■ 1877.] ESSAY ON GARDEN VEGETABLES. 25 



a larger profit to the producer. Dr. Nichols has raised corn on the same 

 piece of land twelve years in succession and applied nothing but chemi- 

 cal fertilizers, and the number of bushels per acre constantly increased 

 until they reached 105 bushels per acre, and it was raised at a cost of less 

 than fifty cents per bushel. I raised a crop of potatoes the past year 

 with nothing but chemical fertilizer at a cost of S18 per acre, and it was 

 a good crop. 



In my opinion it is^betterfor each gardener to raise some leading crop, 

 whatever his land is best adapted to; for instance, if his land is warm and 

 mellow, early peas or tomatoes will thrive and bring good prices if he 

 gets them early; but if his land is a heavy, clayey soil, let him raise cab- 

 bages, squashes, or other late vegetables, and not attempt to compete 

 with those having warmer soils. "Whatever you attempt be sure and get 

 good seed; what is more vexatious than finding after you have planted and 

 tended a nice bed of early beets, when you come to pull them that they 

 are nothing but mongrels, so stringy as to be unfit for use? It may cost 

 a little more at first to get good seed, but it pays to do it. 



"What to plant and when to plant it, requires much discrimination and 

 judgment, for if we plant our beans and early sweet corn too early, the 

 late spring frosts are liable to cut them off, and if too late, others will 

 get them into market before us. 



"What are the most reliable varieties of vegetables, is a question easier 

 asked than answered. I will name some of the kinds of vegetables I 

 have found reliable in my experience. Of early potatoes the Early Eose 

 and Bresee's No. 1, have proved good with me. Of peas, I planted for 

 succession Landreth's Extra Early, Little Gem, McLean's Advancer and 

 Brown's Dwarf Marrow. Of beans, I find the best succession is the 

 Yellow Six "Weeks, White "Wax, Dwarf Horticultural, Concord and 

 Lima. Of beets, the Egyptian and Dewing's are the standard varieties. 

 Of sweet corn, I plant first Russell's Extra Early, Naragansett, Moore's 

 Concord and Stowell's Evergreen. Of cabbages for early market, I plant 

 Jersey "Wakefield, Winnigstadt and Fottler's Early Drumhead; for late or 

 winter use. Flat Dutch, Red Drumhead, Mason Drumhead and American 

 Savoy. Of squashes. Summer Crookneck, Canada Crookneck, Boston Mar- 

 row, Turban, Hubbard, and -perhaps the Marblehead. Of tomatoes, the 

 Canada Victor, Trophy, General Grant, Boston Market and Tilden stand 

 pre-eminent. I have tested these kinds of vegetables and find them 

 worthy of cultivation. 



In preparing the land for vegetables much discrimination should be 

 used, some^kinds requiring a very rich soil and very mellow, while others 

 require but moderately rich soil, but all of them will grow better in a 

 good mellow seed-bed. Therefore, it is best to plough thoroughly twice 



