AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
86 
or the seed sown, “ as early as the ground can he 
worked.” Of such are ; Beets, Cabbages, Carrots, 
Cress, Cauliflower, Celery, Lettuce, Parsley, Pars¬ 
nip, Onion, Pea, Radish, Turnip, and Spinach. The 
Tender Vegetables; Beans, Cucumber, Okra, Pump¬ 
kin, Squash, Tomato, and Watermelon, should not 
be sown until the ground is well warmed, oraccord- 
to the old rule, “about corn planting time,”—a very 
safe guide in most localities. 
Novelties.— New varieties are offered every year, 
and their claims to public favor are presented. It 
would be a mistake to rely upon novelties for the 
main crop, which should always be of well estab¬ 
lished varieties; but we advise those who can do so, 
to experiment to some extent with novelties as a 
source of pleasure, and sometimes profit. 
Asparagus. —The coarser parts of the manure 
with which the bed was covered last fall, are to be 
raked off the bed and the fine portions forked in. 
Greens. —See article on page 104. The remarks 
on Spinach there given are of special importance. 
What Vegetables Shall we Raise ?—For a number of 
years we have given a list of the standard varieties 
of vegetables as a guide to the inexperienced. This 
year Mr. Henderson gives a list of the old and re¬ 
liable kinds, together with the results as obtained 
in his trial grounds, with the recent novelties. 
Flower Warden and Lawn. 
For keeping up the freshness and vigor of the 
lawn, a spring dressing should be given, either of 
ashes, guano, fine bone, Nitrate of Soda, or a rich 
and thoroughly fine compost. Sow grass seed on 
any bare spots. In planting ornamental trees, 
grouping, rather than formal planting or setting in 
rows, is to be encouraged, so far as the nature and 
size of the grounds will permit it to be done. 
New Lawns. —Let the soil be in a fine state of 
tillage by thorough working and manuring, after 
which, for heavy clay soils, Kentucky Blue-Grass 
is to be sown. Red Top is best for light and sandy 
soils, with a little mixture of White Clover in both 
cases. The seed should be applied liberally, as a 
fine turf can only be had when the plants are 
crowded. All the way from two to six bushels to 
the acre are advised. If what we buy were all 
seed , no doubt the smaller quantity would be 
enough, but in the uncertain relations between 
chaff and seed, one can not be sure of properly 
thick-seeding with less than four bushels. Sow 
half the seed in one direction, and cross-sow with 
the other half. The seeding should be done as 
soon as the land can be put in proper condition. 
Walks and Drives. —A solid foundation is the only 
surety for a good walk or drive ; and to secure this, 
use large stones for the bottom, begin below the 
reach of frost, and smaller ones nearer the surface. 
A walk or drive that is cheap in the beginning 
will always be unsatisfactory and dear in the end. 
Annuals.— Sow these in hot-beds about six weeks 
before the outside beds are to be ready for them. 
Bulbs in beds may be uncovered so soon as warm 
weather sets in, covering again on very cold nights. 
Turfing. —In selecting turf for use around beds 
and along walks, etc., see that no unwelcome weeds 
are thereby introduced. The foundation for the 
turf should be as carefully prepared, as for seed. 
Oreenhoiise and Window Pliints. 
As the days get longer and warmer, the attacks 
of the insect pest will be more vigorous. It may 
be necessary to fumigate as often as twice a week, 
using tobacco stems freely for this purpose. For 
the Red Spider, thorough washings and use of the 
syringe are the most effectual remedy_An abund¬ 
ance of water and air will be required ; the sashes 
and windows may be left open much of the daytime. 
Bulbs brought into heat will soon start and pro¬ 
duce flowers. Those that have bloomed should 
be allowed to complete the growth of their leaves. 
Propagation of stock of bedding plants for sale or 
home use should now be going on. 
Seeds for plants to go into the open ground are to 
be sown in boxes and given a plenty of heat. 
Trials of Vegetables in 1879. 
BT PETER HENDERSON. 
