GENERAL REMARKS. 9" 



weather ; this will tend in a great measure to destroy insects, 

 Which sometimes cut off the young plants as fast as they 

 come up. 



If the ground cannot be all manured every year as it 

 should be, it is of primary importance that those vegetables 

 be provided for which most need manure. A perusal of the 

 catalogue will enable the young gardener to judge of the 

 kinds of garden products which require most. Lest I should 

 not have been explicit enough in this particular, I would 

 inform him that good rich manure is indispensably neces- 

 sary for the production of Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, 

 Lettuce, Spinage, Onions, Radishes, and Salads in general". 



In the event of a scanty supply of manure, those kinds of 

 vegetables which are raised in hills or drills, may be provided 

 for by disposing of the manure immediately under the seeds 

 or plants. 



The next important matter is to have the ground in suit- 

 able condition to receive the seed ; I wish it to be under- 

 stood that I am an advocate for early sowing- and planting, 

 even at the risk of losing a litlle seed, provided the ground" 

 be fit to receive it. A light sandy soil will be benefitted if 

 worked when moist, as such treatment will have a tendency 

 to make it more compact ; on the contrary, if a clay soil be 

 worked when too wet, it kneads like dough, and never fails 

 to bind when drought follows; and this not only prevents 

 the seed from rising, but injures the plants materially in 

 their subsequent growth, by its becoming impervious to the 

 moderate rains, dews, air, and influence of the sun, all of 

 which are necessary to the promotion of vegetation. 



Some gardeners, as well as some writers, recommend cer- 

 tain fixed days for sowing and planting particular kinds of 

 seed ; I think it necessary to guard my readers from being' 

 misled. The failure of crops may be often attributed to the 

 observance of certain days for sowing. If some kinds of 

 seed be sown when the ground is wet and cold, they will 

 become chilled in the ground, and seldom vegetate. If they 

 be sown in very dry weather, the germinative parts of the 

 seed may become injured by the burning rays of the sun, or 



