Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-05-04
The Garden of the Farm.

LeJ us suppose tnat the garden, II II
be in prairie soil, has been properly ma
nured with well-rotted manure, or, bet
ter, compost, and thoroughly plowed last
fall, as it should have been, and thus be
in proper condition for being worked
early in the spring. If it has been pre-.
viously kept clean of weeds this will be
another item lessening the labor of weed
ing; one of the most onereus pertaining
to the kitchen garden. Presuming thus
much, therefore let ussay; Before work
may be commenced out of doors there
will be something to be done indoors, if
the farm be not provided with few sash
to force plants few weeks in advance
of the season.
In this case get one or more shallow
boxes, raisin boxes, for instance; fill them
to depth of almost six inches with fine
light mold; press it pretty firm and SOW
therein in drills, four inches apart, seeds
of pepper, tomato, egg plant, cabbage,
caulinower, lettuce and other seeds that
may be required for transplanting. None
of these seeds should be covered more
than half an inch, aud, the seeds sown,
the boxes should be covered with lights
of glass, and exposed to sunny window
until the plants appear above ground,
keeping the earth just moist-not wet.
After the plants are fairly up and grow,
ing the glass may be removed, still keep
ing the boxes where they may receive as
much light and sun as possible, giving
water, always slightly warm, when it is
needed. Loosen the intervals between
the rows as soon after each watering as
the soil will work friable. Thin the
plants to three inches in the rows as soon
as they begin to crowd, transplanting
the surplus plants, if necessary, into other
boxes. Thus you may have nice stocky
plants of cabbage, cauliflower and let
tuce for transplanting into the open air
early in May, and excellent plants of to-
mato, pepper, egg plant, etc., three
weeks later.
Is it too much trouble? You will find
yourself amply repaid later in the sea-
son, when you cast longing eyes-in
their season-upon these vegetables dis
played in the market stalls, and which
you should and can raise cheaply and
surely at home.
As soon as the land is in fit state for
working do not replow your garden.
Harrow or rake a fine tilth on the sur
face, and SOW onions, parsnips, radish,
lettuce, carrots, beets and satisfy seeds
in rows eighteen inches apart, covering
the seed about half an inch deep.
Furrow out land for potatoes three
feet four inches apart, and about four
incnes deep, and plant early potatoes,
hilling the earth as high over the drills
as possible with horse hoe.
| AS soon as the soil is warm and before
you plant field corn, plant sugar corn in
| your garden, and later, or when the soil
and the nights are warm, plant cucum.
bers, melons, squashes, okra, etc. When
all danger of frost is over transplant
peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, etc, from
your boxes. Keep your garden thor
oughly clean, and you will experience
the benefit of having plenty of vege-
tables in season, saving in the family
double the cost of cultivation, to say
nothing of enhanced comfort and health
to the family.
Are you so unfortunate as not to have
a garden hitherto kept clean? Or, more
unfortunate still, no garden at all9 In
the first place resolve to cultivate thor.
oughly this season, with view to de-
stroying weeds. Begin by carting on, at
the rate of forty loads per acre, the very
best manure you have. Cultivate thor
oughly too, potatoes, corn and Other
crops easily managed, Okra, tomatoes,
eggplant, peppers, melons, cucumbers,
clc., are all available on such LAND
Radish and lettuce may, with care, be
kept ahead of the weeds. Other crops
are more difficult. Still, even on weedy
ground, it will pay you better to care
even for crops requiring much wedding
than to do without them; and, once the
land is clean, thereafter you may go on
with your gardening, and get hundred
per cent for your labor.
There are three prime requisites in
gardening, Manure! Manure!! Manurel!
There is another; early planting; another
still good culuvation; one more; earIy
thinning and wedding. II you attend tC
the three first, and the two last, you will
soon learn to appreciate the other req
! uisite, early thinning. .-Irdtrfe Farmer,