62 



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SEASONABLE HINTS. 



The old methods of "making garden" 

 year after year on the same spot, and in 

 narrowly confined beds, are rapidly falling 

 into disuse. Yet, there are still far too 

 many gardens worked with enormous waste 

 of labor, simply because the force of habit is 

 so predominant a feature in human nature 

 that often we prefer to follow the old trod- 

 den, familiar path, although circuitous, 

 rather than travel the better and shorter 

 new road. 



The sharp distinction which is generally 

 made between gardening and farming is a great 

 obstacle to the most advantageous culture of 

 vegetables and fruits. In fact, the garden 

 and farm are frequently worked entirely in- 

 dependent of each other, as if they belonged 

 to two different establishments, wasting 

 thereby enough labor to produce — if proper- 

 ly applied — an abundance of vegetables 

 and fruits for every family in the land. 



Laying Out a Garden. — In making a new 

 garden, the best advice that can be given to 

 those who have enough land, is to "lay out "as 

 little as possible. On farms there is actually 

 no need for a closed-in vegetable garden, 

 further than for seed-beds and a few plants 

 that require special care. Nearly all vege- 

 tables can be grown in the field alongside of 

 the Potatoes, Corn, or any cultivated crops, 

 without additional expense and labor. In no 

 other way can a full and varied supply be 

 obtained with as little trouble. 



Small Gardens in village or suburban lots, 

 in which horse implements cannot be made 

 available, should be so arranged that hand- 

 cultivatoio may be readily used. A good 

 plan is to have a straight walk, edged with 

 grass borders, through the middle of the 

 ground, or, where most convenient, to the 

 entrance. On both sides of this may be 

 flower-beds of any desired width, and beyond 

 these, parallel with the path, the rows of 

 vegetables should run the entire length of 

 the garden. All the ground becomes thus 

 utilized, and the labor of keeping it in order 

 is reduced to a minimum. 



Hot-beds made last month need now careful 

 attention. The sashes must be raised on all 

 bright, sunny days, even when the outside 

 temperature is low, and during warm days 

 it is well to remove them altogether. Keep 

 the plants well thinned out, to prevent their 

 becoming "drawn," and transplant when 

 large enough. 



Small Pots are of excellent service in rais- 

 ing early plants. Tomatoes, Peppers, Egg 

 Plants, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Melons, Corn, 

 and almost every kind of vegetables, may be 

 started in pots, and transplanted with the 

 entire root-ball as soon as danger of frost is 

 over. By this method a gain of several 

 weeks is often secured, and at a trifling ex- 

 pense. The pots may also be used for pot- 

 layering Strawberry plants, and when once 

 purchased will last a lifetime. 



Boxes may be used for the same purpose. 

 The plants in these should not be placed 

 closer than three inches apart each way; 

 and, to prevent the roots from interlacing 

 with each other, a sharp knife is drawn be- 

 tween them through the soil about every 

 two weeks. Each plant may then be taken 

 up with a solid block of soil attached. 



CLASSIFICATION 01 GARDEN VEGETABLES. 



There are three leading groups of plants 

 grown for the table in the vegetable garden. 

 A few of these grow for a term of years, and 

 for this reason may be known as 



PERENNIAL VEGETABLES. 



The first in this short list, taken alphabet- 

 ically, is Asparagus. Every farmer should 

 have an Asparagus-bed in some out-of-the- 

 way place in his garden. A few years ago it 

 was the common impression that there must 

 be a long list of requisites in growing As- 

 paragus, and this much retarded the general 

 culture of one of the finest early spring 

 crops of the vegetable garden. It requires 

 no more skill to grow Asparagus successfully 

 than Tomatoes or Strawberries. 



Horseradish is a perennial that furnishes a 

 spicy adjunct to meats and other dishes. 

 The roots may be dug and prepared as de- 

 sired for the table. Market gardeners obtain 

 a superior quality by putting the roots or 

 "sets" in the garden, and, after being 

 treated as a hoed crop, are dug in the fall. 

 In this way Horseradish is removed from 

 the perennial class. Though commonly grown 

 in a patch, each plant lies over from year to 

 year. 



A third jjerennial of the garden is Rhubarb, 

 or Pie-plant. The large, juicy leaf-stalks are 

 particularly relished, coming, as they do, 

 early in the season, before most of the crops 

 of the garden are ready for the table. A 

 row of Rhubarb may well occupy the north 

 side of the garden that is bounded by a tight 

 board fence. In this way the plants are 

 warmed by the sun into an early growth, 

 and are also out of the way of the plow and 

 other implements of culture. A plant may 

 be forced by placing a barrel, with heads re- 

 moved, over the crown in early spring, and 

 packing coarse fermenting manure around 

 the outside of the barrel. 



