1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
13§ 
worked soil. Peach and other pits buried last year 
will probably have started, and in planting them, 
care must be taken not to break the germinating 
plant. Plant such singly. Seedling evergreens and 
most young forest trees need shading. 
Kitchen Garden. — May is the busy 
month in the family garden With the exception 
of a few very early things, it is better to wait till 
the ground becomes warm before putting in the 
main crops. Thorough preparation of the soil will 
pay, even if it ia secured at the expense of a few days' 
delay in sowing the seeds. In many localities the 
hints of the April calendar will be timely. 
Asparagus. — Cut with care, taking care not to in- 
jure the buds which have not yet pushed. If there 
is any to send to market, wash it, and put it in 
neat bunches 4 to 6 inches in diameter, and tie with 
a string at each end, and cut the but-ends square. 
Beans.— Early Valentine and Early Rachel are 
among the earliest sorts. If early plantings have 
been destroyed by frost, renew them. Set poles 
for running kinds, and if danger of frost is over, 
plant Limas. Frames of lath, with the laths run- 
ning lengthwise, and two of these set together like 
a steep roof, form a very convenient support for 
Iiima beans and tall growing peas. 
Meets.— Sow early sorts and thin the plantings 
already up. Try the Swiss Chard beet for greens. 
It is the next best thing to spinach, grows well in 
hot weather, and yields all summer 
Jhrecole, Broccoli, and Brussels Sprouts. — Sow and 
cultivate in the same way as cabbages. 
Cabbages. — Those who live near cities, and have 
no hot beds, will find it best to buy plants of some 
of the early sorts. Sow Winningstadt for succession 
and some of the Savoys and Drumheads for late. 
See notes given last month. Set plants in rich soil 
and cultivate well from the beginning. 
Capsicums, or Fkppers.—"Vi hen cool nights are 
over, the plants may be set out. Seed may be sown. 
Carrots. — Sow if not already done. As soon as 
the plants are up and the position of the rows can 
be made out, p.iss some kind of a weeding im- 
plemeut between them. When large enough, thin 
out the plants to 4 or 6 inches in the rows. 
Caidifiowers. — Seeds may be sown for the second 
crop. Set out plants in rich soil. Hoe often, and 
when growing rapidly, give them liquid manure. 
Ceto-j.— Seed maybe sown as directed last month. 
Cold F>-ames.—l( any plants remain, see that they 
do not suffer from lack of water. Remove the 
sashes during the day. 
Cress, or Peppergras.i. — Sow for succession, and if 
troubled by insects, sift on ashes and plaster. 
Compost. — Begin a heap with the earliest garden 
refnse. If there are .any damaged potatoes, turnips, 
and the like, add them to the heap, and add ref- 
tise animal and vegetable matter all summer. 
Corn. — Plant as soon as cool nights are over. 
There are so many local varieties that we are at 
loss to say which is the best early sort. Darling's 
is early and reliable, but Dwarf Sugar is sweetest. 
Cucumbers. — Set out plants which have been start- 
ed under cover, and sow seed when the ground is 
warm. See note on the striped bug on page 155. 
If there is likely to be frost after the plants are out, 
provide a shelter of some kind. A newspaper 
will afford protection against a quite hard frost. 
£^g Plants.— It is best to keep these under glass 
until quite warm weather. If the plants are grow- 
ing too large in the hot-bed, pot them or prick 
them out in a cold fr.ime. Rich soil and thorough 
culture and liquid manure are needed. 
Oarlic. — Set as directed last month. 
Herbs. — Make provisions for a good supply of 
plants used for seasoning. See article on page 155. 
Bb<-6cd'!.— Plants often get overgrown before they 
can be set out with safety. Guard against this in 
time by transplanting or pricking out to a cold 
frame. If no frame is at hand, set them in a rich 
«pot and contrive to cover the plants at night. See 
that plants do not get burned during the middle of 
the day. If the weather will not allow of remov- 
ing the sash, lift it .and shade the glass. 
