The National tribune., 1899-05-04
THE VEGETABLE
GARDEN.
A Timely Article Full of Prac-
tical Suggestions.
BY C. H. GRATEHousE, A. N.

Lime may be very often added to a sol
with good results. 1t correc.s acidity
makes clay soil more friable, and hold
sand closer toget. er. The time for put
ting on fertilizers depends upon the char
actcr of the soil and of the fertilizer
Stable manure may be spread evenly owe
the surface short time before the frs
plowing. 1t is generally stated that ma
nure should be thoroughly rotted o
short when applied, but it is considered
good practice to haul it directly from thu
stable during the Winter and scatter it or
the ground where it is to be used IL
ithis way the liquid portions are more
fully available.
| The principal advantage in rotting ma
nure before applying it is that the rough
litter, the straw, etc, is we'll broken up
and so the mechanical condition of the
soil is improved by its application The
crop to be grown must often be considered
: in determining how thoroughly rotted the
manure should be- 1t must be remem-
bered that it takes more time for vege-
table tissue to be broken up than it does
for animal tissue.
i Wood ashes are a common and ready
source of potash, and in addition improve
the mechanical condition of most soils.
The lime in them tends to correct "sour-
ness" and to promote the important but
complex process OF notification. Ashes
are usually found to render light, sandy
soils more moist. Cotton hull ashes are
also very useful, furnishing potash and
phOsphoric acid.
| A valuable means of improving the soil
is by growing clover and cowpeaS and
turning them under. Benefit is also de-
| rived by growing peas and beans and
other leguminous plants. They collect
nitrogen about their roots and it is left In
the soil
Some commercial fertilizers are harm
| ful 10 certain crops, and care must be
| ta,- I,,- innyTpripncpl that 81
wrong use is not made of them. Chemical
| fertilizers may lie applied much nearer
the time at which they are to be used by
the plant i5ellair, French authority,
says fer deep-rOoted plants, fertilizers
should be put on in the Spring before
| breaking the ground; for shallow rooted
plants, after breaking.
SUPPLY OF SEED AND YOUNG PLANTS
Seeds should be ready by the time the
ground is prepared. 1t is usually con-
sidered enough TO send to some rcputa BILE
dealer and depend upon him for quality.
But it is so important to have good seed
and mistakes are so easy that careful
examination, of the seed some time before
planting is advisable.
1t has been found by experiment in the
Department of Agriculture that large,
heavy seed produces stronger plants than
do small, light seed. It is always
mistake to plant old seed, and usually It
is well 10 procure supply from different
part of the county. In this way tho
tendecy of cultivated plants ito run out"
i. e., TO go back to the wild state from
which they have been improved-is
counteracted. Seeds of weeds that are
hard to kill out are sometimes found in
field and garden seeds and precaution
must be exercised against them.
The quantity OF seed TO be used will de-
pend OF course upon the amount of ground
tn he f,la nfpd and that with
the size of the family and their prefer
ences among vegetables.
PLANTING.
Tie time for the first planting in any
locality is only known by experience, il
early vegetables in the open air are
sought. The blooming Of the peach is
assigned as time for seeds that will
slight frost. Among these are peas.
spinach and onion. When the oak leaf
breaks from its bud is suggested for beets,
turnips, and tomato. Seeds that thrive
only in vi rmer soil, as beans, corn, Gu
cumber, cantelOupe, watermelon, squash,
and Okra, may be planted when the
blackberry is in blossom.
The garden should be planted, so far as
practicable, SO as t0 allow cultivation By
plowing. Where this cannot well be done,
wheel tools will be found a great advan
tage. Usually there must be some hand
Wcc01lR. DuI IL SIlOulu DC AeuuCtt W n
minimum. For this reason the rows
should be long and continuous. If
enough OF one kind oil vegetable to make
long row is not wanted, several kinds may |
be put in the same row. The rows should
be about 100 feet long. 1t will be con-
venient to have two narrow footpaths
across the garden, dividing into thirds, |
but these need not break the lows so that
they cannot be plowed or otherwise culti- |
waited throughout their whole length with |
out turning. |
MARKING THE ROWS.
Various devices have been suggested
for marking the rows for planting. A
roller, which will serve at the same time
as Il marker, consists ot @ smooth, hard
wood log with heavy rope secured firmly
about il at distances corresponding 10 the
intervals desired between the rows. When
plants OF seeds are to be dropped at
intervals, the places may be marked by
knots in the rope. A roller may be made
of a drain tile by knocking off the collar
and filling the hollow with cement. When
a marker is not available, the row may be
oDened with a hoe. A line should be
employed to keep the rows straight and
parallel 10 each other; the better results
will more than repay the extra trouble.
CONDITION OF THE SOIL.
The soil should be moist when the seed
Is pun Ia ~ -httily PNAsci'N' P''i'i tAot
the planting should be done just before a |
rain; but in this practice care must be |
taken against the baking OF the soil over
the seed. 1t is usual to firm the earth |
above the seed by patting 1t sharply with |
q hoe, or walking over 1t with one |
foot close after the other This is to |
make sure that the soil Is brought close |
against the seed. Small, weak seeds |
must not be put in ground that bakes or
is not thoroughly prepared. 1t is well to
sow some large seed OF vigorous growth, |
such as radish or turnip, with celery and |
other small weak seeds. The added seed |
come up, breaking the crust, SO as to let |
out the weaker plants. Also they show |
where the row is, and this makes way for |
cultivation before the crop is up. OF |
course the radisheS or turnips must be |
pulled up as soon as the other plants |
appear. Celery and other seeds that geTmi- |
nate slowly should be shaded.
Most seeds must be sown much more |
thickly than the plants can be profitably |
grown. II they come up well thinning is |
necessary, and this should be done, as a |
rule, as soon as the first true leaves |
appear. In thinning care must be OBJ
served not to loosen the roots Of plants
that are left.
DEPTH OF PLANTING.
The depth Of cover depends upon tho
size Of the seed, its habits of termination
and early growth, The soil. and the season
OF planting. Planting too deep is a fre-
l