18 RICHARD FROTSCHER’S ALMANAC AND GARDEN MANUAL 
heat well, and the fruit carries better when shipped than the New York Market. The kind we 
cultivate here is oblong, dark purple; perfectly thornless on the stems and leaves. Radishes 
for shipping are raised considerably. The Long Scarlet short top is used for that purpose. 
Gardeners and others who contemplate raising vegetables for shipping are invited to give 
meacall. From the fact that all staple articles are raised for me by contract, in such sections 
best suited to mature the varieties we need for our climate, and the interest I take in the seed 
business, coupled with a thorough knowledge of same, enables me to assist in making selec- 
tions of seeds for the purpose. The interest of my customers and mine are identical. My 
stock is the best selected and largest in the South. 
¢ 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The size depends upon the purposes for which it is intended; whether the family is large or 
small, and the time which can be devoted to its cultivation. The most suitable soil for a garden 
is a hght loam, When the soil is too heavy, it ought to be made light by applying stable manure 
and working up the ground thoroughly. Trenching as done in Europe, or North, is not advis- 
able, at least where there is any cocoa, as by trenching the roots of this pest will get so deeply 
incorporated with the soil that trouble will be met with afterwards to get rid of it. Exposure 
towards the East is desirable. If there are one or more large trees in the garden, or on the 
immediate outside, their shade can be used in which to sow Celery, Cabbage and other seeds 
during the hot summer months, which will be an advantage. The seed beds for this purpose 
should be so arranged as to receive only the morning or evening sun. It is of the greatest 
importance that the ground should be well drained, otherwise it will beimpossible to raise good 
vegetables. The most reliable manure for general purposes is well decomposed stable or barn- 
yard manure, Cow manure will suit best for light, sandy soil, and horse manure for heavy, 
stiff clay lands. For special purposes Peruvian Guano, Commercial Fertilizer, Raw Bone, Cotton 
Seed Meal and other commercial manures may be employed withadvantage. Of late years most 
gardeners who work their land with a plow, use Cow peas as a fertilizer with excellent result. 
They are sown broad-cast at the rate of 15 bushels to the acre, and when large enough, they are 
turned under. When the land is very sandy, cotton seed meal has the most lasting effect. For 
quick growing crops, such as Melons, Cucumbers, etc., the Commercial Fertilizer and Guano 
applied in the hills are very good. Soap suds are good for Celery; it is astonishing to perceive 
the difference in the size of those stalks which are watered every few days with the suds, and 
others on the same ground which are not. Wood ashes are best for Peas, either used as a top 
dressing when the Peas just come out of the ground, or else sprinkled in the rows when planted. 
The New Orleans market gardeners raise as fine vegetables as can be produced anywhere; in 
fact, some varieties cannot be excelled, and very few gardeners use anything but stable manure. 
‘Rotation of Crops is anotherimportant item. Beets, Carrots and other roots should 
not be grown in succession on the same ground, but shouid be changed to those which grow 
above ground, such as Lettuce, Beans, Peas, ete. Good seed, good ground and good cultivation 
are essential in order to raise good vegetables. When plants are up, the ground should be stirred 
frequently; weeds ought not to be suffered to go into seed, but should be destroyed as soon as 
they appear. Hoeing and working the young crops during dry weather is very beneficial, 
because the weeds are then easily killed, and hoeing the ground will make it retain moisture 
better than if it were left alone. - 
SOWING SEEDS. 
Some seeds are sown at once where they are to remain and mature. Others are sown in 
seed beds and transplanted afterwards. Seeds should be covered according to their sizes, a 
covering of earth twice the size of the seedis about the maximum. Some seeds, such as Beans, 
Corn and Peas, can be covered from one to two inches, and they will come up well. Here isa 
difference again : Wrinkled Peas and Sugar Corn have to be covered lighter and more carefully 
than Marrowfat Peas or the common varieties of Corn. It depends upon the nature of the soil, 
season of the year, etc. For instance, in heavy wet soils seeds have to be covered lighter than 
in sandy light ground. Seeds which are sown during summer in the open ground, such as 
Beets and Carrots, should be soaked over night in water and rolled in ashes or plaster before 
sowing; they will come up quicker. When they are sown in a seed bed, the ground should be 
light enough not to bake after a rain. Some varieties of seeds require shade when sown during 
the summer, such as Cauliflower, Celery and Lettuce. Care should be taken to have the shade 
at least three feet from the ground, and shade only after the sun has been on the bed for two 
or three hours; and remove again early in the afternoon, so the plants may become sturdy. If 
too much shaded they will be drawn up, long-legged, and not fit to be set out in the open 
ground. The most successful cabbage planters in this neighborhood sow their seeds in the 