Very few new varieties of vegetables that have 
come under our notice have shown any special 
merit during the past year, though the varieties 
tested in our trial grounds were more numerous 
than ever before, numbering over 800 different 
sorts, and embracing nearly every class of vegeta¬ 
bles in cultivation, all of each class being grown 
in the same soil and under the same conditions. 
The great use of this comparative test of so many 
different kinds is not so much to know what kinds 
to grow as to know what not to grow. In vege¬ 
tables, as in fruits and flowers, we all offer far too 
many varieties ; the public would be far better 
served if nurserymen, seedsmen, and florists would 
have the courage to cut out three-fourths of the 
varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers from 
their lists, describing only a few of the best of 
each class, and also naming such as proved to be 
specially unworthy of culture. I give the follow¬ 
ing brief notes on vegetables as they appeared in 
our grounds at Jersey City Heights, N. J., during 
the summer and fall of 1879 : 
Asparagus. —In October, 1878, we planted 12 
roots each of Colossal, Giant, and Mr. Smalley’s 
Defiance, but the number was too few to give 
any certain results. In the fall of 1879 we planted 
200 plants of each kind in carefully prepared ground, 
and will be better able to judge this season which 
is best for general cultivation. I am inclined to 
think favorably of the Defiance, but will not hazard 
an endorsement until our trial is more complete. 
Beans, Bush. —Flat-podded China proved earliest, 
Mohawk next; for general crop, Valentine’s. 
The “Golden Wax” is a new and distinct variety 
that proved on a second year’s trial excellent, being 
early, stringless, and of very fine flavor ; it is one 
of the best shell beans. For Pole Beans, nothing 
is better than Large Lima. Giant Wax is a 
stringless pole snap bean, but has no special merit. 
Beets.— The old BassanO is earliest, but on ac¬ 
count of its light color, is now superseded by the 
Egyptian, which is by far the best of the dark col¬ 
ored, round varieties. Bastian’s Blood Turnip, a 
newer kind, is second in earliness to Egyptian. The 
best long variety was Long Smooth Red.— Mangels. 
Norbitou Giant proved the best red, and Kinver 
Globe the best of the yellows. 
Cabbages show no change in the past three years. 
For earliest, the Wakefield still leads, then comes 
Early Summer, only about 8 days later, but of near¬ 
ly double the weight. This sort, we find, is more 
valued generally than any other early cabbage, as 
it seems to adapt itself better to all sections of the 
country. The Wakefield has never been a favorite 
in the Southern States, though almost exclusively 
grown by market gardeners at the North, but the 
Early Summer is an equal favorite, south and 
north, and is now perhaps most generally cultivated. 
Savoy Cabbages we find are, as they deserve to 
be, yearly becoming more extensively cultivated. 
An improved variety, called Netted Savoy, in¬ 
troduced last season, we find to be one of the best. 
Cauliflower. —Our reports from the new variety 
named Early Snowball, fully confirm our own 
tests. This was first sent out in 1877, and was il¬ 
lustrated in the American Agriculturist of Feb., 
1878. It undoubtedly is the earliest, largest, and 
most certain to head of any variety we know. It is 
this season classed by some seedsmen as synonymous 
with the Erfurt; this is an error, as it is entirely 
distinct from and superior to the best strains of 
Erfurt. All our New Jersey market gardeners now 
grow it exclusively for early crop. For late crops, 
which are mainly grown by the Long Island gar¬ 
deners,the Half Early Paris and Algiers are the best. 
Celery. —The four best sorts for this section are 
Golden Dwarf, Half Dwarf, Dwarf Sandring¬ 
ham, and London Red. For market, I should 
advise the relative proportions of four of Gol¬ 
den Dwarf, three of Half Dwarf, two of Dwarf 
Sandringham, and one, or one-fourth as much as of 
the first, of London Red. In my opinion, it is al¬ 
ways best to grow several kinds of celery ; so much 
depends on location and season, that it is not safe 
to risk a crop of all one kind, as we find that varie¬ 
ties that will “ burn ” or “ scald ” in one place, are 
entirely exempt from it in another. Where the 
Dwarf Sandringham does well, nothing is so good, 
as it is always entirely solid. 
