The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-01-31
Garden Seed-How 10 Plant Them,

aS "e tnOugnI WOuiu Oo useful t.
them in regard to planting, the va.
rious garden seeds reooul mended for
our climate, and we my repeat, in
substance, what has already boon said
on the subject but We have many ne "
rea aders, and tho old oues may, in
somo cases, be benefited by repeti-
tion of the lessons.
|. In the first place, the SUCCESS or
failure of seed sowing, whether on the
farm or in the garden, depends large
ly upon the proper preparation Of
tho soil. This should be thoroughly
pulverized, aud in the garden the
beds should be made smooth and levol
with rake and the smaller the seeds
to bo plantod, the iner and smoother
should be the ground.
2. FheopndltiJD Of the soil in seg ,rd
to moiturn, also his an impo tant
bearing up"n the OF min4tiou of seeds
Elrly in the re ~. the soil, especial
iy if clayey auo rctcntive, is often
too wet, and the seeds rot before ger.
mination has taken place. Later,
and in light: sandy soils, the surface
is often so dry that the seeds lie in it
unchanged, or arc destroyed by the
heat of the sun. In winter, and the
beginning of spring, therefore, avoid
sowing when the ground is very wet
or very cold. When the weather is
hot and dry, let the ground be always
freshly stirred, aud, if necessary, wa
ter the seeds in the drills before COW
ering; also, covering more deeply in
hot, dry Weather, thanwhen the ground
is wet and cold. ...
8. The depth at which seeds should
be sown varies with the species, rs
we'll as with the condition of the soil.
Large seeds, other things being equal,
should be planted deeper than small
ones-beet seeds, for instance, deeper
than carrot seeds. Too great depth
excludes air and warmth, and prevents
termination. The smallest seeds
should be sown upon the surface and
simply brushed or pressed in. We
have of late made our fall and win
ter sowings of nearly all kinds Of
garden seeds on the surface, pressing
them into the soil with the foot or
the back of q hoe, and we have never
had seeds germinate more freely.
We saw u field of oats, last fall, in
Which narrow strip, being sown too
far in advance of the ploughs or har-
rows, remained uncovered at night,
and a rain coming on, it was left in
that condition. When we saw it, it
was looking even better than tho rest
of the field.
4. In sowing seeds, regard must be
had to the climatic character of the
species. Everybody knows that,
while he may plant peas in January,
in our climate, he must not plant
beans till danger from frost is over !;
but few, perhaps, consider how widely
the same principle applies. AS a
general rule, the seeds of plants whose
original place Of growth lies south of
US, us in tropical or eemi-tropioal re-
gions, either fail altogether to germin.
ate, if planted while the grounds is
wet and cold, or oome up feebly and
make siokly growth. A temperature
much above the frost mark may prove
fatal to them. The Lima bean, the
ogg plant, and the Cayenne pepper,
(natives Of the tropios,) are of this
GLASS. On the other hand, tho seeds
of Northern plants, especially if small
are germinted here with difficulty dur.
ing the summer, and the tender
young plants are very liable to be
killed by the heat and droughts Of
our climate. The beet, the cabbage
the turnip, md the parsnip, are in
stances. Many species OF flower seeds
which the books direct to be sown in
spring must, in our climate, be put
into the ground in the fall, or the
early part of wintor, or they will fail
entirely. Some Of the most impor-
tant of these we have named in pre-
viou- number.
5. In addition to tho foregoing
general hints, we will now, in brief,
offer some specific dlreotious for plant
ing the most common kinds Of kitch-
en- garden vegetable:
Asparagas--Sow in February or
March, in drills one foot apart cover
one inch in depth, pressing the earth
upon the seed thin out to six inches
apart.
Bean, Snap. Plant as soon as dan.
ger from frost is over, in drills two
feet apart, tho seeds two inches apart
in the row cover an inch and half.
Later plantings may be covered q
little deeper.
Bean, L'ma.--Plant when the
weather has become warm in the
spring, in hills, four feet apart, set
ting the poles before planting cover
one inch thin out to three plants in
each bill. ..
Beets.--For the principal summer
Drop, SOW when the peach trees are in
bloom. In this latitude, you may