22 
the AMERICAN 
gahde:n. 
[Pebrtjary 
SEABOHABLE HIirTS. 
To make these brief notes and timely sug¬ 
gestions applicable to the needs of the 
largest number of our readers forms gen¬ 
erally one of the most perplexing parts of 
editorial work. The enormous extent of our 
country, reaching from the borders of the 
arctic region to within but a few degrees of 
the tropic zone, makes it impossible to give 
directions suited alike to all climates. While 
as we write these lines a fierce snow-storm 
pelts against our windows and all vegetation 
is at rest under the snowy down, some of our 
readers may be picking Strawberries and 
green Peas. It will therefore bo readily 
perceived that, as these items of information 
are mainly taken from our own personal ob¬ 
servation and experience, we have to con¬ 
fine ourselves, in some measxu’e, to the 
latitude of Now-York City. Yet, with slight 
modifications, according to the variations of 
climate, beginners in gardening anywhere 
may find in these columns many helpful 
hints. 
Misialcen Economy .—The most short-sighted 
and poorest economy a gardener or farmer 
can pursue is to sow poor or doubtful seeds. 
While there is yet plenty of time to make 
tests, and to procure good seeds in case 
those on hand prove worthless, no one should 
neglect to make sure of having only fii’st- 
class stock when spring-time and garden- 
work begin. The losses and disappointments 
which frequently result from sowing poor 
seeds are far greater than can be computed 
in dollars and cents. It would be about as 
judicious for an engineer to run a passenger 
train over an unsound railroad bridge, as for 
a gardener to trust to the chances of raising 
a profitable crop from doubtful seed. 
Testing Seeds .—No reputable seed house 
will knowingly send out seeds of doubtful 
germinating quality, and the testing of the 
stock of seed before sending any out is now 
customary in all first-class seed houses. The 
risk of getting poor seed in this way is ex¬ 
tremely small. Old seeds kept over from 
previous seasons, however, should always 
be tested before sowing. Wliere window 
plants are kept, the easiest way is to sow a 
few of the seeds around the plants in the 
pots, where they will soon sprout and the 
percentage of germination may be easily as¬ 
certained. Melons, Cucumbers, Corn, Pep¬ 
pers, Egg-plants, and all kinds requiring a 
high temperature, should be sown in pots or 
boxes set in a warm place, or they may be 
scattered between flannel kept constantly 
moist and warm. 
The Duration of Vitality varies consider¬ 
ably in different kinds of seeds. While some 
have to be sown immediately after maturity 
others retain their vitality for an almost in¬ 
definite period. But it should be borne in 
mind that although old seeds may germinate 
m the majority of cases they will not produce 
as strong and healthy plants as fresh seeds. 
Beans, Carrots, Celery, Com, Onions, 
Spinach, may bo relied upon for two to 
three years; Beets, Lettuce, Turnips, Toma- 
Cabbage, for four to six years; Cucumbers 
Melons, Squashes, and similar seeds will 
germinate after ten years and more. ’ 
^TEE 
My ;“j7o J hundred square 
small greenhouse 
quite flattering. . ^ 
The benches which hold the soi . 
feet wide and six inches deep, and the path 
is in the center. The soil has 
hot-beds and is rich in vegetable moW. I 
has not been renewed in the three sea 
has been used, as there seemed no need of it- 
I have a few flowering plants in the house all 
the time, the temperature is, therefore, often 
too warm and close for Lettuce, so that the 
plants set out the fii-st of October do not as 
well as they would imder more favorable 
conditions, but it occupies the bench tillJan- 
uary, when it is cut and sold for what it will 
bring. This is the first crop, on one side. 
The other side is set out September first, 
to Parsley roots, in rows, five inches apart, 
and one inch or two between the plants. The 
soil is well soaked udth water at the time of 
setting the roots, which gi-ow vigorously and 
give a cutting about Thanksgiving, and con¬ 
tinue to grow till the first of April, when 
they begin to run to seed, yielding about four 
cuttings during the winter. The roots are 
removed from the benches in time to give 
room to flowering plants which have been 
potted from cuttings and are ready for sale 
in May and June. The Parsley yields about 
$3 per sash, on a space 3x5 feet. 
After the Lettuce is off in January, I set 
out half-grown Celery plants. Water Cress, 
and Dandelion roots, on the bench in its 
place. The Celery gives green leaves for 
“ soup bunches ” from February to April, and 
yields as much profit as the Parsley per glass. 
