86 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



cucumbers, and many other vegetables, and a variety of 

 fruits from which remunerative profits are returned. The 

 extreme earliness of the crops in the South enables the 

 market gardeners to place their products on the markets 

 of New York and other large northern cities some time 

 before the gardens more northerly situated are ready to 

 ship, and hence the benefits of the advanced prices are 

 reaped. 



Forwarding Early Crops. — Early crops in the open 

 air should be planted in a sheltered situation, on a dark- 

 colored, silicious soil. It may be brought to a proper state 

 by the admixture of sand and charcoal. Crops, on the 

 contrary, may be retarded by planting in a border shel- 

 tered from the sun, and of a lighter color and more alumi- 

 nous. There are many plants which do much better if 

 sown in the fall. Rhubarb, parsley, etc., come up more 

 freely if suffered to be in the ground all winter. Potatoes, 

 too, may be early planted, and if they come up, should be 

 sheltered by a covering of straw or litter, added from time 

 to time to keep them from frost. Cabbage, cauliflower, 

 broccoli, etc., sown in autumn and transplanted, may be 

 kept out all winter in boxes made by nailing four pieces 

 of boards together, eight inches wide. Cut the pieces 

 twelve inches long at the bottom, and ten at the top; nail 

 them together at the corners. After the frosts begin to be 

 severe, throw in a handful of loose straw, which will pre- 

 vent the sudden freezing and thawing of the plants. 

 Great care should be taken to produce early crops, as they 

 are less liable to be injured by insects or weeds, and very 

 much increase the satisfaction of gardening. Early plants 

 may be obtained by sowing them in a box set in a warm 

 window, or may be raised in autumn and protected in 

 winter in a cold frame or pit, or grown any time during 

 winter in a hot-bed for those more delicate, or in a cold- 

 frame under glass for the hardier kinds. Such plants, 



