DICTIONARY OF SEASONABLE GARDEN WORK. 



237 



Beets. — For earliest use sow as soon as soil is friable. 

 We always start a few plants in hotbeds, and transplant 

 to open ground when large enough. They transplant 

 easily, and reach table size much sooner than those 

 grown from seed sown outdoors. 



Cauli/ioiL'cj- plants in coldframes must be thoroughly 

 hardened off before setting in open ground. For second 

 early, seed may now be sown under glass. Use good 

 seed. Early Erfurt and Snowball are among the best 

 kinds. The soil, to raise a good crop, should be rich, 

 moist and well-prepared. Our favorite method is to 

 sow directly in open ground, three or four seeds in the 

 hill, leaving only the best plants in each hill. 



Cabbag-e. — Treat the early sorts like cauliflower. 



Celery. — Sow as soon as a nice mellow seed-bed can be 

 prepared in a well-protected situation. Make the soil 

 rich. Firm the soil over the seed without covering. 

 Apply nitrate of soda in small quantities during the early 

 stages of growth. If you cannot get nitrate of soda, 

 we believe it would pay to use the comparatively expen- 

 sive nitrate of potash (saltpeter), at the rate of 100 to 

 150 pounds per acre. Thin early and thoroughly. 



Culth'ation. — Begin as soon as the rows of early- 

 planted vegetables can be seen. Use the wheel-hoe 

 freely. A fine steel rake is a serviceable weed-destroyer 

 in the home-garden. 



Currants. — Prune thoroughly and manure liberally. 



Figs in tubs or pots, fruit of which is now swelling 

 out, should have liquid manure once or twice a week. 

 Head-in rampant-growing shoots. 



General Rules. — Plant no speculative crops. Aim to 

 distribute your labor evenly over all your crops. Don't 

 starve the rest to pet one. Don't believe anything will 

 thrive without care. One man may get rich on a hobby, 

 but nine will get poor. Make your crops cover as far as 

 possible the whole summer, and bring a constant income 

 instead of relying on one that may bring in a large in- 

 come, or may fail and floor you. In marketing be abso- 

 lutely honest This is a plain rule, and supposed to be 

 universal. We yet find the poorest fruit at the bottom, 

 and bruised fruit hidden. It does not pay. There is no 

 money in it. What you want is a good market and 

 quick sales, not a big sale and the loss of a customer. 



Grapes. — Pruning must not be delayed long. The 

 sooner done the better. Apply bone-meal and potash 

 salts, or wood-ashes, etc. Plant vines if you have an 

 insufficient supply. Don't neglect to plant a vine or two 

 of the Green Mountain or Winchell, to give you a really 

 good first early grape, and some of Vergennes for a late- 

 keeping sort. New vines may also be planted in forcing- 

 houses. 



Hotbed. — Air, water and protect carefully. In mild 

 weather a little air may be admitted even during the 

 night. Coldframes can be left entirely uncovered from 

 now on, except in cold weather. 



Insects, IVeeds and Fungi. — To fight them intelli- 

 gently, be a student. It is truly impossible to whip 

 weeds and insects, etc., and be a real master in nature, 



without you consider the experience of others, and care- 

 fully study and store your own experience. Most of our 

 farmers are not yet students. They are therefore ready 

 to join in the cry that farming does not pay, and their 

 boys push off to the cities where there are also ten fail- 

 ures to one success. Nothing pays without study. 



Kainit, besides being a valuable source of potash, has 

 also proved an effective remedy for many of the worms 

 and grubs that infest gardens and fields. We give land 

 intended for onions, cabbages, radishes, etc., a dressing 

 of at least 1,000 pounds per acre, and believe this to be 

 good protection against injury by maggots, grubs and simi- 

 lar pests. 



Lettuce. — Sow seed in open ground when the latter is 

 in fit condition. Wintered plants may be taken out of 

 the coldframes and set in open ground, or, if desired 

 very early, in hotbed. Grand Rapids and Boston Mar- 

 ket are good for forcing. 



Manures. — Few things equal wood-ashes for fruit and 

 garden crops. The unleached article and bone-meal go 

 well together, and thus they make a complete manure. 

 Leached ashes must be used in greater quantities and 

 can hardly be used too freely. Feed your orchard and 

 garden crops well. It will pay. 



Onions. — Start seed of large varieties in hotbeds or 

 coldframes. Prepare the ground thoroughly making it 

 very rich. Set plants or sets in open ground as early as 

 condition of soil will permit. 



Parsnip. — Sow in open ground, using strictly fresh 

 seed only. 



Peach trees should be headed back to encourage the 

 formation of a compact head. 



Pineapples now fruiting should have liquid manure, 

 preferably warm and weak. Syringe and ventilate 

 freely. 



Planting. — Nine-tenths of our orchards are planted 

 too close, and their usefulness is greatly impaired thereby. 

 Give each permanent tree plenty of room. You can set 

 trees for temporary use between, cutting them down 

 when the others need the space. 



Quinces need thorough annual pruning. When set- 

 ting, select rich well-prepared soil. 



Rctdishes. — For earliest, sow a hotbed now and in 

 open ground as soon as soil and season will permit. Thin 

 plants to one inch apart. 



Straiuberries. — When cold weather is past, remove 

 the mulch from over the plants and leave it between the 

 rows. For new beds, prepare the ground well and mike 

 it rich. Get good plants and set them early. Varie- 

 ties that make runners freely can be set two or even 

 three feet apart in the row. Most people set such varie- 

 ties too close. 



Szveet-Potatoes. — Start plants now in good bottom- 

 heat, covering halved tubers, cut side down, with three 

 inches of clear sand. 



Pomatoes. — Transplant once or twice in hotbed, and 

 finally put in coldframe to harden off. Give plenty of 

 space to make plants stocky and sturdy. 



