34 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[March, 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In our last number we dwelled upon the im- 

 portance of "fore-handedness," and the neces- 

 sity of making immediate preparations for all 

 intended work. To all those who have not 

 heeded our advice we renew it most urgently. 

 But there is another class of people who go to 

 the other extreme, who when the calendar indi- 

 cates spring, when the days lengthen percept- 

 ibly, and when the blue birds come and the 

 robins commence to build their nests, become 

 so imbued with the awakening of nature that 

 they think they must help it along a little by 

 making garden ? Let us assure these that 

 there is nothing gained by too much hurry and 

 by being ahead of the season. 



Ground should never be worked before it is 

 in a fit condition. Heavy, clayey soils espe- 

 cially, should never be plowed 

 or spaded before they are dry 

 enough not to turn up lumpy ; and 

 seeds should never be put in the 

 ground before it is dry and warm ; 

 they cannot germinate in cold, 

 wet soil. Such haste results not 

 only in disappointment and loss 

 of the seeds, but often in serious 

 deterioration of the soil during 

 the entire season. 



Seeds for Hot-Beds. — The 

 proper selection of varieties for 

 sowing in hot-beds is generally a 

 difficult task for the beginner. 

 Of vegetables which are not trans- 

 planted but used directly from 

 the bed, we want, of course, the 

 earliest kinds, and such that force 

 well. 



Radishes. — The French Break- 

 fast is excellent and is a universal 

 favorite for hot-bed culture. Early 

 Scarlet Turnip and Olive Shaped 

 are hardly less valuable for this 

 purpose, especially the WJiite 

 Tipped sort, which has lately be- 

 come popular, is very handsome 

 and of the mildest flavor. 



Lettuce. — For earliest use and 

 cutting without transplanting. 

 Early Simpson and Early Curled 

 Silesia are the most desirable, 

 and when transplanted, either in 

 the hot-bed or out doors they head very early, 

 forming large, crisp and tender, although not 

 very solid heads. For transplanting and the 

 production of large, well-formed, solid heads, 

 later in the season, Boston Market and Tennis 

 Ball are not excelled, although the true Butter 

 Lettuce is perhaps the best in quality. 



A short row of Extra Moss Curled Parsley 

 should not be forgotten, and where forcing of 

 vegetables is conducted on a large scale, Early 

 Horn or Earliest French Forcing Carrot ; 

 Early Dark lied Egyptian Beet, Early Bush 

 Beans and American Wonder Peas should 

 have a place in the hot-bed. 



In the center of each sash a hill of Improved 

 White Spine Cucumber and Musk-Melon — 

 Christiana is one of the best — may be planted ; 

 these will grow without interfering materially 

 with the other plants, and will, after the latter 

 have been removed, occupy the entire ground, 

 yielding fruit many weeks before it can be had 

 out doors. A few Tomato plants may be grown 

 in the same maimer, if " well pinched in." 



DAY'S EARLY SUNRISE PEA, 



This was the euphonious name on one of the 

 packages of a dozen or more new English Peas 

 which were tested on our experimental grounds 

 last summer. The bag which contained the 

 Peas bore also the following description of 

 how they behaved in England : 



" Hardy, robust in growth, and of a size and 

 quality hitherto unknown among First Early 

 Peas. Vine 2$ feet long ; very strong and vig- 

 orous; pods in pairs, long, large, well-filled 

 and borne in profusion throughout the entire 

 length of vine. By its remarkable size, quality 

 and early maturity it is calculated to supersede 

 other varieties for early market, and is espe- 

 cially recommended to market gardeners as the 

 first and best market Pea." 