Insects.— Y oung plants of cabbages and others of 
the same family, as well as many others, are very 
apt to be attacked by insects, and h.ave their early 
growth seriously checked. A free sifting of a 
mixture of ashes and plaster will help protect them, 
at the same time It is beneficial as a fertilizer. 
Kohl ijafti.— This is grown in the same manner as 
cabbages, and would be more popular but for the 
reason that it is generally allowed to get too large 
before it is eaten. When well grown and taken at 
the size of a teacup, they are very tender and de- 
licious, if boiled and dressed like turnips. 
Leeks. — Sow as directed last month. 
Lettuce. — Sow in open ground and transplant from 
hot bed or frame. Set the plants a foot apart each 
way in good soil and hoe frequently. The two va- 
rieties which have proved best with ns were the 
Ice Drumhead and Butter, though there are other 
fine sorts. The Boston Curled is a very showy kind. 
Liquid Manure. — Remarkable results in the way 
of vegetables may be obtained, even in poor soil, by 
a free use of liquid manure. Save the slop water 
from the kitchen, and use it to make an infusion 
of any kind of animal manure. 
Martynia or Martinoes. — The tender green pods 
of these are used for pickles and are highly esteem- 
ed by all who have tried them. Sow in rich soil, 
in hills three feet apart and leave but one or two 
plants to a hill, as they spread widely. 
Melons. — Treat as directed for cucumbers. In field 
culture the hills are put 8 feet apart and manured 
in the hill. Put in plenty of seed to guard against 
accidents. See article on Striped bug, on page 155. 
Mushrooms. — Prepare manure and start beds. 
Mustard. — Sow for succession. 
Nasturtium or Indian Cress. — Sow ne.ar a fence 
and train them up on strings, or supply them with 
brush to climb upon. 
Okra. — Sow the tall kind in a warm spot, in rows 
3 feet apart, or the dwarf sort two feet apart. The 
dwarf is best suited to short seasons. 
Onions. — If the sowing is not already done, no 
time should be lost. See last month's calendar. 
Parslet/.—Sovr iu drills a foot apart, and soak the 
seeds before sowing in gronnd free from weeds. 
Parsnips.— Be sure to get fresh seed. A deep 
mellow soil is needed. Roll the bed after sow- 
ing, or tread the soil firmly over the seeds. 
Peas. — Hoe those .already up and draw a little 
earth to the stems, to prevent falling over. Pro- 
vide the tall sorts with brush. Sow Champion of 
Engkand, or some other of the wrinkled marrow 
sorts for late. Sow dwarfs for succession. 
Potatoes. — Finish planting the early sorts. Hoe 
and give the hills a dressing of ashes .and plaster. 
Radishes. — Sow at intervals of a week or two ; 
when the plants are well up, give a dressing of ash- 
es. A radish to be good must be grown rapidly, and 
an occ.assion.al watering of liquid manure will help. 
If the roots become infested with small worms, 
destroy the crop at once. 
Rhubarb. — Plants may be set, if they can be had 
not too much advanced. Established plants will 
now afford leaves. Never cut the leaves, but re- 
move them with a sidewise pull. Do not take any 
leaves from plants set this spring or last fall. 
Salsify. — Sow in the same manner as carrots and 
give the same culture. To get the best results, the 
ground should be deeply worked and manured. 
Seeds. — Roots and bulbs kept for seed are to be 
put out. See article on page 117, hist month. 
Spinach. — That which was protected last winter 
should now give an abundant supply Leave some 
of the best for seed. The staminate and pistillate 
flowers are on separate plants, and after the seed is 
set, the staminate or male plants may be pulled up. 
Sow the round-leaved for succession, .and hoe, weed 
and thin that which is up. The plants should st.and 
at a distance of 5 or 6 inches in rows a foot apart. 
