DICTIONARY OF SEASONABLE GARDEN WORK. 



303 



proaching maturity, should be kept rather dry, and in a 

 dry temperature of about 70 degrees, with 65 degrees at 

 night. 



Gooseberries. — There is now nothing in the way of 

 growing those line foreign varieties: the Whitesmith, 

 Triumph, Industry, etc. Prof. S. A. Beach writes us 

 that the gooseberry-mildew has been successfully treated 

 at Geneva (Experiment Station) for five seasons. One 

 cent's worth of potassium sulphide is enough to spray 25 

 bushes. For other treatment see Currants. 



Horse-radish should be grown in the garden, where 

 you can get nice large smooth roots, and not in the back 

 yard or chip-yard, where you will secure nothing but 

 slender, sprangly ones. 



Hotbeds. — Keep well aired and watered. When va- 

 cant and out of use, remove sash to a place of safety. 



Insect Pests. — Strict watch must be kept over almost 

 all garden crops. Dry fresh wood-ashes sifted over cab- 

 bage, radishes, potato-vines, etc. , will drive off flea-bee- 

 tles, slugs, etc. Put a toad or two into the hotbed. 

 Strong solutions of potash salts (especially of kainit and 

 muriate of potash) sprayed on the plants and trees af- 

 fected with greenfly, caterpillars, slugs, etc., may be 

 used to clean them out. Spray apple trees with Paris 

 green water, immediately after blooming, for codling- 

 moth. 



Lettuce. — Sow for succession. Keep soil well stirred 

 and free from weeds. 



Manure. — Treat garden, small-fruit patches and or- 

 chards liberally. Apply nitrate of soda (200 pounds or 

 more an acre) to beets, spinach, radishes, cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, onions, celery, etc. To encourage small fruits, 

 apply dissolved bone or acid phosphate and sulphate of 

 potash. 



Onions. — Finish tranplanting the seedlings from the 

 frames. Onions from seed sown in open ground require 

 careful attention from the very beginning. Clean out 

 the weeds and keep the hand wheel-hoe going. 



Packag-es. — Procure your supply of berry-bo.\es, 

 crates, trays, etc. Mark every package neatly with sten- 

 cil-plate. 



Peas. — Sow for succession. 



Peaches under Glass. — As the fruit approaches ma- 

 turity less syringing and watering will be needed. Gather 



the fruit before it is dead ripe and keep in shallow boxes 

 in a dry airy room until ready for use. 



Pruning. — Remove all buds on budded stock except 

 the one inserted. 



Quinces are surface feeders. Give them rich soil and 

 clean cultivation. 



Raspberries. — Give good soil. Otherwise treat as ad- 

 vised for blackberries. 



Rhubarb can now be used freely. Cut out the flower- 

 stalks as fast as they appear. 



Squashes. — Plant after the ground has becoiue thor- 

 oughly warm, and on rich well-manured soil only. 



Staking and tying in a judicious manner will often 

 straighten crooked trees. 



Strawberries. — Carefully remove all the fruit-stalks 

 from newly-set plants. Cultivate and procure mulch for 

 the fruiting-beds. 



S-cueet-Corn. — By planting earlier and later varieties, 

 and the latter repeatedly in succession, a supply of corn 

 may be obtained until frost, and a fine lot of fodder for 

 the cow. For earliest we use Cory ; for medium the 

 Black Mexican, which many object to on account of 

 color ; and for late, Stowell Evergreen. 



Scuect-Potatoes. — Set plants 18 to 24 inches apart 

 May 20 to June 10, in well-enriched ridges four feet apart. 



'Jilk(ge. — Try clean cultivation in orchards. The best 

 success with peaches, quinces amd pears cannot other- 

 wise be looked for. Use disk and other harrows diligently 

 between the tree-rows. Don't try to grow grain-crops in 

 young orchards. It is death to the young trees. Instead 

 plant hoed crops (potatoes, beans, cabbages, etc.), and 

 manure with a liberal hand. 



Thinning tree-fruits should be practiced by every in- 

 telligent grower. Better fruit and more money will be 

 the result. 



Tomatoes. — Set some early plants by May 15, or ear- 

 lier if the ground is warm and the season fair. Should 

 a late cold wave threaten them protect in some way, per- 

 haps by covering with a handful of hay or by laying 

 them down and covering lightly with soil. 



Weeds. — Start the wheel-hoe among all garden crops 

 just as soon as the rows can be distinguished, and con- 

 tinue through the season. Then it will be an easy and 

 pleasant task to cultivate your garden, instead of a job 

 to be dreaded. 



