ioo 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
three or four inches from each other, and cultivate with 
the hoe. Sow as early as the ground is ready. 
No. 5. Chinese Sugar Cane —If desired for the juice, 
plant and cultivate in hills, precisely like Indian Corn; 
or better, perhaps, in drills 31 to 4 feet apart, dropping 
the seeds every 2 inches, and when well up, thin out to 
about 8 inches. If for feeding, put in drills 3 feet apart, 
dropping seeds every inch. The thicker it grows the 
smaller and more tender will be the stalks. To be sure of 
obtaining ripe seed north of latitude 40°, it will be neces¬ 
sary to start a few plants quite early, in boxes or sods, 
though it will ordinarily ripen in the field as far north as 
42 e or 43°, if planted before May 15. The main crop 
should not be planted until about the middle of May or 
later—or when the weather is settled and the soil warm. 
Cover the seeds with not more than £ to i inch of soil. 
Nos. 6 and 7. Ashcroft's Swedish and River's Swedish 
Stubble Turnips.— Sow in drills, from the second week in 
June to July 15th. These varieties mature nearly a 
month sooner than Ruta-Bagas, and may therefore, be 
sown later. The plants should have a foot of spare room 
each, in drills, at least 2 feet apart. 
Nos. 68and69. Green and Purple Top Scotch or Bullock 
Turnips. —Sow in April or May, like common flat turnips, 
if for early use, or later for Winter, say any time before 
August. We know little of these two new varieties. 
They are highly commended in England, and we have 
sent out the seeds for trial here, and will be thankful for 
reports upon them. 
No. 70. Waite's London Purple-Top Swede Turnip.—Sow 
from May 15th to June 15th. In England this is said to 
be quite superior to the common Swede or Ruta-Baga. 
Not thoroughly tried here yet. 
No. 71. Long White French Turnip. —Sow in field or 
garden. It will be well this year to sow a little seed at 
intervals of two weeks, from May 25 to August 1. In 
Rhode Island, where it has been grown in perfection, the 
main crop for feeding is sown during the latter half of 
June, and for table use in Winter and Spring, from July 
1st to August 15th. From our own experience last year, 
we should advise sowing as soon as the 15lh to the 20th 
of July, for table use. Some that we sowed August 15th, 
on rather poor soil, grew only to about the diameter of a 
coffee cup. The early sowed (June 15) grew from 4 to 7 
inches in diameter. Sow in drills 2 feet apart, and thin 
out to 10 or 12 inches when well started, and out of the 
way of insects. 
No. 93. Hungatian Grass or Millet. —Usually sown 
broadcast, from May 10 to June I, if for seed, and up to 
July 15th for feeding, or even for fodder. To get a large 
yield of seed for the first year, sow in drills a foot apart, 
from 5th to 20th of May, and hoe between the rows once 
or twice. 
No. 94. Crystal Flint, or Hominy Corn —Cultivate in all 
respects like the common field varieties. The seed being 
rare, it will be well to keep it at a distance from other 
kinds, to preserve it entirely pure. It has a beautiful 
kernel, and promises well, but we must await further trials 
before fully deciding upon its merits for a general crop. 
Vegetable and Garden Seeds. 
No. 8. Daniel O'Rourke Pea.— Chiefly valuable for being 
the earliest pea we have. Small size and fair quality. 
Grows only about 2 feet high. Is ready for picking in 
about 42 to 45 days from planting. Sow any time when 
the ground admits, and at several intervals for a succes¬ 
sion. Though somewhat dwarfish, it is best to support 
and train with short brush. 
No. 9. Champion of England Pea. —Of a greenish color 
when ripe ; of good size and full in the pod, and an ex¬ 
cellent cooking pea ; good yielder—in short, one of our 
best peas for a general garden crop. Sow at intervals of 
6 to 10 days, from April 1st to June 1st, for a succession. 
Grows 3 to 4 feet high, and requires brushing. 
No. 10. British Queen Pea .—Also an excellent pea, 
similar in size and growth to the Champion, but is of a 
light color. Some like it better than the Champion, but 
with us it has proved a poorer yielder, not quite so early, 
and does not cook quite so well. For a general crop it is 
second only to the Champion. 
No. 11. Hair's Dwarf Blue Mammoth Pen—Grows 2 to 
21 feet in height. Comes late to maturity. Cooks dark 
purple, but quite rich in flavor. An excellent late pea 
Sow in April or early in May. 
59. King of the Marrow Pea.—A promising new pea, 
wrinkled, greenish color when ripe, rather smaller than 
the common Marrow fat, bore well with us last year. 
Sown May 1st and picking commenced July 25. Grows 
tall, and requires high brush. 
12. Green Kohl-Rabi.— Cultivated in all respects like 
early cabbage. See description in January (p. 4). Must 
be cooked before full maturity, else it is stringy. 
13. Enfield Market Cabbage.— Cultivate hke any other 
early cabbage. An early, small, but excellent variety. 
