The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-11
FARM,
The Garden-work for January

Besides the work OF preparation lot
the tender crops to be planted in
February and March, there are many
crops that can be planted some time
during this month.
If we only knew exactly what the
weather was going to be in the next
two months we might do a great deal
of work in the way of sowing seeds
and planting, or we might do little or
nothing.
OF have some crops early, and the
early ones are the most profitable, the
trucker or gardener has to take con-
siderable risk. one year he may SOW
or plant in all confidence the middle
of January, while another year such
planting would be a failure, owing to
destructive freezes in February. 1t is
rare that any two consecutive years
are at all alike. One year We may
have all our fatal freezes in Deem
Der. Another year they may occur in
January; still another it may be the
case in February, and now and then ii
is left to March to afford more de-
structive weather than any of the pre-
ceding ones. The gardener can only
be governed by general averages. He
may have been an observer of the
weather for forty years, but it is all
the same to him as to any other who
has not observed. He realizes that he
cannot judge any years to come by any
that has past. 1t is rare that any two
springtimes are anything alike. There
must always be more or less risk taken
by the enterprising gardener.
There are some hardy crops that
are not easily injured by the seVerest
cold we may have, so long as the
soil does not freeze and thaw alter
nately for several consecutive days.
A severe frost may kill tomato or
egg plant or pepper. but it has no Sc
riOus effect upon plant of lettuce or
spinach or onion or even a cabbage.
The cold does not affect the tissues
of the latter at all. But either of
these might be destroyed by cold that
was severe enough to heave the soil
and thus destroy their connection with
the soil by breaking loose the young
roots. Heave them out, so to speak.
1t is not the cold so much as the
mechanical effect of destroying their
soil connection.
our garden plants may be classified
under three heads in respect to their
ability to withstand cold: Hardy, half
hardy and tender.
Among the hardy kinds that allow
of being planted the earliest in the
season are spinach, onions, lettuce,
English peas, satisfy. carrots parsnip
turnip, mustard radish, parsley, cell
cry. Some varieties of cabbage and
haafe n ha ha while
other varieties are injured, if not de-
stroyed by hard frost. 1t is so with
a number of other vegetables-one va
riety may be much harder or tenderer
than some other kinds.
1t depends a great deal upon the
condition of the atmosphere and of
the soil preceding a cold wave how
much injury a sudden change to cold
weather may result to any of our gar
den plants. At one time certain low
temperature may do very little injury;
at another time may be almost fatal
In long experience we have observed
this many times.
Any plants that are killed or the
young crop injured by any cold that
does not freeze the soil may be prop
erly classed as tender and, of course,
should not be planted out in the open
ground until the period that brings
injurious frosts is past or thought to
be.
OF course, the trucker who is sup
piled with an abundance of seeds, with
all necessary labor and implements,
win venture upon risks that the aver
age home gardener cannot or will not
take. He is so we'll prepared to re-
plant promptly he takes risks that
others might not be justified in taking.
The desire to have the earliest salable
crop possible incites him to the earliest
planting that the weather and the sea-
son seems to warrant, and as a result
he must be caught sometimes. The
enterprising trucker is almost sure to
force the season to the utmost.
Even in Middle Georgia all the hardy
plants enumerated above are planted
at one time or another during the
month. Commencing with English
peas, as soon after New Years day as
possible, and so with spinach and on
ions and satisfy. Then follow all root
crops, beets being reserved for plant
ing at the close of the month.
Asparagus. though strictly a tender
plant, is properly planted this month
if not already planted a month or two
ago. The roots one year or two year
old are set in trenches four inches be-
meath the surface. This vegetable is
by all odds the most valuable of all
that can be grown either in the home
or market garden. If the roots can
be had now is the time to set them
out.
An asparagus bed established just
right is good for at least ten years If
it is reasonably cared for. Whatever
the winter may be it never fails TO
furnish the earliest and the most pail
atable dish of spring. Coming early in
April and enduring from four to six
weeks.
The Palmetto or Conover either is
good enough, and one year old roots
can be had for 81 or s. per 1000, and
this number will set a bed of 10000
square feet (330xS0). The rows should
he five feet apart 1t is frequently
advised to set the plants only twelve
inches apart in the row, but this is
too close. Eighteen inches is as close
as they should be. Two feet would
be better The asparagus tips will be
much larger and nicer and cultivation
will be much easier where plenty OF
room is given the roots
Next to asparagus spinach is perhaps
the most desirable of early spring veg
etables. If possible ii should always
be planted in November. 1t will Their
be ready for use month earlier in
the spring-in March say, where il
planted in January il would be April
before it would be old enough for
economical use. Spinach, like lettuce
however, can be had almost during the
entire winter if it is started early in
the fall and protected by mulching
when cold weather comes
Beets. carrots, parsnips, satisfy are
all root crops more or less appreciated
especially the first and the last. Most
anywhere in Georgia seeds of all of