1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



219 



THE COMPLETE GARDEN. 

 XXVI. 



BY A WELL-KNOWN HORTICULTURIST. 

 (Continued from page ia.S) 



Cucumber (class C). It is easy enough 

 to grow Cucumbers in plenty when you 

 have rich soil, and can manage to keep off 

 the yellow-striped bug, and the Melon ^ine 

 disease. This task calls for the means and 

 remedies mentioned under "Melon," and of 

 which planting in an altogether new loca- 

 lity is the surest. Prepare the soil thorough- 

 ly by plowing and harrowing, then mark 

 off furrows from 4 to f! feet apart each way, 

 according to vigor of variety, and put a few 

 shovelfuls of well-rotted compost into each 

 intersection. Mix this thoroughly with the 

 soil, making a low flat hill, upon which 

 drop the seed and cover lightly. For salads 

 and general summer use, plant as soon as 

 the ground has become warm. The usual 

 time to plant for pickles is latter part of 

 June, and even July will do. Keep the 

 ground well cultivated, the hills hoed up, 

 and all free from weeds until the vines cover 

 the ground. The fruit must be picked reg- 

 ularly and clean every day or two, as the 

 productiveness of the vines is greatly im- 

 pared hy every specimen left on them to 

 ripen its seed. 



Early Russian is the earliest, and needs 

 only 4 feet square for each hill. The fruit is 

 small, but produced in pairs in greatest 

 abundance, and makes nice small pickles. 

 Early Cluster, Green, Proliflc, and Nichols' 

 Medium Green can be recommended for sec- 

 ond early, and especially for pickles, and 

 Long Green, Boston Pickling, Wliite Spine, 

 etc., are very popular sorts for Cucumbers, 

 and also for larger pickles. Tailby's Hy- 

 brid is excellent for general family use. 

 For forcing purposes under glass Early 

 Frame is a favorite, but Long Gi'een is also 

 much grown. The West India Gherkin or 

 Burr Cucumber (see illustration) is a species 

 distinct from the common Cucumber ; fruit 

 from 3 to .3 inches long, and much esteemed 

 for pickling material. The plant is a strong 

 grower, and the hills should be .5 feet apart 

 each way. Usually the cultivation of Cu- 

 cumbers is profltable only when raised 

 in the vicinity of large cities, or where a 

 local demand exists, while pickles can some- 

 times be shipped quite a distance to market, 

 or to pickle factories with fair profits. It is 

 always safest, however, to grow the crop 

 under contract with the buyer at a stipu- 

 lated price,unless ahome demand is assured. 



D.iSDELiON (class F). A favorite plant 

 for spring greens, and valuable as a spring 

 tonic. The wild sort, so common in fields 

 and meadows, is used quite largely, but 

 recent improvements by selection of seed 

 trom choice plants, have led to their cultiva- 

 tion for home use and market. 



Sow seed as early as the ground can be 

 got in order, in drills one foot apart, thin- 



Pia. 2. 



Bosc huclded ton hiuh. 



Ply. 3. 

 Bom hvddcii right. 



ning to a few inches apart. Being perfectly 

 hardy, it only needs the care usually requir- 

 ed for other close-planted vegetables. The 

 crop is ready for use in tall or early winter, 

 and if left, will give an abundance of greens 

 in early spring following. Sometimes the 



plants are blanched, by gathering the leaves 

 up together and placing a large inverted 

 flower pot over each plant. Thus handled 

 it affords a salad not unlike Curled Endive, 

 but coming earlier. Improved varieties are 

 the Moss-leaved, the Thick-leaved or the 

 Cabbaging, the Jjarge-leaved now generally 

 grown, and Very Early, shown annexed. 



Dill (class F). Much used by the Ger- 

 mans, especially as flavoring in the prepara- 

 tion of their " Dill " or " Sour Cucumber " 

 pickles. All parts of the plant have a flavor 

 and scent like that of Fennel and Mint com- 

 bined. Sow in drills one foot apart. It is 

 hardy and needs but little care, and gener- 

 ally will reproduce itself freely from seed 

 shed by the plants the season before. 



Egg Plant (class C). For starting the 

 seed of this half-tropical plant, a sharp 

 bottom heat is needed, and after this has 

 subsided, the young plants should be prick- 

 ed out into another freshly-made hot bed, 

 as they will not thrive in heat only just 

 sufficient for Tomatoes. Give each plant 

 plenty of room. An empty Tomato can, 

 with a hole punched through the bottom for 

 drainage, seems to suit the Egg plant ex- 

 actly. Aim to have the plants early and 

 large ; when the soil has become thoroughly 

 warmed through in spring, transplant in 

 very rich ground in rows three feet apart, 

 and two feet apart in the row. Give plenty 

 of fertilizer, and clean and frequent cultiva- 

 tion. Its most formidable enemy is the 

 Potato beetle, and this is so fond of the foli- 

 age, that in many localities it is often next 

 to impossible to save the plants from utter 

 destruction in spite of all poisonous appli- 

 cations. New York Improved is the favor- 

 ite for market, on account of the large size 

 of fruit. Black Pekin is also much grown. 

