Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-03-28
Preliminary Garden Work.
American Agriculturist.

One of the most difficult matters for a
beginner in gardening to determine is the
stock Of hot bed plants which he should
prepare, the size of the beds and the
amount of seed likely to be eouired. The
plants needed by gardener supplying a
village or town trade will ordinarily be
confined to cabbage, tomato, sweet pota-
to, celery and perhaps a limited amount
of pepper and caulihoweI. If he intends
to grow the plants las well as the products
of the plants) for sale, care must be taken
to arrange the supply SO that the demand
may be net without interfering with the
stock for home planting. While the sale
of plants is quite profitable, it is poor
policy to sell them to the mpoverishment
of your own needs for early planting.
First determine as definitely as possible
what your own requirements will be and
prepare aud keep intact the beds for this
purpose, having a separate set from
which to sell.
| In sections where sweet potatoes are
grown these plants will probably be need
ed in greater numbers than any others.
| Ore barrel of sweet potatoes will seed a
bed about six by Is feet, and may be re-
lied upon for 5000 to 5000 plants for the
first setting and for a second crop of at
least as many more; and third crop of
plants may frequently be had before it
| becomes too late for setting them out,
although this cannot be definitely depend
ed on. The rows being three fee. apart
and the plants fifteen inches apart in the
row, an acre will require IL $50 plants,
and it may be readily determined how
mPny will be 1eGuired for home use. Usu
I'LL L
| ing too many. There are few sections in
the northern states where there has ever
been any serious overproduction
of this crop, or sufficiently
| large production to run the price below
the point of profit. In the North it has
not become general farm crop. Farm
ers seem TO be coustitutionally opposed
to growing hot-bed plants of any kind,
and when buying only aim to secure
enough for the needs of their home con-
sumption. In deciding upon the num-
Der to he planted it must be borne in
mind that thorough cultivation implies
considerable haod labor, as two hoeipgs,
at least, should DE given to exterminate
the weeds from the centers of the hills
and to keep the vi1es loose upon the
ridges and 60 pre- vent the suckers from
roofing. While there is no large sum to
be made from the sale of plants within a
restricted locality, it is fairly profitable
work as far as it goes. A barrel of seed
sweet potatoes will Usually cost from
| $3.50 to SIS, and plants are sold at vari-
Gus prices, according to season and local
tiles. Northern growers should always
procure Southern or New Jersey seed, to
insure quality and favor of the product
Next in i'm nortapce eomes the oahbape
Only the earlier supplies of these need
be grown under glass; the late plants may
be placed in rich beds in the open ground
The amount of early plants set out should
be strictly limited by the demand of the
home market, unless the grower is within
close shipping distance from large city.
1t is a crop that will not pay to ship a
great distance Except the earliest sup ply
from the South to Northern markets)
and it must be disposed of as soon as
grown, as it will not keep long after it
heads. 1t is well to provide for two or
three successive paintings of early cab
bage, TO be followed by the same quaint
| ty for summer use. A couple of thous
and plants for each setting would be a
| fair quantity for a gardner selling in a
| town Of 5000 population. Two ounces of
seed sown th1nly in drills s inches apart,
and requiring bed by II feet, would
about supply single planting as above
proposed. If five such beds were sown
| at intervals of week each it would give
| the proper succession of plants for the
spring and summer stock.