The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-31
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO HOUSE
WIFE AND AGRICULTURIsT.

We have spoken of cucumbers and
caulihowers as the leading material
for pickles. The onion is probably en-
titled to the third place. 1t is rarely
put up by itself as the cucumber and
artichoke, but more generally is a
liberal component of mixed pickle
that usually exist as combination
of cucumber caulihower, pepper with
it, and generally with the addition of
a small proportion OF snap bean. The
last we regard as a poor addition to
the mixture, but others may think
differently. The artichoke is. we be-
lieve, rarely a component of mixed
pickles" but is more valued by it.
self.
The olive may be styled the prince
of pickles. and as to area is of limited
production. The onion and the arti-
choke is of almost universal produce
ton and conversion into pickle. Pickle
will never go out of fashion. 1t fills
a. special place in the world dietary
somewhat after the manner of salt.
1t yields no flesh or fat, but it tends
to preserve the body in health. But
about the onion. A considerable por-
ton Of the onions that enter into
pickle are the refuse of the large COM
mercial crops-those that are too small
to be included in those designed for
table USE and some supply comes
from the onion set growers. Those
too large to offer as sets are not too
large for pickling
But there are many who grow spe-
cial crops of pickle onions. We have
done it in small way a number of
times. and this is the way it was done
I'm the, open weather of January or
early in February the soil was thor
oughly plowed narrowed and rolled;
with line and stakes seed drills were
opened 10 inches apart. Then a board
or inches wide was drawn along
this so as to make a furrow that
width and not over an inch deep.
This 4-inch wide furrow was sprinkled
freely with land plaster or lime, SO
that the black seed could be easily
sprinkled evenly along the furrow at
the rate of 10 or II to each square
inch. or 20 to As seeds to each linial
inch of the 4-inch furrow
The whitened surface enables one to
do this very accurately if the necessary
time is given for doing the work Well
as should be done in such cases. The
seeds are covered with a half inch of
soil and then a garden roller is run
along the burrows to press the soil
firmly to the seeds. Having tested the
seeds before hand to determine their
quality they are sown thickly or less
so, accordingly. 1t is always a good
plan to empty the seeds into a shallow
vessel filled with water and stir them
about and skim off all seeds that float
Most all of the seeds that sink will be
found to be good, especially if of the
last crop of seeds. If allowed to be in
the water only a few minutes the
washed seeds can be redried in a very
little while by spreading out thinly in
the air. Instead of whitening the soil
as above suggested, the seeds, after
land plaster and sown at once in the
burrows. The white coating will aid
the eye in distributing them evenly.
This crop is cultivated entirely with
the hand, and the garden plough-the
ordinary one-wheel plough, with sweep
or harrow point" Any weeds that
spring up in the 4-inch furrow will
have to be pulled out by hand.
Most any of the white fiat or globu-
lar onions can be used for picking on
ions. The italian and Bermuda kinds
are especially good for Southern Gull
ture. The Barletta we have not tried
but it is recommended by many as
good for the purpose.
Some few other plans that afford ma
terial for pickles will be referred to in
another number.