Squashes. — The early kinds started under glass 
may be put out .and seed sown in open ground in 
well manured hills. The late sorts which run and 
root at the joints, need a well manured soil. Keep 
off the striped bug by the use of boxes. A dusting 
of plaster or .air-slacked lime will serve in some 
degree as a protection. After the plants have made 5 
or 6 leaves, they are too strong to be much injured 
by the striped bug, but the black squash bug must 
be looked for and killed. They are found in the 
morning on the underside of the leaves. 
Sweet Pyfatoes.—Sn&c'ieTLt directions for the cul- 
ture of them are given on page 154, and an ap- 
proved method is described in a "Basket" item. 
Tomatoes. — Sow seed for the late crop in the open 
ground. As soon as cold nights are over, set out 
plants from the frame. See article on a convenient 
method of training npon frames on page 154. 
Turnips. — Continue to sow early sorts and dress 
with ashes as soon as up. Hoe and thin, and for- 
ward their growth as rapidly as possible. 
Waiermelo^is. — Treat the same as melons. Sow 
when the soil gets warmed and put plenty of seed 
in each hill, as much of it fliils to come up. A 
warm, light soil, well manured, is best for them. 
Winter Cherry. — This is much prized for pre- 
serves, and is grown in the same way as tomatoes. 
Weeds. — The hoe or cultivator should be set in 
motion as soon as a weed shows itself. They are 
hints that the soil needs working. 
Flower Garden and lianm.— The 
early spring has hurried the transplanting of trees 
and shrubs, and the heavier work should be well 
out of the way. It is well not to be too much in a 
hurry with the tender bedding plants, and those 
which have been started under glass, as a cold 
night will give them a severe check. 
Annuals.— Soyf the seed whenever the soil is warm, 
and the heavy rains are over. Cold and wet ground 
is not favorable to the germin.ation of delicate 
seeds. Some new annuals are introduced this year, 
for which we refer to the seed catalogues. The fol- 
lowing list gives some of the most satisfactory and 
reliable annuals: Sweet Alyssum, Antirrhinum or 
Snap Dragon, Asters, Clarkias, Convolvulus minor, 
Dianthus or Pink, of the Chinese .and Heddewigii 
sorts, Gilias, Leptosiphons, Martynias, Marigolds, 
Mignonette, Nemophilas, Pansy, Phlox Drum- 
mondii, Portnlaccas, Petunias, Stocks, TropcBO- 
lums, dwarf and climbing, Whitlavia, Double 
Zinnias, Candytufts, etc. It is well not to use all 
the seed at once, but to reserve a part to be sown 
later, to guard against failures, and prolong the 
time of blooming. 
Bedding Plants. — These, unless one has a green- 
house, are usually obtained from the florists. Th« 
leading ones are : Geraniums, Verbenas, Lantanas, 
Fuchsias, Salvias, Ageratum, Cuphea, Nelrembergia, 
Gaz.ania, etc., .and m.any others can be had of the 
dealers, who advertise in this sheet. 
Bulbs. — As these pass out of flower, do not re- 
move the leaves, as upon the nourishment afforded 
by the growth of these depends the flowering 
of next year. The flowers of Hyacinths, Tulips, 
etc., may be retained much longer, if they are 
shaded during the middle of the day. 
Box Edging. — Propagate from cuttings set iu a 
shaded place. Clip old into shape and set new. 
Carnations. — Set out from the cold frame or 
green-house; tie flower-stalks to stakes; sow seeds. 
Climbers. — See that the woody ones are properly 
secured to their supports. Provide for a supply of 
the annual ones, by sowing the seeds ; Maurandias, 
Cobosa, Sweet Pea, Canary-bird Flower, Morning 
Glories, and Cypress Vines, are .among the well 
known and satisfactory annuals. 
Dahlias. — Set the roots in a gentle hot bed, or a 
cold frame, and cover with rich earth. Or if these 
conveniences are wanting, put them in a warm 
border, and cover them at night. Remove and pot 
the shoots from those already started. 
i>i«m(ra.— Every garden should have a clump of 
this. It is the most beautiful of our herbaceous 
