100 
AMERICAN AG-RICULTURIST. 
[April. 
upon four bricks placed together around the hill, which 
should be taken oft'daily when not too cold to give air. 
Apricot trees succeed best near a wail or fence, with a 
western exposure. A few may be planted in large gar¬ 
dens partly devoted to fruit. 
Anise is often useful medicinally, sow, m, 1, in light dry 
soil. 
Artichokes—Remove covering, and divide and reset 
roots, in, 1, in hills three feet apart each way, in richly 
manured soil. Sow seed, f, m, two inches deep, in drills 
eighteen inches apart. 
Asparagus—Sow seed, ff, in drills an inch deep, twelve 
inches apart. For family use, it is easier to raise from 
roots grown from seed by the nurserymen or seedsmen. 
Trench the ground deeply, and make it very rich with 
horse manure. Set the plants with the crown two inches 
below the surface, in rows one foot apart. A bed six 
feet wide by twenty long, will supply a family of the 
average number. See full chapter on page 50, February 
number. 
Basil—Used for seasoning soups and sauces—sow, 1, on 
the edge of beds ; thin to six inches apart. 
Bean poles and brush for peas. Procure a full supply 
and sharpen ready for use. 
Beets—The Long Blood and Turnip Rooted varieties 
are generally preferred. For the first or early crop, sow 
as soon as frost is out of the ground, on deep, rich soil, 
in drills half an inch deep, eighteen inches apart. For 
use in Winter, sow late in May. 
Blackberries—The New-Rochelle heads the list of cul¬ 
tivated varieties. Set out, ff, m, on light soil enriched 
with leaf meld, chip dirt, and a little yard manure, in 
rows eight feet apart, and six feet distant in the row. 
Head back straggling branches on old canes, if not done 
last Fall, cut down to six feet high and secure them 
to stakes or wires running lengthwise the rows. This is 
preferable, as giving more exposure to light and air. If 
plants are not accessible, sow seed, f, m, in drills 15 inch¬ 
es apart, and cover lightly. These well cultivated this 
season, will give plants for next Spring. 
Borecole and Broccoli—Sow, II, in rich soil, broadcast 
on the surface, and rake in lightly. Water occasionally 
if dry. They w ill be ready to transplant like cabbages in 
June or July. 
Cabbage—Early York for Summer use, and Drumhead 
for Fall and Winter, are favorite sorts. Transplant from 
hot-beds to rich ground, in, 1, if the weather is warm and 
settled. Sow seed, 1, in open, mellow ground for late 
crop, and rake in lightly. 
Carrots- See dnections under this head in Calendar of 
the Farm. 
Cauliflower—Sow and cultivate the same as cabbage. 
t; e j er y_-Sow, 1, on dry, rich soil, on a warm border, 
half an inch deep in drills one foot apart. 
Chives are prized by many for an early salad and for 
flavoring soups Set bulbs, in, 1, on edges of beds, six 
inches apart, tw o inches deep. 
Cold Frames—Give plenty of air, and lemove hardy 
plants to open grounds, in, 1. Put in seeds for future 
irausplniitings. 
Cucumbers—Plant seeds in small squares of turf, ff. 
Keep them in the hot-bed, or in a pan in the house until 
May, when they can be transplanted without disturbing 
the roots. Plant in open ground, II, if sufficiently warm, 
in hills of rich sandy soil raised six inches above the sur¬ 
face, and six feet apart each way. Put in plenty of seeds, 
plaining in each hill several times at intervals of a few 
days. The bugs will attack the tender and younger 
plants, and leave the more vigorous unmolested. They 
can be thinned after the insects have finished taking toll. 
Currants—Plant cuttings and rooted bushes of the Red 
and White Dutch, Cherry, \ ersailles, White Grape or 
other improved varieties, f, in. Cut out the eyes from 
the part of the slip to go below the surface, set it six 
inches deep, leaving four or five inches above the surface. 
Set the rows on the borders of paths, or where they can 
be hoed around, 
Drain as directed under Farm. 
Egg Plants—Sow seed, 11. In this latitude it is belter 
to start tlic.se in the hot-bod in March, and transplant in 
May. 
Fences—Re, air and paint as needed. Keep poultry 
from flying over, as directed last month. 
Fisps—Remove covering, f, in. Plant layers prepared 
the previous year, m, I. Put in cuttings, f, m. 
Fruit Tiees—It is better to devote a separate enclosure 
to Hies- Where tiiis is impracticable, a few may be 
p,anted aromm the t order of the garden, and dwarfed 
variolic* i droduced along I he main walks. Set them out 
as soon as the giound can he worked. 
G-.r ic- Plant, in, 1, two inches deep, in drills one foot 
jfy: i.jrt, thinning out to four inches. 
