WHAT VARIETIES ARE PLANTED 



IN SUCCESSFUL MARKET-GARDENING. 



|HE past year was ex- 

 ceptionally dry here- 

 From March 13 to 

 November 15 my help 

 lost no appreciable 

 time on account of 

 rain. Wells became 

 dry ; people borrowed 

 water of those better 

 favored ; those having 

 wells dug larger ones 

 in more promising 

 places after consult- 

 ing the " witchhazel- 

 man " ; clay gardens could not be made in spring, 

 and in some cases were not made at all ; the 

 supply of milk and the size and quality of small 

 fruits and vegetables were sensibly affected, while 

 all kinds of tree-fruits were so cheap and abundant as 

 to make it a question whether the growers were 

 not in misfortune. In spite of all this, there was 

 a sense of plenty, and the wonder was that crops 

 did so well with so little water. 



Asparagus goes far to cover the cost of spring work. 

 The first outlay is considerable, and so is the annual 

 expense for manure, but this once incurred, one is 

 never sorry. It often seems as if the money from a 

 permanent plantation of any kind were the easiest 

 money made. Conover Colossal and Moore Cross- 

 bred are the sorts grown here. It is claimed for the 

 latter that it sends up fewer small shoots than the 

 other. This is a point with the packers, who do not 

 want to make any second-class goods ; but to one who 

 sells to the consumer it is some pleasure to have some- 

 thing for all sorts of customers. Barr Mammoth and 

 Palmetto will be tested later. 



Peas. — I plant Alaska for first and earliest. It does 

 not rot, no matter how soon you get it into the ground. 

 American Wonder is liable to rot if planted with 

 Alaska, and is sure to come before you are quite done 

 with the earlier and poorer pea. I know of no pea 

 that is such a joy as the American Wonder planted 

 closely on rich and suitable ground. Premium Gem, 

 when you can get the true dwarf sort, is quite as good 

 as American Wonder, and later. Horsford Market 

 Garden is another delicious sort, and does better for 

 very late eating than American Wonder planted for 

 that purpose. Large quantities of the latter have been 

 grown here for the canners ; but the first cost for seed 

 is a considerable item. Peerless and other sorts sold 



cheap are having a trial. The crop of celery, cucumber' 

 cabbage, or Hubbard squash following the earliest peas 

 is often worth more than they are. 



Onions I raise in the new way, and know no other. 

 People who see my transplanted onions often wonder at 

 the beautiful "stand" I have. Yellow Globe Dan vers 

 and Spanish King are good enough for me. Early 

 Barletta is a delightfully little early white sort, and 

 just fills a woman's eye bent on pickling. It is rather 

 pleasant nibbled with salt at the table. 



Squashes. — There is small place for summer crook- 

 necks. Hubbard is the standard here, and is raised 

 in car-load lots. Twenty-pound specimens are some- 

 times shown, but mine do not weigh over ten pounds. 

 Pike's Peak, or Sibley, was a surprise and joy last year, 

 being true to form and color, sweet and very enjoyable. 

 Fordhook is smaller than I anticipated, not true to 

 form and a little stringy when ripe ; not bad but far 

 behind the best. I shall buy no second-rate sweet- 

 potatoes as long as I have Pike's Peak squash in the cellar. 



Celery.— I have raised Boston Market, Dwarf 

 Golden Heart, Kalamazoo, White Plume, Giant Pascal, 

 Golden Self-blanching, Giant White Solid, New Rose, 

 Nellis Self-blanching, and a sort sent me by our con- 

 gressman. Of all these, White Plume is the one to sell 

 and Henderson New Rose the one to store and eat. 

 There is little use in raising it to sell, unless you are 

 determined to be a horticultural exhorter at your own 

 expense. It keeps well, and grows more crisp, nutty 

 and toothsome when stored. The pink edges of the 

 creamy stalks are pleasing to the eye, while the greenish 

 stalks are tender and sweet to the base of the leaflets. 

 When eating it, I thought I was eating the best celery I 

 had ever tasted. Nellis Self-blanching and Kalamazoo 

 are particularly coarse varieties. Golden Self-blanch- 

 ing is especially light and spongy, otherwise it is an 

 ideal sort. I have no muck in which to raise celery, 

 and of course it rusts more or less. New Rose is the 

 only sort that does not rust. This is going to be my 

 celery for home use. 



Beans I don't know, except in a small way. I have 

 raised Limas for five years by planting them in the 

 forcing-house about May i and transplanting them as 

 soon as danger of frost was over. I have found a small 

 quantity remunerative. Of all the Limas advertised. 

 Bliss Extra Early has suited me best. Year before 

 last I was surprised to see King-of-the-Garden earlier 

 than Bliss. Last year it proved a heavier and later 

 cropper. Henderson Bush Lima has been tried here 

 for three years. A considerable breadth was planted 

 early in May last year. It was a good bean-year, and 

 there would have been a good stand if the plants could 



