Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-17
GET READY TO PLANT.
Time to Be Thinking About Vegetables
and Flowers.

ut Is about up to the suburban readers Of
The Sta: to get ready for planting their
flowers and vegetables" said an employe
OF the Agricultural Department to a Star
man this morning. LAS soon as spring ap-
proaches thousands Of people who indulge
in home gardening are thinking about what
they shall plant and the variety of small
fruits and vegetables that will give the best
returns for the amount Of labor invested.
The home garden. from the bed Of soil a
few feet square to one running up to half
an acre has a place in the economical sys-
tenn Of every city. Probably few pointers
would be Of interest to readers of The Star.
start with asparagus. The home gar
dener who wishes to plant this delicious
vegetable must plant his seed as soon as the
ground Is in such condition that 1t can be
worked properly, the earlier the better. The
seeds should be soaked at least twenty
hours in water before they are put in the
ground, and while in the ground the earth
must be kept worked around the beds.
Then there are beets, early and late cab
bage. early and late corn, with cucumbers
for pickle. No garden would be complete
without a corner for herbs for seasoning
The seeds Of anise, balm, sweet basil, car
away, borge, hyssop, hoarhound. lavender.
thyme, tansy and parsley can be procured
at any seed store and should be planted
just as soon as the ground can be worked.
Early green peas should also be planted
as soon as possible, "nlle onions, CreSS and
lettuce should follow as closely as time will
permit. A few hills of early potatoes and
a few hills Of sweet corn should be put in
at once and cabbage will stand any amount
of frost after the plants have taken root.
BY using box with a glass top summer
squash can be put out at once, and little
bit later carrots, beets and parsnips and
satisfy may be sown in rows wide enough to
let hoe pass between them for working
purposes. AS soon as all danger Of frost is
past string beans should be planted and
when the weather has become settled and
warm egg plants and tomato plants should
be set out. The mistake is often made of
setting out the tomato plants too early; bet
ter keep them inside until all danger of
frost is pretty well assured. They should
never be transplanted into muddy ground
and should be transplanted in the evening
and well watered. The early part of June
Is the best time for planting cucumbers for
pickles, but those for table use should he
planted early in April.
Most people living in the suburbs include
with their gardens a few flowers Hardy
ANIMALS and biennials can be sown in the
open ground early in the spring and do not
require protection in winter The half
hardy varieties should not be sown until
warm weather sets in, unless they are soWn
In a box in the house and then transplanted
An ornamental hardy perennial is the blue
white columbine. handsome half
hardy annual is the Arabian primrose. vel
day to a rich maroon. Other hardy an
nuals and biennials that add ornament to
the home garden are tassel flower came
marigold bugle vine, candy tuft cosmos
four-o-clocks, mignonette, phlox sweet
peas, peoples and love-in-a-mist All of
these can be planted inside and as soon as
the warm weather comes can be trans
nj tod