Rbpobts or Local Socibtibs. 249 



As a garden is not complete withont sweet and potherbs, sage, 

 carawa}', fennell, dill, sweet majoriim, summer savory, tansj, 

 thyme and mint will be found among the most useful. The 

 tools used to the best advantage in garden work are the commoQ 

 plow and harrow of the farm, a bright Ames spade, a spade fork, 

 a manure fork, steel hoe, shuffle hoe, steel rake, wheelbarrow, 

 garden trowel, garden line, ten foot pole, and a few stakes. The 

 line should be used in planting everything, that the rows may be 

 equi-distant apart, and perfectly straight. If we have followed 

 the directions thus far given our newly made garden will look 

 well, and we will begin to feel proud of our accomplishments, 

 and the whole fjwnily, even to the hired men, will become inter- 

 ested and often lend a helping hand, and we will strive to have 

 the best garden in all the neighborhood. It will be seen that 

 we have run the rows of shrubs and vegetables east and west. 

 There is nothing arbitrary about the direction they take, unless 

 the ground should slope considerably to the south, but the appro- 

 priate ])lace for hot beds and grape-vines would still be upon the 

 north border. In many cases it might be more convenient that 

 the rows should run north and south. 



Here is where my paper on account of its length ought to 

 close, but with your permission I will devote a little time to hot 

 beds. After going so far, we feel that our reputation is at stake 

 as gardeners, and it would be aggravating to have our neighbor 

 get radishes, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes before us. Market 

 gardeners fully appreciate the importance of being the first in 

 the market with these things, and use every available means to 

 hasten them forward, such as the artificial shelter and protection 

 afforded by hot beds and cold frames covered with glass. The 

 supposed expense and trouble of making and managing them, 

 debars many farmers from constructing them, but even a cheap 

 and rude hot bed, that could be tended and watched by the younger 

 members of the family, would answer to bring forward a supply of 

 lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage and tomatoes, several days in advance 

 of those planted in the open ground. Sashes about two and 

 one-half by five feet are a convenient size to use, and can be 

 made by an ordinary carpenter, or purchased at a sash factory, 



