52 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



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

 state by the admixture of sand and charcoal. Crops may 

 be retarded by planting in a border sheltered from the 

 sun, and of a lighter color and more aluminous. There 

 are many plants which do much better if sown in the fall. 

 Rhubarb, parsley, &c., 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 cover- 

 ing of straw or litter, added from time to time to keep them 

 from frost. Cabbage, cauliflower, brocoli, &c., may be kept 

 out all winter in boxes made by nailing four pieces of 

 boards together, eight inches wide. Cut the pieces 12 

 inches wide at the bottoni, and 10 at the top, nail them 

 together at the corners. After the frosts begin to be se- 

 vere, 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 by a 

 window, or raised in autumn and protected in winter in a 

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

 hot bed for those more delicate, or in a cold frame under 

 glass for the hardier kinds. Radishes sown under glass 

 without heat early in January are generally fit for use 

 early in March. Such plants, when set out in the spring, 

 require shading a few days until established. 



Frames or Hot Beds are most usually employed for 

 forwarding plants. The frame for general use has from 

 three to five sashes, (see plate), and is made for con- 

 venience about four and a half or five feet wide, and 

 the length depends on the number of sashes, which are 

 usually about forty inches wide. Use the smallest glass 

 you can obtain, certainly not over seven by nine. A 



