Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-15

PREPARING FOR GARDENING.

PREPARING FOR GARDENING.
The winter has been so severe and pro-
tracted that, judging from past experience
the spring will probably open suddenly.
and we may yet have an early season
The ground has been 80 well sheltered by
a covering OF snow that the frost has not
had an opportunity to penetrate as In for
mer years. 1t will be several weeks, how
ever, before the ground in this latitude
Will be in condition for working, but
there are many matters connected with
the garden which should be attended to at
once.
THE HOT BED.
One Of the frst requisites to having ear
~ vegetables Is hot-bed. This may bs
prepared without great expense and its
benefits will more than repay the outlay.
The size required will depend on the size
of the garden on which plants are to be re-
set. but even large bed may be made
profitable for growing some vegetables
that do not require transplanting A bed
four feet by eight will enable one to start
a variety ofplants. and have them in read
mess for transplanting as soon as the open
ground Is sufficiently warm, and the sea-
son far enough advanced to secure them
against injury from the frost OF cold.
A situated should be selected. on the
south side of wall or close fence, where
the bed will be protected against the
northerly blasts that for weeks to come
will hold check upon vegetation, and
where it will have sunny exposure, free
from all shade. Make an excavation to
the depth of eighteen to twenty inches,
and considerably larger than the size of the
bed required. This should be nearly filled
with coarse, unrotted manure, fresh stable
manure mixed with leaves or well saturat-
ed horse bedding that will prolong the pro.
cess of fermentation and thus prolong the
continuation of the heat. This should be
well forked over and suffered to lie in o
compact heap long enough before being
thrown into the trench to allow the fer
mentation to commence. When put into
the bed it should be well trodden down
and the trench filed to within few inches
of the top. Over this place several inches
of partially rotted, fine manure, bringing
the bed above the surface of the ground
Place On this the frame. which may be
foot or sixteen inches high, towards the
wall, and sloping downward in front to six
or eight inches. Cover with the sash and
leave it a day or two for the heating to
commence. Remove the frame with the
sash and cover to the depth OF six inches,
with good, rich soil, well pulverized. On
it may be sprlnkled very light covering
of sand. or sandy soil, which will prevent
the baking of the surface. Beplace the
frame and recover with the sash, banking
up the sides with coarse manure to pro.
tect the bed from the cold. Sow the
seeds. If the weather should be extreme
ly cold, cover the sash, especially at night,
with mating or carpet, and in very warm
days remove the sash for time altogeth-
er, to give the bed fresh air. 1t will re-
quire very little water unless the weather
should be warm and the sash be often re-
moved. The water should be moderately
warm to correspond with the temperature
of the bed
Seeds may be sown quite thick in drills,
when they are intended for transplanting-
lettuce, cabbage, tomato, egg plant, &c.
Radishes may be sown for immediate use.
Cucumbers, melons, squashes, and even
corn may be sown on small pieces of ia-
verted loose sod, three or four inches
square, placed on the surface of the bed,
the interstices being filled with fine soil,
and the whole covered loosely with rich
soil. When these plants have. started,
these pieces of sod may be removed to the
garden and set in hills, without at all dis
turbing the roots, as in the case of cab
bage, lettuce, &c. the roots of which are
not so delicate.
HOUSE HOT BED.
Those who have not the conveniences
s., ,oI- hot IaI -, 81 -.
sow their seeds in boxes of any size, with
six or eight inches of soil, placing the
boxes in warm room. where the temper
ature will remain high and uniform.
These may be placed near southern win
dow when the sun shines, and on a warm
day carried into the open air if protected
against the chilly wind. In this way any
one may get an advance of several weeks
on open garden sowing.
THE GARDEN.
Where the soil is heavy, or where there
is liability to cold changes, very little
advantage is gained in early transplant
ing, excepting with few seeds or plants
that endure frost. Late sown seeds, with
unchecked growth, will soon overtake and
leave behind the plants that have been re-
tarded and often checked in their growth
by cold.
SELECTING SEEDS.
Great care should be taken in selecting
seed. They should be brought from seed
men who have a reputation for integrity
already established. Great quantities OF
old and worthless seeds are sold, some OF
them mixed with new.
For early plants and vegetables OF all
kinds obtain seed that has been grown as
far to the North as possible. Northern
Canada corn will come to perfection in
Southern soil two or three weeks earlier
than the indigenous. But in the course
of two or three years it will lose its early
quality, becoming Indigenous itself. The
Northern season being shorter, nature
adapts itself to the exigency. hurries up
the growth; the plants will retain the in
duence of this stimulus until in the course
Of two or three years they become accli-
mated in their new abode.