Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1853-03-31
A WORD ABoUT GARDEN1NE.

How many Of our readers have selecte
their seeds aud made all the necessary pre-
Pafttion for gardening7 The season i
rapidly approaching when garden seed
should be in tbe ground Many require /,
be planted early, in this latitude. that Ii,
plants may be inathred before they Dire ex
posed to early frost
A FIRST and an important consideration il
/ the formation Of . kitchen garden is s
The .Saxatloa-Is isSperhaps better. Al
things considered, that it should have !
| gentle inclination towards the south east
| yet : northern aspect is, for some purposes
perhaps preferable Some vegetables. such
ascphaowers, peas, spinach, So yield more
abundantly when not exposed to the direct
action of the sun
a moderate elevation is preferable 10
either hill or valley Convenience Of access
should also be duly considered But the
mort important matter, in selecting aloca.
tien is as to
Sod This should be rich sandy loan
A depth Of two or three feet is desirable -
If this cannot be obtained, and stiff clay
or grsvel soil is selected, see to ii that+it Is
corrected by l judicieus admixturs Of fins
loan A sandy soil is improved BY the sad.
dition Of lime, plaster, ashes and vegetable
manure; while stiff clay sell demands
such vegetable and animal N sBure as tends
to the separation Of its particles Hence
the necessity Of litter, and other animal an i
vegetable matter Lime and plaster also
operate favorably, and charcoal is estcemed
BY many as very fine fertilizer It has
the power Of absorbing various gases from
the atmosphere and readily yields them 10
growing plants Bu. rememb Der that man
ure of some Kind is essential to the garden !;
with it the gardener can do every thing
without it nothing
+ Depth and lieiloaenfsS of the Soil This
must be secured it il the secret OF all sue
cessful gardening The roots f GaraAn-
delicate horns have been traced to the depth
oil several feet Downing remarks -" |
have seen the roots Of strawberries extend
Eve feet down ia rich soil, and theBe plants
bore crop Of fruit Ave times as large. and
twice as handsome and good as the common
product Of soil foot Deep
Al deep lean has other advantages II
not only permits the escape of watef-aftcr a
heavy rain, but by its capillary attraction
/ absorbs and therefore furnishes a supply Of
moisture during 8 pretracted drought. In
fact the only soil suitable for the garden is
deep mellow loamA "A Geld clay soil, Of q
few inches in depth, resting upon clay sub
stratum, is not worth the trouble and ex-
penses Of cultivation
Wttter-- In the selection of d site for .
garden, it is well to have reference to water
An abundant supply Of water is absolutely
necessary Leuden remarks, that -" Many
kitchen crops are lost or produced Of very
inferisr quality for want of watering Let
tuce and cabbage are often hard and stringy
turnips and raaishes do not swell onions
decay; cauEifowers die of and, in dry
seasons become stinted or covered with in
sects. even 10 rich, deep soils Copisul
waterings ~ the evenings. during the dry
seasons, would produce that fullness and
succulency which We fnd in the vegetables
| in the Low Countries. III the March Gardens
At Paris, and in England at the beginning
and latter end Of the season
h iSel,ction pt SEEDS After you have gon'
ITO the expense and trouble Of laying out ans
preparing your garden, be careful in the Sc
! lection Of the choicest seeds Many Of tn,
seeds annually offered FIR sale are worth
less; they are either Of an inferior variety
or have lost their vitality. This is exceed
! ingly vexatieus to the gardener, and ",
knew Of no way Of avoiding il but by know
! ing from whom you procure your seeds =
| Posi- " an enteFprising neighber. or regu
| lar seedsmaH. may be abfs'te supply you -
If not. you 'aro liable to re deceived S
Garden Tools-We reed scarcely remind
the reader that the gardener should be vel
! provided with the implements of his art "a
| or these the spade, tie hoe and the rake
are iudispensible Others will be found
valuable assistants, snd in their selection
much discrimination should be exercised =
And see to il that they are kept in con
spicious position, and at the same time KEEP
bright and clean Remember tile old stan
| darJ 4naxim .z-.-haUsa ptace foF eUery hing
| AVID ersry thin m ifspiare - Ohio Farmer
1 j J.