98 GARDENING FOE YOUNG AND OLD. 



in a hot-bed, or in a box in the house. When the, ground 

 is thoroughly warm, and all danger of frosty nights is 

 passed, set them out carefully in the warmest, lightest, 

 and best soil you have. Plant in rows twenty-four to 

 thirty inches apart, and from twelve to fifteen inches 

 apart in the rows. Keep the ground clean and mellow 

 by the frequent use of the cultivator and hoe. The best 

 variety is the Bell, or Bull -nosed. It is extensively used 

 for pickling and for seasoning. Cayenne pepper, a 

 smaller-fruited variety, is cultivated in the same way. 



POTATOES. 



As a garden crp, potatoes are seldom grown, except 

 for the early market or for home use in summer. The 

 later varieties are grown as a field crop. It often hap- 

 pens, however, that the gardener can plant potatoes on 

 land from which some early crop has been removed. A 

 very good crop can be grown here when planted as late 

 as from June 15th to July 4th; but for late plant- 

 ing, it is best to use the early varieties. For an early 

 crop, it will pay well to take considerable pains in pre- 

 paring and manuring the soil. The land should be 

 made ready the fall previous, and the moment the frost 

 is out of the ground, plant the potatoes in rows twenty- 

 four to thirty inches apart, and from ten to twelve inches 

 apart in the row. If the land is very rich, and you in- 

 tend .to dig the potatoes as early as possible, thicker 

 planting will give a larger crop, say rows eighteen inches 

 apart, and the potatoes dropped eight inches apart in 

 the row. 



I have been in the habit, every year, of planting pota- 

 toes the first moment the land could be worked, and it 

 has frequently happened that we had a very severe and 

 long-continued frost afterwards, but the potatoes were 