The last perennial to be mentioned is the 

 Watercress, the young and crisp stems and 

 leaves of which are much used as a green 

 relish in early spring-time. This is an 

 aquatic plant, and can only be grown where 

 water is convenient. Under proper conditions 

 it may be grown at a very trifling expense. If 

 there is a brook or pond at hand, an abund- 

 ance of Watercresses may be grown. 



HARDY VEGETABLES. 



Under this head is classed a long list of 

 garden plants, all of which may be either 

 set out or have their seed sown in the open I 

 ground so soon as the soil can be properly 

 prepared. In the latitude of New- York City 

 this is not far from the first of April, much 

 depending upon the soil and season. 



The Beet is first in order, and is one of the 

 most valuable, as well as oldest, vegetables j 

 of the garden. Beets require rich soil, kept j 

 free from weeds. Sow the seed thicker than i 

 desired, and afterward thin to the proper 

 distance, using the pulled plants for greens. 



Cabbages help greatly to make a kitchen- 

 garden complete. Those for early use need 

 to be started in hotbeds or window-boxes, 

 and be set out as soon as the soil is ready to 

 receive them. The Cabbages for winter use 

 may be grown as a second crop, following 

 Peas, Potatoes, etc. Much attention should 

 be paid to the obtaining of the best early, 

 and also late, sorts. 



Carrots are not so highly prized as Beets. 

 They need much the same culture. It is 

 more difficult for the young Carrot-plant to 



contend with the weeds than for the Beet, 

 and therefore should have special care at 

 the critical time, when it first comes above 

 ground . 



Cauliflower is a near relative of the Cab- 

 bage, and is grown in similar manner. (See 

 special article.) 



Celery is one of the finest vegetables of 

 this class. Formerly it was customary to 

 sow the seed in hotbeds, but better success 

 results from sowing in the open ground dur- 

 ing April, and cutting off the tops of the 

 plants once or twice before planting out. 



Lettuce is a most healthful salad, and a 

 kitchen-garden is not complete without it. 

 By early and successive sowings, at intervals 

 of a week, it may be gathered fresh and crisp 

 as long as desired. 



Onions, in the farmer's garden, are usually 

 grown from seed. They require a rich soil, 

 with a fine smooth surface, and the keeping 

 out of weeds from the very start. If weeds 

 once get established in a young Onion-bed, 

 the crop will be small. 



Parsley furnishes delicate foliage for gar- 

 nishing dishes and flavoring soups, etc. It is 

 grown like Lettuce. The tops may be cut 

 more than once. 



Parsnips need much the same culture as 

 the Carrot. 



Peas are almost universally liked. The 

 sorts that need brush or trellises are thought 

 by some as costing too much effort. Such 

 persons can grow the American Wonder and 

 other dwarf varieties. By using a number 

 of different varieties, and sowing them at 

 intervals, a dish of Green Peas may be had 

 any day for months. 



Potatoes are of more importance as a field 

 than a garden crop, yet a few rows of early 

 kinds should be in every garden. Since the 

 "wet rot" has come, it is usually best to 

 grow the early sorts. 



Radishes should be found in every well- 

 stocked garden in early spring. Sow the 

 seed thickly, and keep out all weeds. 



Salsify, or Oyster Plant, needs the culture 

 of the Carrot. It is rapidly coming into 

 general culture. 



Sjrinach is fine for greens. For early crop 

 sow in early spring, and for late crop in 

 autumn. The bed may be covered with a 

 mulch, so that the leaves can be gathered 

 in the winter. 



Turnip is both a field and garden vege- 

 table. It does not demand the richest soil. 

 Much depends upon the sorts selected. Late 

 Turnips make a good second crop, following 

 Peas and early Potatoes. 



The third class — namely, Tender Vegeta- 

 bles — cannot go into the garden with safety 

 until the soil is well-warmed, or, as the com- 

 mon rule runs, not until " about corn-plant- 

 ing time." The leading members of this 

 important class will be in season next 

 month. Dr. B. D. Halsted. 



SOWING SEED. 



As a general thing, says Prof. Lazenby, 

 we seed too thickly, and would reap better 

 results if we should prepare the land better, 

 fertilize it more liberally, and use less seed. 

 When the soil is cold and moist, we are liable 

 to err in covering the seed too deeply. When 

 seed had to be sown by hand, the broadcast 

 system had some recommendation ; but, with 

 the introduction of seed-drills, the drill sys- 

 tem is certainly the more preferable. 



