THE GARDEN. 83 



M&nv gardeners put these plants among their small fruite, but they are 

 as much in the way there as anywhere in the vegetable garden. They will 

 not do so well, and are also a heary drain on the soil, causing an injur}' to 

 the bushes about them. The best way is to give them one of the long, nar- 

 row divisions, above referred to, clear through the length of the garden. 



Hovr to 9Ialce a Good Garden. — The soil must be well drained, 

 either naturally or artificially. It must be rich; and the manure should be 

 thoroughly worked into the soil. Plow the land in the autumn, and plow it 

 again us early as possible in the spring. If there is any rubbish, remove it 

 or dig holes and bury it below the reach of the plow. Then plow again, or 

 work the land with a cultivator. I take off some of the inside tectli of the 

 cultivator, so that the horse can draw the cultivator as deep, or nearly as 

 deep, as the land has been plowed. This work should be done when the 

 soil is dry and the weather warm. You cannot possibly stir the soil too much 

 while the sun is shining. It lets in the sun's rays and warms and mellows 

 the soQ. On light, sandy soil, thoroughly and deeply plowed and manured 

 the fall pre\'ious, there are many crops which can be sown to advantage 

 without again plowing in the spring. It often happens in this latitude that 

 five or six inches of the surface soil in the spring is thawed out and dry 

 enough to work, while underneath the gi-ound is frozen solid. If we wait 

 till this frozen soil can be plowed, we frequently lose a good opportunity for 

 putting in early crops of peas, potatoes, onions, cabbage, lettuce, radish, 

 spinach, etc. And besides, the soil that we turn up with the plow, and 

 which ;omes to the surface, and in which we sow the seed, is cold and damp, 

 while the surface soil which we turn under is warm and dry. 



Transplanting. — Inexperienced gardeners are apt to think that a rainy 

 day is the only fit time for setting out plants, and will often delay a week or 

 two longer than is necessary waiting for it, and finally plant when the ground 

 is soaked and when they sink to their ankles in the soil. That is the worst 

 time that could possibly be chosen, excepting when the ground is congealed 

 with cold. For it is impossible that the mold, sticky and clammj- while wet, 

 can filter among the roots, or remain of suitable texture for them to spread 

 themselves in, permeable to them and equally pervious to the air in every 

 part ^vithout anywhere exposing their tender parts to actual contact in 

 chambers of corrosive oxygen. A rainy day is an advantage if the plants are 

 set before the ground has become wet, but the safe and sure way is to go for 

 the plants as soon as the ground is fully prepared, no matter how dry the 

 weather. A pail or bucket should always be taken to carry the plants in, 

 having a Uttle water in the bottom. The roots being set in this will absorl) 

 until the plant is so gorged that it will endure a drying air after being set in 

 place. If the ground is very dry, water should be poured in before plant- 

 ing, which is verj- much better than pouring tipon the surface, because of ncj 

 mjurious crust being formed, for a continually open surface during the 

 growing season, to admit of free circulation of air and capillar}- action from 

 below, is absolutely essential to free, profitable growth. 



Slushroom Culture. — Of all the edible mushrooms, the common 

 Meadow Mushroom (Agaricus edulis) is the only one adapted for culture, 

 and, with proper care and management, it can be grown almost anywhere 

 and at all seasons. Nowhere has tlie cultivation of this delicacy reached so 

 Aigh a state of perfection as in the vicinity of Paris, in France, and the fol- 

 lowing description of the methods practiced there, given by llcssrs. Vil- 



