4 Zfreer^ s Garden Cale7idar. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



ifj REPARATION OF THE Groitnd. — To secure a fair return in season- 

 irj able crops, for the labor and outlay invested, it is essential that 

 irl the soil of the Vegetable Garden should be well under-drained, 

 jf thoroughly trenched or subsoiled, ayid enriched by a judicious ap- 

 plication of fertilizing material. It is still the current opinion, based 

 on experience, that for all purposes well-composted barn-yard manure, 

 when available, is the best material. "We do not deny, however, that 

 several of the concentrated manures, now manufactured, are useful and 

 convenient, especially for a succession of crops. 



The exposure of a garden has much to do with the early maturity of 

 the crops ; an exposure to the morning sun is desirable. The soil must 

 be in a friable state to secure the prompt vegetation of the seeds, and 

 the destruction, or rather prevention, of weeds, is one of the most desira- 

 ble results of frequent stirring of the surface. Soils are susceptible of 

 alteration and improvement in texture ; heavy clays can be rendered 

 open and porous, and light sandy soils may be consolidated and rendered 

 more retentive of moisture. For all such details Ave must refer the 

 amateur to more extensive treatises on these subjects, to be found in 

 our " Farmer's and Gardener's Library," page 95. 



Garden Requisites. — There are several aids to the economical 

 management of the garden, which are almost indispensable; one of 

 these is the hot-bed frame for the forwarding of plants for early plant- 

 ing. A frame, such as is shown in the cut, may be made of Various 



sizes, according to the size of garden, from lour sashes upwards. The 

 length of sash is generally seven feet by three and a half wide, the size 

 of glass six by eight inches, making the entire frame of four sashes 

 fourteen by seven feet. The frame should have a southern or south- 

 eastern exposure, should be made up with fresh horse manure and a 

 few leaves mixed with it : this must be laid in a heap preparatory to 

 being used, and when in a proper state of fermentation, prepared for 

 the reception of the frame. A few inches of rich loamy soil must be 

 spread over the manure, then cover th^ frame with the sashes and after 

 standing a few days to allow the rank heat and steam to pass off, the 

 seed can be sown. Where the ground is well drained, a better plan is 

 to dig out a space the size of the frame, from one to two feet deep, ac- 

 cording to the season and the heat required, in which the manure is 

 placed, care being taken to pack it firmly and evenly. 



The Cold frame for wintering Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce Plants, 

 etc., should be constructed of inch boards one foot high at the back by 

 nine inches high in front and six feet wide; five short posts to the length 

 of sixteen feet boards will answer to keep in position. The shutters 



