Jiotes for Tlay, 
The advent of May is the signal for active 
garden work in the North as April is in this 
la'itude. As I write this, the last of March, 
we. in North Carolina, are in the flush of 
asparagus while many of our readers will 
only have reached this stage in the season 
when they read this in print, so that what 
we are doing now will be a good rule for 
them to follow. In the home garden, where 
the pleasure of getting ahead of one's neigh- 
bors is one cf the great attractions in the 
vegetable garden, it is always allowable to 
take some risks, and sow seeds and set 
plants a little earlier, on a small scale, than 
it is exactly safe to risk our whole crop. 
For instance, I should set out a few tomato 
plants April 1st, that have been in cold 
frames since February 20th. though there 
is still risk of light frost, but I shall stand 
ready to cover them on cold nights with 
nail kegs, barrels, boxes or anything that 
comes handy, while my main crop of toma- 
toes will remain in the frames until the 10th 
of the month, but with the glass off except 
on threatening nights. In the latitude of 
Philadelphia and northward a similar date 
in May will be proper for this purpose. 
In the same latitude May 1st is about 
early enough to bed sweet potatoes, for they 
will not grow if planted out in a cold soil, 
and June 1st will do for the setting of the 
plants outside. Even here, although our 
first drawing of plants will be ready by 
middle of April, I do not think there is much 
gained by planting sooner than May 1st. 
Here we continue to set the plants nearly 
all summer, but at the North the entire 
planting had better go in as soon as the 
ground is well warmed. The Hayman or 
Southern Queen potato, though not esteem- 
ed here, is probably the best potato for 
northern planting for private gardens, 
and in districts with warm, sandy soil the 
Jersey Nansemond is unexcelled. South of 
Virginia, people care for no potato but those 
of the mushy yam order, and consider the 
Nansemond only fit for hogs, and to sell to 
the northern people. Such is the effect of 
habit. 
Cucumber and melon seed sown in pots in 
a frame or slight hot bed in April, should be 
exposed to the air as much as possible, so 
as to have them go out into the open ground 
by the middle of the month in the latitude 
of Philadelphia, and a general crop should 
be planted in the open ground early in the 
month. I use the same general plar. in 
preparing the hills for all cucurbitaceous 
plants, such as melons, squashes, cucum- 
bers, etc , simply varying the distances 
apart. Thus we make cucumber hills 4x4 
feet, musk melons 5 x 5, and watermelons 
10 x 12. Dig holes at the intersections of 
the furrows and fill them with a generous 
supply of compost made from well rotted 
manure and woods earth. Hog manure is 
especially good for this purpose, and those in 
the neighborhood of large cities can suosti- 
tute street sweepings for the woods mould. 
In fact street sweepings make good hills 
alone if not from newly paved streets and 
full of sand. In planting any of this family 
use plenty of seed, for the beetles will 
attack them as soon as they appear. As 
soon as the seed leaves are expanded dust 
every hill with raw bone flour. This is the 
best way I have ever tried to drive the bugs. 
with bone dust and tobacco dust mixed in 
equal parts. When only a few plants are 
needed; sow the seed in boxes, and set 
the boxes on a shelf or scaffold about five 
or six feet above the ground. The beetles 
never disturb them at that height. For 
winter cabbage I use Premium Late Flat 
Dutch, taking care to get American grown 
seed. In fact I use the same caie with all 
cabbage seed. 
Radishes may still be sown, but the sum- 
mer gray and white sorts are now better. 
A late crop of peas should also be put in. 
In localities near Philadelphia and north- 
ward succession crops can be planted all 
through the month. For these late crops 
use Champion of England, Blue Imperial, 
Stratagem, and Horsford’s Market Garden. 
As the early crops of peas advance in growth 
do not forget to supply them with brush or 
wire netting for a support. Even the dwarf 
sorts look neater and do better in rich gar- 
den soil with some slight support. 
Batview muskmelon. Fie. 1134. Corn of course will be planted at once. 
One application generally suffices, but if If quality is the main object in connection 
washed off by rain a second may be neces- " ibli earliness, and you do not object to an 
sary. odd color, try Black Mexican Sugar Corn. 
An old neighbor of mine in Maryland This is the only early sugar corn I ever had 
who had a very small garden used to grow- any success with south of Mason and Dixon’s 
a great number of cucumbers in a small Hue. Northward, Cory and others are said 
space by taking a flour barrel and boring to be good: here they are all utterly worth- 
the sides full of small holes. He sunk this less. Adams Early is less liable to rot when 
barrel about a foot in the soil, and banked planted early than the sugar corns are, and 
the soil all around it to the top. The barrel is very early and very poor in quality and 
was packed with cow and hog manure. On small in ear. This and the long eight-row- 
the heaped up soil outside he planted cu- ed yellow Canada Corn are still our only re- 
cumber seed, and after they started to grow- liance here for early corn. For main and 
he poured several buckets of water into the l a t e crops of sugar corn Hyde’s Egyptian, 
barrel every two or three days. The growth Henderson and StoweU’sEvergreen are best, 
caused by this sub-irrigation with liquid hi the order named. 
manure was very great and his crop was al- If carrots are desired don’t sow the Long 
ways fine. Orange and other coarse sorts in the family 
Now is the time to set cabbage plants for garden. The Early Horn and the Half Long 
late summer and fall use. For this plant- Stump-rooted sorts are far superior for table 
ing I have never seen any better than Fot- use. May is early enough anywhere to sow 
tier’s Improved Brunswick. It is the sur- parsnips and salsify. They are better sown 
est header of any of the summer Drumhead on land heavily manured a year before. If 
class. The last of the month will be early absolutely necessary to fertilize directly for 
enough to sow seeds for plants to set lat- the crop, a good commercial fertilizer well 
mixed with the soil will 
make cleaner roots than 
stable manure. Salsi f y 
sown too early is apt to run 
to seed and this injures the 
roots. Okra or Gumbo 
should be planted after 
the ground is finally warm. 
The new White Velvet we 
find best for all purposes. 
Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelon. Fig. 1102. Beans Qf CQurse wfll re _ 
er on for winter cabbage. In fact it will be ce i ve immediate attention. Do not plant 
rather too early for cabbage to be stored t he bush snap beans on freshly manured 
for late winter use. Two sowings had bet- so ji. a dressing of land plaster is a great 
ter be made for this purpose, one last of help to them soon after they come up espec- 
Mav and the other, June 10th. In the latitude j a n y j n a heavy clay soil. For first plant- 
of North Carolina July is early enough to sow ing Henderson’s Earliest Valentine is very 
seed for winter cabbage. The little black fine _ Then follow with Golden Wax and 
flea beetle is very destructive to the sum- Flagolet. There are many new ones offered 
mer sown cabbage seeds, and sometimes de- annually. Try a few carefully but stick to 
vour the plants as soon as they appear. The the old ones until you find a better sort, 
best remedy is to watch for the first germi- Henderson’s Bush Lima is well worth grow- 
nation of the seed and then dust them over [i lgj especially southward. Burpee’s Large 
