The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21
WESTERN NATURE STUDIES
EARLY GARDENS FOR HOME OF SCHOOL
BY }. II. PAUL.

Professor Hogenson's last lecture be-
fore the writer's classes in nature study
at the university dealt with seeds and
with certain garden crops. The subject
matter, variously modified to meet the
purposes of this article. was concerned
with the topics that follow.
Peas, Onions, Radishes.
The pea is a plant that can be seeded
early, since it Will stands considerable
7eald and prefers GOODNESS and moisture.
Plant the seed in rows that are about
eight inches apart, in good. rich soil,
and cover the seeds two or three inches !
deep. About "A per cent of good seed
peas VIII terminate.
Onions can be planted early. They
require fine, well-prepared seed bed, |
with the soil in perfect condition, rich
In organic matter, mellow, and finely
pulveTized; indeed, for onions. the soil
can hardly be made too rich, and they
should never be planted on new soil. |
The rows may be about twelve inches |
apart, and about thirty seeds may be |
sown to the foot, 1t is not safe TO plant
more deeply than an inch; ia fact. the |
soil cover should be less rather than !
more than this thickness. Ninety per
terminate, but the young crop will not |
thrive unless all weeds are kept out.
Radishes require a cool, moist soil, |
and being uninjuTed by ordinary frosts, |
may be planted early. The rows may |
be from six to twelve inches apart; and |
the seed should be covered by only half |
an inch of soil. Two or three plants to |
the inch may be raised, thinning out as
they get ready for use. The germinat- |
ing power of these seeds averages 75
per cent.
Lettuce and other Window Plants.
Lettuce is usually started in window
boxes, where it is sown broadcast and |
covered with half an inch of soil firmly
pressed down upon the seeds with a
email board; and this plan is followed
also in outdoor planting. When the
window plants are two or three inches
high, they are transplanted and soon
outgrow those that are of the same size
raised in the garden without trans
planting. The plants should be trans
ferred 10 the garden on a cool or cloudy
day when no wind is blowing The
garden rows may be a foot apart
\ bout SO per cent of the seed ger
inmates.
Parsnips, Beets, Spinach.
Parsnip seeds must be fresh. as they
lose their power to terminate IL kept
over one year. The seed is sown one
half to one inch deep; and they germi-
nate slowly. sometimes requiring four
weeks. After they come up, thin them
out till the plants stand about four
inches apart; the rows may be fifteen
inches apart The Eerminatirz power of
these seeds is iOw-about 80 per cent.
Beets may be planted very early. in
rows twelve inches apart, and covered
with one or one and one-haIf inches of
SOIL They are sown in continuous rows
and thinned out after they come I'D till
they stand six inches apart. About 50
per cent Of the seeds terminate: they
should be soaked for from twelve to
,tVenty-four hours before planting.
sI-S4inach is SOWn in rows twelve inches
or more apart, and covered with an
inch OF soil. About So per cent Of the
sceus ECrminate.
Other wiudow-box plants are the cab
oage, Kohl Rabt, Brussels sprouts. to-
mato, egg plant and pepper. They may
Getting an Early Start.
To have vegetables ready for mar
ket just as early as possible, start seeds
indoors carly In spring. For this puT-
pCSe prepare a number OF shallow
.taxes, about 1880 inches.
\ After placing 4 layer of broken
Or. in the bottom fer drainage, tile
hokes are hued with fire. rich. sffted
go tn Sow the seed, then water care
fully and keep the soil clean. Give the
boxes sunny window In a moderately
warm room and keep them covered
with a glass. if possible.
On warm days it may be necessa ~
To place a strip of muslin between the
plants and the sun. As the plants de-
velop, they must be transpianted to
Sr1T nv limo 70 Ind a
stock growth. Plant indoors the to-
mato, cabbage, egg plant and pepper.
When to Begin.
Our gardener at the normal school,
has told us the soil on the Training
school garden is still too wet CMaTch
16l 10 be worked with plOw or harrow
Garden soil must be worked when il is
dry, and It viii be trampled into clod
surfaces If We go upon the land while
the ground is wet. We determine when
the soil is in good condition by taking
up a small quantity Of il and pressing
il in the hand. II il sticks together like
a fresh-made mud pie 1t is too wet. If
on rubbing in the hand. it crumbles or
falls to pieces, it is dry enough An
other way to determine the fact is to
note the appearance of the soil in spad-
ing or piowing. If it turns up sleek and
glistening it is too wet. If it falls
apart, Win no TcHecLlNS surface II Is
dry enough If there is any doubt as
10 the soils being too wet to work, take
advantage of the doubt and let il dry
still more.
Well fertinzed garden soil, containing
a good proportion of humus or vegeta-
hle mold. should work up loose and
crumbly. There should be very little
cohesion OF large soil particles, and the
Jumps falling from the spade OF pillow
should be granular and comparatively
fine. If in average soils not composed
mainly OF sand, hard clods result with
moving il is an indication that the soil
has been tramped upon when it was too
vet or that there is a lack Of bumus
IN it,
u The Small Garden.
Nor flower beds or borders and for
the very early vegetable beds the best
means of breaking the soil is with the
spade or garden fork
Spade the soil deeply. AS you spade,
work into II manure or other fertilizers
that have been placed on the surface
Thrust the spade into the soil the full
depth of the blade, lifting and turning
the soil in the same operation. Work
each spadeful of soil with the spade to
q fine consistency as soon as II is
turned. Leave no large Jumps below,
but make all fine and of even texture.
After fhe he'd has been Spaded and