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GARDENING. 



233 



The Vegetable Garden. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



The backwardness of the season is 

 ()uite marked; even weeds haven't started 

 to grow yet. But the frost, except in 

 shady places, is out of the ground, and 

 we can do a good deal of work. 



Wrt Weather. — A rain storm set in 

 yesterday (April 8), and the ground is 

 now pretty wet. Don't touch it when it 

 is in this condition; let it dry enough to 

 be mellow; a day or two's dry weather 

 at this time of year will do this. While 

 moist weather is good for planting in 

 summer, it isn't so in early spring, when 

 the ground is cold as well as wet. 



Asparagus. — We generally begin cut- 

 ting between the 20th and '28th of this 

 month, but appearances indicate a late 

 season this year.' And we cut every 

 spear, big and little, that grows up till 

 the last week in June. Sow seed in a row 

 2 to 3 inches deep for young plants; it 

 doesn't need steeping or scalding before 

 sowing. If YOU want to make a new bed 

 get it planted as soon as possible before 

 the shoots begin to grow. If there are 

 any old stems left in the beds pull them 

 out— they part very easily now— before 

 cutting begins; it makes cutting easier. 



Globe Artichokes.— We uncovered 

 them last week, and the crowns look 

 good. In a week or so, when they start 

 growing, we shall lift and divide some of 

 the bigger clumps and replant the divi- 

 sions. Four feet apart is none too close 

 for them. 



Jrri'salem Artichokes. — We leave 

 some undug over winter to insure their 

 keeping well; these were dug last week. 

 We will plant a fresh patch next week, 

 using fair sized tubers as sets, and mak- 

 ing the rows two and one half feet apart. 

 Broad Beans should be planted at 

 once. They like good ground. Set the 

 beans on edge, eve down, as'yoii would 

 Limas; it saves them from rotting. 



Snap Beans — In warm, sandy land we 

 will sow these between the 15th and 20th 

 of this month, and follow by another 

 sowing a week later. There may be dan- 

 ger of late frost though. 



Henderson's Dwarf Li.ma we sow at 

 the same time in the same ground, but we 

 cannot trust the other Linias, for two to 

 four weeks or more yet. 



Brussels Sprouts.-Wc are picking them 

 yet; kept them in a cold pit, and have had 

 green sprouts all winter long. Think of 

 that, you who have to eat flavorless 

 white heart cabbage. Make a sowing of 

 Half Dwarf out of doors this month. 



Beets. — Sow a row or two at once in 

 good ground, and after they come up thin 

 them to two or three inches apart to 

 make them bulb quick. If you started 

 some in a hotbed or greenhouse, after 

 hardening them oflf properly, transplant 

 them into rows fifteen inches apart and 

 three to four inches asunder in the row. 

 Don't sow many at a time, they get 

 spongy so soon. 



Cabbage and Cauliflower.— Plants in 

 3-ineh and 4 inch pots in cold frames are 

 all ready for setting out, and we hope to 

 begin planting next week. We sowed a 

 row of Wakefield and Succession out of 

 doors last w<ek for planting out in May. 

 Plant out after the loth. 



Carrots. — Those we sowed in a hotbed 

 some weeks ago are up well and thinned; 

 they will give us nice soup carrots next 

 month. Sow a row of Early Horn, and 

 one or two of Stump-rooted out of doors 

 at once in good ground. Don't sow a 

 main crop this month. 



Celery.— Sow seed for main crop in a 

 cold frame or in a bed out of doors where 

 the ground can be kept moist and shaded 

 till the seed germinates. It is slow to 

 come up. Although many people sow for 

 main crop early in April we don't till 

 towards the end of the month, because 

 we believe in rushing celery from the mo- 

 ment the seeds sprout till we store the 

 heads in fall. Celery is only a second crop 

 vegetable, and sowing it early and then 

 starving and spindling the little plants, 

 keeping them waiting for empty ground 

 to plant them in, is poor practice. We 

 have excellent old celery yet. 



Chives are coming up nicely. To in- 

 crease them lift some of the bunches and 

 divide them into as many pieces as we 

 wish, replanting these. It makes a nice 

 edging for a short border in the vegetable 

 garden. 



Sweet Corn. — We sow early sweet com 

 and snap beans about the same time. If 

 the first sowing gets frostbitten it isonly 

 the loss of the seed; we sow again right 

 between the old hills. Be sure you try 

 Ford's Early; it is said to be the sweet- 

 est extra early. Between the 20th atid 

 the end of the month we shall put in 

 large sowings of both early and medium 

 varieties. 



Cucumbers in frames should be shaded 

 from sunshine, ventilated in fine weather, 

 covered up warm at night, kept moder- 

 ately moist, and sprinkled overhead every 

 fine afternoon. Start a few in pots, old 

 strawberry boxes or on pieces of sod 

 turned earth side up, in the frame, for 

 planting out after the middle of May. 



Dandelions.- We are cutting and u.sing 

 them now. They were sown in rows in a 

 bed last April, and some weeks ago a 

 frame and sashes were set over them, and 

 straw laid over the frame to darken it. 

