The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-02-11
AGRTCULTURI
GARDENING FOR THE MONTH.

GARDENING FOX THE MONid'
February is generally considered the
opening month f r general gardening
operations in the Gulf States.
The land should be prepared by
deep blowing, subsoiling aud thorough
fertilization. Hot beds should be
made and the seeds of all tender veg
etabIes sowu for transplanting. When
Vegetables are planted on small
scale this may be found too expensive,
therefore it would be better to pnr-
chase eggplants. peppers and tomatoes
from some reliable gardener if wanted
for an early crop, willie plants needed
for late use can be planted in sheltered
situations and so arranged as to be
covered up on cold days aud nights.
TRENcHING.
On thin soils with q retentive sub
soil, such as are generally found in our
pinewoods, and when vegetables are
wanted for family use alone, trenchlng
the soil will be found we'll worth the
trouble and expense. This is done by
digging ditch two spades deep aud
one spade or more in width and cart
ing the soil to the farther part of the
garden. The soil is then overturned
aud mixed with well-rotted manure
to the depth of two and a-half feet,
giving soil that will never suffer
from the effects of drought. and where
vegetables will grow and flourish lux
uriaDtIy in the summer when your
neighbors gardens are burnt out, and
they have gone back to the usual hog
and hominy diet.
The philosophy of this method con-
sists in the fact that a deep, well-pul-
verified soil rarely suffers from dry
weather, as the roots of the plants
have ample space wherein to seek
snstenance and moisture. We assert
that one eighth of an acre prepared
By this method will produce quite as
much as an acre prepared in slip
shod way.
However, trenching on soils similar
to those in the neighborhood of Biloxi,
which consist almost entirely of sand,
would be useless and labor thrown
away. On this character of lands all
fertilizers should be applied at the
season of planting and Immediately
to the plant. heterogeneous fertilizers,
such as cotton seed meal, are of great
value to very sandy soils, as they act
quickly and furnish enough plant food
for the seasons crop with but little
expense.
Trenching very low and wet lands,
infested with coco grass, is also a use
less expenditure. blowing or spading
to the depth of twelve inches being
all that is necessary. On soils of this
character thorough system of drain
age should be resorted to in order to
draw off the superfuous moisture and
get rid of surface water as quickly as
possible.
WHAT VEGETABLES TO PLANT.
A variety OF vegetables are almost
indispensable to every family.
A few herbs, such as sage, parsley,
summer saw, r. and thyme should be
soSn in beds; mustard and collards
for green's; lettuce, cabbage, beets,
carrots, parsnips, onions, shallots and
leeks; peas, potatoes, tomatoes, egg
plants, sugar aud Adams early corn
for table use. No weIl-regnlated gar
den should be without small bed of
asparagus, the roots of which should
he set out as early as possible, in or
der that they may get good start
before hot weather. Bush beans may
also be freed during the latter part Of
February. Cucumbers, watermelons,
canteloupes and squash may either be
planted in square pieces of sod and
protected, or planted in the garden
and box covered with glass placed
over them, to be removed on warm
days and replaced at night. This
method is generally practieed by pro,
fessional gardeners for early market
purposes. Sweet potatoes for slips
should be bedded- out for early plant
ing, so that supply of vines may bt
ready for late or main crop of thai
valuable root crop.
------->s 49,
HORTICULTURAL.
THE SMALL FRUIT GARDEN.