A MARKET GARDENER'S GARDEN 



U T GAVE up growing raspberries and 

 A strawberries," said Mr. Thos. Finu- 

 can, of Toronto, to a representative of The 

 Horticulturist, " and am giving my atten- 

 tion principally to vegetables. There are 

 so many brickyards in our neighborhood 

 that men and boys can find employment at 

 higher wages than we can afford to pay. I 

 have 14 acres, three of which are orchard. 

 W'hen m}' trees w-ere soTLall I found it a 

 great advantage to grow beans in the or- 

 chard. 



" I grow five or six acres of early pota- 

 toes, which are sprouted first in beds under 

 glass. They are planted the end of March 

 and transplanted about the middle of April, 

 when the sprouts are three or four inches 

 long. They are covered to avoid frost. I 

 have had them ready for market by June 20, 

 and they come in 'between then and July i. 

 They bring $1.50 a 'bushel at that time. 

 About two acres are sprouted for very early 

 potatoes in the way indicated, and early po- 

 .atoes only are grown. 



" I 'manure heavily and aim to secure 

 early vegetables. Radishes are a specialty. 

 The seed is sown broadcast, harrowed and 



roilled. The grub is kept down by the use 

 of lime or plaster. I thin out as they are 

 ready and keep sowing every 10 or 12 days. 

 My land is 'heavy and I keep growing all 

 season. The Scarlet Turnip and the Scar- 

 let White Tip are the two best varieties. 



" I grow a good many onions — YelloMr 

 Globe and Yellow Danvers principally, with 

 a few of the Prize Taker. They are started 

 in the greenhouse and transplanted into 

 drills six inches apart, 18 inches between 

 drills. Nitrate of soda is good for onions. 

 When they are three or four inches high I 

 sow it along the drills ^nd cultivate it in, 

 using a hand cultivator. 



" Stable manure is used principally for 

 the vegetables. I can get all I want for 

 ten cents a yard. What I get at the east 

 end is good because of the system O'f drain- 

 ing the water off. A 'little artificial ferti- 

 lizer, bone dust, etc., is used, and sometimes 

 a little land plaster. My tomatoes did not 

 do as well as usual last year. They rotted, 

 as there was too much rain, and a hail storm 

 cut them up. I do not trim the vines. My 

 vegetables are sold principally to the 

 butchers." 



THE HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN 



MRS. MARGARET CLOSE). 



A SURF ACE that slopes gently to the 

 ■south, a light sand loam, and a good 

 fence to keep out chickens are needed for 

 the home vegetable garden. The soil should 

 be ibroken fine, as deep as the plant roots 

 may be expected to grow. FertiHzer, as well 

 rotted barnyard manure, is required. Lime 

 may be used with good results. It is bene- 

 ficial on both clay and sandy soil, as it cor- 

 rects acidity, makes clay soil more friable 

 and holds sand closer together. \\^ood 

 ashes are a ready source from which to ob- 

 tain potash. I have used them with ad- 

 vantage on all kinds O'f soil and all kinds of 

 vegetables and fruit. 



The time for planting can only be learned 

 by experience. The blooming of the peach 

 is a suitable time for seeds that will resist a 

 slight frost, such as peas and spinach. 

 When the oak leaf breaks from its bud start 

 beets, turnips, corn a'nd tomatoes. Seeds 

 that thrive only in warmer soil, as beans, 

 cucumbers, watermelon and squash, may be 

 planted when the blackberry is in 'blossom. 

 The soil should 'be moist 'when the seed is 

 put in. 



Seeds require less depth of cover in spring 

 than in summer. If beet, carrot, parsnip 

 or beans are soaked over night they come up 

 a day or two earlier. The best time for 



* Extract from a paper prepared for a Women's Institute meeting. 