14. Alma Cauliflower.— Cultivate in all respects like 
cabbage. It requires moderately cool weather to head 
well, so that unless started in a hot-bed and planted out 
May 1st, it should be sown in the open ground, April 15th 
to May 1st. It frequently only begins to head in Septem¬ 
ber, and then grows rapidly. 
15. Mammoth Cabbage Lettuce. —Sow at intervals from 
April 1st, onward, for a succession. Each plant will re¬ 
quire 8 or 10 inches square, if on good soil. Cover the 
seed very lightly. Let a few of the best heads go to seed, 
to secure a supply for next year. 
17. Red Strap-leaf Turnip. —A very early kind. Sow- 
in drills as early as the ground will admit of it, and at 
almost any other time. Two crops may be raised on the 
same ground, in a single season. 
19. Round Spinach.— Sow as early as the ground will 
admit, and later, for greens. Put in drills and cover 
lightly. For Winter and early Spring use. sow latter 
part of August or first of September and cover with straw 
as Winter sets in. 
20. Salsafy, or Vegetable Oyster. —Sow in drills or rows 
and cultivate like carrots or parsneps. The tops are 
small and the drills may be only 10 or 12 Inches apart. 
Thin out to 3 or 4 inches in the row. (See Jan. No. p. 4.) 
21. Winter Cherry, (Physalis viscosa). —The seed will 
lie on the ground all Winter without injury. It may be 
sown as early as the ground can be worked. It will often 
lie without sprouting until the warm weather of June. 
(See last Vol. p 245). Be not disappointed if the plants 
do not appear until the last of June. Sow, however, as 
early as the ground will allow. It may be well started 
in a hot-bed, or in a pot to get early fruit, or in a small 
plot, and transplanted to open ground like cabbage plants 
or tomatoes. Each plant will need a space of at least 2 
or 2i feet square. 
22. Boston Marrow Squasi Plant in hills 6 to 8 feet 
apart—in May, when the ground is settled and warm. 
Each plant will cover a large space. The ground be¬ 
tween the hills may be used for early lettuce and radishes 
16. Long Orange Carrot.— Sow in rows 18 to 20 inches 
apart, on a deep, rich soil, as soon as the ground is in 
good order. Thin out the plants in the rows to 6 or 8 
inches. Cover the seed not more than £ inch. 
55. White Globe Onion.— Sow in 12 inch rows, as early 
in April as the ground is in good condition. (See onion 
article last month, p. 69.) 
71. Long W. French Turnip-—See Field Seeds above. 
72. Brussels Sprouts. —Cultivate like cabbages, but the 
plants will require less room, as the heads and leaves are 
small. The seed may be put in the open ground as soon 
as it is in condition, or be previously started in a warm 
bed of earth, or in a hot bed. 
73. Egg Plant. —Start the seed as early as possible in 
a warm situation, or in a hot bed, and plant out in May, 
giving each plant a space fully 11 feet square, or put one 
foot apart in 21 feet rows. 
74. Solid White Celery —Often sown in hot-beds the lat¬ 
ter part of March, for early use, but does best for a Winter 
crop sown in open ground the latter part of April, or first 
of May. Plant in trenches when a few inches high, and 
draw the earth around the stalks to whiten them about 
the first of September. 
75. Green Curled Endive, or Chicoree. —Sow the last of 
July after early peas or turnips in drills 15 inches apart. 
Tie up for blanching the first of September, or transplant 
to a cold frame for Winter use. 
76-77. Musk and Water Melons. —Plant in hills at least 
6 feet apart, as soon in May as the ground becomes warm. 
If planted too early the seed will rot in the ground. Last 
year we planted some of the same seed May 1st (rotted 
by rain); May 12, also rotted ; and May 24, which came 
up and did well. 
92. Okra.— Sow May 10, in drills 2 feet apart, covering 
iinch. Thin to 10 inches in the row and cultivate as 
Egg Plants. Gather the green pods for soup, or stews, 
when 2 to 3 inches long. They are useless when ripe. 
A favorite for Gumbo Soup. 
Flower and Ornamental Seeds. 
General Remarks.—'T he flower seeds may be arranged 
i classes, and the culture of each class described. 
With the exception ol those otherwise noted, they may 
be sown in this latitude the last week in April or the first 
week in May, if the soil be warm and dry. However, 
where the supply of seed is small, and it is desired to be 
pretty certain of their vegetating, so as to secure an in¬ 
crease of seed for another year, it is usually safer to wait 
until the middle of May. In the Northern States there 
w-as a failure last year, with more than one half of all the 
flower seeds sow-n before May 15th. Nearly everything 
we put in the ground prior to May 20th failed, while from 
all the same packages seed sown from May 25th to 
June 10th, came up promptly, and grew vigorously. In 
ordinary seasons, early sowing brings an earlier supply of 
flowers and vegetables, it is usually quite as well to 
start the seeds in boxes of earth, or in a warm, well- 
drained situation, and transplant when and where it may 
be desirable. Cover very lightly. 
