THE GENESEE FARMER. 



155 



HORTICULTITEAL HINTS FOR THE MONTH. 



For tlie gardener, May is usually the busiest 

 month in the year. The present spring, however, 

 has been so remarkably early that much of the 

 labor which has usually to be put off till May has 

 been done in April. Tree planting is over, and the 

 main crops in the kitchen garden are sown. Many 

 of these are already up — at all events the weeds 

 are ; and it should not be forgotten that the only 

 way to obtain the mastery over them is to attack 

 them as soon as they make their appearance;. Let 

 them get possession of the ground, and they not 

 only injure the crop, but the labor of exterpating 

 them is increased four-fold. 



Strawberry beds should be mulched. Tan bark 

 is probably the best material, but straw, leaves, 

 sawdust, etc., answer a good purpose. The advan- 

 tages of a good mulch are not generally appreciated. 

 It checks the growth of weeds, keeps the soil moist 

 by retarding evaporation, and increases the groAvth 

 of the plants, while the ft'uit is kept out of the 

 dirt, and is nice and clean. 



Raspberries, gooseberries, currants, and black- 

 berries, are also greatly benefited by mulching. It 

 is claimed by some experienced gardeners that 

 mulching wiU prevent mildew on the gooseberry. 

 On a clayey loam, mulching is not so beneficial 

 as on a light, sandy soil. On the former, the fre- 

 quent use of the hoe would keep the soil moist, and 

 answer nearly every purpose of mulching, and at 

 the same time increase its fertility by accelerating 

 the disintegration of the mineral matter and the 

 decomposition of the organic matter of the soil. 



Mulching is especially advantageous for all 

 recently transplanted trees, and dwarf pears, 

 whether recently transplanted or not, should be 

 weU mulched. In the Prize Essay on the Culti- 

 vation of Dwarf Pears, published in the March 

 number of the Oenesee Farmer^ the writer, who 

 has been eminently successful in growing pears on 

 the quince stock, says: "I gave my trees, last 

 spring, a mulching of stable manure, two years 

 old, about three inches deep over a space of four 

 feet around each tree, and covered that with a 



mulching of straw, Ifowndthe growth and fruit- 

 fulness of the trees much increased ty it. * * * 

 A thick mulching of straw or other light materials 

 is almost as important as manure." The roots of 

 the quince are small, fibrous, and near the surface, 

 and are consequently easily affected by drouth, 

 while the pear grafted on it is naturally of a more 

 vigorous growth and requires more sap than the 

 quince roots can supply, imless the soil is moist 

 and abounds in plant-food. Thorough underdrain- 

 ing, deep trenching, heavy manuring, and judicious 

 mulching, are the radical requisites of success in 

 the culture of the dwarf pear. 



Meloxs. — The great object in the cultivation of 

 melons, is to get them early. During the hot 

 weather of August and the first part of September, 

 they are one of the greatest luxuries that can be 

 grown in our northern climate. It is easy to raise 

 the plants in a hot-bed, but so diflicult to trans- 

 plant them without checking their growth, that in 

 favorable seasons those sown in the open ground 

 are earlier. A light, warm, sandy soil, should be 

 chosen if possible. If not, it has been recommended 

 to place two bushels of sand where each hill is to 

 be grown. Turf aslies, if they can be obtained, are 

 much better. The best melons we saAv last season 

 were grown on rather a heavy loam and cultivated 

 as follows : The ground received a dressing of old, 

 Avell-rotted manure from the blacksmith shop, which, 

 containing much hoof-parmgs, was very rich. This 

 was dug in all over the ground. The seed was 

 planted in hills about three feet apart, and small 

 boxes with a single glass light were placed over 

 them. Those treated in this way were miKh ear- 

 lier than some which were transplanted from a hot- 

 bed. Superphosphate of lime, placed in some of 

 the hills with the seed, had a good effect. It is 

 best to sow plenty of seed, say six or eight seeds in 

 a hill, but not ?nore than three good strong plants 

 should be allowed to remain. The Christina is 

 the earliest and the best musk melon yet extensively 



tested. 



Cucumbers.— Make the soil light and rich ; raise 

 the hills a few inches above the suH-ounding sar- 

 face ; place six or eight seeds in each hill about an 

 inch deep, and, if possible, place a small frame over 

 them. If a glass frame, so much the better ; but 

 if covered with gauze, it will be beneficial; and 

 even if not covered with anything, the frame will 

 keep off the cold wind and the bugs, and bring the 

 plants forward much more rapidly than those with- 

 out protection. 



AVhen covered with either glass or gauze, care 

 must be taken to afford ventilation on all warm, 

 sunny days, by tilting the frame or glass, but in 

 such a direction as to keep the wind from blowing 

 in and chUling the plants. Ventilate before the sun 



