New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-08
Gardening in Southern Louisiana for October


The weather last month was very unfavorable
for gardening on account of the excess of rain.
October appears to open quite fayorablv. This
month long list of seeds may be sOWn. We
continue the list Of last month, with some add
tons.
Beet seeds, carrot parsnip, ruta baga, fat
Dutch and red top turnps, drumhead and creole
cabbage, garlic, mustard, cress, roquette, radish,
lettuce, onons celery, ohervi, endine parsley and
English peas may all be planted in October,
though peas do better planted about Christmas,
or earlier, and cabbage seeds should be sown in
July or August to make the best heads; and
many think celery seed does the best planted in
June.
Some of our gardeners succeed finely with cab
bages by digging holes about a foot square and a
foot deep, suitable distance apart, filling each
hole nearly to the top with even fresh barnyard
manure, covering it about an inch deep with dry
earth, setting the plant in the center, hoeing and
stirring the earth around it once a week. Others
fill tie holes with rich mud from the bottom of the
bayou, or rich swamp, much, and make large,
white head and solid cabbages,
Turnip seeds of all kinds may be sown broad
cast and narrowed, raked or brushed in. The
best way is to prepare the ground completely,
have light rake, and plank fourteen inches
wide, and its length just equal to the width of the
bed, say ten feet. Make groove in the earth by
the edge of the plank half an inch deep, aud put
from five to ten turnip seeds about five inches
apart. When the plants are large enough, thin
out to two turhips in each place, and when as
large as turnps, take one from each hill for table
use. Ruta baga turnips and beats may be planted
in the same way, leaving one plant in each place
instead of two. The width of the plank will mark
the space between the rows. Fourteen inches is
a suitable space for most Vegetables growing in
beds.
In sowing seeds broadcast, they should be mixed
with dry ashes or sand. A tablespoonful of seed
should sow space ten feet wide and fifty feet in
length.
After beds are sown in drills it is usually best,
either in dry weather or pelhng raius to cover
them with thin coating of mess, excluding most
of the direct rays of the sun. They should be ex-
| amined daily, and as soon as the plants begin to
break through the soil, the moss should be
thrown off.
As soon as young plants make their appear
ance, the earth should be stirred around them as
near the plant as possible, without disturbing it.
All clods should be removed from around young
plants, and fine earth put around them. Every
| spear OF grass andwe must be kept from young
plants, They grow rapidly in good soil and
favorable weather by frequently stirrng.the sur
face earth around them, but not near enough to
disturb the roots.
Plants should not be allowed to crowd each
other. They should be thinned ont as soon as
| they are vigorous enough to bear it.
Radshes may be transplanted like ruta baga
turnips and beets.
Strawberries may still be transplanted in rich
moist soil, a foot apart each way They will pro
duce fue fruit in April and May.