The Water Cress, propagated from a few 
cuttings brought in in the Pall, gives an equal 
return; two-thirds of the bench has Dande¬ 
lion roots set thickly in rows five inches 
apart; these are ready to cut in foui- weeks 
from the time of setting, and sell for $1.25 
per glass. The Celery, Dandelion, and Pars¬ 
ley roots are raised the summer before, and 
preserved in what I call my “ winter house,” 
till the time needed. As soon as the Dande¬ 
lions are pulled, the bench is sowed to French 
Breakfast Radishes, which come on and are 
harvested after six weeks, yielding the same 
as the Dandelion, $1.25 per glass. 
After this the space is occupied by Celery, 
Celeriac, Leeks, Parsley, different kinds of 
Cabbages, Kohlrabi, and Caidiflowor, all 
sown in flats, besides Lettuce, Tomatoes, 
Peppers, and so on. During mild days of 
April, the Lettuce, Cabbage, and all plants 
tha,t need hardening are crowded outside 
and brought back at night, and as the weather 
grows milder, left out .altogether. Toma¬ 
toes, Peppers, and Celery, as they become 
crowded, are pricked out into the spaces 
made vacant by the hardier plants, so that 
As fertilizer, I have used fine horse ina- 
thing but Lettuce. " ^ 
the experiment cannot be called a success. 
Onion “ sets,” set out, do fairly well; Chives 
nicely. Spring Lettuce, I raise in hot-beds 
outside, and have always good success, as 
more air and more room can be given. Let- 
tuce wants a cool head and warm feet. 
All this is on a small scale; but it payg 
well in proportion to the money invested, as 
myself or some member of the family does all 
the work. 
W. H. Bull, 
EARLY POTATOES. 
Wlien it is desired to produce a crop as 
early as possible, I find nothing more serv¬ 
iceable than an application of fresh stable 
manure in the hill. 
The soil should bo worked into good con- 
dition by plowing and harrowing. I lay it off 
ill rows three and a half feet apart, by fur¬ 
rowing with a good-sized double shovel plow, 
so as to make a rather deep fiurow. Into the 
bottom of this furrow apply fi’esh stable 
manure, a reasonably strong dressing; on 
this drop the Potatoes, two sets in a hill, and 
the hills eighteen inches apart. I find it 
good policy to cut the sets at least two or 
three days before planting. 
After the Potatoes are dropped, cover with 
a hoe at least three inches deep, stepping 
upon the soil, so as to press it firmly down 
upon the Potatoes. 
The fresh maniu’e seems to help consider¬ 
ably about keeiiing out the frost, and the 
Potatoes gi’ow right along. In this way 
Potatoes can be planted a week or two 
earlier than by the usual plan. 
I am always careful to use only good seed, 
and especially when I want good early Pota¬ 
toes. Although, with everything favorable, 
you may sometimes raise a good crop from 
poor seed, yet this is only the case when the 
general crop has been plentiful and the 
prices are low; while, by nsmg only the 
best of seed, giving it good soil to grow in 
and good, clean cultivation, you are reason¬ 
ably siu-e of a good crop when others fail; 
and as you then receive a higher price, the 
result is more profitable. 
Potato-land slioidd be plowed deep and 
well. A black, sandy loam is preferable to 
any other soil, as it is loose and retains 
moisture well, is easily cidtivated, and pro¬ 
duces clean, smooth Pot.atoes. 
N. J. Shepherd. 
ONIONS WITHOUT LABOR. 
Impressed with the desfrability of having 
an early bed of Onions, enough for siunmer 
use and a few bushels to winter over, and in 
view of the fact that it is no easy task to weed 
and care for a bed of Onions, as they are 
usually raised, the Germantown Telegraph 
.advises the following method by which weed¬ 
ing is entirely dispensed with: 
Prepare a bed, say sixteen feet square, of 
proper fertility, cultivate deep, rake it .smooth 
and fine; now lay on a board, about one 
foot wide, at one side of your bod, stand on 
the board, and place your sots close to the 
edge, say four iiiehos apart, the entire length 
of the board ; now lay down another board, 
one and ono-hn.l f inches from the other, place 
your sots as before, and proceed thus on till 
the bod is completed. Leave on the boards 
until the Onions have matured. Thus yon 
Will have a nice bed of Onions without labor, 
save the preparing of the bod and the placing 
of the sots. 
