V 
little time to spend in tlie cultivation of 
flowers. The flowers are just as tame as 
though the garden possessed a different 
name; will not run away if approached.” 
Thinking many of our readers may wish 
to try this style of flower gardening we 
have decided to put up packets of “wild 
garden seeds” which will consist of some 
two hundred varieties well mixed, see end 
of flower list for prices &c. 
Mixed Vegetable Seeds. 
early all seedsmen who issue catalog¬ 
ed] ues of Flower Seeds realize the fact 
that few individual planters can afford the 
time and room necessary to plant so great 
a number of varieties as they offer, and so 
put up mixed varieties of most kinis, and 
our experience is that these mixed seeds 
are much more frequently called for than 
the separate varieties. 
We have recently been thinking that if 
vegetables were also similarily put up it 
might prove very beneficial to those who 
only plant a small garden for family use, 
and we shall test the plan by putting pack¬ 
ages of mixed varieties of such as Beets, 
Cauliflower, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, 
Melons, Onions, Radishes, Turnips, Toma¬ 
toes &c., and see what our customers think 
of them after trying the experiment. 
Take the item of Radishes for instance. 
Many gardens are not extensive enough to 
admit of planting more than two or three 
varieties which do not furnish a successive 
supply nearlj" so long as would a single 
package consisting of a dozen good sorts 
mixed and planted together. The earliest 
can then be pulled as fast as fit and will 
make room for the later ones to come on. 
So with Cabbages, who can find room in 
a family garden for half of the popular 
standard varieties, and who would not pre¬ 
fer to plant a single package or ounce 
which is made up of a dozen or twenty 
good early and late varieties well mixed ? 
They could then be used as fast as ripe and 
as wanted from June to November. We 
would of course advocate this plan only in 
family gardens for home use. Market 
gardeners usually understand the wants of 
3 
the market which, they are to supply, and 
want to grow one variety only, as a straight 
pure lot will sell at better figures, and they 
also wish to clear the land for a second crop 
as soon as possible after breaking into the 
growing field. Of course to give satisfac¬ 
tion the seeds must be grown separately 
and mixed afterwards as they will degener¬ 
ate rapidly if mixed in growing as no prop¬ 
er standard could be kept for seed stocks. 
-i<2s>'- 
RED WETHERSFIELD. 
Growing Onions from Seeds. 
s^lj$ he Onion is certainly one of the most 
important vegetables grown by market 
gardeners, in this country, and as this crop 
has for the past two years met with a ready 
sale an d brought an "especially high price, 
we feel that any hints which we can give 
concerning the successful growing or hand¬ 
ling of this crop, will be well received. 
PREPARING THE GROUND. 
In no other, with which we are acquaint¬ 
ed, is early sowing a more indispensible re¬ 
quisite of success than in the onion crop, 
therefore, if possible, tlie ground should be 
selected and preparations begun in the fall 
for the crop of the ensuing year. But if, 
by chance it has been neglected the earliest 
possible opportunity should be grasped in 
spring, that the sowing may be finished, 
and the young onions get well under way 
before the drying winds of early summer 
come. 
Old onion growers, after getting a piece 
of ground fitted up for onions, retain the 
ground for tlie same purpose for many 
years, and as singular as it seems, it is 
claimed that in practice a much better crop 
can be procured on ground which has thus 
been treated than that on, which onions 
have not previously been grown. 
MANURING. 
Of course in either case there must be a 
liberal coating of manure worked into the 
soil annually, as the onion is a gross feeder 
and will not produce a heavy crop without 
