40 BOAKD OF xVGRICULTUKE. [Pub. Doc. 



The man with the seed-sower beoins to sow as soon as 

 there is opportunity, and tries to keep close to the rakers, 

 so that the seed may be covered with moist soil. This is a 

 very important matter, and must be attended to if a good 

 "come-up" is wanted. In sowing seed market gardeners 

 use an immense amount at each seeding, often using two 

 or three times the amount reconunended by seed catalogues. 



The cultivation of closely planted crops is chiefly by use 

 of slide hoes and weeders. The crops are gone over very 

 often, say once in five to ten days. It is no mistake to go 

 over them often when young. The cultivation aerates the 

 soil, preserves the soil moisture, kills the weeds and makes 

 the crop grow. 



Market gardeners will not cultivate a crop when it is wet, 

 or when the soil is so wet as to make clods. 



On market gardens you will find crops of peas, beans, cab- 

 bage, corn, tomatoes and summer squash, hilled or ridged up 

 to with the plow and finished off with the hoe. The ridge 

 makes a fine warm feeding ground, and the frequent cultiva- 

 tion and hoeing hastens the maturity of the crop. Some 

 farmers will argue for level culture, and under certain con- 

 ditions it will be the best culture : but I have yet to find a 

 market gardener who ^vi\\ practise it. He is satisfied that 

 his crop will mature earlier if hilled up. 



Many crops have to l)e thinned so that they may grow to 

 perfection. This thinning must be done before the plants get 

 too large or too soft, or run up. No crop raised on a market 

 Sfarden needs more careful attention to thinnino- than lettuce. 

 It must be thinned while young, and only one plant left in a 

 place, say ever}^ 10 or 12 inches, if the best heads are to be 

 obtained. The cultivation of most crops continues till they 

 shade the ground or begin to mature. 



The area in glass is increasing every year. Any one who 

 succeeds well with greenhouses usually Imilds more of them. 

 It takes some time to learn the greenhouse business, and some 

 men seem never to learn it. One grower whom I know had 

 his houses three years before he made much profit from them. 

 Another grower has 10 large houses, given chieflj^ to raising 

 lettuce, but he has no skill in running greenhouses. He has 



