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CARDEN 
February, 1891. 
growing too much in the late, mild autumn, 
and running to seed in the spring instead of 
heading, unless sown very late. Plants 
sc wn here in cold frames at same date as 
above will be less trouble but later than 
those treated as suggested. 
Seasonable Work in the Garden. 
TREATMENT OF PLANTS IN COLD FRAMES. 
Cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce plants 
wintering over in cold frames will need 
constant attention as the sun climbs higher. 
Strip the sashes entirely otf when the 
temperature is as high or higher than the 
freezing point, and even when as low as 
25° above zero, with sunshine, give air by 
tilting the sashes at the back. We do not 
want to encourage growth in these plants, 
but to keep them in such a hardy condition 
that they can go out into the open ground 
by the last of March in the latitude of 
Philadelphia, or even earlier in light soils 
and warm situations. Southward we find 
it always better to raise our plants of cab- 
bage in winter. Here in central North 
Premium Gem Pea. Fig. 1101. 
Carolina we sow the seed either in a hot 
bed or in sheltered boxes in a green-house 
the second week of January. The same 
date in February will do in the latitude of 
Philadelphia or New York. As soon as 
these plants can be handled they are trans- 
planted into other boxes, which are prepared 
by placing a good layer of fine rotten 
manure in the bottom, and then filling with 
good potting soil. In these the plants are 
set about an inch and a half apart, and are 
kept in the green-hcuse or hot bed until 
they recover, and are then placed in a cold 
frame. When in the cold frame the sashes 
are kept moderately close at first, and 
gradually more air is given to inure them 
to the change. Finally they are fully 
exposed to the air on all favorable occasions, 
and hardened off so as to bear full exposure. 
In this latitude, by careful attention to this 
hardening, they can be set in the open 
ground the latter part of February, and a 
month later in Pennsylvania or New Jer- 
sey. The difficulty in this latitude with 
fall-sown plants is the liability of their 
RAISING TOMATO PLANTS. 
Seed for the out-door crop of tomatoes 
should be sown under glass at least ten 
weeks before it is safe in any given locality 
to transplant them to the open field. Here 
we start last week in January, but in local- 
ities where it is not safe to put them out 
before May 10th, a month later is time 
enough. Frequent transplanting of the 
plants under glass is a great advantage in 
getting early fruit. Last spring we had a 
lot of plants, all sown on the same day. A 
few of them were transplanted three times 
under glass before finally planting them 
out. The rest were transplanted twice. 
On those transplanted three times our first 
fruit was ripe May 25th, and was quite 
plentiful before June 10th. On the plants 
transplanted twice no fruit ripened until 
June 10th, and was not plentiful until the 
15th. 
Sow the seeds thickly in shallow boxes in 
green-house, hot-bed, or in a warm, sunny 
window. As soon as large enough to 
handle, transplant to other boxes, giving 
more room. Keep the plants in warm 
quarters, and if inclined to grow too much 
pinch out the tips and transplant again. 
As soon as the covering of a sash will pro- 
tect them from frost, transplant or “spot 
out,” as the gardeners call it, into cold 
frames four or five inches apart. It is a 
good plan to make the soil in these cold 
frames higher in front than at the back, so 
as to drain towards the back, as we have 
found that the drip of the sashes towards 
the front or lower side of the frame is apt 
to make the soil on that side wet and cold 
if on the same level as the back, and thus 
seriously retard, or perhaps destroy, plants 
along the shaded front board. These are 
little details, but attention to little details 
often makes all the difference between 
success and failure. After the plants are 
in the frames take advantage of all favor- 
able weather to get them into a hardy con- 
dition by airing, but be ready to protect the 
glass by covering with mats or old carpets 
if an unexpectedly cold snap occurs. 
Finally, for a week before final transplant- 
ing expose them to the air night and day. 
FORCING LETTUCE AND TOMATOES. 
Lettuce, being forced under glass in hot- 
beds or green-houses will need close atten- 
tion. A little excess of heat will spoil the 
crop, and a sudden cold snap will scorch 
the crop in hot-beds unless well covered. 
This hardy plant needs minute attention to 
make its forcing successful. 
Tomatoes need a house by themselves 
when being forced, and should always be 
forced in pots, and fresh successive plants 
provided as soon as one crop is over. Al- 
ways grow the plants from seed, as cutting 
plants are never so good nor productive. 
HOW TO GROW LARGE ONIONS. 
Now is a good time at the North to sow 
onion seed thickly in frames, to be trans- 
planted to the open ground in March or 
April. Here we sow them in the open 
ground in autumn, and transplant in 
February. Onions treated in this wav 
grow to a much larger size, and are every 
way better than those raised from the dried 
sets. The Giant Rocca, sown here in 
October and transplanted in February, 
makes an immense onion, but sown in 
spring it grows all summer, and only 
makes an inferior bulb. The time is not 
far distant when the old onion sets wall be 
no longer used. The transplanted seedlings 
are certain to take their place. 
THE BEST PEAS TO PLANT. 
In Maryland and Virginia, peas, which 
we are putting in as I write (January 10) 
will be in order. 
The earliest pea we 
have ever tried is 
the Nonpariel, sold 
by Tate & Sons, of 
Norfolk, Va., and 
their Victor is close 
behind. These 
seem to be a differ- 
ent strain from the 
Daniel O'Rourke 
type of Extra Ear- 
lies usually sold. 
For family use we 
are content to be- 
gin with a few 
Alpha, and sow at 
same time plenty 
of Premium Gem, 
following them as 
soon as they ap- 
pear above ground 
with a sowing of 
Yorkshire Hero, 
Stratagem, and 
Champion of Eng- 
land. The Amer- 
ican Champion so 
highly lauded re- 
cently has been a 
miserable failure 
with us. 
Sow some radish- 
es towards the end 
of the month in a 
warm, rich border, stratagem Pea. Fig. 496. 
and cover from frost with straw, or sow in a 
cold frame. The little forcing carrots will 
also do well in a frame. 
IRISH POTATOES. 
Our experiments the past season seem to 
show that, while planting large whole 
potatoes increased the weight of the crop 
largely, the marketable product was not 
increased, a very large proportion of small 
potatoes being produced. We have always 
gotten the most profitable results from good 
sized pieces with about two eyes each. No 
