Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-03-18

This is the beginning month of the
active energies Of the gardener, and W e
make the following suggestions without
further preface.
Her BsDs AIt has become an abso.
lutte necessity to have hot-bed in every
garden, large or small. They are made
now very cheaply, aud as every seeds
mans catalogue has full description Of
the manner of making it, it is superfu-
Gus to enter into details either of how
they should be constructed, managed, or
of their great utility in aiding the gar
dener TO bring forward early vegetables.
Next to the hot. bed, there is the cold
frame for hardening plants grown in the
hot-beds, and being transplanted therein
they get to be strong and stocky. with
plenty of roots, SO that from the cold
frame they can be transferred to open
ground with safety, at the proper season,
and without receiving any violent check
in growth. Hand glasses are also very
important to the gardener for such vines
and plants as are liable when young to
be destroyed or much injured by fies.-
Therefore every gardener should have a
supply of hand glasses, or hand frames,
covered with fine wire or coarse gauze.
These admit air anu warmth and exclude
all pestiferous insects, until the plants
are beyond danger from insect assaults.
SowINs SEEDS IN THE OPEN AIR.
Select spot facing the south and we'll
protected from cold winds, by fence or
other contrivsnce, and dress heavily with
well rotted manure and compost of
ashes, bone dust and rich earth. Dig
or spade it in, and commingle by chop
ping with the hoe and raking we'll the
same, until it is well mixed and brought
into fine filth, then SOW cabbage, broc-
coli, cauliaower. lettuce, pepper. radish
and tomatoes. Rake in the seeds lightly
and tramp them with the feet or a roller,
SO as to compress the earth we'll. It
should be dry and in nice order when
the seeds are pressed by the feet. Keep
the surface moist and protect the young
plants by a covering of leafy brush or
straw mating when the weather is cold.
ONION SErrs. these out toward
the last Of the month, in drills fourteen
inches apart in the drill. Let the soil
be rich, light and we'll prepared. The
onions should be barely set in the drills,
not covered. Keep free of grass by
frequent working with the scufie hoe or
rake.
LETTUCE. Set out lettuce plants in
open ground, and see they have the best
soil, frequent stirring ,of the ground,
aud do not suffer for want of moisture
Liquid manure poured about the roots is
highly beneficial. This delightful veg
etable requires quick growth to head
well and be,crisp.
AsPARAGus.-If you have not a suffi-
cient quantity of beds planted with the
best, new varieties, be sure and set out
more beds. You cannot have too much
asparagus, as any surplus can always be
sold for high prices, if it be tender and
good, On the old beds fork in well rot
ted manure, aud then spread over each
bed heavy dressing of salt. Cover a
bed designed for early use with six inches
of fresh stable manure and straw on the
top to keep up steady heat.
CEIEnY To have celery early, the
seed should have been sown in hot. bed
and the plants pricked out into warm
border when they are about three inches
high, covering them with brush or mats
during frosty weather 10 open air cul-
ture the celery seed should be scattered
in drills as early as possible in the spring,
in well prepared bed Cover with a
thin covering of earth; prick the young
plants out into fresh bed when about
three inches high, aud when they have
reached the height of six inches, trans
plant them to the trenches prepared for
them.
Strawberries off the straw
berry beds and fork in a good supply of
woods mould mixed with a very small
quantity Of well rotted manure. After
the plants have been thinned and hoed
lay straw between the rows to protect
the fruit from beating rains. Water oc-
casionslly of an evening.