1864] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
90 
Brunch Sprout*.-T!h\a little known vegetable is 
,i on page 18 (January), and it* enlture is tiio 
same as that of tlio cabbage, 
OaVbages.— Sow oarlysorts in hot-bed, cold-frame, 
or pots, II nol already done. 81ft ashes overtbe 
plant* already np, to keep off Insects. Seed may 
bo sown In the open ground near the end of the 
Early York Is a reliable kind. Little PIxle 
is blgbly recommended as a new early soil. Win- 
oingstadtla good for medium early or late, and sue 
oil better than other varieties. 
rrots.— Sow Early Horn after reading the liints 
on pages i |ls and 115. 
jr.— Manage according to directions on 
page lir.. If inserts appear, useashesand plaster. 
ry.— Plants already np should be shaded from 
the sun from 10 A. M. till 4 P. M., on clear days. 
Thin to an inch apart, and give air every morning. 
Sow seeds in a moderate hot-bed, or in a cold- 
frame, and at the end of the mouth in the open 
r. It is a good plan to bum over the surface. 
i bed with brush or litter, to destroy 
weed seeds, before sowing the celery. The Early 
White Solid, and the Red Solid are best early. 
-Sow in hot-beds, or later in the open 
ground. Sec page 116. 
I .hl'ivnti*. — In absence of a hot-bed, these are 
us.ful to forward seedlings. They are convenient 
to receive potted plains, or plants which have been 
started in hot-beds may be pricked out in them, 
uutil the weather will allow them to be put in t lie 
open grotiud. Remove the sash every line day to 
harden oil' the plants, and cover in the afternoon. 
<"ies<, (Pqppergrass). — Sow as directed last month. 
i Htcumbtrs. — Start seeds on sod in hot-bed, cold- 
frame, or in a box in the house, as directed on page 
S3, last month. Some hollow out large turnips 
and till with earth, so as to make a kind of flower- 
pot, and set these in boxes in the house and start 
the seeds in them. The turnip, with the plant, is 
set out in the hill, cutting off the bottom of the 
turnip at the time, to allow the cucumber roots 
room to spread. Either of these contrivances will 
i get ft few very early. See "Basket" item on 
pots. May iscarly enough to sow for the main crop. 
.Dram. — If there is time at this busy season, 
put tile drains iu the wettest part of the garden. 
Egg Plants.— These grow very slowly at first, and 
they should be forwarded early. As soon as the 
plants get large enough, it is well to pot them. 
Endive.— Sow early for summer use. 
Garlic— Separate the small bulbs, or " cloves ;" 
Bet in rows a foot apart, and 6 inches in the rows. 
Herbs. — Sow as directed on page 111, as soon as 
the weather is settled and the soil is warm. 
Hut-Beds. — In cold climates the first of April will 
be found quite early enough to start the hot-bed 
for the family garden. Ample directions were giv- 
en last month. Those iu which the plants are up, 
will need airing on warm days, and shading when 
the sun is very powerful. Stir the soil between 
the rows; weed, water, and thiu the plants as needed. 
KeH-rabi.— Sow in a seed bed, or if wanted early, 
in hot-bed, same as cabbages. 
Hase Radish. — Treat as directed last month. 
Leeks. — See directions for culture on page 109. 
Lettuce. — Set out plants which were started uuder 
-. Sow in open ground as soo'n as a bed can 
be prepared, in rich soil, in drills a foot apart, and 
thin to nine inches or a foot. Hoe frequently. 
Manure and Compost. — Work over the heap, and 
remove all sticks and rubbish. The more finely 
divided it is, the better. An abundance of good 
manure has much to do with "luck" in gardening. 
Prepare a tank or cask for liquid fertilizers. 
Mustard. — Sow for salad or greens as soon as the 
ground can be worked, in shallow drills a foot apart. 
MeUms. — Start early sorts same as cucumbers. 
