84 



THE SOUTHE 



RN PLANTER. 



our climate, under the most favorable cir- 

 cumstances, will not allow him the taste 

 of a vegetable until the summer is half 

 gone. We are surprised to see farmers 

 come to the city and purchase a dozen of 

 poor, weak withered cabbage, tomato, or 

 celery plants, when the^ might have raised 

 an abundance at home, far superior, and 

 in better season. 



The value of culinary vegetables, as 

 we have often said, is not at all appreciated 

 by those who, of all others, ought to ap- 

 preciate it — the professed cultivators of 

 the soil. No effort, worth speaking of, is 

 bestowed upon them, as a general thing. 

 We have seen what is called the gardens 

 of some of the best field farmers in this 

 county, produce little else but weeds, at a 

 season when they should have been teem- 

 ing with all the variety of healthy, nutri- 

 tious vegetables. Let us urge upon them, 

 for their own sakes, and for the credit of 

 our agriculture generally, the importance 

 of a reform in this regard. In the midst 

 of the improvements of the clay, the ve- 

 getable garden, that may contribute so 

 largely to the health and comfort of every 

 family, should surely not be neglected. — 

 Let it participate, largely and fully, in the 

 improvement, and it will yield ample com- 

 pensation. This is the season to make 

 preparations while there is leisure. 



A simple hotbed for forwarding plants, 

 such as cabbage, tomato, celery, brocoli, 

 cauliflower, egg-plant, pepper, melons, cu- 

 cumbers, &c, may be constructed by any 

 man having but ordinary ingenuity. The 

 size may be adapted to circumstances. — 

 For raising such plants as we have men- 

 tioned, a frame of about twelve feet long 

 and six wide, which will allow of three 

 sashes, each three feet wide, will be found 

 large enough for any family. It should 

 be made of common two inch plank — the 

 back about three feet high, the front about 

 half that, the ends having a regular slope 

 from back to front. This will give an 

 angle sufficient to throw off rain, and give 

 the full benefit of external heat and light 

 to the plants within. If the beds are nar- 

 row the front must be higher in propor- 

 tion. The sides and ends are simply 

 nailed to a strong post, four inches square, 



or more, placed in each corner. For the 

 sashes to rest and slide upon, a strip six 

 inches wide is placed across the frame, 

 the ends mortised or sunk in the sides of 

 the frame, so as not to cause a projection. 

 The sashes are made in the ordinary way, 

 but without cross bars; and in glazing, 

 the lights are made to overlap an eighth 

 or quarter of an inch, to exclude the rain. 

 Such a frame, costing a mere trifle be- 

 yond the labor, will last for years. Where 

 so large a frame as the dimensions here 

 given, may not be wanted, an old window 

 may be used for sash, and all expense of 

 glazing be avoided. 



Hotbeds should occupy a dry situation, 

 where they will not be affected by the 

 lodgement of water during rains or thaws. 

 They should be exposed to the east and 

 south, and protected by fences or build- 

 ings from the north and north-west. 



Where it is intended merely to grow 

 plants for transplanting to the garden, 

 they may be sunk in the ground to the 

 depth of eighteen inches, and will in such 

 a case require not more than two feet 

 deep of manure ; but when forcing and 

 perfecting vegetables, a permanent heat 

 must be kept up, and the bed must be 

 made on the surface, so that fresh and 

 warm manure may be added when ne- 

 cessary. A depth of three to four feet of 

 manure will in such cases be wanted. — 

 Manure for hotbeds should go through a 

 regular process of preparation. It should 

 be fresh stable manure, placed in a heap, 

 and turned and mixed several times, pro- 

 moting a regular fermentation ; thus it is 

 made to retain its heat a long time, other- 

 wise it would burn and dry up, and be- 

 come useless. 



Those who wish to force cucumbers, 

 radishes, salad, &c, should begin, if the 

 weather be favorable, about the latter end 

 of February. For raising plants it is 

 time enough to begin in March. In forc- 

 ing cucumbers, Bridgeman says : 



"The substance of dung from the bot- 

 tom of the bed should be three to four 

 feet, according to the season of planting, 

 and the mould should be laid on as soon 

 as the bed is settled, and has a lively, re- 

 gular tempered heat. Lay the earth even- 



