1Q4 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
fAPRtr., 
rows, one in the ccutcr and tlic others 18 inches 
from it, and tlie plants 18 inches apart in the row. 
Spread the roots, and set as deeply as can he 
done, without coverini; the center of the jilant. 
Some prefer to set the plants a foot apart each wa3', 
but for varieties that form large stools, in hill cul- 
ture, 18 inches is none too great a distance. 
Kitolieii Oai-cluii. 
The notes for the mouth of Ajuil need to bo 
made with a larmier margin than those of any other 
month, as the dilTerences in localities are more 
manifest than they are a few weeks later. It is 
impossible to give directions which will not require 
some discrimination on the part of the reader. As 
a general thing, many seeds are planted too early; 
for all but the very hardy plants it is better to wait 
until the grouud is well warmed. Shelter is of 
great importance to the g.ardeu, and a close fence or 
a thick belt of evergreens, to ward off the prevail- 
ing winds, will bring things forward much earlier 
than when the winds have full sweep. It may be 
th.at there are some who have not yet made their 
selection of seeds ; such will do well to consult the 
list given on page C3, Feb. For convenience of 
reference we place our note* this month in alpha- 
betical order. 
Axparagus. — Remove the coarser portions of the 
litter with which the beds were covered, and then 
go carefully over the bed with a fork and turn up 
the surface, taking care to Tvork gently around the 
plants and not injure either buds or roots. Xcw 
beds may he made if roots can beiirocured. The 
soil should bo moderately light and very rich, and 
there must be such natural or artifleial drainage, as 
will ensure a dry subsoih In family gardens it is 
best to plant in beds, five feet wide, with alleys be- 
tween them, .as this allows of cutting the crop 
without trampling the beds. The beds are prepar- 
ed by spading IS inches or 3 feet deep, working in 
a great abundance of manure. The best way is to 
trench the bed thoroughly, working the manure 
in to the bottoui of each trench. Set three rows 
of roots in the bed, one row in the center, and tlie 
others one foot from the edge, putting the plants a 
foot apart in the rows. The plants should have 
their roots well spread, and their crowns three or 
four inches below the surface. Keep the bed free 
of weeds. If plants are to be raised from seed, 
sow them in drills, a foot apart, in rich soil. An 
ounce of seed will produce about a thousand 
plants, \yhen well up, thin to three inches. Salt 
is considered beneficial to Asparagus, and a dressing 
is frequently applied in the spring. It is certainly 
useful in destroyiug weeds and worms, but whether 
directly beneficial to the Asparagus, is a point on 
which experimenters differ, the m.ajority favor it. 
Artichoke. — The true artichoke is but little known 
in this eouutry, and is not much esteemed except 
hy a few. It is a pl.ant with large thistle-like heads, 
which are the eatable portion. The seed is sown 
this month in drills, a foot apart. Where there are 
old plants, suckers may be taken off next month. 
Beans. — It is too soon in most places for any but 
the Euglish or Broad Beans, which .are not much 
liineied by Americans. These can he planted in 
strong clayey soil, as soon as the frost is out, in 
drills about 2 feet apart. Limas may be sown on 
inverted sods in the hot-bed, .is described in March. 
Beets. — Sow the early sorts in a rich, light aud 
finely worked soil, iu rows 15 inches apart. Soak 
the seed in warm water for24 hours, turn the water 
oir and keep the dish covered in a warm place un- 
til the sprouts show themselves, then roll the seed 
iu plaster and sow. An ounce of seed will be 
enough for about a hundred feet of drill. 
BroecoU. — A plant much like cauliflower, but 
quite inferior to it. Treat the same as cabbage. 
Cabbages. — Pl.ants, wintered in cold frames, may 
be put out if not already done. Those started 
early in hot-beds, are to bo transplanted when larje 
enough and the weather is suitable. The plants 
should be previously hardened by free exposure to 
the air. Sow seed in the open border iu drills, 
about 4 inches apart. An ouueo of seed will be 
enough for 40 square feet of bed. The young 
plants, whether under glass, or out of doors, are 
apt to be injured by the Cabbage flea. We have 
used ashes, freely sprinkled over the plants, with 
success. Olliers recommend Scotch snufl", soot, .and 
lime. Cabbages need a very rich soil and thorough 
cultivation. One of our best cultivators informs 
us that the free use of lime will prevent club-foot, 
and that, by using it, he grows cabbages on the 
same land, year after year indefinitely. 