Onions. — Potato, Tops, and Sets, may he put out 
in good soil, at the distance of four inches, in rows 
a foot apart. The clusters of potato and top on- 
ions are to be broken up, and each small bnlb put 
by itself. Sow seed as soon as the soil can be pre- 
pared. Give well-decomposed manure and pulver- 
ize the soil thoroughly. It is a good plan to burn 
over the bed with straw before sowing. Sow thin- 
ly, in drills 15 inches opart Be careful to get good 
seed. Sec article on page 109, Snd for field cultiva- 
tion, our Onion Pamphlet referred to In " Basket," 
Parsley.— Bee page 111. Soak tho seed for 12 
hours in tepid water before plain 
Fiirsiii/is.— SOW in drills 1"> Inches apart, iu rich, 
deep soil, OS soon as may be. (let good seed. 
Ro&— These may be put In early, as they will 
stand the frost. Put the Ural sown under shelter 
of a board fence. Sec notes on dwarfs on page 1 HI. 
For tall sorts have the rows :i to 6 feet apart, ac- 
cording to tho height. The plants will conic soon- 
er if the seed is soaked 'M hours in tepid water. 
Tippers. — Sow In hot-bed. 
Potatoes.— Plant as directed last month. See note 
on starting them, on page ~."i, March No. 
Potting.— Tomatoes, Egg Plants, Cauliflowers, 
and other plants started early In hot-beds, may be 
transferred to small pots tilled with good soil, and 
kept in a cold-frame or spent hot-bed. They will, 
if properly aired and watered, become strong, 
stocky plants, ready to turn out into the garden as 
soon as frosts are over, and will come into hearing 
sooner than those not potted in this way. 
Pi-irking Out.— the advantages of potting may he 
in part gained by " pricking out," or transplanting 
from the hot-bed to nicely prepared soil in a cold- 
frame, previous to setting the plants where they are 
to remain. In both cases the plants receive a bene- 
ficial root pruning which forwards them. 
Radishes.— Seed may be put iu vacant places in 
the hot-bed. Unless a radish grows rapidly it is 
worthless. Therefore, a quick, rather sandy soil 
is the best. Sow at intervals for succession. 
Rhubarb.— Fork in manure around the old plants. 
Make new beds if the crowns have not. started too 
much. Remove the earth around the old plant, 
and with a sharp spade remove a bud with a por- 
tion of root attached. Set out in well manured 
ground, 4 feet each way. Linnaeus is best. 
Salsify, or Vegetable Oyster.— Sow early, in drills 
one foot apart, and cultivate the same as carrots. 
Treat Seorzonera, a similar vegetable, the same. 
Sea Kale.— This is described on page 116. Those 
who wish to try it can sow the seeds early. 
Spinach.— Plain directions are given on page 111. 
Squashes.— Early sorts may be forwarded as sug- 
gested for cucumbers. 
Sweet Corn.— A few hills of some early variety 
may be started in sods, under glass, and a short, 
time he gained over that planted in the ground. 
Seeds.— Biennial roots and bulbs, such as turnip, 
licet, onion, etc., which have been saved to furnish 
seed, are to be put out in good soil, taking care to 
keep different varieties of the same kind as far 
apart as possible, to prevent mixing. 
Siiriss Chard.— This is a variety of beet cultivated 
for the leaf only, the root being worthless. Sow- 
like other beets, and break off the outside leaves 
as they develop, and use like spinach. 
Sweet Rotaloes.—These are started the present 
month in hot-beds. The potatoes are split length- 
wise if large, and laid flat side down, close together, 
on the bed and covered about two inches deep, 
with a rich, fine compost. When the shoots push 
above this, au inch more is added. The bed is wa- 
tered as needed and kept warm at night, and the 
plants exposed to air during fair days. When the 
sprouts are of sufficient size and well-rooted, the 
best are slipped off and the potato returned to the 
bed for the others to grow. A bushel of potatoes 
is said by M.r. Thompson to yield from three to 
five thousand plants, each thousand of which 
should produce forty bushels of potatoes. 
Tomatoes. — Those started early may be potted off 
or pricked out in a cold-frame. Seeds may still be 
sown in hot or cold-frames. Those who are with- 
out these, can start some seeds in small pots in the 
house. Shift to larger pots as the plants need. 
Tools. — See that all are in good order, and make 
good all deficiencies. A good spading fork is an 
indispensable tool in the garden. 
Turnips.— The early sorts are to be put in as 
soon as the ground is open, in drills a foot apart. 
