New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-25
HORTICULTURE AND MARKET GARDENING.
BY p. T. QUINN.


S,v,xc M,NuRE FOR HoT BEDs.-It is sorry
SIGHT TO witness poorly kept vegetable garden. and
at the present day there be no good excuse iof
such neglect But even among what might DO
termed the better class of farmers the gronhu
allotted by the kitchen garden is too often louhd
with scanty supply of vegetable, and an abundance
Of noxious weeds. have known many instances
when a -mer would labor industriously TO Keep
field of n as clean as an onion BED, ana az inc
san,a 4 o consider that every hour spent IN tho
kitcheI n was so mucn ioS' iAO'' - VIM
wit With this kind of management have no sym.
pathy and will endeavor before such timely nlnts
and suggestions, through The WEEKLY iHbONE
that any person who is anxious TO Keep MS Iaolo
well supplied with plenty OF fresh yegeiaIes SIoaSh
the whole season do so with very lttle extra ek
pense in producing them. How often IL IS the case
that the farmer country gentlemen gers MS et-
tuce early asparagus, and tomatoes, from sonlo
wde-awake gardener near by ana pay eAaIaV a,
CANT prices for these articles, when the means OF
bringing them forward are not expensive s,n anu
within the reach of all. To secure an cary Supply
of vegetables q number of kinds VIII nave 10 Do
started in o hot bed. How to make ana manage
these will form the substance OF anOtheI ar.Icio,
which will appear in season. AT present II is only
necessary TO saw that the frst step toward nSulng
hot bed, is to collect the manure, nave properly
treated and ready in time. ,.
Abont the first of January the market gardener in
the vicinity of New-YOTk will commence 70 save
manure for hot beds. Horse manure is valued more
highly for this purpose than any other KIND: Wnen
the long straw is separated from the droPplngs the
latter are placed in heap III some convenient place.
Daily additions made to this heap untll enough
ia collected The manure is kept moist enough 70
preyent fire fanging. BY keeping the heap damp tns
whole mass becomes thoroughly heated anu NOV
during very cold weather gardeners have fire.
ouently to resort 10 artificial means TO start the ma
nure TO heating. This may be done DIV pouring threo
or fonr nails of boiling water into the center OF the
heap and at once placing enough lltter on toP 70
prevent the cold air from chllling tue NaSeI Ioe
bricks placed in the center OF the heap, Will answer
the same purpose. Sometimes the heat VIII Stacker
i'm the beds before the earth is prepared ana nave
ON several occasions brought up the heat in this way
When the manure begins to throw off steam freely
from the surface tho heap should .then be iorksd
carefully so that the manure h VIII pc equaiS
heated throughout in time TO make the BEDS
When only limited number OF plants are "an.edq
enough to supply or two families, theh couplss
of loads of pure horse manure thrown on one emu oi
the manure pile, if kept moist VIII soon hea' alu
will answer for making the hot Ded, haIket gar
den and particularly in making preparations Ior
inc by bottom heat. They cannot anord TO run anF
risk They well know that the q" early bird catches
the early wormp and therefore no pains are spared
that will enable them to hasten the maturity OF theu
irons Sometimes a difference of ten days IN rlpen-
ing will make difference of $50 on an acre oil To-
matoes. ~ ri. :. ...;oo5 avian.
syely by nurserymen who grow pear trees III large
way. The leading varieties OF pear selons l0I lns
purpose are bought by nurseIymen az rom - 10 -
psr eco These scions should be cut early IN the
Winter tied in bundles labeled and placed ~ cool
damp position in the cellar until wanted; Even ioI
Spring grating tie scions will be found IN better
order for working" if cut before midWinter than
when left on the trees until Spring When the scl0ns
are wanted for Spring grating, then the bundles
should be packed in boxes with moss, in the way
recommended for grape cuttings 49,
PREPARING celery FOR Which be
come familiar to those who study the laws OF Nege
table physiology. The practical farmer, knowing
these facts from observation ana experience. VIII
lay out his garden with view TO give each kihu Oh
plant the exposure and locality most congenlal 10 us
habits of growth. Again. 1t Is TACT Wen known W
market gardeners that each kind OF Neeetable, 10
command the highest price, must be prepared III
certain way and if the arbitrary rule Is not strictly
adhered TO- the produce will not bring half It's mar
ket value There appears TO be no Obvious reason
why nine long radishes tied In a round Dubch are
not as good rs the same nine Tea IN nat one VI
why three or four stalks of celery made up mo y
round bunch are not as palatable and III every way
as good as when made into Hat bunch Stll III me
one case they will find plenty of customers at the
hest market rate while IN the other there is no ue-
mand and would not bring enough TO pay eA%nsts-
The methods in general use of preparing certain
kinds of vegetables for market are expensive anu
iaborious TO the producer. While talking on this
subject few days ago n market garueneI tolu ule
thai II was more trouble 10 prepare for and market
some kinds of truck than IL was TO grow them and
named celery instance The bulk OF this crOPls
sold during the Winter months. and gardeners spend
nearly all their time. from the middle ot December
until the middle of March preparing celery Tor mar
In the latter part of November the celery is dug
and placed in trenches where it is bleached ana pro-
tected from frost. Bleaching Is sometimes hastthS1
by pouring warm water into the trenches on mud
day, and then replacing .l the nay STRAW o' mug
When the heart of the celery is sufficiently
bleached and the demand Is good the stalks are
taken in Winter from the tTeheh 10 tls MAJ Isl
house This building is provided with stove, OOil-
ers for heating water and large WASH tun ahu tMo
tables arranged either side of thetub The STALKS
are then trimmed. which consists OF taking OH some
of the outside leaves ~ TO expose the heart lno
root is then shrived of with long bladed knife
leaving four fiat sides taperlng little toward the
end of the root. The operator then cuts naiIos
circular groove about the same position on each root
to facilitate tying. H.. ~,
The stalks. which were sorted at the time Oh
trimming and then placed III the washtuo; ana WIN
plenty of warm water and n scrubblng-brnsh the
celery is thoroughly cleansed and placed on tue aoe
for punching. This latter operation requires the
most skill and practcehnd gardener who Is eAPeIs
at punching celery can always coniuahu hlgnoi
wages on that account. -
The bass mating Irvine is cut the proper length
and fastened in a convenient place near the person
punching who stands III front of the table. lhree
or four stalks are selected for each bunch according
to the size of the celery These stalks are arranged
10 the best advantage and the roots OF all are ted
closely together by making a single Knot aIOuhu
each except the last which has double or fastening
knot, care being taken to have the outside staiAs
trimmed nearly alike, so as to make the bunch hle
shaped The tops and all the small stocks are nlaue
into round lunches, and sold to the Germans, at q
ow price. for soup celery.
A person who is expert in punching VIII re lOut
or five dozen hour, day after day, for weeks
time working day and night, might say, Tor the
market gardener seldom gets through his WORM
celery time" before or 10 o'clock at night Inc
morning is usually devoted to getting in the celery
from the trenches and the afternoon and evening
for trimming and punching -,
When the days work in punching is finished, the
lunches are counted and carefully placed III cnests
made expressly for the purpose. 1hese are then
placed on the market wagon and sent to market ats
or 10 O'clock at night. . ,t
The man and team out all night IN fact TINS
happens four and tivei night OF each week ram W
hail for nine months of the year, with the market
gardener in the vicinity OF New-iork