The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-02-29

the season they may be transferred.
box and all, into the garden bed ana
suffer no backset
During cold nights the hotbed should
be covered with straw or old carpets
to keep it from getting too cold inside.
On sunshiny days the sash may have
to be raised during the warmer part
of the day to give ventilation. The
plants should be watered in the morn
ing on warm days only to prevent too
great a reduction Of temperature.
A cold frame is almost as necessary
as a hotbed The plants raised in a
hotbed are very tender and are liable
to be injured if transplanted directly
| to the garden. The cold frame Is
made the same as a hotbed except that
no manure is used. After the plants
have obtained a good start in the hot
bed they should be transferred to the
cold frame. The plants in the cold
frame are gradually accustomed to
the outside air by leaving the sash up
for longer periods each day This
transDlanting also helps the tomatoes
and cabhages in another way. in that
it makes them thicker stemmed and
causes, better root development. a
stocky plant of this kind is always a
better grower and yielder.
Early Potatoes.
A good way to secure earliness in
the case of potatoes is to pack num-
Der In sand somewhere where they
will get plenty Of light. This should
be done week or so before planting
time. As soon as the ground is ready
these tubers are set out carefully Sc
as not to break off the sprouts which
have started a week or more in the
earliness of the crop can be saved id
this way The early potatoes may be
planted rather shallow and thick
coating Of straw placed between Il ,
rows On nights when there is dang
of freezing, the plants can be cover, :
with straw No cultivation will /.
necessary, since the straw will keei
ture Whea digging time comes
straw can be thrown back and the 30
tatoes will be found on top Of t,,
ground, or nearly so. OF course i
plan is not practicable except fo-'
few rows of the earliest potatoes.
Rhubarb and Asparagus.
Another method of securing earl
vegetables is by the use Of perennials
or those which come up from the root
each year. The most important q
these are asparagus and rhubarb. Al
paragus is one of the most deliciou
vegetables that can be grown, and
fills in space in the spring whe
there is nothing else available. Rh'
barb comes nearer to being a frui
making appctizing sauce and pies.
In starting an asparagus bed the Ian
should be manured heavily and piowe
deeply. Ore year old plants grow
from seed should be planted fol-
: inches deep and a foot apart In row
: three feet apart. The early sprii
i. treatment Of the asparagus bed CO
;, sists in giving it thorough diskin
After the cutting season Is over a Ii
- eral coating Of manure should be Sc;
:. tered between the rows. The stall
- should be cut in the fall before Il
- berries are fully ripe to keep the b.
:. from becoming filed with Seeding
Asparagus cannot be cut much befo
:, it is three years old. Rhubarb is east
;, grown frol. roots planted around
- any out of the way corner and ke
"a well mulchcd and manured.
In planting the garden those plan
= which have the same habits of grow
- should be put together. The cal
y crops should also be punched as mu
m =. as possible. In some cases an eal
" crop may be got out Of the way in til
- to put a later one on the same grOuI
n Cultivation.
Il. The garden should be laid out in 10
ne rows and as much of the cultivati
is as possible done with horse cu
ut vator A one horse walking cultiva1
is best for this work A wheel hoe
IS get close to the plants and into
er corners is valuable addition to
he equipment AS Il last resort In
III hoe may nave 10 De tiSeu once
be awhile to get the weeds out of
'er row. Changing the garden + =
if place every few years is Il Jig help
dy keeping weeds inScheck. II the GARD
bc is put on lean soil in 1e first pl;
er and few weeds are all. we'd to go
to. seed the labor problem will be grea
at- simplifed.
lis Insects
OF all the insects that attack gart
ed crops the one that probe bly, causes
,at most trouble is the striDed cucum
ow beetle. A practice often follow
no where but few hills o. vine cr
cd are grown is to cover the young pla
ne with a fra..le Of mosquito netting.