100 THE FABM. 



Cultivation of Tobacco._To raise tobacco, select a sheltered situation, 

 wliere the young plants can receive the full force of the sun; bum over the 

 surface of the ground early in spring (new land is best), rake it well, and 

 BOW the seeds; have a dry, mellow, rich soil, and after a shower, when the 

 plants have got leaves the size of a quarter-dollar, transplant as you would 

 cabbage plants, three and one-half feet apart, and weed out carefully after- 

 ward. Break ofT the suckers from the foot-stalks, as they appear; also the 

 tops of the plants when they are well advanced, say about three feet high, 

 except those designed for seed, which should bo the largest and best planta. 

 The ripeness of tobacco is known by small dusky spots appearing on the 

 leaves. The plants should then be cut near the roots, on the morning of a 

 day of sunshine, and should lie singly to wither. "When sufficiently with- 

 ered, gather theA carefully together, and hang them up under cover to cure 

 and prepare for market. 



Starting Plants Early. — A writer on gardening gives the following 

 hints on starting tender seeds, such as tomatoes, squashes, melons, and the 

 like: " It is desirable in transplanting not to check the growth by disturbing 

 the roots. A good way to avoid this is to scrape out turnips, iill them vnih 

 good soil and plant in two or three seeds, setting them in a Avarm, light 

 place, and keeping them moist. "WTien the weather is suitable, place these 

 out in the garden at the proper depth. The turnip will decay and the plant 

 will thrive unchecked if properly cared fur. Do not xise potatoes instead of 

 turnips. Another method is to get squares of sod, say six inches wide, from 

 good, mellow soil, turn them bottom uji, and put such seeds as squash, 

 melon or sweet corn, and treat them in the same way, not putting out till 

 the Aveather is quite warm, and then protecting against bugs. For more 

 delicate plants, flowers, etc., make little sqiiare paper boxes out of thin 

 writing paper, or thick newspaper, merely folding them at the comers as 

 you Avould the paper in covering a book, and tacking them with a needle 

 and thread; make them about three inches square and two deep. Fill Vith 

 good soil; start the seeds and put them out at the proper time, boxes and 

 all, without disturbing the roots. If you fear the paper is too strong for the 

 roots to penetrate, cut carefully on the bottom of the box the shape of a 

 cross, and all will be well." 



Seeds for Small Gardens. — People who grow largely for market kncnv, 

 as a part of their business, how many garden seeds to sow, but this is not 

 always the case with the man or woman who has but a small garden. For 

 these Ave give the following: Asparagus, bed of 15 square yards, 1 pint. 

 Beet, row 50 feet, 2 ounces. Cabbage, bed of 8 square yards, 1 ounce. 

 Carrots, drill of 120 feet, 2 ounces. Carrots, bed of 12 square yards, 2 

 ounces. Celery, 4 square yards, 1 ounce. Endive, 4 square yards, 1 ounce. 

 Bush beans, row 80 feet, 1 pint. Leek, 2 square yards, 1 ounce. Lettuce, 4 

 square yards, 1 ounce. Onions, 9 square yards, 2 ounces. Parsley, row 80 

 teet, one and a half ounces. Parsnip, drUl of 200 feet, 2 ounces. Peas, 

 early, row 60 feet, one and a half pints. Peas, large, late, row 80 feet, one 

 and a half pints. Potatoes, row 30 feet, lialf peck. Radishes, 4 square 

 yards, one and a half ounces. Spinach, 10 square yards, 2 ounces. Spinach, 

 drill of 120 feet, 2 ounces. Tumiji, 4 square yards, 1 ounce. 



Asparagus as a La^ii Plant— A friend suggests a very good idea as 

 to asparagus: " Of course the old plan of sticking the plants in close beds is 

 ftll wrong. There are manj- bits of fine soil in gardens, even tho so-called 



