506 MANUAL OF GARDENING 
MARCH 
Beets. — A few seeds may be sown in the hotbed. 
Cabbage, cauliflower, and celery seeds may be sown for the early crop. 
Egg-plants. — Seeds should be sown. Take care that the young 
plants are never stunted. 
Grafting may be done in favorable weather. Cherries and plums 
must be grafted early. Use liquid grafting-wax in cold weather. 
Hotbeds may be made at any time, but do not grow impatient about 
the work, for there will be cold weather yet. Clean, fresh manure is 
necessary, and a layer 2 ft. thick should be tramped hard. When 
once started and the seeds sown, do not let the beds get too hot. Give 
them air on fine days and give the seedlings plenty of water. Use two 
thermometers — one to test the atmosphere and the other the heat 
of the soil. 
Lettuce should be sown in the hotbed for an early crop. 
Onion seed for the new onion-culture may be sown at the close of 
the month. 
Peas. — Sow now, if the ground can be worked. 
Peppers may be sown late in the month. 
Potatoes kept for seed must not be allowed to sprout. Keep them 
in a temperature near freezing point. Rub off the sprouts from 
potatoes kept for eating, and pick out all decayed specimens. 
Spinach. — Sow some seeds for an early crop. 
Tomato seeds may be sown in the hotbeds. 
APRIL 
Artichokes. — Sow the seeds for next year’s crop. A deep, rich, 
sandy loam is best. Fork in a dressing of well-rotted manure around 
the old plants. 
Asparagus. — Spade in some good manure in the bed, and give 
the soil a thorough working before the crowns start. Sow seeds in the 
open ground for young plants for a new bed. 
Beans. — Limas may be started on sods in a hotbed or a coldframe 
towards the last of the month. 
Beets. — The ground should be prepared and the seed sown for 
beets for cattle as soon as the weather will permit. Put them in before 
