The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-29
Short Chapters on Vegetable Culture.
PEPPER

No garden should be without pepper. AS
condiment and appetizer it is of almost
uuequalled excellence. Its free use in the
green state during summer is to be COM
mended, and quantities of it should be dried
and preserved for winter us. Its medicinal
quality is of no mean value.
There are many varieties, from the very
small Mexican variety known as "Bird-eye''
of fiery flavor, up to the monster Spanish
variety, which is exceedingly mild and can
be eaten when green the same as tomatoes
Between these two come numerous varie-
ties of various shapes and several colors
and different degrees of pungency. Some
are quite ornamental OF the thirty or
more varieties catalogued by american
poses Of including more than three varieties
in ordinary garden culture.
For mangoes the large Spanish is per-
haps the most desirable, though the bell or
bull nose is extensively used for the pur-
pose. The long cayenne is a good kind TO
grow for seasoning and for stringing for
winter and spring use. and for making
sauce a few plants of the bird's-eye,
small, round pod, or the Chill, a small, slim
pod, will supply an abundance for this pur-
pose. In fact, from one single plant of the
bird's-eye we have made dozens of bottles
of the strongest sauce, and the fiery little
pods can be used over and over again to
fmpart pungency to repeated renewals OF
vinegar.
The culture is the same as for tomatoes or
egg plants. Its insect enemies are the flea
beetle, which will speedily destroy the very
young plants il not watched closely and the
cut worm. To have early pepper seeds
should be sown in cold frames along at the
same time with.egg plant and tomatoes the
latter part of February or a little earlier,
aud the plants made ready to be set out
early in April, though a few can be risked
even in Middle Georgia from the middle to
the latter part of March. These early set
tings may sometimes be killed by frost.
The main crop with US Is put out from
April to April 10. Set out in rows two
feet apart and have the plants eighteen to
twenty inches In the row. Near the large
cities the aggregate sales of pepper
amounts to considerable, and the small area
devoted to its culture shows profit un-
equalled perhaps by any other vegetable
grown Every home garden should have at
least few plants well tended. When ripe
the pods should be strung, and every larder
should show string after string for winter
ohO SpI Auk uoos 10 ID u udhkbuy huN uCokA dO1c
condiment, and oftentimes is invaluable as
medic inal agent.
PARSNIP.
This does not appear to be popular veg
etable, but In the estimation Of some, the
writer among them, it is regarded as one OK
the most delightful of vegetables Pre-
pared properly, when in a tender condition,
it constitutes a dish that in delicaoy of
flavor is superior to most vegetables, AID IN
every way is wholesome. 1t is hardly fair
to compare 1t with the carrot or turnip, for
it is worthy of the same regard that Is en-
joyed by the beet and satisfy.
The culture of the parsnip is, of course,
the same as that OF carrot or other root
crop. 1t is a mere question of good seed,
nicely prepared soil and good cultivation to
make q satisfactory crop. A soil supplied
with sand rather than clay is the soil most
suited to it, but most any kind of soil can
be made to produce it. A rich, sandy loan,
firmly pulverized. and seed sown as the
severe weather is over. presents conditions
congenial to success In a small garden
where horse cultivation is not resorted to
the rows need not be wider apart than
fifteen or eighteen inches, and plant can
stand every four or five inches in the row.
The seeds are very thin and light, and it Is
rather tedious job to sow them in windy |
weather, and il a large area were sown it |
will be desirable to defer if necessary sowing |
until the air is perfectly calm. A great deal |
Of defective parsnip seed is sold, and care |
should be exercised that fresh seed is pro- |
vided
With us sowing is made usually in Feb |
ruary, though it generally can be done with |
. fair prospect of success much earlier |
than this area, but February is early |
enough. Make the seed drills very shallow. |
Sow enough seed to insure stand. allowing |
Tor rs per cent. of unfertile sod. Cover |
lightly with a rake, and then run roller |
along the drills. The mere rolling provides |
sufficient covering without resorting to the |
-ake at all, and the latter can be dispensed |
With unless the soil is burdened with stones |
,r trash that it would be an advantage to |
lave raked off in the act Of covering.
Push the cultivation just as soon as the |
7oung plants become visible. There are |
lumber of varieties The "Student" va |
'iety is good enough. On shallow soil it |
nay be found desirable to SOW tho turnip- |
haped sort known as the round French"
tut the long, smooth kinds are always TO
70 chosen if possible.