1884 .] 
the AMERICAN GARDEN. 
207 
TOMATOES IN WINTER. 
Ifc seems sh-ango tlmt those who have 
greenhouses do not ofteuor grow Tomatoes 
during winter, as tlieir nmuagomout is quite 
easy, avd a few pots properly cared for will 
give a constant supply all winter. 
For this purpose it is host to raise tho 
plants in pots, from cuttings made before 
frost has killed tho outdoor vinos Tlio 
young plants have to be repotted fre¬ 
quently, and finally in ton to fifteoii inch 
pots. They should be trained to stakes or 
some form of trollis, as shown in our illus¬ 
trations. Tho lateral shoots should bo well 
pinched in to provont the formation of too 
much foliage, and plenty of sun is necessary 
to their liealthy development. 
They may also bo trained to tho rafters of 
the greenhouse, and in a light, sunny plant 
room, where tho other plants would not 
suffer by the shade, a Tomato vino might bo 
trained around a window, and, if kept pruned 
properly, present a not unattractive appear- 
aneo. 
ROOT OUITURE. 
When harvesting roots it is frequently 
observed that, while seemingly the best care 
has been given to the crop, it is not all that 
might be expected. A chief cause of this is 
that in the average farm-garden all seeds are 
put into the ground at about the same time. 
Very little thought is given to the difference 
in lengths of time needed for inaUu-ing the 
different varieties. Tho main idea seems to 
be to get the ground prepared and planted in 
one job, so that it will not call for another 
application in that line. 
I have noticed this particularly with regard 
to the different root-crops. Onions, Parsnips, 
Beets, Mangel-wurzels, Carrots, Eadishes, 
Turnips, etc., etc., are assigned their little 
spaces, and disposed of at one fell swooiJ, 
and the garden is laid aside, with, no doubt, 
a sense of duty well performed. 
Now the largest share of these roots are 
intended for use during winter and spring, 
and if sown as earl3'’ as the summer garden 
vegetables should be sown, they will mature 
in late summer or early autumn. Before cold 
weather sets in they ■will become shriveled 
up and tough, when they should be crisp and 
tender. 
The forepart of June is early enough for- 
sowing Beets, Carrots, Euta-bagas, and sim¬ 
ilar roots that are intended for winter use, 
while winter Eadishes and common Turnips 
may be sown two months later. 
By the first of June the ground is usually 
in better condition, and can be made deeper 
and mellower than is possible where it is 
planted early in the spring. At this time t e 
earth has usually become thoroughly warmed 
through, and there is much more certainty of 
the seed germinating than if pat into ® 
groimd when it is cold and wet. The rus i o 
work will be over, and tlie better atten ion 
can be given to this part of the gardening. 
In preparing the ground for the see , us 
late in the spring, the fiu-st start o young 
weeds is killed out, and the young P an s 
coming up quickly under the favorab e con 
ditions, stand a fair chance with them oi an 
existence. Not so with those that have 
so-wn early; they were a long time in ge 
up through the groimd, and grew s ow y 
for, weeks afterward. The disadvantages 
under which the plants have laboie u no 
seem to have rotardod tho weodsin the least, 
foi tho wliolo ground is matted over with 
them, and by tlio time tho plants are well 
above ground, a search for them must bo 
coinmoncod ultliough tlio rows cannot bo 
dis mguishod o.xcept by a practiced eye and 
oy the aid of imaginary lines. 
HOOP TRELLIS. 
Without any exaggeration, it requires 
double tho labor to cultivate those sown early 
as it does those that are sown the foi-e part of 
June. We can endure this where it is nec¬ 
essary in order to procure early vegetables, 
but in raising roots tor winter use, it is worse 
than useless. 
Where roots are raised in considerable 
quantity, I would certainly have the rows as 
far apart as twenty inches, so that horse¬ 
power could be used for cultivating. The 
cultivator used should have small teeth that 
will not throw much soil, and then it can be 
run close up to the rows, and loosen all the 
FLAT TRELLIS. 
surface of tho ground thoroughly. This wEl 
save an immense amount of hand-work in 
weeding along the rows. 
In thinning out, there is usually more 
hand-pulling done than is at all neeessa,ry. 
The hoe can be used in this work by cutting 
out spaces tho full width of the blade, thus 
leaving the remaining plants in clumps which 
are much more quickly thinned out by the 
help so given. Carrots will do very well if 
those clumps are .allowed to remain, as the 
plants have a chance to crowd out on every 
side. There arc few roots that will stand as 
much crowding as tho Carrot. 
W. D. Boynton. 
APPLYING MANURE IN THE FALL. 
After winter grain is sown in the fall there 
is generally some spare time on the farm that 
can be profitably employed in carting and 
scattering all the manure available. My 
plan of hauling out manure is to plow the 
ground first, then scatter the manure on top 
and then harrow well. The natural course 
of manure is downward, and if it is applied 
upon the level gi-ound and then turned under 
in the fall the best part of the fertilizing sub¬ 
stances is buried too deep to be of anj- 
special benefit to growing crops. 
While I do not advocate the use of fresh 
manure, especially in the garden or truck 
farm, prefening generally to pile it up and 
work over until well rotted; yet in the fall, 
if there is plenty of time and the soil has 
been plowed, I would haul out all the manure 
on the place, whether it was rotted or fresh. 
I have never found it a profitable plan to 
put manure in piles and scatter afterward. 
A man can scatter better and more evenly 
from tho wagon than he can on the ground, 
and ho can spread a load almost as fast as he 
can unload in iiiles. Manure to be of the 
gi-eatest benefit should not be too lumpy or 
scattered in heaps, but should be spread as 
evenly as possible so that one or two han-ow- 
ings ■will work it well into the surface. 
The advantage of fall manm-ing is that 
the soluble parts of the manure will soak 
into the soil and be available for the feedmg 
roots of the crops planted in the spring.^ One 
of the principal causes of the failure of the 
first crop planted on land that has been well 
maniu-ed is that the fertilizer is not applied 
so as to render it .available as plant-food. 
This is especially the ease where fresh or 
coarse manure is applied in the spring. 
N. J. Shepherd. 
MORE ABOUT EARLY PEAS. 
Commenting on “Elm’s” “Talk upon 
Peas,” in our last issue, B. P. 0., of New 
Jersey, says: “I think sprouting Peas for 
early planting is a mistake; it has a ten- 
denej' to weaken the seed. Peas can be 
planted out-of-doors as soon as tho gromid is 
thawed deep enough to get in the seed. I 
have planted Early Kent in March, and had 
Peas May 26th. Wlien four inches high, 
they were snowed under. This year I planted 
Kentish mvieta April 9th, and had first 
Peas June 13, and when the vines were 
done bearing they sprouted again near the 
ground, producing a second crop of larger 
and sweeter Peas.” 
[Differences of soil should be taken in con¬ 
sideration in this regard. While in a natur¬ 
ally dry and warm soil “planting as soon as 
the ground is thawed deep enough to get in 
the seed” may prove perfectly successful, 
in a heavy, cold soil seed thus deposited 
would in most seasons rot, or at best pro¬ 
duce poor, sickly plants. This we know 
from oft-repeated experiments.— Ed.] 