 Early Long Purple, shown in illustration, 

 grows six to eight inches long, and two to 

 three in diameter. It is somewhat earlier, 

 and suitable for culture at the north. The 

 newly introduced— in reality very old — "To- 

 mato Egg plant," of which the Potato bugs 

 seem to be especially fond, so that they eat 

 leaves; stalks and fruit, leaving only the 

 seeds, is in its present form without practi- 

 cal value, and only interesting as a curiosity. 



Endive (class F). This is much esteemed 

 as a salad, especially for fall and winter use, 

 and we find it quite plentifully in city mar- 

 kets at that time. Sow in one foot drills, 

 thinning to one foot apart, and when the 

 plant has attained its full size, blanch it by 

 gathering up the leaves and tying them by 

 their tips in cone shape. In from three to 

 six weeks it will be nicely blanched and fit 

 for table. Green Curled is the variety gen- 

 erally planted by market gardeners. French 

 Moss Curled is particularly handsome. 

 White Curled must be used when young. 



Fennel (class F). The leaves are used for 

 fish, sauce, and for garnishing. Sow seed in 

 drills, in early spring, and give cultivation 

 same as other plants. 



Garlic (class F). This is grown similar 

 to Onions from setts. Plant them four 

 inches apart in one foot drills early in the 

 season, and otherwise treat like Onions. 



Horse-Radish (class D). Delights in rich, 

 deep, moist soil, and is generally grown as 

 a second crop following early Beets, Rad- 

 ishes, Peas, or other early vegetables. 

 Manure the ground well, and dig it deep. 

 Sets are pieces of straight smooth root, six 

 or eight inches long and of about pencil 

 thickness, cut square at lower and slanting 

 at upper end ; and these are planted one 

 inch and a quarter apart, by simply drop- 

 ping them in holes made deeply with dibber 

 or crowbar, and pressing the soil back 

 against them with the same implement. 

 The crop is dug and marketed in fall after 

 being planted, but the plants make 

 larger and better roots if left in the ground 

 for another season. 



Kale (class C). See Borecole. 



Kohl R abi (class E). Where much trouble 

 from the black flea beetle is expected, seed 

 had better be sown in a frame where the 

 young plants can easily be protected, and 

 transplanted in the open ground when large 

 enough. Otherwise seed can be sown in ]J^ 

 foot drills, like Turnip seed, and thinned to 

 8 or 9 inches apart in the rows. Give com- 

 mon good cultivation. It is a vegetable in- 



Daiidelion: Very Early. 



termediate between Cabbage and Turnip, 

 partaking somewhat of the flavor of both. 

 Though liked and freely used by the Ger- 

 mans, it has not come much in use and fav- 

 or with native-bom Americans. 



Lavender (class F). A popular, aromat- 

 ic, perennial herb, growing about 2}2 feet 

 high with numerous stems. The plant de- 

 lights in a light calcareous soil, and is often 

 grown as an edging to beds of other plants. 

 Can also be propagated by division of clumps 

 or from cuttings. Sow seeds in early spring 

 in drills one foot apart, and give common 

 good cultivation. 



Leek (class F). Very hardy and easily 

 cultivated, but succeeds best in light, well- 

 enriched soil. Sow seed in one foot drills as 

 soon as ground can be got in proper order, 

 covering seed about J.? inch deep. When 

 the plants have grown V> or 8 inches high, 

 they may be transplanted 8 or 10 inches 

 apart in one-foot rows,and set as deep as pos- 

 sible, in order to blanch the neck and make 

 the product more attractive to the eye. 

 American Flag is the favorite market sort. 



Lettuce (class F). One of the most im- 

 portant crops of the market gardener, both 

 for forcing and out-door culture. It is grown 

 in hot-beds and forcing houses all through 

 the winter and early spring. For earliest 

 out-door culture, the plants are started dur- 

 ing the fall, and wintered in cold frames un- 

 til the ground thaws out in spring. They 

 are then set in well-prepared and very rich 

 soil in rows one foot apart and (i or 7 inches 

 apart in the row. Frequent stirring of the 

 soil, and occasional light dressings of nitrate 

 of soda promote rapid development, large 

 size, and delicious crispness. In the home 

 garden seed is generally sown as soon as the 

 ground is in proper order, in rows one foot 

 apart, and the plants must be thinned to 6 

 or 8 inches. This thinning may be done 

 gradually, and the thinnings used as leaf 

 salad. The remaining plants generally form 

 full heads. An eventual surplus in the home 

 garden can be utilized with profit by taking 

 a daily ration to the fowls when kept in con- 

 finement. Such treatment increases egg pro- 

 duction. Hundreds of most excellent vari- 

 eties have been introduced in recent 

 years. Of all these Boston Market is yet 

 the best and most reliable for forcing, al- 

 though Tennisball is also used for early 

 spring planting. For later use we have al- 

 most perfect sorts, Deacon, California Butter, 

 Henderson's New York, and especially in 

 Salamander,all of which give very large and 

 solid heads and stand the heat pretty well. 

 The Cos varieties are of a conical form ; 

 and to be had in perfection, should have the 



