STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 119 



I think it is a good rule to plant your hot bed about six weeks 

 before you expect to want to set your plants in the open ground. 



I have adopted 28 inches each way as a good distance to set cab- 

 bage plants. This allows a horse and cultivator to go through each 

 way. Still as I generally either set a row of lettuce or sow radish 

 seeds between the rows, we generally use only the hand culti orator 

 upon early cabbage. If lettuce is set between the rows put them 

 about twelve inches apart in the row. 



I use the Curled Simpson almost exclusively. You may get a 

 crop of either before the cabbage needs the entire ground. Remem- 

 ber always that you must have very rich land to raise large crops 

 of cabbage. No fear of getting it too rich. 



The hardy and half hardy seeds and plants being in, the weather 

 being warmer we will plant corn, beans, melons, cucumbers; set 

 tomato, pepper, egg plants, &c. 



I have a method of planting melons and cucumbers which I 

 think preferable to starting them in hot beds. Plant them in hills 

 six feet apart each way. First making the hills rich with tine 

 manure. After planting I have a box 6x8 inches on the outside 

 and six inches high, made from a piece of fencing. I put tliis down 

 on the hill and with a hoe draw the earth around the box and press 

 it down until it will retain its place after the box is drawn out, 

 Make it slope a little to the south. After removing the box, lay 

 on an 8x10 light of glass, and you have in reality a miniature hot 

 bed. The seeds will come up and grow nicely although it may be 

 quite cool outside. After it becomes settled warm weather, take 

 off the glass and put it away for another year; draw the eartli back 

 to its place and you have plants two to three weeks more forward 

 than if planted in open ground. In the meantime you may raise 

 a nice crop ot radishes or lettuce upon the ground before the vines 

 need the room. 



Plant beans in the same manner as peas. Last season I set let- 

 tuce between the rows of beans and had a fine crop of it. The 

 beans were all one need ask for. I took them off in time to sow 

 the ground with turnip seed and had an excellent crop of turnips. 



But I find that I must hurry along, or I shall surely exhaust my 

 audience whether I do my subject or not. We will now suppose 

 that you have your garden all planted at least once over. It is 

 June, and about strawberry time. You have been very busy all 

 the season thus far, but now comes a season of almost incessant 

 activity which taxes both brain and muscle to its utmost. You 

 have been selling asparagus and a few other things for some time, 



