Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-02-24
OUR GARDENS.
Hints About Vegetable Seeds and Plant
ing.

every one think of his garden. We COM
pile from the catalogue of Briggs & Broth
er, the great seedsmen at Rochester, New
York, some valuable hints of how vege-
| tables should be cultivated. We would all
be better off if we used more vegetables on
our table. They are healthful food, and
should be cultivated more largely than
they have been. We give hints now only
as to earlier vegetables:
ASPARAGUS.
This excellent vegetable should be found
| in every garden. Sow seed early in spring
in rows one foot apart, and an inch deep,
dropping the seed from three to four inches
| apart in the drills The following OF Sec
ond sprinGafter sowing, select rich, mellow
ground, and prepare beds four or five feet
wide, by deep spading, eHrichi1lg the soil
| HOrOughLu with we'll rotten manure, and
| transplant to fifteen inches apart each
way, setting the roots from four to five
| inches beneath the surface. Every fall
cover the beds with three or four inches
of manure, and in the spring carefully
work it into the soil, Salt should be used
freely upon the beds. 1t is generally un-
derstoOd that rich soil will make Aspar
agus under any name, colossal
Lesher's Mammoth and Conover's New
Colossal are choice varieties.
BEANS.
Dwarf or Bunch Beans require no sup
port and may be planted in hills or drills,
the latter way being preferred for some
varieties. Make the drills fifteen inches
apart, an inch and a half deep and drop
the beans three inches apart in the drills,
Keen clear of weeds, hOeing when dry.
II -, nd oh of ha fOlont.
ed until all danger from frost is past
POLE BEANS should be planted in hills
three feet apart in quick warm soil. In
planting the Lima place the eye down.
Three plants to the hill are enough.
PARSLEY.
Succeeds best i'll rich, mellow soil. AS
the seed vegetables very slowly, the sowing
should be made as early in spring as the
ground is in working condition. Spade
the bed deeply and thoroughly, making
the surface fine and smooth, andsOw the seed
in drills fourteen inches apart and half an
inch deep. When the plants are two or
three inches high, thin them to six or
eight inches apart. In thinning, leave
ONLY the best and finest curled plants. is
used for garnishing and fiavoring soups
and steWs.
PEAS.
Choice american and European Varieties
The Pea is extremely hardy-will en-
dure cold, frosty weather without harm,
and NAV therefore be sOWn very early in
spring. Generally the earliest sOwn sue
ceeds best. Sow the Dwarf varieties, that
grow not over fifteen inches high, in rows
two feet apart; those varieties that attain
the height of two or three feet, i'll rows
three feet apart and the rows of the tall
est sorts, four feet apart. The Dwarf va
rieties should be literally MANFRED the
Tall sorts will run too much to vine II too
freely MANFRED. Bush the Tall kinds
when six inches high. The height of the
Pea depends much on the moisture and
richness of the ground. Keep well hOed
and clear of weeds.
ONION.
The onion requires IOamy, mellow and
very rich soil and, unlike most kinds of
garden or field vegetables, succeeds well
cultivated on the same land for successive
years. Previous to sowing, the ground
should be thoroughly spaded over or deep
ly plowed, and the surface made smooth
and even. The seed should be sown as
early in the spring as the soil may be in
good working condition, in drills fifteen
inches apart and half an inch deep. When
the plants are three or four inches high,
thin them to two inches apart; and in the
process of culture, be careful not to stir the
Soil too deeply, or to collect it about the
bulbs. -Four pounds of seed are sufficient
for an acre.
LETTUCE.
Lettuce is one of the best of all salad
plants, and is divided into two classes, viz:
Cabbage Lettuce and Cos Lettuce. The
Cabbage having round heads and broad
spreading leaves the Cos having long
heads, and upright oblong leaves. A very
rich and rather moist soil is important to
produce fine Lettuce. The earliest sowing
may be made in February or March, UNI
der glass, with slight heat. Keep the
plants thinned, and admit plenty of air
to the frame every day. For later supplies,
SOW in the open ground, as soon as the SOIL
can be worked transplant or thin out
gradually to a foot or fifteen inches apart,
and keep clean and well cultivated. The
Cabbage varieties are much used in this
country and the Cos varieties are greatly
preferred in England.
PARSNIPs.
The soil should be mellow, deep, and of
q rich, vegetable texture. The Parsnips
will succeed comparatively well when
grown i'll sand, or even in peat, if well
manured. The seed should be sOwn as
early in spring as the ground is in good
working condition. Thoroughly pulver-
iZe. level off the surface and rake it fine
and smooth, and sow the seed in drills, fit
teen inches apart and an inch and half
deep, allowing half an ounce of seed for
one hundred feet of drill, and from four to
five pounds to the acre, When the plants
are two or three inches high, thin them
out to about six inches in the rows. Is
one of the most desirable table vegetables,
and a very economical root for stock.
RADISH.
All the varieties thrive best in a light,
sandy loan. The excellence of a Radish
consists in its being succulent mild, crisp
and tender. But, as these qualities are Sc
cured only by rapid growth, the plants
should be frequently and copiously water
ed in dry weather. For early use, sow the
Turnip varieties, i'll hot-bed, or any of the
sorts in spring in the open ground, as soon
as the soil can be worked, in drills six to
ten inches apart, covering seed half an
inch deep. Thin plants two to three
inches apart in the rows. For success