DWARFISH ANNUALS. 
This class includes such plants as grow low, and aro 
mostly adapted to massing or cultivating in groups, though 
many ol them appear well when standing as single speci¬ 
mens. Except for massing, sow in rows or circles, 18 
inches apart, and cover lightly—say £ inch or less. 
No. 23. Mignonette ( Reseda Odorata).— A branching 
plant, with an abundance of foliage and small flower s, not 
very pretty, but very fragrant during the entire season. 
Eight—about 15 inches. Appears best in masses. 
No. 28. Dwarf Rocket Larkspur ( Delphinium Ajacis) — 
Hight about 18 inches, flowers double ; color—white and 
purple; one of the finest flowers of the garden. Thin to 
6 inches. 
No. 29. Double Balsam (Impatiens Balsamina'i. —Very 
pretty—flowers of various colors on the same plants. The 
seed is a mixture of several fine sorts. Might—about 15 
inches. Succeeds best as single specimens, but may be 
grouped. No flower garden is complete without it. 
No. 30. Tassel Flo wer ( Cacalia Coccinea).— A pretty 
upright scarlet flower, very like a tassel. Set the plants 
singly, or they appear prettily when standing in the midst 
of others lower growing. Might—15 to 18 inches. 
No. 31. Chinese Pink ( Dianthus Cliinensis). —Strictly 
speaking, a biennial, although blooming the first year from 
seed, and on this account introduced here. It is devoid 
of fragrance, but quite attractive with its variegated colors. 
Hight—12 inches. 
No. 33. Portulaccas (Splendeus, lutea and alba). —Low 
growing and semi-running plants, 2 to 4 inches high, with 
showy white and red, scarlet and yellow flowers, which 
open in early morning. They look best in masses or 
patches of distinct colors. 
Nos. 34 and 35. China and German Asters (Aster Chi- 
nensis)—Are nearly alike, except that German florists 
have produced fuller and more quilled flow-ers. Both are 
favorites, showing an attractive bloom of every shade, 
from pure w hite to deep scarlet, well adapted for massing, 
or as single specimens, growing about 1 foot high. 
No. 40. Escholtzia (Califarnica).— A conspicuous bright 
yellow flower, semi-creeping in habit, with fine, delicate 
foliage ; hight 6 to 12 inches. Remains long in bloom. 
No. 41. Elegant Clarkia (Clarlda Elegans).—A pretty 
flow er from the Rocky Mountains ; grow s about 15 inches 
high; in color, white, iilac and pink ; quite attractive, 
and a good massing plant. 
No. 48. Flos Adonis (Adonis Miniata) or Pheasant Eye 
—Of moderate size, with fine foliage and a spike of blood 
red flowers, shooting up 18 inches to 2 feet in hight. 
No. 49. Candy Tuft ( Iberis umbellata, amara, etc,)— Es¬ 
pecially adapted for massing ; flowers of white, lilac and 
purple color, in flat or oval clusters ; hight—8 to 10 inches 
No. 51. Phlox (Drummondii).— One of the most beauti¬ 
ful of a class of hardy branching flowers ; best in masses ; 
about 1 foot high, and runs through the various colors, 
from white to purple ; a favorite where known. 
No. 78. Ageratum (Mexicanum) —A somewhat tender 
plant, with pale blue and white flowers, well suited for 
bedding. Slips or cuttings, taken in the Fall, make fine 
plants for Winter culture in the parlor or green-house. 
No. 79. German, 10 weeks stock (Mathiola grandiflora) 
or Stock-gilly—Blooms in spikes late in the season, un¬ 
less forced for early out-door planting ; well adapted fot 
pot culture—one foot high, and quite pretty. 
No. 80. Yellow Ilawkweed (Hieracium mutabilis). —A 
fine and rather delicate annual; of low growth and lato 
yellow bloom. 
No. 86. Euphorbia (variegata).— A tender annual from 
Missouri, but very pretty with its showy variegated flow¬ 
ers, blooming late in the season. 
No. 87. Coreopsis (tincloria). —A showy, free-blooming 
plant, from the Western prairies. Flowers bright yellow, 
with a dark velvety centre. It grows 1£ to 2 feet high ; 
good for massing. 
No. 88. Globe Amaranth ( Gomphrcna Globosa). —A flow- 
erof unfading color, even when plucked, whether white, 
purple or striped ; of 1 foot in hight. The seeds vegetate 
slowly unless scalded for a few moments, or soaked for 
24 hours before sowing. 
We prefer to plant each variety of the above, and eaoh 
color even, in separate groups, that the eye may find re¬ 
lief by turning to a new bloom, rather than be confused 
by a gaudy show of mixed flowers. On this account, bed 
ding or massing is particularly recommended. 
