The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-02

rows III me ann way. lie pidito
will now stand erect and you can put
in the earth from time to time, keep
ing the heart above the soil and car
rying the sides up six inches from the
ends of the rows. By the time cold
weather threatens in December, earth
the bed all over, and cover thickely
with pine straw and you can take 1t
out as needed all winter.
TIMELY WORK IN THE GARDEN.
Planting Of the more tender things
can now be ushed l have my to-
matO plants spotted out four inches
apart each way in a frame under
glass sashes. There they will grow
stout and strong and ready to set by
the middle Of the month. OF course
further South they can go out earlier,
but in all the upper South, the middle
OF April is about as early as they will
be safe. ] set my plants in three-fOOt
rows and two feet apart in the row.
I set a six-foot stake to ZACH plant
and train it to a single stem, keeping
the side shoots constantly pinched
out. If planted further apart and let
tumble on the ground, when the crab
grass season comes the tomatoes will
be smOthered, while trained on the
stakes we can keep the soil clean and
can get more fruit from a limited
area.
About the middle of April ] SOW
tomato seed in the open ground to
give me plants for a late crops, as the
early ones are often caused to fail
by the heat in late June or early
July.
Spray the tomato plants regularly
with mixture every 10 days
till the first tomatoes are half grown.
This will to a great extent prevent
leaf blight and rot, but will have no
effect on the wilt disease that infests
certain soils. The only thing for
that is to avoid infected soil. !
have found that the little Plum and
to this disease, and it may be that a
resistent variety Of larger size may
be bred up from these. The South
ern stations could we'll do this.
l use the Black Valentine and the
Red Valentine for early snaps, and al
same time plant the pole beans like
the Kentucky wonder that viii give
me snap beans till frost. A South
ern friend has sent me some beans
he calls the Odum climbing bean. anC
says they are better than the Ken.
lucky Wonder. They must be yer,
} fine indeed If they are better thar
that variety, and I will AXE grea
r pleasure in testing them.
: The early potatoes will need rapit
+ work and should be finally laid-b,
: with a furrOw to each side. | fnt
< this an advantage in the early ones
while with the late potatoes, I want t,
$ get them deep in the ground and cul
. tivate level.
Q The beets and radishes need thin
e ming, for II allowed to grow too thick
+ ~ IN the rows The roots will be small
l drop peets very thinly IN the row
ana then scatter some early raids
If SEEDS in the same row. These com
up quickly and show the rows so tina
cultivation can begin and they ar
d ready TO pull before the beets nee
+ all the room.
e | usually plant the Early Norfol
l. corn as the first for roasting-ears i
late March, and in April the Countr
Gentleman and Stowells Evergree
sweet corns, following his up at il
lie trvals till August in order to have
ut constant succession for the table. E
st the time my early potatoes are lait
by l am ready to make about II
ut third planting Of sugar corn and
W plant W the potato rows. ar
ks after the potatoes are dug the col
Of has the ground. Then l can plal
rows Of parsnips, satisfy and caro-
ne l1c corn, ana Wnen the ca
er OF corn are eaten pull the stalks O
of the way and work the root ere
wv for the winter use.
m
We Early in April SOW on q bord
gh seed Of Tait's Queen onion for sets.
lip SOW these in rows less than a 70
apart and Very thickly. SO that t
les little onions actually grow on top
rs. each other, and in this way / get Fl
sets for fall planting, and if any gro
q little too large, they come in nice
for picking. These are ripe in il
a n are cured and replanted in Sc