304 [APRIL, 



APRIL. 



THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



PREVIOUS to entering upon the work of the Kitchen-Gar- 

 den, See. for this month, it will be proper to observe, that a great 

 portion of the open ground culture and sowing, necessary to be 

 done in some places in April, has been fully treated of in March, 

 in order to accommodate those citizens of the middle states, whose 

 gardens, from the nature of soil and situation, admit of early sow- 

 ing, as well as a desire in-many, to have their crops at as early a 

 period as possible, either for sale, or family use ; and also for the 

 general accommodation of the more southerly states ; that month be- 

 ing their principal season for gardening. But in the eastern states 

 generally, and in such parts of the middle states as the ground is 

 naturally of a binding and heavy nature, this will be the most eligi- 

 ble period, for sowing their general garden crops ; always observ- 

 ing, to sow the hardy kinds as early in the month as the soil, sea- 

 son, and situation will admit of; in order that the young plants 

 may be established, before they are overtaken by the summer heat 

 and drought ; but never, or on any account, should a stiff or moist 

 ground be wrought, till it gets so dry as to fall to pieces in the 

 working, nor delayed till it binds and becomes hard. Let the spade 

 not be applied, till every particle of water, that is not in contact with 

 the clay, is either drained away, or drawn off by the air ; nick that 

 time, and you will then find the earth to work freely, and not sub- 

 ject to bind afterwards ; for if a clay is worked before this critical 

 period, it kneads like dough, becomes more tough, and never fails 

 to bind when drought follows, which not only prevents the seeds to 

 rise, but injures the plants materially in their subsequent growth, 

 by its becoming impervious to the moderate rains, dews, air, and 

 influence of the sun, which, are all necessary to the promotion of 

 vegetation. 



On the other hand, a light sandy soil will be rather 4>enefitted by- 

 working it when moist, as such will have a tendency to make it 

 more compact, and consequently more retentive of moisture. 



The nearer the ground approaches to a sand, the less retentive 

 will it be of moisture ; the more to a clay the longer will it retain 

 it ; and the finer the particles of which the clay is. composed, the 

 faster will it hold every small particle of water, and consequently 

 be longer in drying, and become harder when dry : but earth of a 

 consistence that will hold water the longest, without becoming hard 

 when dry, is that of all others, the best adapted for raising the gene- 

 rality of plants, in the greatest perfection. This last described, is 

 called loam, and is a medium earth, between the extremes of clay 

 and sand. 