 Now we are cutting tender, yellowish 

 green greens that haven't the pronounced 

 bitter taste of the open air crop to come 

 in about the 20th. After cutting the 

 roots are worthless to us, so we dig them 

 up and throw them away. Sow at once 

 for next spring's greens. Draw five rows 

 fifteen inches apart length » ise in a bed 

 and sow; this will allow of covering it 

 next spring with a frame of boards and 

 six-foot sashes. 



Egg Plants and Peppers are growing 

 along in pots in hotbeds. Keep them 

 warm and give them plenty root room 

 and head room. Don't think of planting 

 them out before the middle of May, if then. 

 Endive is more of a fall than summer 

 vegetable, so let it alone till July. 



Garlic is in demand for flavoring cer- 

 tain dishes, but half a pint of bulbs 

 planted now will go a very long way. 



Horseradish.— Plant at once. Uselong 

 clean roots for sets, planting with a deep 

 piercing dibber in rows two feet apart, 

 and in good moist ground. 



Siberian Kale has wintered well, but 

 is late. It is a nice greens in spring, many 

 people preferring it to spinach. 



Leeks.— Sow a little, and later on 

 transplant the seedlings into a row in 

 good ground. 



Lettuces are fine in hotbeds now; ven- 

 tilate them freely, but keep them warm 

 at night, and give them lots of water to 

 make them crisp and tender. Plant out 

 young lettuces out of doors any time 

 now, and from this on sow a pinch of 

 seed once a fortnight forsuccession crops. 

 Melons —We don't sow them out ol 

 doors before May, but we sow a lot in 

 pots, boxes or on sods in frames to get 

 them well started ready to plant out 

 about the time we sow our main crop. 



Mint.— Although too soon for peas it 

 isn't any too early for spring lamb, so wc 



must have a piece of early mint for flavor- 

 ing by growing it in a frame or green- 

 house. From now on we can get it from 

 out of doors though. 



Mushrooms.— From now on we must 

 look for maggots. No use making any 

 more new beds indoors. The new mush- 

 room grows well in summer in frames, 

 greenhouses or cellars, and rushes up so 

 i|uick that it is fit for use before the mag- 

 gots have time for development, other- 

 wise it is as badly infested with maggots 

 as is the old sort. 



Okra.— Don't sow it out of doors till 

 May, about when you sow your Limas; 

 but" you may start some seeds in the 

 greenhouse or frame for early plants. 



Onio.ns.— As soon as the ground is mel- 

 low enough to work draw the drills fif- 

 teen inches apart and sow the onion seed. 

 And as soon as the Prizetakers raised in 

 the hotbeds or greenhouse are hardened 

 off enough plant them out in rows with a 

 dibber. If sets are not planted get them 

 into the ground as soon as possible. Also 

 shallots and potato onions. 



Parsley. — Sow a row of it as an edg- 

 ing in the vegetable garden. If any of the 

 old plants are alive (the roots have win- 

 tered very well with us under a mulching) 

 let them stay and grow to furnish leaves 

 till the young plants are ready. But 

 don't bother with them longer, for they 

 are sure to run to flower. 



PARSNiPsdovery wellif sownas early as 

 this, but we prefer waiting till May. Sow 

 them in rows two feet apart The same 

 with salsify and scorzoncra. 



Peas.— We sowed round peas and Alpha 

 a week ago, but they aren't up yet. As 

 soon as they peep above ground we shall 

 sow the same sorts agiin,also Advancer, 

 Premium Gem and others. We can sow 

 any kind of pea from this on without 

 danger of it rotting. 



Potatoes —Were it not for this wet 

 storm we would be planting potatoes to- 

 dav; now we must wait till the ground 

 dries a little. The "seed," however, is 

 cut and spr ad out in a room, and start- 

 ing. Late potatoes are in time enough 

 for two or three weeks yet. 



Radishes in frames should be ready for 

 use. Sow a little at a time once a week 

 in the garden, most anywhere between 

 other crops. 



Rhubarb lifted for forcing and in frames, 

 and inside barrels in the field with hot 

 manure around it is in good using order; 

 and outdoor plants are beginning to make 

 leaves. Sow seed for an increase of stock. 

 Or lift and divide some of the old plants 

 and reset them. 



Spinach.— Fall sowings where the wind 

 had full sweep over them have made very 

 little growth; where sheltered from wind 

 it looks nice and green; and where cov- 

 ered by frames and sashes even without 

 any other covering, it is now quite rank. 

 Sow in rows in good ground out of doors 

 from now on. As it grows so fast and is 

 used so soon we seldom plant it as an 

 independent crop, but as a catch-crop be- 

 tween rows of peas, artichokes, horserad- 

 ish, etc. 



Tomatoes should be raised in boxes or 

 pots in the house or in a bed in a frame 

 for planting out next month. See that 

 they have room enough to make good 

 roots and their bodies stocky. Give thetn 

 lots of water, ventilate them freely in 

 favorable weather, and don'texposethem 

 to unnecessary cold. Let them be well 

 h ■rdcned ofl" before pi inting out. 



Turnips.— Sow a row or two out of 

 doors every two or three weeks to keep 

 up a supply of fresh roots, for they soon 

 get wormy and spongy at this tiineof the 



