PREFACE xi 



they regularly publish brief directions for the culture of 

 vegetables. These directions are, however, both short 

 and incomplete, for in the space at their disposal the 

 seedsmen cannot summarize all that it is of benefit to 

 know of the culture of all vegetables. 



At the same time the handbooks on vegetable cul- 

 ture, excellent as they are, treat vegetables as a rule in 

 classes rather than individually, and do not mention 

 many of the valuable sorts which are rare or of recent 

 introduction. 



Dates and methods, as here outlined, are proper for 

 the climate of the northern United States. Generally 

 speaking, in stating planting-times the latitude con- 

 sidered is that of the city of New York, but for other 

 places the difference in season can be roughly worked 

 out by allowing six days' difference for each hundred 

 miles of latitude. This will not cover, of course, wide 

 differences of altitude, so that these will often have to 

 be considered. Moreover, our springs are uncertain 

 and variable, so that the planting-times here given 

 are but an average, and for each year the time of 

 first planting will really be shown by the ground itself. 

 "When the ground is fit," and "When the ground can 

 be worked," are convenient gardeners'* phrases, meaning 

 when the frost is out and the ground sufficiently dry to 

 be workable. This last will vary with local differences 

 in soils, whether sandy (which is earliest), loamy (which 

 is of medium season) or clayey (which is late). 