Grapes—A neat arbor covered witli vines, is a great ad¬ 
dition to the garden, and if well cared for, will please 
every taste. Plant vines and cuttings, f, m, as described 
on page 113. Of the new varieties, the Delaware, Diana, 
Concord and Hartford Prolific are favorites. Remove 
covering from those protected during Winter, and con¬ 
fine to arbors, stakes, trellises, etc. It is now too late for 
Spring pruning. 
Herbs—Set out or sow seeds of hyssop, thyme, rue, sage, 
savory, etc.,on borders of beds, f, m. 
Hops—A few vines trained along the fence, or on poles 
in vacant corners, will give a supply for family use. En¬ 
rich the ground well, and plant roots, f, m. 
Hot-Beds—Raise the sashes every day to harden the 
plants, and give plenty of water. New beds can still be 
made and sown, ff. Many in this latitude prefer to do 
this in the beginning of April. Full directions for mak¬ 
ing are given in Vol. XVIII, page 83 (Maroh No.). Read 
also article “ Even a Boy can make a Hot-Bed,” on page 
114 this No. 
Horse Radish cultivated with a little care, produces su¬ 
perior roots. Trench deeply as for other roots, set the 
crowns two inches below the surface, in rows one foot 
apart and nine inches distant in the row. If pieces of 
roots are used, bury them fifteen inches deep. 
Kohl Rabi is becoming a favorite dish. It combines 
the properties of ihe cabbage and the turnip, and by many 
is preferred lo either, often succeeding where the turnip 
will not. Sow, rn, 1, in shallow drills, nine inches apart, 
for future transplanting. 
Leeks—Sow, f, m, 1, in very rich soil, in drills half an 
inch deep, and six inches apart. Thin them to an inch 
apart, for transplanting next month. 
Lettuce—Sow as soon as the ground can be worked, in 
deep, rich, sandy ioam. Make the drills nine inches apart, 
and cover very slightly. A few rows for first use may be 
put between rows of beets, onions, etc. Plant out from 
hot-beds, 11. 
Manure for the garden should be well rotted and fully- 
mixed with the soil. A compost of poultry droppings and 
chip dirt makes a powerful fertilizer. We like bone saw¬ 
ings, whicli can be sown broadcast or drilled in directly 
with the seed It has given us good returns from our 
grounds for years. Use all manures with a liberal hand. 
Melons—Follow directions given for Cucumbers above. 
Mushroom Beds—Make, f, m, 1. Full directions are 
given oil page 2f>2, of Vo! XVI (Nov. No.). They are too 
lengthy for repetition here. 
Mustard—Sow at any time after the ground is open and 
at intervals for a succession. 
Nasturtiums—Sow, m, 1, in drills an inch deep beside 
a fence or trellis work. They will run from ten to fifteen 
feet, and are very ornamental, besides furnishing an ex¬ 
cellent pickle. 
Okra from which gumbo soup is made, is becoming 
quite popular. Sow, II, in shallow drills two feet apart, 
and protect from frost. 
Onions—Follow directions given under Farm. 
Parsley—Cultivate lire curled variety. Sow, f, in, 1, in 
drills half an inch deep, on the border of vegetable beds, 
for which it makes a neat edging. 
Parsneps delight to go downward in rich, deep, mellow 
soil; the beds should be worked at least twenty inches 
be’ow the surface. Sow, f, m, I, one half incli deep, in 
drills fourteen inches apart. 
Peas—Sow the Daniel O'Rourke for very early. The 
Prince Albert follows in time of maturing, and the Champ¬ 
ion of England and Napoleon ripen later. The Champ¬ 
ion is the best for a general crop. Sow, f, m, 1, or at dif¬ 
ferent periods to secure succession. The late sown are 
less infested by the pea weevil. Full directions are giv¬ 
en on page 117. 
p e pp er _Tlie Beil or Sweet is preferable for pickles. 
Sow, f, m, half an.inch deep in the hot-bed, or in a box in 
the house, to Iransplant in May'. 
Potatoes—To secure early, follow directions given on 
page 73 (Maroh No.). 
Pumpkins should not be grown in the same enclosure 
with squashes, melons, and other species of this family. 
Give them a clear space in the corn or potato field, or 
scatter seeds among the hills when planting. 
Radishes—Sow in light sandy soil, if, m, 1, at intervals 
of a week, to have them in succession. Room will lie 
saved by putting them in the rows of beets and in the 
spaces around vines—they will be out of the way before 
injuring other plants. 
Raspberries—The Fastolf, Hudson River Antwerp, 
Brinkle’s Orange, or other choice cultivated sorts are 
worthy a place in every garden Even the common 
Black-cap is greatly improved by care, and much easier 
to gather than when growing wild in the fields. Set out 
new roots in rows four feet apart one way, and three Hie 
other. Uncover buried canes, f, rn. Fork in top dressing 
of stable manure. Cut back straggling growlh, and tie to 
stakes or trellises as directed for blackberries. 
