The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1861-02-16
ARMERS' DEPARlfX
THE KITCHEN GAR1


,'lng fever comes upon us al
pom the beginner in horticp1
-s a thorough preparati6h 81
,acerned, this is true winters wdll
re cannot get through with it too 9
HES, bean poles, and pen brus.Ts
la made ready. A hot-bed is such a
Convenience in securing early plants q
IrDds that it should be in every garden
The larger it is, if well cared for, >tps|
better, for besides raising nice PLANTS \
l..:ucc, egg plant, tomato, cabbage II there
o. eft any available room, few hills Of
,!-unbcrs, melons, or squashes, or even
a.n can be nicely started in four-inch pois
r mall boxes, to be transferred when the]
.qson is favorable to the open grounc
..s, having been gradually hardened bSn
.-.ayure to tho air some days before n
...ral. A corner of the bed should
voted to the sweet or yam potato, n'1(
zee slips will be ready by the time dange
.; frosts is over.
In the open ground peas
Fl. The old early Frame
asst two dozen other names, an
ssa Early May, Early Washinl
ia, Blossomed Frame, Early
llriy IIotspur, Michaux de HollaN
one of the best early planting.
cd and productive kind, and viii
a4y frost likely to come after this:
.15n Extra Early and Prince y
O. though these are a few days earlier. "a
Charlton is another standard old FASH
.o;., as hardy as the early Frame, AN
with about half as many names. Ik|
Patent Office sent it ;lth Dad few
s,nce as MichauX Ordinaire. 1t fol XWI
the Early Frame in week or ten /sayII
Gclo Null is the most productive earl
"a. None of the sorts i. sown too earl,V
., ID freely or productive as. if put in 4
l,tle later. Tie. crops sown the last O
February, or eau, in March, are the best,
bat in lower latitude they must be pr
,g earlier, Of course.
The dwarf kinds, ike Tom Thum'
bishops Long-pod, scarcely need s,''k,
md are on this account for town . .r,','
5,ssirable. They should be planted in sin.
Ia rows and rs they branch good deal
hould not be 50 thick in the row rs the
taller sorts. For lac peas, such sorts as
Hhi,c and Black-Eycd Narrowiat (the
after continues longest in bcaring) Cham
,i1nofEngland, Blue Imperial, and Knights
iarrows, are among the best. Plant peas
II least four inches deep, and they viii
'5ntnue longer in u5t', and are less liable
% mildcw. If they. suffer from drouth be-
.vrcn the time they blossom and become
ii Tor use, the crop will be short.
Early York Cabbage, or the larger ear.
" sorts like Fairly Wakefield, Early Dutch
Early Drunhead, and Winingstadt, may
toe sown in sheltered place, in the open
ground, at once. The later sorts should
got, until later. Radishcs, Bects, Carrots
Onions, Lreks, and Parsnips are alsC
among the first crops planted. These
with Irish Potatoes, are about all that need
be in haste ahcSt. Plants at all tender
IN" shou'i not my to get out early, rs the
frost will take them
The best Irish Potatoes we ever had
were grown from seed sent us so.ae years
ago by Rev. G. f. Goodrich, of Utica
New York. This gentleman imported
from Chill and other parts of South Ameri
IN both wild and cultivated sorts, to ascer
tain if they would not be more free from
disease than our old WORKOUT varieties
OF those sent there were several Of Il a.,
original kinds and seedlings from them
Mr.. Goodrich has raised about nine thou
sand Seeding kinds. We found one o
he original sorts, the rough Purple Chill
OF good quality, and very productive Tw,
or three of the unnamed seedlings wcr,
also desirable as very late keeping sort.
Tut what struck us most, as well rs al
'lso saw them, was the bright-grccn healthy
.1Uk olathc vines compared with common
sorts. We kept them some three wears
hut one winter "cook got INTO them.
Those we had reserved for seed wcr,
consumcd,g and that was the last of tha
experiment: We advised Mr. G.. of GU
satisfaction with these sorts, and we an,
pleased to see in late numbers Of the Couu
try Gentleman, that his Garnet Chill, New
Hartford, and Purple Chill are found il
Virginia and other States, to be most cx
crlaynt sorts, Garnet Chilis sometime
Welding about four hundred bushels DE
acre OF sound roots. The sooner thcs,
ncwl V originated sorts that still retain IN,
sgor of their natural state take the rlac,
If our present worn-out, decaving varic
les, the better. The mountain section 3
Georgia should furnish all the Irish po.a
.ocs and apples needed in the State, an,
will easily do il, If the proper varieties ar,
obtained and preserved. Ii the Patcn
Office of the United States had distrihu
Ted Mr. Goodrich's potatoes and lett tn,
Japan Yam to the enterprise Of Mr.. Wn.
X. Prince, the country would have beer
more benefited thereby.
As TO the Japan or Chinese Yam, it is ,
really good vegetable, but the task of dig
gng is enormous. No part of them seem,
to be within foot of the surface, and then
70 dig down in the soil somr ciyhtc,r
inches more, gives one an idea ct thorough
cultivation 10y the time they ;arr out Of TIA,
ground. ih'y increase in >izc and grow
deeper in the ground for Two yrars and q,