324 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



Send for seed catalogues of leading dealers. Decide what you 

 are going to want. Test the quality of the seeds you have on hand 

 and get your new stock of seed early. Test the seeds received for 

 planting. 



February. The work of this month differs but little from that 

 of January, but, in addition, the following may be mentioned: Dur- 

 ing the latter part of the month prepare manure for early hotbeds 

 to be started the first of March. Inspect tools, wagons, harness, 

 boxes, and crates for marketing and hotbed sash, and get them into 

 shape for the busy season. In the greenhouse, cabbage and cauli- 

 flower plants may be started; and as soon as of transplanting size 

 they should be removed to cold frames, where they should remain 

 until the ground is ready for planting out. 



March. Make up hotbeds and sow in them tomatoes, peppers, 

 cabbage, lettuce, radishes, cress, onions for transplanting, carrots, 

 beets, celery, etc. In the latter part of the month cold frames may 

 be used for the hardy vegetables. 



If the ground is fit to work, onion sets may be planted and spinach, 

 hardy peas, and other plants which are generally not sown until April 

 may be sown at this time. Harden off the early cabbage and cauli- 

 flower plants. 



April. The hotbeds and cold frames should be in constant use. 

 Plantations of asparagus and rhubarb may be made during this and 

 the following month. Plant onion sets. 



Sow hardy (smooth) peas, lettuce, celery, radishes, cabbage, 

 cauliflower, turnips, onions, and spinach, and plant early potatoes as 

 soon as the land is fit to be worked. By the end of the month, wrinkled 

 peas, salsify, and parsnips may be sown. See that tomatoes sown 

 last month are transplanted into beds or boxes so as to have plenty 

 of room. Transplant cabbage plants for the early crop, putting them 

 in deep enough to completely cover the stems. 



In the latter part of the month, all the early planted crops may 

 need cultivating and some of them thinning, though but little of this 

 is generally necessary until May. Radishes, lettuce, spinach, and 

 onions from sets and from seed sown in hotbeds in March should be 

 fit to eat or to market 



Haul out manure and plow land for planting next month. Trans- 

 plant onion plants from the hotbeds to open ground. 



