The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-17
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Vegetable Garden.

The Vegetable Garden.
The success Of the garden depends
largely upon the quality OF the seeds
used many other conditions, however,
are necessary, az well as some degree Of
knowledge and skill, without which
even the best seeds must fail to give the
desired results.
The most favorable soil for q garden is
light, rather dry loan, with sufficient
admixture of vegetable matter. But
situation and nearness to the house are
often of more Importance in the choice
of location than the constitution of the
soil A heavy, wet, clay soil is not suit
able for a vegetable garden yet, If no
other ground is available, underground
drains, deep working, and covering OF
sand and muck or peat, will transform
even such an unpromising soil into a
fair garden. A slight sloping sur
face other conditions being equal, is
more favorable than a dead level, as it
admits of better drainage, and if inclined
toward south or southeast, all the bet
ter A deep soil is very desirable, but
care must be taken. not to deepen it too
much at time. Not more than one
inch of subsoil, which has not been
ploughed or spaded up before, should
be brought to the surface in season.
Whenever possible, all the ground in
tended for garden purposes should be
plowed or spaded before winter.
Much disappointment is caused by
sowing too early, before the soil is warm
and dry enough. Even if the seeds
germinate, in such cases little is gained
and much risked, as the plants cannot
make vigorous growth before their
proper season; and seeds sown later
will often give better results than earlier
sowings.
Another frequent cause of failure is
the too deep covering of the seeds. AS
9 rule, the smaller the seeds the lighter
they should be covered. The smallest
seetls, such as celery, sweet marioram,
thyme, and other herbs, require hardly
any covering at all; and when the ground
is fine and not too dry, sowing orthe
surface, and gently pressing down with
board, is sufficient. Medium-sized
seeds should be covered one-half to one
inch, and the largest, such as peas,
beans and corn, two to three inches, and
deeper in dry weather.
Most seeds, to give the best results,
should be sown thinly, except such kinds
as have feeble sprouts, as parsnips, car
rots and beets. These, if sown too thin,
and the surface becomes baked,
cannot break through the crust, while
many sprouts together can, and it is but
little trouble to thin out the superhuous
plants. Cucumbers, melons, squashes,
and all plants subject to the ravages of
insects, should also be sown thickly, and
afterward, when the leaves are hard
enough to defy the attacks of their ene-
mics, thinned out properly.
Beginners often err In making the
rows or drills too close to each other.
The taller the plants the more space
should be given them !; but even the
smallest herbs should not be planted
80 close as to prevent the free use of the
hoe or weeder between the rows.
Thorough cultivation and loosening
of the soil are among the principal con-
ditions of success in the garden. A
good hoeing in dry weather is often bet
ter than watering. When the latter is
resorted to, it must be done thoroughly,
and not 30 as to moisten the surface
only. This superficial sprinkling does
generally more harm than good it
causes the plants to form rootlets near
the surface, instead of below. These
surface roots are dried and parched by
the rays of the sun as soon as the mols-
ture becomes evaporated, and leaves the
plants without nourishment.
For the raising of early vegetables
hot-bed is indispensable, and some OF
the most delicious products OF the gar
den cannot be grown successfully with
out being started under glass.
AS far as the limited space OF these
pages permits, we trust to have succeed
ed in giving beginners, in the outlines
at least, the most important principles
of growing vegetables, so that, with care
and attention, and by following the
special directions under their proper
heads, good seeds cannot but give satis-
factory results.
Protecting Fruit Trees.
Mr.. D. E. Darrow who has thrifty
young orchard of six hundred trees In
Madison county, N. Y, writes to the
Rural Home that, in common with
everybody else who has tried it, he finds
the potash wash for trees an excellent
practice, and that the cheapest and
easiest way is to stake few bars OF
common soap and slice them up In
pieces one-eig ghth of IN inch in thickness,
and bind them in few of the main top
branches, where they will wear away
gradually as the rain softens, and it will
trickle down and penetrate every part OF
the tree. You will be surprised at the
effect and completeness of the appllca-
tion." He adds that card paper is sure
protection against mice; it should be
removed as soon as the snow disappears
in the spring.
Light for Live Stock.
All farm stock when kept by day in
stables require light as well as good
ventilation. A horse kept for months in
q dark stable is liable to become blind.
The same is true of pigs, that they want
more light; those kept in light pens
have been found to be more lively and
in better condition than those kept in
dark pens, other things being equal.
The same is true of COWS and sheep.
Poultry are not an exception to this rule,
that light is beneficial by day for farm
stock kept in stables or confinement.
Provide, then, for light as well as
for warmth and ventilation for all live
stock.
nur Mooourn ond Wnjpht