302 



CALENDARIAL INDEX. 



by the lime they would natui'ally make their first appearance above ground. 

 This may well be done by adopting- Mr. Armstrong-'s method, with regard to 

 melons, 202. Attend to your fruit m your fruit-room or cellar, on shelves or m 

 boxes, and, if necessary, pick it over, and cull out whatever is defective 5 wipe 

 the remainder dry, and pack it away anevv. But if it is put down in some sort 

 of grain, dry sand, flax-seed chaft", or, what is probably best of all, pulverized 

 laster of Paris, you will not need to meddle with it. You may now, perhaps, 

 egin to force asparagus in hot-beds, 28. Sow under glass cases, ibr transplanting 

 or otherwise, radishes, carrots, small salads, peas, beans, &c. Protect choice 

 plants, which may show a disposition to vegetate, by matting, litter, cases of 

 wicker^ old bark^ and other proper means. 



MARCH. 



Lettuce may be sowed in the open ground as soon as fmst will permit, 191. 

 It may be sowed between vacant rows, intended for other plants, and pulled out k 

 for use before the other plants are large enough to be encumbered by it. Early i 

 peas cannot be planted too soon after the ground is thawed, 226. Radishes 

 may be sowed as soon as the seeds can be raked in. Sow cabbages, cucum- 

 bers, melons, cauliflowers, squashes, &c. in hot-beds, under glasses, &c., 84, 149, a 

 202. Dig up vacant ground, applying manure. Dress borders, and clip edg- f 

 ings of box. Clean, rela}^, or make new gravel walks. Attend to, and turn 

 over compost beds. Dress asparagus beds, or make new ones the latter part 

 of tnis month or the beginning of April, 22. Select from your cellar the best 

 cabbages with heads, and set them in some proper place to stand for seed. Set 

 the difleient kinds remoie from each other, to prevent their mixing at the time 

 of blossoming. Like^vise, set some of your best cabbage stumps for early salad 

 and greens. If the ground is moist, set shallow j if dry, place them about six 

 inches deep. Small salading, such as cresses, 80, 81, mustard, 207,208, radish, 

 260, &c., when a constant supply is wanted, should be sown once a week or 

 fortnig-ht. Celery, for an early crop, may be sown in this month, though the 

 |)rincipal sovving had better be deferred till April, 74. Artichokes should be 

 sowed as early as the season will permit, 18, and horse-radish, 159. 



APRIL.. 



In the Eastern States, generally, and in those part5 of the Middle States where 

 ifie ground is naturally somewhat moist and heav;;^, this is the month for sowing 

 ihe princii)al garden crops. Sow the hardy kinds as soil, site and season wiil 

 permit, that tlie plants may be firmly established before they are overtaken by 

 the heat and drought of summer. But a stiff and moist soil should never, on 

 any account, be dug, ploughed or harrowed when it is so v. ei as to be clammy 

 and adhesive. On the other hand, a light, sandy soil will be meliorated by be- 

 ing hoed, or otherwise wrought on while moist. 



" Earth of a consistence that will hold water longest without becoming liard 

 when dry, is that of all others the best adapted for raising the generah'ty of 

 plants in the greatest peifection. The gi'eat art of improving sandy and clay 

 soils is to give to the former such dressings of clay, cow-dung, and other kinds 

 of manure, as will have a tendency to bind and make it more compact, and, 

 consequently, more retentive of moisture 5 and, to the latter, coats of sandy 

 earth, pond mud, horse dung," &c. — M'Mahon. 



Sow artichokes, 18, asparagus, 22, horse, or garden beans, 33, kidney beans, 

 36, beets, 40, the last of this month, or the' first of next, borecole, 51, Brussels 

 sprouts, 55; sow cabbage seed, 60, set out cabbage plants, 61, sow cardoons, 67, 

 carrots, 68, cauliflowers, 72, celery, 74, coleworts, 79, succession-crops of cresses, 

 80, 81, cucumbers in hoUowed turnips placed in a hot-bed, 87, or in pots un- 

 der hand-glasses, &c. ; propagate ftnit-trees by cuttings, 95. You may set out a 

 few dandelion plants in your garden, 97, and let us know how you succeed in 

 attempting to domesticate them. Look out for, and destroy insects, 169 sow a 

 Httle early summer endive, 105^ fennel, 108 j propagate garlic, 136, leeks, 190 



