146 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEE. 



May 



[From the Co. Gent, and Cultivator.] 

 Parmer's Gardens. 



PUTTING IN THE SKKD. 



In regard to planting a farmer's garden it may 

 not be to first say how not to do it ; though in 

 doing so I huve to condemn the practice of many 

 farmers. The most important of anything not to 

 do is to wait ; don't wait till done sowing spring 

 crops and you are over your hurry, and then go on 

 and prepare your garden and plant it all at one 

 time, and expect that to answer all purposes, when 

 if it does well, there may be something raised,but if 

 any portion fails, why that is the last of it. That 

 some Vegetables may be very well grown in this 

 way, is probably true though many kinds, like 

 potatoes, peas, onions, and not a few other things, 

 will necessarily be late, and more or less of tlie 

 most tender probably a failure. 



But for all desiring a good garden it is a great 

 deal better to begin as soon as the ground will do 

 to work, and the garden ought to be, and if prepar- 

 ed as recommended (on page 207) it almost always 

 will be, the first land dry enough to work on the 

 farm. But here I wish to say if the garden is nec- 

 essarily on a rather heavy cold soil, it would bo an 

 excellent plan to put a good coat of sandy or 

 gravelly loam — a good gravelly loam is generally 

 warmest — on to a part of the upper side of the gar- 

 den, which, with manuring, will make the land dry 

 enough to work soon after the frost is out and the 

 ground settled. This small plot may be spaded up 

 and prepared and plai.ted to some of the choicest 

 early vegetables, as peas, beets, onions, radishes, 

 lettuce, cabbage for transplanting, &c., and if there 

 is enough for a few of the very earliest potatoes, 

 all the better. It may also be well to state that 

 in many gardens where there is no part that has 

 had, or perhaps has needed, any sand or other ad- 

 dition but manure, there is a warm sunny corner or 

 part of the garden that is dry sooner th:in the rest, 

 and as frequently weeks may be gained by taking 

 advantage of a day or two of warm, drying weather 

 when only such part can be worked, it would be an 

 excellant plan to spade up and plant such a corner 

 or part in the manner indicated. The Vegetables 

 grown on such a patch will be very early, if well 

 tended, and be very gratifying to every familj'. 



But whether a part is spaded and planted before 

 the rest or not ; the rest, or the whole garden, 

 should be thoroughly plowed — no working farmer 

 will be willing to spade a garden half or a quarter 

 as large as will be needed — and prepared as soon as 

 it is dry enough to work. Then a httl* calculation 

 should be made in regard to the amount of ground 

 to be devoted to the different kinds of Vegetables. 

 First layoiFa portion for early potatoes, which 

 should be large enough to supply the family till 

 some of those grown in the field arc put in the cel- 

 lar. Then a portion for large marrowfats or other 

 large garden peas, which should be the main crop 

 for green peas after the earliest, and should not be 

 Hown broadcast ; and if put in very early, and pretty 

 thick, they will get and keep the start of the weeds. 

 There should be enough sown to have all the fam- 

 ily can use, and some for their less provident 

 neighbors, and if a part is left after the season is 

 over, the vines can be cut and fed to the hogs. 

 Hext lay off the ground for the cabbage and root 



crops raised in the garden. With these, as well as 

 peas, it is be.-t to be sure and have enough, as any 

 surplus will sel well, while they are profitable to 

 raise to feed. The rest of the garden may be devo- 

 ted to sweet corn and the many and various other 

 things that should be raised in a good garden, caie 

 having been taken to provide room enough for 

 them all. 



At the first planting all that the season will al- 

 low will of course be pat in. Other kinds should 

 be planted as fast as tlie season will answir. Many 

 are tender, not germinating well in cold, unfavora- 

 ble weather, or if they come up, are sometimes 

 cheeked, and sometimes insects di stroy the first 

 planting. Consequently it is necessary to have 

 plenty of the diS'erent kinds of seeds, and make cal- 

 culitions for frequent planting, some of which will 

 be f-ure "' to hit the season ri-iht," or by proper at- 

 teiition be saved from all insect depredators. 



In regard to the different kinds of seeds, allow 

 me to say, I am not going to recommend many 

 novelties, nor only such as are considered very 

 choice or extra kinds, and are very scarce and high 

 priced, but only such as I know are what every 

 farmer ought to have. For early potatoes, few far- 

 mers want any of the very small, though very ear- 

 ly kinds, but they will prefer something like the 

 kind 1 use, which are here called the Early June, 

 but which more nearly answers the description (^f 

 the Mountain June. We begin to use them about 

 or soon after the fourth of July. They grow to a 

 good size, and give a fair >ield of good quality dur- 

 ing their season. There should be a good bed of 

 some very early peas; the early Kent or Daniel O'- 

 Rourke will answer very well. The earliest I have 

 raised, out often or more kinds, is called the Queen 

 of Dwarfs. Tlie early York, or large early York 

 cabbage — the latter the surest but later — should 

 be raised for summer use, find some laigerkind for 

 winter. I give a decided preference to the Maible- 

 head mammoth drumhead ; but the large drumhead 

 or flat Dutch, answers very well. Darling's early 

 sweet corn is the best I have been able to obtain. 

 There should be several filantings, a little very ear- 

 ly, more about the usual planting time, and two or 

 three weeks later, another planting. There ^hould 

 be enough in all to have plenty to use, which, in 

 most families, will be a good deal, as it is first rate, 

 and goes a good many weeks, and plenty to dry for 

 winter use. Of onion-', there should be a bed of 

 sets, or multiplieis, as they are called here, for ear- 

 ly use. For fall and winter use, there should be a 

 good large bed of red, or white Portugal, the latter 

 the best. I have never found any beats that will 

 compare with the early Bassano. We have them 

 by the fourth of July, and probably use more in 

 that month than any other in the year ; but we use 

 the same kind for winter, sowing some later for 

 that purpose. The long blood is a good late kind. 

 The early short green cucumber has given the best 

 satisfaction to use green and for pickles, of any I 

 have tried. Of squashes, the Summer Crookneck 

 and early scollop, for summer use, and Hubbard 

 for winter, are probably as good as any. The 

 sweet German turnip is decidedly the best for the 

 table of any I am aequainted with. Carrots, early 

 Horn and long Orange. Parsnips, loi'g Dutch and 

 Hollow Crown. Beans, tomatoes, radishes, and 

 lettuce, are so eommon, and the seed is so easily 

 raised, or saved, that probably every one has a 



