74 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Mar. 



kept in a cool cellar, covered with sand until time to 

 plant them. Cuttings of evergreens should be prop- 

 erly shaded, and kept in frames. 



Trees, Shrubs, Vines, ^c— Quinces, Grape Vines, 

 Gooseberries, Currants, Platanus, Populus, Salix, 

 Kerne, Cornus, Deutzias, Euonymus, Hibiscus, Hy- 

 drangeas, Privet, Loniceras, Ribes, Spireeas, Vi- 

 burnums. 



Evergreens. — Cedrus Deodora, Juniper, Arbor 

 Vitae, Yews, Aucusas, Box, Evergreen Euonymus, 

 Laurels, inc., &c. 



Roses.— Boursault, for stocks; almost all the Climb- 

 ing Roses, Hybrid Perpetuals, Hybrid Chinas, Noi- 

 sette, and other Chinese varieties. 

 SCIONS. 

 Scions should be cut now. Apple, pear and plum 

 scions will keep best covered with moist sandy loam, 

 or sand, in a cool situation. Cherry scions we have 

 found would grow better by laying them on the cellar 

 floor, even should they get slightly shrivelled. We 

 hardly ever miss one kept in this way. We cannot 

 agree with the article published last month, and 

 which inadvertently passed without comment, headed 

 "Preserving Buds and Grafts,'" by T. G. Yeomans. 

 We have seen thousands of scions ruined kept in 

 saw dust ; and we also saw a statement to the same 

 effect in the Albany Cultivator, by our friend Hil- 

 dreth, whose opinion and judgment can be relied 

 upon. There may be some instances where scions 

 keep well in sawdust, but we would not recommend 

 it as a safe mode of preserving them. 



GRAFTING, TRANSPLANTING, &c. 

 As soon as the weather will permit, cherries should 

 be grafted. Last year we performed this operation 

 before the frost had left the ground, with entire 

 success. Plums should be done next, and then fol- 

 low pears, apples, fee. Root grafting should be fin- 

 ished as soon as possible, before the busy season 

 commences. 



Transplanting of trees, &tc, should be commenced 

 as soon as the ground is in proper order. Currants, 

 gooseberries, and cherries should be attended to first; 

 and among the ornamentals, Daphne, Pyrus Japonica, 

 Indus Trees, Magnolia Conspicua, and Saulangiana, 

 Spiraeas, Lonicera Tartiraca, Lilacs, fee. 



Coverings of bulbous roots, herbaceous plants, 

 strawberry and raspberry beds, as well as any thing 

 else that had any protection during the winter, 

 should be removed as soon as the frost leaves the 

 ground. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 

 Hot Beds. — Every one should have a hot bed, if 

 it were only to forward plants for the garden. The 

 too prevalent opinion is, that they are expensive 

 articles and difficult to manage, requiring the skill 

 of the professed gardener. Both suppositions are 

 entirely erroneous. A hot-bed may be constructed 

 by any man of ordinary ingenuity. A frame of about 

 12 feet long and 6 wide, which will allow of 3 sashes, 

 each 3 feet wide will be found large enough for any 

 family. It should be made of common two inch 

 plank — the back about 3 feet high, the front about 

 half that, the ends having a regular slope from back 

 to front. This will give an angle sufficient to throw 

 off rain, and give the full benefit of external heat and 

 light to the plants within. If the beds are narrower, 

 the front must be higher in proportion. The sides 

 and ends are simply nailed to a strong post, four 

 inches square or more, placed in each corner. For 



the sashes to rest and slide upon, a strip 6 inches wide 

 is placed across the frame, the ends morticed or sunk 

 in the sides of the frame, so as not to cause a pro- 

 jection. The sashes are made in the ordinary way, 

 but without cross bars ; and in glazing, the lights are 

 made to overlap an eighth or quarter of an inch, to 

 exclude the rain. Such a frame, costing but a mere 

 triflle beyond the labor will last for years, and furnish 

 all the cabbage, tomato, celery, cauliflower, egg, 

 pepper, melon, and cucumber plants needed — with a 

 sprinkling of early radishes, &,c. Where so large a 

 frame may not be wanted, an old window may be 

 used for sash, and all expense of glazing be avoided. 

 The annexed figure will convey an idea to those un- 

 acquainted with it. One of the sashes is moved 

 down as in admitting air and the other laid off 



entirely 



Hot beds should occupy a dry situation, where 

 they will not be affected by the lodgment of water 

 during rains or thaws. They should be exposed to 

 the east and south, and be protected by fences or 

 buildings from the north and northwest. 



Where it is intended to merely grow plants for 

 transplanting to the garden they may be sunk in the 

 ground to the depth of 18 inches, and in such a case 

 require not more than 2 feet of manure ; but when 

 forcing aud perfecting vegetables is designed, a per- 

 manent heat must be kept up, and the bed must be 

 made on the surface, so that fresh and warm manure 

 may be added when necessary. A depth of three to 

 four feet of manure will in such cases be wanted. 

 Manure for hot beds requires some preparation. It 

 should be fresh stable manure, placed in a heap, and 

 turned and mixed several times, promoting a regular 

 fermentation. It is thus made to retain its heat a 

 long time ; otherwise it would burn and dry up, and 

 become useless. 



The mold should be laid on as soon as the bed is 

 settled, and has a lively regular-tempered heat. Lay 

 the earth evenly over the dung about six inches 

 deep. Radishes and lettuce require about a foot of 

 earth. After it has lain a few days it will be fit to 

 receive your plants, unless- the mold has turned to a 

 whitish color or has a rank smell, in which case add 

 some fresh mould for the hills, at the same time 

 vacancies should be made to give vent to the steam, 

 by running down stakes. 

 " Those who wish to force cucumbers, fcc, should 

 begin, if the weather is favorable, by the first of 

 March. For raising plants, the middle is time 

 enough. 



Having been requested to furnish information in 

 regard to the construction of hot beds, we think we 

 have presented the matter in so plain a manner that 

 the mere novice in gardening may construct one. 



Lettuce and Early Peas may be sowed as soon 

 as the ground is open. 



Poles for Beans and other Climbers should be 

 made ready for use. 



