226 
the AMERICAN 
GAHDEN. 
t&EO 
SEASONABLE HIETS. 
Spreamg Manure in 
most garden crops, decomposed and tno y 
broken up fertiUzers are preferable to eoaise, 
raw material, fresh stable mania e is 
better than no fertilizer at all, especia y 
when applied during winter. The wastes 
from manure spread and exposed on tlie 
surface of the ground dm-ing winter are 
generally much overestimated; and we feel 
inclined to think that the losses from fei- 
mentation in the compost heap are not less 
than those from evaporation when spread 
over the field. 
Fresh stable mamue contains but very 
little ammonia—its only fertiliziug ingre¬ 
dient that can become lost by evaporation 
and the low temperature of winter is not 
favorable to its formation. The greater part 
of its niti’ogen will, therefore, be transformed 
into nitrates, which become readily absorbed 
by the soil. 
The danger of fertilizing matter being 
washed away on sloping land is likewise 
very small. We have frequently noticed, on 
hillsides of considerable inclination even, 
where large manure heaps have been piled 
up during winter to be spread before the 
plow in spring, that the effect of the manure 
could not be noticed in the growing crops 
for more than a few feet from the heap in 
either direction. 
Many a farm garden, if it is to receive an 
allowance of manure at all, must secure it 
during iviuter, when men and teams have 
more leisure than in spring. In all such 
eases we would strongly impress upon the 
manager of the family garden that the wisest 
policy to pursue is to take all that can be 
had now. If possible, the ground should be 
plowed first, but not han-owed, and then the 
fresh manure spread evenly over it—the 
thicker the better. Most of its fertility will 
soak into the ground before spring, and the 
coarser part that remains on the surface is 
to be plowed or spaded under lightly next 
spring. 
Plowing the garden in naiTow lands with 
deep, open, dead furrows between them, 
running with the slope of the land, will not 
only leave the soil in finer and mellower 
condition in spring, but admits of its earlier 
working. On cold, heavy gi-ound this is of 
special importance, and makes often a differ¬ 
ence of from one to two weeks in the earliness 
of the first crojis. The dead fuiTows have to 
be examined occasionally after heavy rains 
during winter, and cleaned out if clods 
should impede the free current of the sur¬ 
face water. 
Aeparague Heiln should now receive a good 
covering of stable manure; it is immaterial 
whether the ground is frozen or not. If the 
roots are not deep enough below the surface 
for the crowns to be secure from injury in 
cutting the stalks, this is a favorable season 
for carting additional soil on them. Aspara¬ 
gus roots planted deep, in well-enriched soil 
do not only produce more delicately flavored 
stalks, but uniformly larger ones, than when 
planted near the surface of the ground 
likewise, is much benefited by a 
libera covenng of manure, and will amply 
reward this attention with a bountiful supply 
of large, succulent and tender stalks. 
It is rare fun to --- 
white or yellow inside; Potatoes ti. 
pure white inside and out; Pot 
irregular blotches of red and white.’'u* H 
+ nAcf mucli eitber. ‘black and purple; Potatoea iA^ 
with earth in it ‘"“" ar the window 
and kept in a warm lOO 
of wbicli tlioi'e woie upstarts alreatty 
garden, the precocious litt 1 ^ 
L, ,,.w Potatoes Igb. 
plants were no raor ^ |.j|g 
Philoprogenitiveness mu -i-gerviiig this 
Potato, one would judge upon obseiv..i„ 
precocious tendency. growth 
In the fall, when the fust seasoi g 
is completed, it is amusing /JJ, 
little plants with the ivliole nen 
S Poltoos ottooW to th.,n, > 
Size from that of a Walnut down to a pin¬ 
head, exact representations of what they in¬ 
tend to be on a larger scale in future years. 
You can form a correct estimate the Inst 
year of many of the characteristics of a imw 
variety; whether prolific or otherwise; 
whether round, long, flat, or smooth. 
Although most seedling Potatoes have a 
strong family likeness derived from their 
parents, there are .also to be found among 
them many marks of individual character and 
originality. I have sown thousands of seeds, 
from the White Peaehblow, the parent of 
which ivas red, hardy, and full of life and 
rfgor. It was curious to notice what a min¬ 
gling there was of the characteristics of the 
parents and the grandparents in the genera¬ 
tion that followed. In regard to color, there 
seemed to be every conceivable variation. 
At one extreme I had a monstrous red Potato, 
rough, with deeply sunken eyes, with red 
veins threading its short, stout, abundant, 
and stocky steins and leaves. Moreover, the 
inside of the Potato was as red as a Beet. 