Carrot. — For early crop sow in a warm place, the 
Early Horn. The Early Forcing is small, but very 
early. Soak the seed for 3i hours iu warm water, 
dry off with plaster, and sow .as directed for beets. 
An ounce of seed sows 1.50 feet of row. 
Cauliflower. — The treatment of jilants raised un- 
der glass, is the same as for cabbage. Set ont 2 to 
2).2 feet .apart ; sow for late crop in open border. 
Celery. — Sow in a gentle hot -bed or cold frame 
for early, and when the plants are large enough, 
transplant to .another frame, setting them 3 inches 
apart. Sowings in the open ground should not be 
made until the soil becomes thoroughly warmed. 
Treat Celeriac, or Turnip-rooted celeiy, the same. 
Olives. — An old-fashioned member of the onion 
famil}", figured and described in June, IS&t. It is 
sometimes used for edgings to beds. Set the bulbs 
about 6 inches apart. 
Cress (Peppergrass.) — Sow thickly, in sh.allow 
drills, 6 or 8 inches apart, at intervals of one or 
two weeks. 
Otieumbers — Sow in cold fi'ames, which are to be 
carefully closed at night and aired during the day. 
Keep the plants from being burned by the sun 
when the sashes are on. Some weeks may be 
gained with ■eucurabcrs by starting the seeds on 
bits of inverted sod, as described last mouth. 
These may be placed in a frame under glass, or set 
in a box in the kitchen window. When the plants 
are well up, leave only two to the piece of sod, and 
when they have made four rough leaves, pinch out 
the growing end. In this way, strong plants will be 
ready to set out when the weather is warm enough. 
E/jg Plant. — Sow in hot-bed. Those already up 
arc to be transplanted, as soon as large enousrh to 
handle, into .another bed with a gentle heat. Don't 
let them get chilled, as they are slow to recover. 
Garlic. — This is propagated by breaking up the 
old bulbs into cloves or sets, and planting these 
six inches distant, in rows a foot apart. 
Morse-radisli. — This is a profitable crop near large 
cities. It needs a rich deep moist soil. It is proij- 
.agated from bits of the root .about 2 inches long ; 
these are put in with a dibble about 6 inches deep, 
iu rows 13 inches apart, and 9 inches iu the rows. 
The planting is done as early as possible. Some 
put the rows two feet apart, and sow early beets or 
carrots between the rows. In either case the sur- 
ta.ce should be kept clean. 
Serbs. — Under this general term are included 
those plants grown for seasoning. Sage, Thyme, 
Savory, Marjoram, and Basil are the common. Sow 
in cold frame or in open border when soil is warm. 
Hot-beds and Cold Franws. — The plants in these 
will need close attention. They must have all the 
air possible without danger from sudden changes of 
tempeiaturc ; when the sash must be kept on dur- 
ing a cool day, see that the sun does not burn the 
pl.auts. Put on the sash in the afternoon, before 
the air becomes cool. Give water as may bo need- 
ed, alw.ays taking the precaution to warm it to at 
least the temperature of the bed. Pull up weeds 
as they appear, and if the soil becomes 
hard between the rows, brealc it up with tlie 
finger. Thin out the plants before they become 
too crowded, and if desirable to save the thinnings, 
set them out in another bed. If the heat of a bed 
declines sooner than is desirable, place linings, as 
they are called, of hot manure around the old ma- 
nure. As the time for removing the plants ap- 
proaches, keep the plants exposed as much as is 
safe, iu order to harden them off. 
Kohl-Rabi. — Sow and treat the same .as eabliage. 
Leeks. — Sow as soon as the ground is iu order, in 
shallow drills, 15 inches apart, if they are to grow 
where they are sown, and but 6 inches apart if to 
be transplanted, which is the better way. 