Carrot. —The Danvers was tried more fully the 
past season, but whether our soil is not adapted to 
it, or from other causes, our success has not been 
that claimed for it as giving the heaviest crop of 
any variety ; the Improved Long Orange for gen¬ 
eral crop proved better. For forcing under glass, 
nothing surpasses the Scarlet Horn, while for early 
crop to be bunched and sold while young, Half 
Long Red or Stump-Rooted is the be6t. 
Sweet Com. —No change from the reports of last 
year. Crosby’s Early stands first as both earliest 
and sweetest. Narragansett and Minnesota are a 
little earlier, but not so good. The very general 
and large demand for the Egyptian, sent out in 1877, 
tells of the value attached to it; almost all agree 
that it is the best flavored of all the Sweet Corns ; 
being of very large size, it is one of the latest, but 
is none the less valuable on that account, as it gives 
us a supply after the general crop is done with. 
Cucumber. —The best long, forcing English kinds 
are Sion House and Telegraph; these fancy sorts 
are now getting to be much sought after by our 
first-class hotels and restaurants. Improved White 
Spine is yet mostly grown both for a main crop 
under glass and in the open ground. Green Pro¬ 
lific for pickling. The Burr or West India Gherkin 
is used to some extent as a fancy pickle. 
Egg Plants show nothing new. New York Im¬ 
proved for general crop, and Long White and 
Black Pekin for variety. 
Endive. —Moss Curled is the best for garnishing, 
and is equally edible with Green Curled and Ba¬ 
tavian, the most used market kinds. 
Leeks. —Carenton, very large and mild flavored, 
is perhaps best, though the American Flag is yet 
most used for general crop. 
Lettuce. —As usual, our trials of this popular 
vegetable were on a large scale, over 50 kinds being 
experimented with. A number of “new names” 
proved to be old and well known sorts, and none 
among the largo number proved to be new, or if 
any were new they had no merit to entitle them to 
be retained, so we again name as the best standard 
sorts: All the Year Round as the best plain leaved, 
Black-Seeded Simpson (new, 1878) as the best 
curled, and Silesia or White-Seeded Simpson as 
best curled for general crop. For forcing in frames 
Boston Market is now almost exclusively used. 
Melons. —The standard market variety is the 
Hackensack, so-called from being extensively 
grown by the market gardeners near the town of 
that name in N. J., who, by careful selection, have 
brought this variety of Nutmeg Melon to a high 
degree of perfection. It is of large size, finely 
netted, green fleshed, and of excellent flavor. Sur¬ 
prise, a comparatively new sort, with whitish thin 
rind and salmon-colored flesh, is very rich in flavor, 
exceedingly productive, and of good size. Cassaba, 
a long, large kind, with yellow flesh, is also excel¬ 
lent either for market or private use. Water 
Melons. —Mountain Sweet and Gipsy are the best 
market sorts. Phinney’s Early is perhaps the 
earliest. The true White-Seeded Ice Cream is also 
one of the best. 
Okra. —Improved Dwarf Green. 
Onions. —Nothing different in Onions to report. 
Red Globe and Red Wethersfield in reds, White 
Globe and White Portugal in whites, and of yel¬ 
lows the Yellow Danvers. The varieties best fitted 
for the South are Queen, Giant Rocca, and Red 
and White Italian Tripoli, some of which grow very 
large, and are of mild flavor. 
Parsley. —Fern-Leaved and Moss Curled. 
Parsnips.— For general crop, Long Smooth, and 
for early, Short Round. 
Peas. —American Wonder proved early and ex¬ 
ceedingly prolific, and is without doubt the best of 
all the dwarf wrinkled peas ; quality firsbrate. We 
tested upwards of 20 “new” kinds, all claiming 
