DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 11 



when the plant is so susceptible of fatal injury from the overabundance or want of heat and moisture as that between 

 the commencement of germination and the formation of the first true leaves, and it is just then that it needs the 

 aid of the gardener to secure favorable conditions. These are : 



First — A proper and constant degree of moisture without being soaked with water. This is secured by making 

 the surface of freshly dug soil so fine that the smallest seeds may come in ir.imediate contact on all sides with the 

 particles from which they are to absorb the required moisture, and the pressmg of the soil over the seeds so firmly 

 with the feet or the back of a hoe that the degree of moisture may remain as nearly as possible the same until the 

 plants are up. 



Second — A proper degree of heat, secured by sowing each variety of seed when the average temperature of the 

 locality is that most favorable for its germination. This may be learned from a careful study of the following pages 

 and the experience of the most successful gardeners of your vicinity. 



Third — Covering the seed to such a depth that while it is preserved at a uniform degree of heat and moisture 

 the necessary air can readily reach it, and the tiny stem push the forming leaves into the light and air. This depth 

 will vary with different seeds and conditions of the soil, and can be learned only from practical experience. In gen- 

 eral, seeds of the size of the Turnip should be covered with half an inch of earth pressed down while Com may be 

 an inch. Beans two or three, and Peas two to six inches deep. 



Fo2{7-th — Such condition of soil that the ascending stem can easily penetrate it, and the young roots speedily 

 find suitable food. We can usually secure this by thorough preparation of the ground, and taking care ntver to 

 S07V fi7ie seeds -when the ground is ivet. Occasionally a heavy or long continued rain followed by a bright sun will 

 so bake and crust the surface that it is impossible for the young plant to find its way through it, or a few days of 

 strong wind will so dry the surface that no seed can germinate. In such cases our only remedy is to try again. 



CULTIVATION. — Every weed should be removed as soon as it appears, especially while the plants are 

 young ; this will require almost daily attention, but if well done early in the season the later work will be light, but 

 mere destruction of weeds is by no means the only object of cultivation. A. J. Downing, who was perhaps the best 

 horticulturist America has known, said if I were to preach sermon on horticulture, I should take as my text ; 

 " Stir the Soil," and certainly the text would contain much of the gospel of successful h,orticulture ; frequent 

 and deep stirring will enable one to grow fine vegetables on comparatively poor and slightly manured soil, while 

 without it one fails to gain much advantage from the richest md finest soil. Care should be taken that the cultiva- 

 tion is not done when the soil is wet, or Peas, Beans and Melons stirred when the leaves are wet with dew, as such 

 disturbance is liable to injure the leaves, and make them susceptible to injury from rust. With this exception, cul- 

 tivate as often and as thoroughly as possible. 



n o rr-B E ID s. 



For early vegetables, some provision for starting certain plants earlier than can be done in the open air is neces- 

 sary ; for tkis purpose, nothing is better than a good hot-bed, and their construction is so simple and the expense 

 so light that every garden. should have one. A hot-bed proper not only protects the plants from the cold, but sup- 

 plies bottom heat ; by this term the gardener means that the soil is constantly kept several degrees warmer than the 

 •air above, that being the condition so far as heat is concerned which is most favorable for rapid and vigorous 

 .growth. It is evident that to produce this we must in some way apply our heat below the surface, and it is usually 

 done by making a compact pile of some fermenting material and covering it with the earth in which the plants are 

 to grow. 



HEATING MATERIAL. — The best heating material that is easily available is yV^jA horse manure, con- 

 aining a liberal quantity of bedding, which may be straw, shavings, or best of all leaves. Such manure if thrown 

 ,nto a loose pile will heat violently but unevenly and will soon become cold. What is wanted in the hot-bed is a 

 steady and moderate but lasting heat. To secure this the manure should be forked over and thrown into a loose 

 pile which should remain undisturbed for a few days and then be forked over again, piled and allowed to heat a 

 second time, when after a few days more it will be ready for use. The object of this repeated forking over and pil- 

 ing is to get the whole mass into a uniform degree of fermentation. 



SASH.— Gardeners commonly use sash made especially for hot-beds and glazed with small lights cut from 

 odds and ends and so furnished at very low rates. Such sash can usually be procured in any of our large cities and 

 cost much less than if made to order. For garden use, however, we much prefer a small size that can be easily 

 handled, and the use of better and larger glass. We should recommend that the sash be three by five feet, and 

 that the glass be not less than 10x14, laid with not more than one-quarter inch lap. In giving the order to one un- 

 accustomed to the work it would be well to state what they are to be used for, and that they need to be made like 

 sky-light sash. 



THE FRAME. — This may be made of sound, one-inch lumber, the back sixteen to eighteen inches high, the 

 front twelve to fourteen inches. It should be well fitted to the sash so as to leave as little opening as possible and 

 yet allow the sash to be easily slid up and down even when the frame is quite wet. 



THE SOIL. — This should be light, rich^ friable. Any considerable amount of clay in it is very objectiona- 

 ble. If possible it should be quite dry and unfrozen when put into the bed ; for this reason it is much better to pre- 

 pare it the fall before and cover the pile with enough coarse manure or straw to keep out frost 



MAKING THE BED. — This requires careful attention, Jis future success depends largely upon the manner 

 m which this work is done Having cleared away all snow and ice and laid out a rectangular bed one foot larger 

 each way than the frame to be used, fill this by carefully shaking out and spreading each forkfull, and repealedly 

 treading down the manure so as to make the bed as uniform as possible in solidity, composition and moisture ; unless 

 this is done one portion will heat quicker than the others and the soil will settle unevenly, making it impossible to 

 raise good plants. The proper depth of the bed will vary with the climate, season and the kind of plants to be 

 raised. A shallow bad will give a quick, sharp heat and soon subside, a deeper one, if well made, will heat more 

 moderately but continue much longer. For general purposes, a bed about two and a half feet deep will be best. 



