The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-22
CultivatiDg the Garden.

tEIl4dOelpnla Record.
Even q small city lot may be made a
source of enjoyment If cultivated as g gar
den. AS a rule, the owners OF small pieces
Of ground cultivate larger proportion, and
more numerous variety, of vegetables than
abe farmers. In majority of cases the
farmer gives his attention almost wholly to
the field crops, reglectiDg the garden aud
thereby deprivipg himself of great many
luxUries that he could easily have II he made
the garden specially.
Gardenssre usually rich. and If not should
be made SO. Two crops, and sometimes three,
can be grown on the same ground, and as the
work is usually done with a spade, hoe and
rake, the plants are grown closer together
ard the ground made more productive.
Where 10 stock is kept artificial fertilizers
will give good results IN place OF manure,
s mixture Of 200 pounds superphos-
phate, eco pounds g7ano and SO
pounds of crude sulphate of potash making
an excellent application for one acre.
Onions sre the earliest crop to 90 in, and for
a garden the sets are batter than seeds. In
this section the yellow Danvers is preferred.
One quart of sets are sufficient for small
garden, though for winter use larger guam
tity should be put in. For early table use
the potato onion is best, growing quickly
and getting out of the way in time for some
other crop. OF peas the dwarf kiRds are
the earliest. the American Wonder having
the preference. These varieties seldom fur.
nish more than enc or two pickings. and
should therefore be planted at intervals for
successive crops OF the tall varieties; ths
best favored is the Champion of England.
The more wrinkled the seed the better the
variety, it is said, but at the present tins Sd
many excellent kinds have been introduced
that such rule is somewhat doubtful.
Beets, carrots and parsnips SHOULD g 10
warm. The seeds of these vegetables are
sometimes very slow in rminati7g, and
the gardener loses considerable time on tina
account, while the grass and weeds are a.
way ready to spring up in the VOWS and
crowd out the desirable plants. By so wing
radish seeds in the rows the radish plants
will show the line of the rows aud permit
the use OF the hoe, as well as yielding a crop
for table use without interfering with the
beets, carrots or parsnIps. The Student
Iarsnip is most generally used, aud the Dan
vers carrot is now a favorite, but the Egyp
tisn and long blood beets are considered the
earliest for the garden. OF cabbage the Early
Wyman, Early York and Jersey Wakefield
may be used for the early varieties and the
Drumhead and fat Dutch for the late crops.
The Acme tomato is one Of the smoothest and
best, but is more liable to the rot than other
varieties. The Conqueror tomato is the
earliest, but ia small, and tbs Rochester and
Paragon are considered good varieties Such
crops as string beans, sweet corn, squs h,
egg plant and lima beans can not go in until
the eeaeOn Das so lar advanced IS 10 preclude
the possibility of frost. Such crops as melons,
pumpkins, etc, require too much space for
growth to be given place in the garden.
Kale should be so1n now, aad a corner
should be devoted to herbs.
In cultivating make the rows Just wide
enough to admit of free working with hoe,
and do not cover the large seeds deeper tn an
one inch. From oDefourth to one half an
inch deep is sufficient for the very small
seed. Keep down the grass and weeds when
they are young, and but little labor will be
required later. By good management crop
OF slow growing vegetable may be planted
between the rows OF q quicker kind, which,
being soon harvested, admits of the cuItiva.
ton of the latter kind. Successive planting
may be continued until quite late in the sea-
son, finishing with turnips, should such q
crop be desirable, while late cabbage may be
planted on the ground that has grown peas
or kale. Should drught occur ssprinkling
after sundown will be beneficial; bat when