Vegetable Marrow. — This occupies iu English gar- 
dens the place that squashes do in ours. It is 
grown like a squash and eaten in the same way 
from a very early state until the seeds ripen. 
Fruit <• a ■'<■<■ ii. 
The soil for small fruits should be well drained, 
well manured, and thoroughly and deeply plowed 
or spaded. Iu selecting varieties for planting, it 
should Bo considered whether the product is for 
market or for borne use. The fruit garden, besides 
the small fruits, may properly include dwarf trees 
"I those kinds usually cultivated as standards. 
Cherries. — The standard varieties when budded 
on the Mahaleb stock make compact trees for the 
fruit garden. They may all bchad at larL'c nurseries. 
Currants nail ilimsi'lirrrii's. — Manure the old plant-. 
and set ox.1 new ones. Plant cuttings ; first remov- 
ing all but :i or 4 of the upper buds, and crowd 
the soil firmly around their lower ends. 
Grapes. — So much is said on other pages upon 
the grape that nothing needs to be added here. 
Blackberries. — No fruit garden should be without 
some of the improved varieties. The New Roch- 
ellc is best, all things considered. Set the plant-., 
at least feet apart each way, previously cutting 
back to within 6 inches of the root. Prepare a 
trellis to tie the canes to. Wire is generally used, 
stretched between strong posts, which are 6J£ feet 
high above the ground. No. 9 or 10 wire is used, 
putting one piece two feet from the ground, and 
the others above it at 18 inches apart. Sect:: - " the 
canes to it by means of lead wire or soft twine. 
Raspberries. — Uncover buried canes and tie to 
stakes or trellises. Cut a few inches from the tops 
of the canes, and give a liberal dressing of well 
decomposed manure, which is to he carefully fork- 
ed in. Set out new plants, three feet apart, in 
rows which are four feet distant. Franeonia, Fastolff, 
and Brinekle's Orange are good sorts for the family 
garden. The Hudson River Antwerp is preferred 
around New-York as a market fruit. Do not for- 
get to try the American Black Cap. See cote on 
page 85 (last month). Established vines are to 
have the wood cut out which bore the yeai before-. 
Strawberries. — The mulching of straw is to be 
parted directly over the plants, leaving it nn the 
bed to keep down weeds and protect the fruit from 
being soiled. For garden culture, make beds 4 
feet wide, with 18-inch alleys between. Set :; rov s 
of plants in each bed, one row in the ecnterand the 
others 18 inches from it, putting the plants 12 to 18 
inches apart in the rows. Spread the root6 well, 
and plant as deeply as may be, without covering 
the crown of the plant or sinking below the surface. 
Flower Gnrden ami Lawn. 
If the weather is suitable, the work of laying out 
new grounds and arranging old ones can be pushed 
rapidly. All rubbish is to be gathered from the 
lawns, paths, and borders, and all damage done 
during the winter repaired. The condition of the 
lawn, or grass plot, should be examined, and if 
necessary, repaired, according to suggestions on 
page 115. In any ease the grass will be improved 
by a dressing of fine manure ; or common manure 
may be used, if the litter is afterward raked off. 
If the borders had a dressing of mannre last 
autumn, it may be forked in, or fine compost may 
be applied and worked in now. 
Ann ndls.— Except with the more hardy kinds, 
nothing is gained by sowing too early in the bor- 
ders. All kinds may be forwarded in the hot-bed 
or cold-frame, or in pots in the green or dwelling 
house. Those which were started early and have 
made three or four leaves, may be potted. Those 
annuals which spring up from seed self-sewn iu the, 
autumn, may be sown as soon as the fro%t leaves 
the ground. Among these are Larkspur, Pnrtu- 
laceas, Candytuft, Gilias, Petunias, Whillavia, Sweet 
Alyssnm, Pansies, etc. 
Bulbs.— If the weather allows, these may be un- 
covered. Tall-growing Hyacinths and Crown Im- 
perials will need stakes. 
Climbers. — These add much to the beauty of a 
place, whether trained to cover fences, buildings, or 
running upon stakes and trellises. The Wistaria, 
Trumpet Creeper, and Honeysuckle are among 
those grown for their flowers, and the Virginia, 
Creeper and Ivy for their foliage only. Tbea'.nj.- 
als will he early enough planted next n mth. 
