American citizen., 1881-04-02
Hints on Early Gardening.

Inc market GaTucncT hIloWS ny cA-
pericnce what kinds of plants will stand
sharp spring frosts without injury, and
sows accordingly; but the mind of the
average farmer is so confused by tho
multifarious and conflicting directions,
notes and instructions given in seed cat
alogurs, agricultural papers and op>seed
packages, that he is in doubt whether to
SOW in February, March or not at all.
He likes early vegetables AS well rs any.
body, but does not like to take the
trouble of making and attending To a
hot-bcd. SO he lets the matter go until
warm weather fairly sets in. Then he
has too much other work to attend to,
and the garden is often entirely neg
lcctcd.
1t is fact not generally understood
by farmers, that the seeds of most OF
the leading early vegetables may and
ought to be sown long before farm work
is commenced. | will give n few hints
on this subject, that may prove instruc-
tive to the farmer who is befogSed by
catalogues, rs | used to be.
The soil for early gardening must be
dry. Remember that! If your garden
is not thoroughly undertirained, it must
be carefully rface-drained. 10 do
this, all that is necessary is to have II
on n gentle slope, and plowcd into LANDS
twelve to sixteen feet wide, leaving the
furrows open and smooth. The earth
will take in all the water that is neccs-
sary for the plants, and all the surplus
must have Il free outlet, so that the
water level may always be kept below
the roots of the plants. If possible, the
north and west winds should be broken
by IA grove, tight fence or buildings.
If the soil thaws out, and dries sc
that it can be worked with spade, any
time after the middle of NIL select
in the garden, and drive tirre p sPo.
short stakes three feet apart, the stake
being four feet apart in the row and
about foot high. This makes n bed
six feet wide and sixteen feet long. On
the top of these stakes across the bed,
nail narrow strips of board. Have a
few sixteen foot boards or light poles
ready. to lay on top of these strips,
and pile OF clean straw or coarse hay
for a cover. In the bed SOW lettuce,
radish, creSs and early cabbage seeds
ins drills about four inches apart.
Barely cover the seeds with fine earth
Should hard freeze, snow or cold
rain come on, cover the bed entirely
over with the hay or straw. The strips
and boards on the stakes will prevent
the straw from pressing down on the
plants. In bad weather they may be
left covered three or four days without
injury. though it should always be re-
moved rs soon rs possible.
The last two weeks in March is also
the best time to sow peas and Onion
seed. Sow the peas anyhow. Get
them into the ground, and cover with
about an inch of earth. What snow or
frost comes at that time of the year
won't hurt them. If the soil is not
sticky, sow all the onion seed you in
tend to. Put them in drills twelve or
fourteen inches apart. Good onion
seed sown at this time is certain to
make crop of good onions, if they are
kept clear of weeds while growing. If
you can sow onions. sow beets and tur-
nips also, in drills fifteen to eighteen
inches apart. Cover onion, beet and
turnip seeds by sliding piece of board
over the drill marks. Never run a
roller on the garden until the soil is
perfectly dry. One of the main points
to be observed in sowing seeds at this
time, is to leave the soil as light as
possible.
One or two seasons | have sown these
seeds as early as the first week in
March. In other cases, it has been ut
terly impossible to get them in before
middle of April. Always get every
thing in readiness by the first of
March, then watch for the first oppor-
tunity.
l have had lettuce. radishes. turnips
and cabbage three inches, and onions
and peas six inches high, all buried
under n foot of snow, and not one was
I ha,
frozen so stiff that L could have kicked
them all of the ground like ic;ces; but
they thawed out and continued to grow
rs though nothing had happened.
Spring frosts, even severe ones, rare
y do the hardy early vegetables any
harm; but ong-continued cold rainy
weather always injures them more or
ess, and is to be guarded against by
providing thorough drainage. 1t is not
necessary to make Il mound to plant
seeds on. but have the bed slope gently
rom the center to the furrow, and keep
he furrow clean and open.
Early potatoes may be planted in well
Trained soil long before spring frosts
ire over. AS soon as the frost is out
below, mark out the rows and drop the
etts, one large or two small ones, about
wenty inches apart, and cover with
lbout two inches of soil. Then throw
,ver each hill Il big forkful of stable
manure. Remove the coarse part of
he manure as soon rs danger from frost
$ over, and hoe the soil up towards the
,lants little. Potatoes started in this
manner will be ready for the table two
n three weeks earlier than if planted in
he old style.-C0r. Examiner and
Chronicle.