362 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



APRIL brings nearly all the operations of the gar- 

 den under way ; the planting and sowing of all the hardy 

 varieties of vegetables is completed this month. (See 

 table in Chapter on Seed Sowing). Look well to the hot- 

 beds, cold frames, or forcing-pits ; they will require 

 abundance of air, and (where artificial heat is used), 

 plenty of water ; we have now bright sunshine, promot- 

 ing rapid vegetation under glass, and to have heavy 

 crops, they must not be stinted in water. Hot-beds are 

 particularly critical in this month ; an hour or two of 

 neglect, in giving air, may quickly scorch the tender 

 plants that you have been nursing with so much care for 

 a month previous ; and a balmy April day may terminate 

 in a stinging frost at night, making short work of your 

 hot-beds if they are not w r ell covered up by straw mats. 



Plantations of Asparagus, Rhubarb, etc., if not made 

 last month, should now be done, as those set out later 

 than April will not make such a vigorous growth. Suc- 

 cession crops of Lettuce, Beets, Cabbage, Onions, Peas, 

 Potatoes, Radishes, Spinach, Turnips, etc., may be 

 planted or sown during the latter part of the month, to 

 succeed those planted in March and early part of April. 



The early sown crops should be hoed, and the ground 

 stirred close to the young plants, so as to destroy the 

 germ of the weeds now appearing. 



MAT. Although the bulk of the hardy vegetables is 

 now planted, yet the tender varieties are still to come ; 

 they require more care, as they are more susceptible of 

 injur}, by too early or injudicious planting, than the 

 others. In the early part of the month, the succession 

 crops, named in April, may be yet planted so as to pro- 

 duce good crops, and the tender varieties, such as Bush 

 Beans, Corn, Melon, Okra, Pepper, Squash, Tomato, may 

 be sown or planted after the middle of the montli ; but 

 Egg Plants, Sweet Potatoes, Lima Beans and Peppers 

 had better be delayed to the last week in May or 1st of 



