and, in case of a long continuance of dry weather, fhould be well watered. After very heavy rains, which are liable to run the furface to a batter, and wash away part of the foil, it is well to rake the beds flightly, and fift over them a little fresh mold: this prevents the furface from baking, and at once gives a supply of air, and nourishment, to the embryo plants..

BEDS OF COMPOST are made by mixing drift fand, or other materials, with the natural foil of the feminary; or with virgin mold, taken from a rich meadow, or old pafture ground. But the particular ingredients of a compoft depend upon the nature of the plant to be raised; and the reader is referred to the respective Species, in the ALPHABET OF PLANTS, for further information on this head.

THE mode of raifing plants, in POTS and BOXES, alfo depends greatly upon the particular plant to be raised. The chief intent of this method is to guard the embryo and feedling plants from the extremes of heat and cold. The pots are filled with compoft, fuited to the plant. For examples, fee the articles ANNONA, ARALIA, AZALIA, MELIA, PISTACIA, &c. &c.

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