THE GENESEE FARMER. 



121 



THE PABMER'S VEGETABLE GABSEN. 



While Americaa farmers, as a class, pay more 

 attention to the culture of fruit, perhaps, than those 

 of any other country, they sadly neglect their 

 kitchen gardens. In fact, few farmers can be said 

 to have any garden worthy of the name. Many of 

 our wealthiest farmers have gardens that would 

 disgrace tho poorest cottager on an English farm. 

 Sit down to dinner with our best farmers, in the 

 summer months, and you will find plenty of salt 

 pork, sour pickles, and rich pastry ; but where will 

 you find a table well supplied with early vegetables? 

 Farmers have every fiicility for obtaining the great- 

 est variety of garden products, at all seasons ; and 

 yet the occupants of small lots in our rural villages 

 have usually better gardens than the majority of 

 farmers. 'We would urge farmers to let their sons 

 pay more attention to horticulture. Our farmers 

 compel their sons to do too much of the drudgery 

 (^ agriculture. Let them spend more time in the 

 garden. They will then see the advantage of 

 thorough culture, and learn many things that they 

 will in after years put in practice on the farm. — 

 We hope our. young readers will take hold of this 

 matter. To such, a few hints may be useful. 



If your garden is not naturally well drained, the 

 first thing to be done is to underdrain it. The 

 warmest and driest portion should be spaded for a 

 few early crops, as soon as the soil is in working 

 condition. It should not be touched when wet. 



Peas. — Sow a few rows of tho Prince Albert, or 

 some other early variety, a.s soon as the ground can 

 be got ready. A quart of this variety will be sufia- 

 cient for a small family. It is a dwarf grower, and 

 ■will do without poling, though of course, much 

 better with. Tlie Dan. O^Sourle is one of the 

 best and earliest varieties. The Champion of Eng- 

 land is one of the very best " second early" varie- 

 ties yet introduced. It is a vigorous grower, a 

 good bearer, and of most delicious flavor. Peas 

 are generally sown too thick. A pint, according to 

 the size of the peas and the vigor of their growth, 

 will be sufficient for a row from fifty to seventy 

 feet in length. The old practice of treading them 

 in, especially if the ground is moist, should be dis- 

 continued. They should be covered with from two 



to three inches of fine earth, A little plaster scat- 

 tered on top of the row will be beneficial. We 

 prefer to sow in single rows from three and a half 

 to four feet apart. 



Potatoes. — A few rows of an early variety, 

 such as the Early June, should be planted in a 

 warm part of tho garden as early as possible, in 

 rows two feet apart, and ten to' twelve inches in 

 the rows. The sets may be started in a hot -bed or 

 warm room, with advantage. 



Lettuce. — If you have any plants in a hot-bed, 

 transplant them into the open ground, as soon a» 

 the weather becomes warm, in rows a foot apart. — 

 If not, sow the seed in a warm border as soon as 

 possible. Do not be sparing of seed, as the plants 

 can be thinned out and furnish a supply of small 

 lettuce early. It is best to sow them sufficiently 

 far apart to admit the use of the hoe. Frequent 

 hoeing is very beneficial. There is nothing so good 

 for lettuce as superphosphate of lime sown with th& 

 seed. Plaster is also good. 



Radishes are frequently sown broadcast on tho 

 onion beds, but we prefer to sow them in drills m 

 a bed by themselves. The seed should be buried a 

 little deeper than lettuce, say half an inch. Sow 

 jilenty of seed, so as to have plants e-nough for the 

 fly and for a crop. 



Cabbage. — Sow some iTcirZy Yorlc or Early Win- 

 7iingstadt cabbage, or Early Paris cauliflowers^ 

 either on a gentle hot-bed, or in a warm and shel- 

 tered spot, as soon as the ground is in a fit condi- 

 tion. A little Peruvian guano (say four pounds to 

 a S(iuaro rod,) forked into the bed before the seed 

 is sown, will give the plants an early start, and 

 they will be more likely to escape injury from the 

 fly. Superphosphate of lime, sown with the seed, 

 is a still better manure for this purpose. Eight or 

 ten pounds to the square rod may be used. It will 

 not injure the seed, and will cause the plant to grow 

 so fast that the fly can not hurt them. 



Onions should always be sown in drills sufl[ici- 

 ently wide to admit the use of the hoe. In tliis 

 way much labor in weeding is saved. Onions pre- 

 fer a rather heavy loam, if it is rich and thoroughly 

 j)ulverized. A light soil is apt to indue* the growth 

 of tops rather than bulbs. If intended to bo used! 

 while young for salad, a warm sandy soil is best. — 

 As a general rule, however, it is best to sow th& 

 main crop sufficiently thick to furnish abundance 

 of young plants for salad in tlie progress of thin- 

 ning. This must be by no means neglected, or the 

 plants wiU become weak and drawn up. Tho crop 

 is frequently injured by thick seeding and neglect- 

 ing to thin out early. An ounce of good seed, 

 when sown in drills, is sufficient for a bed four feet 

 wide and twenty-four feet long. Like wheat and 

 clover, onions thrive best in a compact soil, and it 



