Drcers Garden Calendar. 3 



VEOKTABLE GARDEN.- 



Preparation of the Grouxd. — To secure a fair return in seasonable crops, for the labor 

 and outlay invested, it is essential that the soil of the Vegetable Garden should be well under- 

 drained, thoroughly trenched or subsoiled, and enriched by a judicious application of fertilizing 

 material. It is still the current opinion, based on experience, that for all purposes well-com- 

 posted barn-yard manure, when available, is the best material. "NVe 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 jjrompt vege- 

 tation 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 improve- 

 ment in texture ; heavy clays cau be rendered open and porous, and light sandy soils may be 

 consolidated and rendered more retentive of moisture. For all such details we must refer the 

 amateur to more extensive treatises on these subjects, to be found in our " Farmer's and Gar- 

 dener's Library." See page 128. 



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 planting. A frame, such as is shown 

 in the cut, may be made of various sizes, ae- 

 cordinsr to the size of garden, from four sashes 

 upwards. The length of sash is generally 6 feet 

 by 4 wide, the size of glass, 8 by 10 inches, in- 

 chidinof.sash bearers, making the entire frame 

 of four sashes 16 feet 3 inches by 6 feet. The 

 frame should have a southern or southeastern 

 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 bein^ used, 

 and when in a proper state of fermentation, is prepared for the reception of the frame. 10 inches of 

 rich loamy soil must be spread over the manure, then cover the 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 1 to 2 

 feet deep, according to the season and the heat required, in which the manure is jjlaced, 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 1 foot high at the back by 9 inches high in front and 6 feet wide; five short posts 

 to the length of 16 feet boards will answer to keep in jjosition. The shutters should be 6 feet 

 4 inches long by 3 feet wide. The soil should be enriched by old manure unless in good order; 

 the object being to preserve and not to grow during the winter. Give plenty of air by raising 

 tlie shutters, but on no consideration open the frame or expose the plants to the sun when the 

 ground or plants are frozen. 



Very many who read this article on hot-beds and cold frames have never seen either, and are 

 perhaps never likely to have one : to such there is an excellent substitute on hand in most 

 dwellings, in the kitchen or basement windows, facing South or East, inside of which is a tem- 

 perature usually not far from that required for the vegetation of seeds, and where seeds of early 

 vegetables, or tender plants for the flower border, may be raised nearly as well and with far less 

 attention than in a hot-bed. 



In addition to the Hot-bed Frame, mats or shutters will be required to cover the sash during 

 cold days and nights. To work the garden, the necessary implements — spade, fork, shovel, 

 rakes, hoes, trowel, garden-line and reel, watering-pot, and wheelbarrow, are the most im- 

 portant. 



Rotation of Crops.— As different plants appropriate different substances, care should be 

 taken that deep-rooted plants, such as Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, etc., are not planted successive 

 seasons on the same soil, but should be followed by those plants whose roots extend but little 

 below the surface, such as Onions, Lettuce, Cabbage, Spinach, etc. 



