90 
SOUTHERN CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
what ought to have been occupied by grass. Many 
practise sowing on the snow, which settles away and 
leaves the seed to occupy the ground which has been 
well prepared by the operation of the frost. For per¬ 
manent meadows, several kinds of grass should be 
sown on the same field. Save your own clover, herds- 
grass, &c. You can then afford to seed more plenti¬ 
fully, and it is the. most profitable crop a farmer can raise , 
at the prices they have borne for the last four years. 
Get out all the manure to the fields that can be done, 
and spread it broad cast. Nothing is lost by this 
method; it warms the earth and decomposes rapidly, 
and is particularly beneficial to meadow lands. 
Kitchen Garden. —Continue the directions given 
in January and February. Transplant into new hot 
beds the cucumbers and melons that were sown last 
month. Cauliflower plants raised from seed sown last 
month, as soon as they are three or four inches high, 
should be pricked into a new hot bed. Cabbage plants 
should be gradually inured to the open air, and as soon 
as the weather is sufficiently favorable, they can be 
planted in the open ground for heading. Seeds of cab¬ 
bage, cauliflower, radishes, &c., can be sown in a warm 
box’der on the south side of a stone wall or close fence, 
as soon as the frost is entirely out of the ground, and 
mild weather has fairly set in. At the same time, sow 
a full crop of peas, kidney beans, spinach, parsneps, 
carrots, beets, onions, turneps, parsley, potatoes for 
early use, lettuce, &c. Transplant into the open 
ground the lettuce from the hot beds. Sow in hot beds 
seeds of the red pepper, tomato, and egg plant, to be 
planted in the open ground early in May. 
The asparagus bed should now be forked and dressed, 
and new plantations can be made. In making planta¬ 
tions of this, as also of all other vegetables, the beds 
should be plentifully manured; and it should be con¬ 
stantly borne in mind, that superior vegetables can not 
be obtained, unless the soil is highly fertilized by abun¬ 
dant and repeated applications of manure. 
Fruit Garden and Orchard. —When the weather 
is open, fruit-trees may be planted any time in the 
month. Gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, can 
still be pruned when it has not been before done. The 
former should be well manured and cultivated. If not 
done previously, strawberry beds should now be uncover¬ 
ed, hoed, and cleaned. New beds can also be planted 
out, although they will not bear as well as those planted 
the fall previous. It should be borne in mind, that the 
fruit as well as the vegetable garden, will afford much 
superior produce when it is well cultivated and highly 
manured. The cultivator will be amply remunerated 
for any extra trouble or expense. 
Flower Garden &. Pleasure Grounds. —As soon 
as the bulbs begin to break the ground, take off the 
litter carefully, and also uncover the shrubs and flower 
borders. Sow in hot beds a general assortment of an¬ 
nuals for early blooming. Dig up and put in order the 
flower borders that they may appear neat, and be ready 
to receive annual and other plants from the hot bed. 
In the latter part of the month, transplant biennials and 
perennials. Dig around the trees and shrubberies. 
They will grow better with cultivation. As soon as 
the ground is open plant diciduous, ornamental trees, 
and shrubs; evergreens will do better in May or June. 
Let the trees have plenty of room ; it is a great error 
in planting to allow the trees so little space, that when 
they become large they must necessarily be spindling. 
Plant box edging and hedges, hoe and clean the flow¬ 
er garden throughout. Roll the lawn and put the 
gravel walks in order, trim the edges of the turf, and 
give it a top-dressing of lime or ashes when it is neces¬ 
sary. 
SOUTHERN CALENDAR FOR MARCH. 
In the early part of this month, if the season has not 
required it before, select your ground for your tobacco 
crop. It should be a rich sandy loam, capable of re¬ 
taining moisture, and the more level the better. Plow 
or dig up the surface at least twice before planting, and 
level well each time. As soon as the young plants 
acquire a leaf the size of a dollar, take the advantage 
of the first wet or cloudy day, and commence setting 
them out in rows about three feet apart from north to 
south, and two and a half feet apart from east to west. 
In taking the plants up from the nursery, the ground 
should be first loosened with a flat piece of wood or 
iron, about an inch broad ; then carefully holding the 
leaves closed in the hand, draw them up, and place 
them in a basket to receive them for planting. The 
evening is the best time for setting out plants, but it 
can also be done in the morning. Those set out in the 
morning, unless it be cloudy or rainy, should be covered 
during the day with palmetto leaves or other substan¬ 
ces. Water the plants morning and evening until they 
have taken root. Fill up all vacancies where the plants 
die, with new ones. 
The first fine weather after the twentieth of this 
month, commence planting your cotton seed. Put in 
one half of your crop ten days before the remainder, 
in order that you will not be too much driven in your 
harvest. Moisten your seed, and roll it with ashes and 
earth, and it will vegetate earlier, and will require a 
less quantity per acre. 
After your ground is well plowed and prepared by 
dikes and ditches for inundation, sow your lowland rice 
broadcast, at the rate of a bushel, or a bushel and a 
half to an acre, and harrow it with a light harrow, 
having many teeth. Immediately after sowing, inun¬ 
date the ground with water for three or four days, or 
until the rice begins to swell, and then shut it off. As 
soon as the young rice is about three inches high, let 
the water in again so as to leave their tops just above 
the surface and let it remain until ten days or a fort¬ 
night previous to harvest, when it should be drawn off. 
Plant Indian corn if it was not done last month. 
Harrow and weed it, as soon as it is large enough. 
Attend to the sugar-cane, hoe and keep it clear of 
weeds. 
Bed out sweet potatoes as early as the season will 
permit. Place them on the level of the ground previ¬ 
ously dug up and raked even, as near as you can with¬ 
out touching; then cover them three or four inches, out 
of a trench dug all around the bed ; this trench keeps 
the superabundance of water drained off, and therefore, 
the bed warmer. A bed 40 feet long and 5 wide, will 
plant 15 or 20 bushels of potatoes. When there is no 
danger of frost, scrape off part of the covering; and 
thus enable them to vegetate earlier. Give the ground 
a liberal coat of manure. Have coops in readiness for 
young chickens—early ones are best. 
What was delayed last month may be successfully 
done in this. Set out your plants from your hot-beds 
—plant French beans—all kinds of melons—cucumber 
and tomato seeds—red peppers for pickling—celery 
seed for next winter, which must be set out when at a 
proper size, and let grow all summer, when it must be 
blanched. Transplant aromatic herbs, trim lemon and 
orange trees, procure the Brazilian variety of naval 
orange from St. John’s river, East Florida, if possible. 
Sow millet-grass about the 20th of this month, manure 
the ground well, and you will be repaid for the trouble. 
Hoe the cabbages and lettuce which were transplanted 
last month, every ten days. 
See Northern Calendar for May and June. 
