Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-04-23
Spring Gardening.
Western Rural

Western Rural.
Peas, spinach, onion. radish, lettuce,
parsnip, early turnip, carrot and beet
seed should be sown as soon as the soil
is dry enough to plant, the earlier the
better, and, if q favorable time should
occur in February, even though the
ground should become frozen solid
again, no harm will ensue, for the
seeds will remain intact, and sprOut all
the more strongly when the proper
Ltime comes, for the reason that the pre-
cess of termination goes on more nat
uraliy ian if forced into more sudden
growth than when planted later i'll the
season.
So also with potatoes. Planted as
early in the spring as the soil will adj
NIT of working, and hilled up six inch
es above the planted seed, no frost will
injure them. They germinate slowly
but surely, and, just before they are
ready to appear above ground, the sur
face may be narrowed partially level,
thus destroying a crop OF weeds effectu-
ally. If narrowed twice, the last time
the way the rows run, and after the
vines are up, so much the better, the
subsequent cultivation being done with
the horse hoe. This culture, however,
| is impracticable except where the gar
den is cultivated upon the row system,
the rows running clear across the gar
lien, and Ifthe soil has been properly
ploughed in the fall and left rough, it
will not be necessary to replC ugh in the
spring, aud the surface may be leveled
in the easiest way that may suggest
itself.
- Cabbage, cauliflower, ,celry, tomatoes,
etc, should also be sown as early a.
! possible in warm, well prepared Dor
der. They Will give you plants to
succeed those taken from the hOt-bed
IThe first two will give healthy plants
to succeed the first crop. The celery
will be all right for winter blanching
but should be pricked out when large
eilUugh, three inches apart, in beds
when they will make fine plants fol
use in July and August. The tomatoes
will be ready for transplanting the
middle of June, and will give large
lcrops uf fruit in the fall, when it i.
+, most wanted for canning, for catsu.
land for pickling-certainiy so between
1.-The parallels of 400 to 4i0 North.
In the latitude just mentioned, The
first crop of sweet corn and bean;
ishould1be planted from the miidle o
April to the middle of May, according
to the locality, and the planting of ear
liy cucdmbers, squashes, melons, etc.
tshould4oIiow in a out two weeks there
after. ID
/ AS Il rule early planted seeds should
he covered deeper than those planted
iate Peas same, corn two inches, mel
iuns, etc, the same, beets three-fourtii.
Iofan inch, and the Smaller seeds only
llightiy, not more than four or five
times their diameter.
Anuther rule, perfectly safe to fol
How, unless in exceptional cases, is tC
tplaht all hardy seeds, if intended fol
early use, as soon ds possible, and tC
wait, not only until the ground is
thoroughly warm. and the nights also
for all tender things, especially okra,
sweet potatoes, egg plant, and other
vegetables that even cold winds al.
ways check and often kill outright
If these hints are carefully attended to
varying the directions according to the
locality, protection, soil, etc., there
need be no. diff sulty in any farmer
having as good a start as the best
! Now; if it be the firm determination
to give the garden scrupulous care. and
allow no weeds TO grow, the first les
son may be taken in high farming
The fact heretofore stated, that a well
kept garden will afford one-half the
isustenance of a family, will also be.
come forever fixed in the mind. ?