I04 



Garden and Forest. 



[Ai'KiI. 25, 1888. 



Cucumbers. — Sow Tailby's or Nichol's on sods or in pots in 

 a hot-bed and pJant out in May. 



Egg Plants and Peppers. — Keep tliem growing in pots in 

 hot-beds, snug and warm and well covered up at night. They 

 are very tender. There is nothing better than New York Im- 

 proved Egg Plant or Ruby King Pepper. 



Lettuces. — Those sown last week in March in hot-beds are 

 now fit for transplanting. Set them out among other crops, say 

 between Cabbage and Cauliflower plants or between rows of 

 Peas. Sow again, this time out-of-doors, for succession. 

 Salamander and White Summer Cabbage are good forsummer 

 use. Every kind of Lettuce will fail in hot weather. 



Onions.— For seed Onions select well-fnanured rich ground. 

 After it has been well pulverized, tread or roll it to make it 

 firm, then draw drills an inch deep and 15 to 18 inches apart ; 

 sow, cover and tread or roll. I prefer Yellow Danvers, South- 

 port White Glove and Wethersfield Red. Or for early use 

 plant sets, and the larger they are, the earlier they will be fit 

 to use. 



Parsnips. — Sow a little seed now and the main crop about 

 three weeks later. Use deeply-worked rich soil, and have the 

 rows 20 or 24 inches apart. Get the Student or Long Smooth. 



Turnips. — Make a small sowing once a fortnight. 1 much 

 like the Strap-leaved sorts, also Purple-top White GloVje. Early 

 sowings are much troubled by worms in the " bulb." 



Herbs. — Have some Mint, Thyme and Tarragon growing 

 permanently ; and from seed every spring raise some Chervil, 

 Savory and Sweet Basil. 



Fruit Garden Favorites. 



AMOXG the old Strawberries none please me so well as the 

 Downing. There are more highly flavored varieties, and 

 those more beautiful, but there is something in the quality of 

 the Downing that leads me each season to the spot where it 

 grows. Under good culture it is large and productive, but in 

 some localities it is subject to leaf blight, so called, caused by 

 a fungus growth. 



Next to the Downing for the amateur I would place Mt. Ver- 

 non. It is attractive in flavor, productive and vigorous, but 

 too soft for market. This, like many others, has been over- 

 looked by many, in the crowd of new varieties that have been 

 offered, yet it has friends everywhere, and will be planted more 



The .Ikimedj ot Cliihuaijua. Po/mlus Frcmoiitd, Var.— (See page lo;.) 



Parsley. — Sow a row of Doutile Moss Curled at once in good 

 ground. Old roots are persistentlv running to seed. Raise a 

 fresh supply every year. For wintering in frames sow again 

 about midsummer ; this sowing will not " bolt" till next spring. 



Peas. — Sow nothing but wrinkled marrow Peas. Alpha 

 sown now will give peas fit for use about tlie toth of June ; 

 McLean's Advancer, about the 15th or 25th, and Stratagem 

 about the 20th. Owing to season and conditions of cultivation 

 these dates may vary. Sow all these varieties on the same 

 day and with successions of Stratagem or Champion of Eng- 

 land every ten days. Champion is the best Pea grown — but it 

 is too tall. 



Radish. — Sow a small row once a week ; they are fit for use 

 four weeks after sowing. French Breakfast as a Tin-nip Radish, 

 and Wood's and Chartier's as long Radishes, are good. 



Rhubarb. — A barrel set over tlie stools will draw w\\ the 

 leaf stalks long and tender. Cut out flower stems as soon as 

 noticed. 



Spinach. — Llse Viroflay or Long Standing, make a small 

 sowing once in ten days. Use Spinach as a catch crop between 

 Cauliflower, Parsnip rows, or wherever else there is room. 



Tomatoes. — Keep them growing vigorously in pots in frames. 

 Give them ];ilenty head and root room. 



and more each season by those who appreciate a good Straw- 

 berry, Triomijhe de Gan'd and Jersey Queen are l>oth superior 

 in quality to either Downing or Mt. Vernon, but usually will 

 not yield half as much fruit, "and in many localities are exceed- 

 ingly fickle. Indeed, the Durand strain of Strawberries, to 

 which Jersey Queen belongs, has proved uncertain with me as 

 a rule, and also with many others. Parry and Jewell, of the 

 same strain, while among the best of the family, are variable, 

 the Jewell far more so tfian Parry, the latter proving to be a 

 valuable eariy variety in many localities. It varies greatly in 

 quality, however, in 'the same' row the same day, a peculiarity 

 which' I have not noticed in any other variety. Among the 

 newer varieties Jessie excels in quality united with productive- 

 ness, and Bubach in size, beauty and vigor. 



It is a disputed question whether Strawberry beds should be 

 cultivated during the spring, or bearing season, but weeds 

 must tie subdued, and shallow hoeing early in the season does 

 no harm. Where the winter mulch is left between the rows 

 it has a tendency to cause later ripening and increases 

 the danger from 'frost, but otherwise the mulch is benefi- 

 cial. Ifthe soil is not fertile enough commercial fertilizers 

 may be applied by hand, if care be taken not to permit them 

 to touch the foliage. They should be mixed with the soil at 



