THE SOOTHE I 



I N PLANTER. 



261 



For the Southern Planter. 

 (JSEFUL HINTS FOR VIRGINIA GARDENERS. 



BY E. G. EGGELING. 



The month of July is one of the hottest of 

 the year, but is nevertheless important to 

 the gardener as the season of preparation for 

 all the crops of the fall and winter. 



Celery. — The season for setting out the 

 plants is about the first of August, but the 

 beds in which they arc to be placed should be 

 made now. Dig trenches six or eight inches 

 deep and from four to five feet wide, with 

 spaces between the beds equal to the beds 

 themselves. In removing the soil from the 

 trenches throw half to each side, to be used 

 in earthing at the proper time. After the 

 trench is opened fill with good old manure 

 to the depth of four or five inches and spade 

 it in, pulverizing the ground thoroughly. The 

 bed is then ready for use. It is probable that 

 a crop of weeds will spring up between this 

 and the planting season. If so, they can 

 be eradicated by hoeing, and it is much better 

 that they appear now than afterwards. • 



Cabbages. — This is the best period for 

 planting cabbages for fall and winter use. In 

 setting out plants in this month it is advised 

 to select soil moderately rich, worked very 

 deep. The disadvantage of putting cabbages 

 at this season into very rich soil is, that they 

 mature too early, and either burst after they 

 have headed or rot. If the plants are not 

 •set out in this month, then rich soil is best 

 to hasten their growth. Let the rows be 

 three feet apart, with two feet between 

 each plant. To make sure of every plant 

 that is set out, the following very simple 

 process should be adopted: Make a hole in 

 the ground and fill with water, add soil thereto 

 and stir and mix together until a thick mud 

 is formed. Then take the plants and dip 

 them into the mud moving them about therein 

 antil every root of every plant is coated with 

 the mud. Then put the plants in their places 

 and they will thrive despite the heat of the 

 sun or the drought. By attending to this 

 direction gardeners will be spared the necessity 

 of replanting, as a plant thus treated rarely 

 fails to grow. 



Cucumbers. — Such as are planted at this 

 season are not intended for table use but 

 for pickling purposes. The old fashion of 

 planting them is to make hills, but there 

 is another and as we think better way. Our 

 custom is to open a furrow with the plow six or 

 eight inches deep. Into this is put very old 

 manure, three or four inches thick, which is 

 well mixed with the soil by the spade. Then 



run a furrow on each side of this trench, which 

 throws the dirt over upon it and makes a ridge, 

 which is finished off with the hoe. On this 

 ridge the seed are put, about an inch deep and 

 from six to eight inches apart. To prevent the 

 soil over the seeds from encrusting, cover 

 lightly with old tan or manure or trash, and in 

 two or three days the plants will be up. Should 

 all come up they will need to be thinned so 

 as to leave them twelve inches apart. This, 

 however, should not be done until they begin 

 to run, as many arc likely to die out. The 

 Pickling Ciicum&er should be sown as 

 best suited for the pickling tub. 



In like manner may be sown musknieions, 

 cantelopcs and gherkins, but in different parts 

 of the garden, or else the seeds will be 

 deteriorated. 



-Egg Plants. — -These were planted last 

 month. They are liable to the attacks of 

 numerous insects, whose approaches and ravages 

 must be prevented. The only agencies which 

 have been found useful are trash tobacoo or 

 soot. These should be applied before the 

 insects appear, as when once they have obtained 

 a footing among the plants they are not easily 

 dislodged. Here, indeed, "an ounce of pre- 

 vention is worth a pound of cure." 



Irish Potatoes. — -Every year the people of 

 our Virginia cities are compelled to rely upon 

 importations from the North for their supplies 

 of this excellent root, when a little care and 

 prudence would enable Virginia farmers and 

 gardeners to raise any quantity. Those that 

 were planted early in the year mature about 

 this time and will not keep through the winter 

 At this time, however, they may be planted, 

 and such as are will keep just as well as 

 any that are brought into the Sta;e from abroad, 

 One thing deserves to be noted in connection 

 with planting the seeds. Many persons cut 

 the potato into as many pieces as there are 

 eyes and put them at once into the ground, 

 There is no harm in cutting the potato, 

 but the pieces should be kept exposed to the 

 atmosphere until the wounded part is healed, 

 that is, until the cut place has dried ; otherwise, 

 the pieces are apt to rot, and the decay invari- 

 ably begins just where the sap remains upon 

 the cut surface 



It is usually very difficult, at this season 

 of the year, to procure potatoes for planting, 

 and many persons believe that it is impossible 

 to preserve them in oar climate through the 

 summer. These are mistaken. They can be 

 kept, as we shall show in a future issue of the 

 Planter. At present these directions would 

 avail nothing. All that we say now is, plant 

 potatoes for the winter. 



