The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-04-05
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Early Seed Sowing.

we link our readers VINO nave SardenS,
whether large or small, will derive some
pleasure and profit from examining and test
ing the several varieties of seeds which they
propose to use the coming spring. just now,
while April seems reluctant to part COM
panionship with the winter months, and
quite determined to hide the earth from long
Ing eyes through his entire reign, it will be
all the pleasanter to play the gardener with
in doors by fastening the coming of leaf and
flower; and it is certainly no trifing gain
both in tine and money to know by actual
experiment, that our seeds will be sure to
terminate. From a neglect of this simple
precaution, farmers and gardeners frequently
lose nos only the cost of the seeds, and the
labor of sowing, but sometimes weeks of
precious time, and occasionally the crop itself.
To market gardeners especially this is a mat
ter of vital Importance, as in early garden
Ing it is most emphatically true that ''time is
money, the loss of single week in starting
involves the loss OF the crop; and the fire.
quent costly failures arising from dealings
with dishonest seedsmen, have taught them
that good seed is cheap at almost any price.
Hence it is that honesty, so desirable every
where and in all branches of business, be-
comes an absolutely indispensable requisite
for the seedsman; and reliable men like
Gregory, Bliss, Landreth, &c, who send
their seeds over the whole world. have also
established regulations as widely extended.
As there are seeds. which improve in some
of their qualities by age, in our desire to Sc
cure these advantages we must avoid passing
the limit Of vitality; so there are some from
choice original stock, which we may wish to
preserve and use through the seed times of
successive years-in either case, previous
tests are the only guides upon which we can
rely. Let every one therefore in advance,
prove the vitality Of all seeds respecting
which there is the shadow of doubt, There
will be ample time for more than one expert
ment of this kind, before it will be safe to
venture upon open air cultivation. 1t is hard
ly necessary to say that no very great con-
veniences are required for the use of the ex-
perimenters; and even the work may well
enough be assigned to the care of the chill
dren, for while affordiDg only amusement to
them, it may be just as satisfactorily con-
Quoted. A shallow, narrow box, just fitting
the window sill, tin can or birch bark buck
ct, or some small vessel of glass or earthen-
ware, with pint of good soil, furnish all the
essential requisites; and even few layers of
cotton or moss well warmed and moistened,
will soon bring out the evidences of life, if
any there be.
Go ole of 10
which gardens afford may be forwarded sever
al weeks by early seed sowing; even in the
small ways of window gardening. The resi-
dents of the larger towns, who have but little
time and prehaps no land for gardening; will
necessarily depend upon the markets, and the
hot beds of professional gardeners-our sug-
gestions are rather designed to encourage the
smaller opportunities of country homes.
After the long night of winter with its dreary
waste of SHOWS has passed, almost every one
has passion for the earth, and a longing for
the earth, and a longing for some sign of life
from its broad bosom. Mild types of insanity
are developed in every country town, in the
cases of men who bravely try the patience of
their oxen, and the temper of their plows, in
vain contest with the ice bound earth; and
most hopefully dig graves for tender seeds and
budding roots in the cold and wet furrow,
where decay and death await them.
Here haste makes waste most truly, and
SO we affirm that the only way for the far mer
and gardener is, to disregard entirely the
moon and the day of the month, and wait
patiently until the earth is ready to receive
the seed. It may be upon the whole safer and
better, to vent ones earthly enthusiasm in
the harmless experiments of household gar
dening.
Peas, may be deposited in the soil in the
early spring, with more security perhaps than
almost any of our common garden seeds.
To be sure their verdant stalks not nm
frequently look with sorrowful countenances
out OF their snowy April shrouds; but all
ends well when on the Fourth of July din
ner table they discharge the last duties of
patriotism. Probably but very little would
be gained by giving them. cultivation under
glass; nor, on account of the great expense
aud small return is it often attempted. On
small scale however, the same m ethod has
been pursued with peas and sweet corn,
which has proved very convenient and sue
cessful for cucumbers, melons and squashes-
planting the seed on inverted sods about
three inches square, placed either in cold
frames or hot beds, or on the window sill.
When soft sod made up of the tender and
delicate grasses has been selected, and the
plant well cared for, it may be easily trans
ferred by the open field at the proper time
without suffering any check. Pursuing this
practice, enough of the vine before men
toned may be started 10 supply the needs
of an ordinary family for the early part of
the season.
Tomatoes, peppers and lettuce require but
little room for their first growth; as they
increase more will be needed, although per-
haps not until the final transplanting. Lift
ing the tomato plant once or twice, and
shortening the tap root, gives it more
strength and hardness. We have been ac-
customed when the plant was an inch or
two high, to place single one in tin can
without top or bottom, holding perhaps
pint of earth, or something similar in shape
and capacity in birch bark, and then when
the weather was warm enough, the plant
was set out in the garden without removing
its covering.
Every garden has room for a few early
potatoes, which can be so sprouted by the
kitchen fire, as to be set out as plants, in
stead of being covered as roots.
1t may not be improbable to give the
names of some of the best varieties of our
garden plants, in some future article We
will only mention now that by using some
of the dwarf peas we have found room for
setting out tomatoes; the early ripening of
the peas soon giving them the entire ground
The Best Breeds Of Poultry.
noticed some valuable suggestions in re-
gard to improved breeds of poultry and also
that you wished to know what breeds to