PRIZE GARDENING FOR WUMEN I29 



plants were not crowded, and grew stocky and strong. 

 They were sheared off three times before time for 

 transplanting and made excellent plants. The space 

 where they were planted was about twelve by twenty- 

 four feet and held nearly ten thousand plants, of which 

 about eight thousand -five hundred were set out, sold or 

 given away, xo each neighbor or friend I gave fifty, 

 letting them buy as many more as they wanted. I sold 

 about seven thousand at thirty-five cents per hun- 

 dred, making the little patch very profitable, although 

 I spent much work upon it. 



The next work was getting the berry bushes in 

 order, and I spent much time in trimming and thin- 

 ning them out and cutting out dead wood. When we 

 began planting the early seeds I put a radish seed every 

 two or three inches in all the rows of onions and pars- 

 nips, then firmed the soil 1)y walking over the rows. 

 The radishes germinated in a few days, marking the 

 rows so that they could be worked before the other 

 plants showed above ground. The radishes grow 

 quickly and can be pulled and used before the other 

 plants are large enough to need the room. 



We have had a great deal of trouble with the little 

 fleas that eat the radishes, tomatoes, etc., and used 

 plaster and soot freely. We had many fine cal^bage 

 plants, but all the Savoy and some of the others had 

 club root so bad that they could not be used. Had 

 such dry weather that everything seemed likely to die. 

 Hoeing every day or evening after sundown was our 

 only resource, as to draw water and carry it from the 

 well was more than I could do, although I carried a 

 great many pailfuls for celery. We had much trouble 

 with the squash bugs in squashes, cucumbers and 

 melons. We planted radishes in the hills and used 

 cow manure mixed with water, sprinkled on the vines. 

 Many hills had to be planted over, but I guess we shall 



