Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-03-18
Kitchen Garden.

Kitchen Garden.
WHETHER one has his garden in Georgia
or Canada he needs hot-bed; one only
will do for a private garden, while the
trucker" needs rows of these and
frames. Most plants require about six
weeks from the sowing OF the seed until
the time they are large enough to set in
the open ground, and this will serve as
general rule though not an absolute one.
If one wishes very early tomatoes he
takes his plants from the hot-bed where
they were sown, and transplants them to
another hot bed, and so with some others.
A position for hot-beds should be selected
where there is ample shelter on the north
and west sides also see that they are not
placed near buildings which harbor mice,
as these pests often destroy an entire
sowing of seeds, The frames should be
eighteen inches high at the back and
twelve in front and wide enough to hold
the sash, which is usually six by three
feet; the length of the frame must be
governed by the quantity Of seeds 10 be
sown Frames made of inch and a half
chestnut plank put together with hooks
at the corners are more durable, and can
be stored in "A small space when not in
use. Where early hot-beds are made
they often require what is called " lin
ing" or the application of fresh manure
to the outside to keep up the heat.
Cold frames in which cabbage and let
tuce plants are kept over winter require
air every day when the weather is not
freezing. During storms the snow may
be left on the sashes few days without
injury to the plants. In very cold nights
the sashes must be covered with mats or
shutters.
Whatever seeds are not grown at home
should be ordered from some reliable.
eedhouse and the sooner this selection
Is made the more likely the desired
varieties can be had. When left until
just before sowing time there is a liabil
ity of not getting what is ordered, as the
rarer sorts are usually the ones first
sought. The Postal law allows seeds to
be sent by mail at very cheap rates, and
there is no necessity for planting AN in
ferior kind. Never rely for the main
crop upon any novelty, no matter how
glowing the catalogue description may
be. Success may attend such course,
but in nine cases out of ten it will be
otherwise. When seeds are raised at
home they ought to be kept in cool,
dry room, where mice Will not get at
them. Such seeds as beet, carrot, pars.
nip and others may be readily raised in
the garden, if care is taken to select only
the earliest and fnestformed roots
as seed bearers. Seeds of cuCumbers,
squashes and melons of all sorts are so
liable to mix that home raised seed can
not often be relied upon
Turn the manure heap when too hot
to prevent burning and to find the ma
nure. Sods, muck and whatever other
material is at hand should be composted
in the heap. Save all house-slops and
whatever can be turned into manure.
For garden purposes manure that has
lain year is best, but as this can seldom
be had every means must be taken to get
it into a fine state so that its action may
be quick and effective. The refuse
of many kinds of factories and mills can
be utilized.
Tools must be put in proper order so
that the men viii not be delayed when
work begins. Duplicates of all the
smaller tools should be provided in case
of breakage and also for extra hands
which may be employed occasionally.
Have all steel points free from rust and
the wood thoroughly coated with crude
petroleum Mark all your tools.
Vegetables stored in the cellar must be
looked after and, if the weather is mild,
the doors and windows opened during
the middle Of the day. A ventilator
ought to be provided for every root cell
lar; it may be six to ten inches square,
made OF hemlock boards; place in one
corner of the building. having the exit
under the caves where snow and rain
will not enter; this ventilalor will take
away the disagreeahle exhalations. \
wooden slide may be provided to shut
and open the ventilator.-ABierscar Ag-
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