STATE HORTICULTURAL SJOCIETV. OT 



in November, snug the dirt closely to the tops and cover with litter, 

 increasing with the cold, and use from the trench in preference to digging 

 and packing in cellar. 



Cucumbers. — Growing cucumbers under glass will not pu}- unless 

 accessible to a large city ; but j^lants may be started under glass either in 

 pots or inverted sods. White Spine, Early Russian and Early Cluster are 

 most reliable and best for table use. and Long (Ireen for pickles. When 

 planted in the ojjcn ground look out for striped bugs. " Eternal \igi- 

 lance is then the price of" — cucumbers. I find nothing better than 

 air-slaked lime to keep them off; cover the plants thickly, and renew the 

 application as often as the wind blows it off, or rains wash it off, tuitil the 

 plants get large enough to defy them. 



Com. — I believe there is nothing grown in the garden more palata- 

 ble than sweet corn when nicely boiled, and he who neglects to grow it 

 robs himself and family of one of the choicest and cheapest of luxuries. 

 Having tried nearly every thing introduced within the last fifteen years, 1 

 prefer for earliest a variety I ol)taine(l some years since as the Early 

 Darling; the ears medium size, eight-rowed, quite sweet, and the earliest 

 sweet corn I ever found. I plant this from the loth to 15th of April, 

 and make another planting of this variety about ten days later, when 1 

 also plant Crosby's Early. Ten days from this I plant Crosby's again, 

 and also Stowell's livergreen. Then 1 continue to plant Stowell's every 

 ten or twelve days till luly roth, which method gives me a regular suc- 

 cession, seldom missing a day until frost puts a stop to the corn business. 

 1 obtained from the Agricultural Department last year Bate's Early, which 

 comes in with Crosby's. I believe this is the sweetest corn I ever grew, 

 and should it continue so another year it will be likely to supplant the 

 much esteemed Crosby's in my estimation. I use great care in saving my 

 seed corn, taking the earliest and best ears. The Early Darling can be 

 planted in hills, one and a half by three feet, the others two and a half 

 by three and a half 



Egg Plant must l)e started in hot-bed with tomatoes, transplanted 

 in lighter heat, thence to the open ground. New York [my)roved I con- 

 sider the best. 



Lettuce, for early, should be started in hot-bed, and transplanted into 

 a very rich bed three by six inches, and when beginning to crowd pull 

 every second one, leaving them six inches each way. Having tried many 

 varieties, I have now settled upon the Hanson and True Boston Curled, 

 both very fine, the Hanson making the more solid heads. 



Melons. — Of musk-melons, perhaps, in the presence of the Alton 

 delegation, it would not be wi.se to place any thing in advance of the 

 Alton Nutmeg, and I am perfectly willing to cater this much to their 

 local pride. Of water-melons, I think the Mountain Sprout, Mountain 

 Sweet, Black Spanish and Sculptured Seeded are the best for market ; for 

 home use the Orange. This is too small for market, but excelled by none 

 in flavor; the rind peels off like the skin of an orange ; it is very sweet 

 and delicious. Plant in open ground May ist, and remember not in 

 mercy the striped bugs. 



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