According to the estimate that I made of the 
quantity obtained from a dozen hills,—the 
product of a single tuber,—it yielded at the 
rate of six hundred bushels to the acre. It 
manifested much willfulness and hardness 
of heart, which became apparent when I un¬ 
dertook to have some moderate sized speci¬ 
mens cooked, and accordingly had them put 
in the steamer with the rest that were in¬ 
tended for dinner. I waited with all impa¬ 
tience for the cook to bring them on so that I 
could give them the first trial. But they 
were not forthcoming, and I missed them that 
day. Upon inquiry I learned that the obsti¬ 
nate tubers would not soften in the hot 
steam in the same time that it took the others 
to cook. So another trial was made the next 
day, and after remaining about twice as lonu 
as Its neighbors in the hot steam, it finally 
yielded. On opening it, its intense pink 
color did not seem the-pink of perfection" 
in a 1 otato, and though I have tasted worse 
I otatoes than that, it was tolerably mealy. 
On the whole, I could not rocoinnieiid thiil 
I otato to poor people, tor, notwitlistandini 
it was an imrnoimo yioldoi- ii v»r/ ii ^ 
much fuel tocook it fia, 
™«ingitwas notele;.:];! ,: -f 
christened it “The Mastodon .^ 
In striking contriist i.. n'- 
called -Tim I>ea;d.blowVJ;.V''r ' 
was smoother than its moll '1' 
Peaehblow, and larger, and I Ilk 
that we raised over sixty b„shels’l,( i,"" 
described were to be found red 1'o|a ” 
ced streaks inside; red PotJteerHr:::: 
form. 
Some of the thousands that! 
half as big as my fist the first ye°'’''''''« 
many were no bigger than Peas 
they were large enough to admit of ““"j’ 
judgment of their qualities the 
year. 
If it were possible, I would like to 
and explain the peculiar charm thatT'^”® 
the raising of seedlings. The nearest tl!“^® 
can do is to point to one peeuliarityeomh-*' 
with it and common to many other 
human activity, namely, that peonk 
hold of it with zest. ‘ 
Every one loves to control and direct 
and mysterious forces, the working 
suits of which cannot be easily estimated 
It is fascinating to a novice to hoist the gate 
of a water-wheel that drives a great mass of 
machinery, to control the motions of a loco, 
motive, to fire a gun, or to drive a spirited 
or powerful team of horses,—in short, to do 
anything that moves and directs a power 
greater than one’s self. 
Just so in raising Potato or any other 
seedlings we are dealing with the great 
powerful, and mysterious principle of crea¬ 
tive forces, e.apable of producing curious aod 
grotesque as well as beautiful and valuahle 
results. One feels almost as being takes 
into akind of partnership with creation,which 
permits us to take part in the work of im¬ 
proving and beautifying the earth. IVe 
imagine ourselves wielding a power capable 
of producing results far beyond the limits of 
our conception. 
H. J. Seymour. 
BLEACHING CELEET. 
The method of bleaching Celery, used by 
Janies Wright, of East Toledo, who raises 
the finest Celery that J. S. Voodiaird, oj Ihf' 
Hiiral New Yorl’cr, says he ever saw, and 
which never produces rust, is that he nierel) 
earths a little, to keep the stalks upright 
until suflicientlj' grown; he then has some 
strijis of the thinnest, lightest tin, about 
fourteen inches wide, and in the after-pud 
of the day, when the Celery is perfectly dry, 
ho first suckers the plants, removing o' 
thing that would not niake lirst-ehiss ^ 
and then wraps one of the pieces 
about the plant, and over this he ^lip®^^ 
threo-inch round tile twelve inches loiV 
then draws Ihe tin out, leaving the ®.j| 
compact and straight inside the tiles. _ 
bleach (inely in two weeks in hot. 'R’''’ 
and as the weather gets colder it 
longer —up to about four weeks. 1*“' 
of ap[)lyiiig and removing tlie soil coniii'C 
used costs about as much as the tiles. 
PLANTING MELONS WITH POTATOES. 
. . .. 
A correspondent of the lltv/ern 
e.xperinieiited with raising ‘"‘'I'd'S ^ 
I’otatoos, and foiiiid the metliod effec 
ridding the Melon vines of tl'® dti’ip*’* 
lie suggests that it would be a gee* P||j,, 
plant Potatoes or soinethiiig else W'^ 
Melons, to hide the vinos until 
season is over, and then dig ti'*' 
and let the Melons have all the room. 
