Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-05-01
TIE FARM
Adaptation vf Garden Crops.

Adaptation uf Garden Crops.
la an ordinary season, We should be be
hind time in now giving advice in regard
to garden planting, but the backwardness
of the spring will throw much work into
May, this year, which is commonly done
in April. We have heretofore urged upon
our readers the great Importance Of ma
king the most of their garden ground, aud
we now, with increased confidence, repeat
the exhorJa;iou. Oar village gardens are
apt 10 be pliifuily small, but three or four
rods, even of -.ruI ground, a. ours i, III
this vicinity, will, under good management,
yield an astonishing supply of desirable
vegetables, such as lettuce, ratishes, peas,
cueumbers, beets. parsnips, green corn,
tomatoes, beans, &c, at "a cost of only a
fraction of the time wasted 10y men and
boys in our stores and at the street corners
on summer evenings. But We can not
pursue this topic now.
Those disposed To make the most Of their
small plots are sometimes rerp,excd about
the right aIotmeut of the different crops
to different soils and situations. Ga this
point we would observe that where you
have choice of soils, sandy ground is
preferable for asparagus, radishes, melons,
sweet potatoes, peas and potatoes, and
mea>uratly so for most root crops while
lettuce, cabbage, clulilowers, broccoli,
strawberries and raspberIies, delight in a
more clayey soil, provided it Is made
mellow and enriched to suitable depth.
Most of the soil in our. borough and yicin-
i'y is of that happy mixture that, with
the addition, in some instances, of little
sand for the benefit Of radishes and water
melons, it is able to bear good crops of
almost anything. But many of our old
gardens would be greatly improved By be
ing dug to twice their usual depth. The
excessive carbonaccous matter near the
surface would sufficiently feed with that
substancc) the double mass, while the
dormant mineral elements locked up in
the subsoil would supply wha, is now wan
ting above-to say nothing of the inesti-
mable advantage of deep soil more COM
monty dwelt upon. We have found by
repeated trials that the sutsoil brought up
from "A depth of Is inches or two feet, and
inverted all over the surface, will, after
being pulverized by the frosts Of single
winter, produce better potatoes, at least,
than the surface soil would, even though
the other were loosened under it.
As to the matter Of ligh: aud shade, it
may be confidently said that there are few
vegetables for which full enjoyment Of
the former is not desirable. The shade of
trees and bushes, especially, is almost uni
light Is shut out overhead, the nutrimeat
i'll the ground is speedily absorbed by the
numerous aud fur-> >prradng roots below.
When fruit trees are quite small, root
crops may perhaps be grown within about
five feet of them, at no great disadvantage.
But after they have come into bearing
state and well cover the grouud with their
branches, their roots extend at least as far,
aud any other vegetation which would &C.
cupy the same ground must either rob
them of what they need or be robbed by
them. This is certain; and if the trees
bear good fruit (no others ought to stand)
they will abundantIy pay for the space
aud care they require, and it Is bad econ
omy to divide either with something else.
The shade of Il building or wall is not
so Objectionable, aud may sometimes be
useful. Rhubarb plants will DO very well
there; late planted peas may produce in
the shade, when full summer heat would
destroy them the bearing of currants and
berries can be prolonged in such situations,
though not without detriment to their
quality; and the caulifower or broccoli,
when likely to blossom in hot weather,
will be better off sheltered from the sun.
The shade, therefore, afforded by the south
fence Of the garden may be regarded as
advantageous, but beyond this We would
greatly prefer that the vegetable garden
should lie open fully to the sun, and that
each fruit tree aud plant also should, i'll
its place, receive the uuobstructed iufu-
ence of light, heat and air through all its
foliage aud fruit.
HN- We haze still on hand tor yratuitous
distribution at the Chronicle Office, a small
quantity Of Sugar Cane .See'i-eaouyh to
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