Naturally we did not anticipate to find all 

 these promises realized, but to our surprise, 

 reality came much nearer to them than we dared 

 to expect. It was not as early as American 

 Wonder but earlier than any other t 



DAY'S EARLY SUNRISE PEA 



wrinkled Pea, and of unsurpassed quality. It 

 grew four feet high, had very strong and 

 healthy foliage and, when covered with its 

 long, full, dark green pods, as it was for some 

 time, presented a most beautiful sight. 



length by three in width, and, for a family of 

 ordinary size a frame of two sashes will be 

 found sufficient, while for properly hardening 

 off the plants a cold frame of four sashes will 

 be required. Presuming that our hot-bed is all 

 prepared and well supplied with the necessary 

 straw mats or shutters, the next thing to be 

 considered is the sowing of the seeds. Now it 

 is the custom with many to cover the manure 

 with six or eight inches of soil, and then to sow 

 the seed thinly in drills. I do not like this 

 method for several reasons, and instead of sowing 

 in drills I use shallow boxes divided into suit- 

 able sized compartments according to the num- 

 ber of varieties of seeds to be sown. These 

 boxes can be quickly and readily made, a 

 common sized soap box will make three, of 

 about two inches in depth, which will last for 

 several seasons if taken care of. 



In sowing seeds in these boxes keep all those 

 that require the most heat, such as Egg Plants 

 Peppers etc., in a box by themselves, while those 

 requiring less heat, as Cabbage, 

 Lettuce, etc., should be sown in 

 other boxes. The best compost 

 for sowing seeds is made of one- 

 half well rotted sods, and one- 

 half well-rotted manure, well mix- 

 ed and run through a sieve. If 

 rotted sods cannot be had conven- 

 iently, good garden soil will 

 a nswer almost as well. The boxes 

 should be nearly filled with this 

 compost, and evenly pressed, so 

 as to present a level surface, the 

 seeds should be sown thinly and 

 covered to about their own depth, 

 the covering should be slightly 

 pressed so as to prevent the air 

 from drying up the seeds. The 

 box containing the seeds of Egg 

 Plants, Peppers, etc., should be 

 placed in the center of the frame 

 or where they obtain the most 

 heat. 



Water should be given when- 

 ever necessary, and care should be 

 taken that the plants never 

 suffer for the want of it. It is an 

 excellent plan in cold weather to 

 hfWm£sk heat the water just enough to 



take the chill off it. 

 Ns ®Ss s ^ggp Air should be given on all 

 nild days ; no definite rule can 

 ie given for the time of doing 

 this, as all depends on the weath- 

 er and outside temperature. While the seeds 

 are vegetating it is well to cover the sash with 



RAISING EARLY VEGETABLES. 



In the latitude of New York City the last 

 week in March will be found sufficiently early 

 enough for the amateur to start the seeds of 

 early vegetables. Gardeners who have had 

 some experience in the management of hot- 

 beds and who raise vegetables for market, make 

 preparations earlier, and to good advantage, 

 but, for home use, little is gained by trying to 

 force vegetables before the middle or latter 

 part of this month. 



A hot-bed is, of course, the first thing neces- 

 sary, but a cold frame will be found nearly as 

 indispensable for properly hardening off the 

 plants after they have been removed from the 

 seed bed. 



Hot-bed sashes are usually made six feet in 



a thin piece of cloth during bright sunny days 

 but after the seeds are up, and air is properly 

 given, there will be no necessity for shading. 



As soon as the seedling plants can be handled, 

 they should be carefully taken up and trans- 

 planted from one to two inches apart in other 

 boxes. After this operation they should be 

 kept rather close and shaded for a few days, 

 or until they have taken root. As soon as they 

 become well established the most hardy varie- 

 ties can be removed to the cold frame, where 

 air should be abundantly given them. On mild 

 days the sash should be entirely removed, and 

 every effort made to induce a stocky growth. 

 If a person has the necessary time the plants 

 will be rendered much more robust and hardy 

 by being transplanted from the boxes into the 

 cold frame two or three inches apart, but this is 

 not absolutely necessary. The more tender 

 sorts. Egg Plants, Tomatoes, Peppers, etc., 

 should be permitted to remain in the hot-bed 



