VEGETABLE GROWING. 113 



should be set so that the hills will be twelve feet apart the other 

 way, aod one plant per hill at this distance is sufficient. In picking 

 for market it should be remembered that the fruit is never ripe 

 until it will part readily from the stem. 



"Watermelons. — These are but little grown in market gardens, 

 as, like corn, they are not sufficients profitable. Large quantities 

 are grown and shipped hei'e from the South, and can be sold much 

 lower than those raised in this locality can be. 



The}' require warm land, and should be planted in hills eight 

 feet apart each wa}' as soon as the weather becomes settled — say 

 about the middle of Ma3\ Cover about half an inch deep, and 

 press the soil down firmly so as to hold the moisture. 



The varieties are numerous. The Phinney's Elarl}', Black Span- 

 ish, and Mountain Sprout are among the leading ones, and are as 

 good as an}'. 



Onions. — These are grown quite extensively both from sets and 

 seed. They require a well enriched heavy loam, highly manured — 

 say at the rate of twenty cords per acre ; or, if manure is not plenty, 

 a dressing of from a thousand to twelve hundred pounds of some 

 good fertilizer may be made to answer a good purpose. The crop 

 is either bunched and marketed early, or harvested at the regular 

 time and sold then by the bushel or barrel. The principal yellow va- 

 riety is the Danvers Yellow, and the leading red sort is the Red 

 Wethersfield. Tlie White Portugal or Silver Skin is the white 

 variety, and is raised principally from sets and, bunched for early 

 marketing. 



Parsnips. — These are usually made a second crop, following a 

 first crop of either spinach or radishes. The seed is very difficult 

 to get up, and should be sown quite early so as to avoid drying up 

 before it germinates. Parsnips are orenerally sown on ridges to- 

 gether with either spinach or radishes ; and are put in drills four- 

 teen or fifteen inches apart, the earlier crops being sown in rows 

 between. These will be out. of the way before the parsnips will 

 crowd tiiem. The lidge system has two advantages over flat cul- 

 ture, — first, that the}' seem to grow better, and next, that when left 

 in the ground over winter they will not suflfer from the water set- 

 tling over them and rotting them out, as often happens in flat 

 culture. 



Peas. — This is one of the leading first early crops of the mar- 

 ket garden, but at present is less profitable than formerly ; owing 

 8 