Rhubarb—This vegetable has rapidly grown into favor 
during ten years past, and improved varieties have sup¬ 
planted the small, tough, and acid sorts. For sauce or 
for tarts and pies it is highly prized, while some persons 
make quite an account of it for manufacturing into wine. 
It is one of the earliest Spring products of the garden. 
Uncover protected roots, ff, and fork in manure plentiful¬ 
ly around them. Divide and re-set large roots for new 
plants, ff. Cultivate the Linnarus variety. A dozen good 
plants will supply a good sized family. 
Saisafy or Vegetable Oyster— bow, m, I, in drills half 
an inch deep, ten inches apart, and cultivate the same as 
directed for carrots. Dig and use the roots left in the 
ground over winter, leaving some of the best for seed. 
Sea Kale is much prized by many to be eaten like as¬ 
paragus in Hie Spring. Sow seed, f, rn, thinly in drills an 
inch deep, and a foot apart, to secure crowns for trans¬ 
planting next Spring Set roots two inches below the 
surface, two feet apart, in well manured sandy soil, well 
dressed with salt, worked eighteen inches deep. 
Seeds—Procure an abundant supply and test them be¬ 
fore sowing. Place a few on cotton in a glass of water, 
and set them in a warm place. If good, they wid sprout 
in a few- days. To secure ready growth, some gardeners 
enclose parcels of seeds in bits of clolh with a paper con¬ 
taining the name, and bury them two inches below the 
surface, a week or more before wanted for sowing. They 
will swell and perhaps sprout, and thus be ready to start 
at once. In covering seeds sown in drills, do not rake 
them in. It rattles tire lumps into the opening, giving 
insufficient covering. It is better to pass the hack of the 
rake along the drill, and best of all, lo sift in fine earth 
by hand. 
Spinach—Uncover that protected in Winter, ff, and 
market or use as wanted Sow' for successive crops, f, m, 
i, in drills, a quarter of an inch deep, thinning to nine 
inches apart. 
Squashes—The Hubbard and Boston Marrow head the 
list of tried varieties for excellence for Fall and Winter 
use. Plant 1, in raised hills eight feet apart, at a dis¬ 
tance from melons or cucumbers, and cultivate ill the 
same manner. Plant summer or bush varieties at ihe 
same time in hills four feet apart. 
Strawberries—A full article maybe found on page 117, 
which read, and make beds, ff, in, w inch is ihe best time to 
set new [dots. Select vigorous plants from last year's 
runners. Thin old beds by pulling out plants marked last 
season as barren. 
Tomatoes—Plants taken from the hot-bed, II, and prop¬ 
erly manured, will bring fruit much earlier. They may 
be easily grown in a pot in the house. Sow seed in open 
ground, f, m.in a sheltered warm corner, and proteetfrom 
cold with a little straw. Plants will be ready’ for setting 
out in May. 
Sweet Potatoes—For complete directions seepage ill. 
Tools—Work in the garden is very much expedited by 
tlie use of proper tools. Examine catalogues and pro¬ 
cure improved. Those essential to a garden are a spade 
(the fork spade is best)-holes of different sizes, shovel, 
rake, reel and line, transplanting trowel, and watering 
pot- A blade spade and an iron liar will also be conveni¬ 
ent. Afier using an implement, free it from dirt, wipe it 
dry, and put it in it- piece. 
Trench as much of ihe ground as practicable before 
planting. The manner of doing tills is described in the 
article on raising Strawberries on page 117. 
Turnips—Sow earlv varieties, m, 1, for Summer use, 
one fourth of an inch deep, in drills ten indies apart. 
For the main crop, June and July are appropriate months. 
Winter Cherry—This has become a great favorite for 
preserves, pick les and pics. Sow the seeds in a hot-bod, 
ff, or in a box in lire house, for transplanting next month. 
They will succeed well put in the open ground, m, I. 
Sow in drills one fourth irich deep, eight inches apart, 
and transplant when three inches high, to hills two and a 
half feet distant each way. 
IFlowcr C75saa"«'B«5E sesed ILsiwdb. 
While the Farm and the Vegetable garden must receive 
attention lo supply the wants of the table ; these can not 
afford all that is needed lor enjoyment. The rural resi¬ 
dent should, for his own and his family’s sake, make his 
dwelling attractive. Costly arehiiectural ornament is 
not necessary for this. The beauty of Nature is fnrflifc- 
yond Hiat of art. Willi but little expense, and the aid of 
wife and daughters, the humblest cottage grounds may 
rej dee. ill a wealth of vines, anil bloom w ith flowers that 
shall lie the envy of more wealthy but less tasteful neigh¬ 
bors. The smiles of Spring may be perpetuated in leaf, 