Lettuce. — Plauls in cold frames need an abund- 
ance of air, aud iu warm rains, remove the sash en- 
tirely. Sow in a sheltered spot as soon as the 
ground is open. The Silesia is the hardiest and 
best for this purpose. Sow very thinly, in shallow 
drills, about 8 inches apart. Plants from seeds 
sown under glass may be transplanted to Tcry 
rich soil ; set them a foot apart, each way. 
Miwtord. — Sow for s.alad as directed for cress. 
Afetons. — Seeds for a few early hills may be for- 
warded on sods :is directed for cucumbers. 
Onions. — Put out Potato and Toj) onions and 
onion sets, in rows a foot or 15 inches apart, and 
the bulbs 4 inches distant. Ouious from the seed, 
or "black seed" as growers call it, are not usually 
successful much south of N. T. city. Wherever 
they ai'c grown, they should be sown early iu high- 
ly manured soil. Hen manure is found to be very 
servicable for this cro)i. Get the soil in the finest 
possible tilth, and, in the garden, it is a good plaa 
to burn brush over the bed to destroy weed seeds. 
Be sure to get good and fresh seed, and sow it in 
drills 15 inches apart. An ounce will sow about 
200 feet of drill. For field culture our excellent 
pamphlet gives full details. See Book List. 
PaiWcj/. — Soak the seed for 12 hours and sow in 
drills a foot .apart. It is a long while in coming. 
An ounce of seed to 200 feet of row. 
Parsnips. — Sow as early as may be, in deep rich 
soil, iu drills 15 inches apart. Be sure of last 
year's seed. An ounce to 200 feet. Allow some of 
finest of last year's roots to produce seed 
lias. — A light dry soil that has been manured 
the year before, is better than one recently enrich- 
ed. Sow as early as possible, putting the seeds 
three inches deep and an inch ap.art. It is custom- 
ary to plant double rows 9 inches apart. Set the 
brush between the rows. In the market gardens 
the rows are 3 feet apart, and as the peas grow, 
they are earthed up, without any brush. But iu 
gardens neatness as well as productiveness require 
that the vines be supported. Soak before planting. 
Peppers. — Sow iu hot-bed or frame, if not already 
done. Treat the plants as directed for Egg Plant. 
Potatoes. — Early potatoes arc the only ones to bo 
grown in the garden, where drills answer better 
than hills. Open drills 2 feet .apart and inches 
deep, and drop good-sized seed 9 to 12 inches .apart. 
Iladishes. — .\ny spare space in the frames may bo 
occupied by radishes. Sow early in the open 
grouud, in light rich soil, in drills 10 inches apart. 
Sow every 10 days or 2 weeks, for a succession. 
Bhnbarb. — ^Fork in the manure placed on the bed 
last fall. M.ake new plantings if the growth has 
not started too much. Force a few roots by placing 
a Ijarrel, without heads, over each, and surrounding 
it Willi hot m.anure. 
Salsiftj sow this montli or next ; see last month. 
Sea-Kale. — A vegetable little cultivated in this 
countiy. Plants are raised from seeds sown this 
mouth. The after-treatment is as for asparagus, ex- 
cept to ridge earth over the plants in autumn. 
Spinach. — Remove litter from the wintered crop, 
and loosen soil around the plants. Sow the round- 
leaved sort iu 15 inch drills, in very rich soiL 
Squashes. — Some plants of the early bush sorts 
may be forwarded as directed for cucumbers. 
Seeds. — Those who save their own seeds, should 
get their roots, etc., out e.arly. Use only the best 
shaped and best kept onions, turnips, carrots, eab- 
b.age.s, etc., aud set them out in well manured soil. 
It is not well to attempt to raise the seed of more 
than one variety of each within the limits of a 
moderate garden. Never set a cabbage stump for 
seed, but a whole plant, and the very best, and then 
allow only a few strong central stalks to grow. 
Swiss C7ian7.— This is a variety of beet, the leaves 
of which afford an excellent substitute for spinach 
in mid-summer. Sow and treat the same as beets. 
Sweet Potatoes. — Where only a few plants are want- 
