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Manual of Gardening (Second Edition)

L >> L. H. Bailey >> Manual of Gardening (Second Edition)




_Currants._--Cover a few bushes with muslin or burlap before the fruit
ripens, and you can eat currants in August. Use hellebore, rather than
Paris green, for the last brood of currant worms, and apply it as soon
as the worms appear. There is little danger in using it, even if the
currants are ripe.

_Lettuce_ seed does not germinate well in hot weather. Sow in a moist,
shaded position for a succession.

_Lima beans._--Hoe them frequently, and give assistance to get on the
poles.

_Melons._--Watch for bugs, and apply tobacco dust freely around the
plants. Keep them well cultivated. A light application of bone meal
will pay.

_Peaches, pears, and plums_ should be thinned to secure fine fruit and
to help sustain the vigor of the tree. Ripening the seed is what draws
on the tree's vitality, and if the number of seeds can be reduced
one-half or two-thirds, part of the strength required to ripen them will
go into perfecting the fruit and seeds left, and add greatly to the fine
appearance, flavor, and quality of the edible portion.

_Radishes._--Sow the early kinds for a succession, and toward the end of
the month the winter sorts may be put in.

_Raspberries._--Pinch back the canes to 2-1/2 ft., the same way as given
for blackberries.

_Squashes._--Keep the ground well stirred, and use tobacco dust freely
for bugs and beetles. Cover the joints with fresh soil, to guard against
injury by the vine-borer.

AUGUST

_Beets._--A last sowing of the early table sorts may be made for a
succession.

_Cabbage._--Harvest the early crop, and give good cultivation to the
main crop. Keep down the bugs and worms.

_Celery._--The latest crop may yet be set. Earlier set plants should be
handled as they attain sufficient size. Common drain tiles are excellent
for blanching if one has them, and must be put on when the plants are
about half grown. Hoe frequently to keep the plants growing.

_Onions._--Harvest as soon as the bulbs are well formed. Let them lie on
the ground until cured, then draw to the barn floor or some other airy
place and spread thinly. Market when you can get a good price, and the
sooner the better.

_Tomatoes_ may be hastened in coloring by being picked just as they
begin to color and placed in single layers in a coldframe or hotbed,
where they can be covered with sash.

SEPTEMBER

In many parts of the North it is not too late to sow rye, or peas, or
corn, to afford winter protection for orchards. As a rule, very late
fall plowing for orchards is not advisable. Now is a good time to trim
up the fence-rows and to burn the brush piles, in order to destroy the
breeding places of rabbits, insects, and weeds. Cuttings of gooseberries
and currants may be taken. Use only the wood of the current year's
growth, making the cuttings about a foot long. Strip off the leaves, if
they have not already fallen, tie the cuttings in large bundles, and
bury them in a cold cellar, or in a sandy, well-drained knoll; or if the
cutting-bed is well prepared and well drained, they may be planted
immediately, the bed being well mulched upon the approach of winter.
September and October are good months in which to set orchards, provided
the ground is well prepared and well drained, and is not too much
exposed to sweeping winds. Wet lands should never be set in the fall;
and such lands, however, are not fit for orchards. Strawberries may
still be set; also bush fruits.

Seeds of various flowers may now be sown for winter bloom, if one has a
conservatory or good window. Petunias, phloxes, and many annuals make
good window plants. Quicker results are secured, however, if border
plants of petunias and some other things are dug up just before frost
and placed in pots or boxes. Keep them cool and shaded for a couple of
weeks, cut down the tops, and they will send up a vigorous and
floriferous growth. Winter roses should now be in place in the beds
or in pots.

There will be odd days when one can go to the woods and fields and
collect roots of wild herbs and shrubs for planting in the yard or along
the unused borders of the garden.

OCTOBER

_Asparagus._--Old plantations should now be cleaned off, and the tops
removed at once. This is a good time to apply manure to the beds. For
young plantations, which may be started now as well as in spring, select
a warm soil and sunny exposure, and give each plant plenty of room. We
like to set them in rows 5 ft. apart and at least 2 ft. apart in
the rows.

_Cabbages._--The heads that will winter best are those just fully
formed, not the over-ripe ones. For family use, bury an empty barrel in
a well-drained spot, and fill it with good heads. Place a lot of dry
leaves on top, and cover the barrel so that it will shed rain. Or, pile
some cabbages in a corner of the barn floor and cover them with enough
straw to prevent solid freezing. Pages 159, 470.

_Cabbage-plants,_ started from seed last month, should be pricked out in
cold-frames, putting about 600 to the ordinary sash and setting them
quite deep.

_Chicory._--Dig what is wanted for salad, and store it in sand in a dry
cellar.

_Endive._--Blanch by gathering up the leaves and tying them lightly at
the tips.

_General garden management._--The only planting that can be done in open
ground at this time is restricted to rhubarb, asparagus, and perhaps
onion-sets. Begin to think about next year's planting, and to make
arrangements for the manure that will be needed. Often you can purchase
it now to good advantage, and haul it while the roads are yet good.
Clean up and plow the ground when the crops are harvested.

_Lettuce._--Plants to be wintered over should be set in frames like
cabbage-plants.

_Onions._--Plant sets of Extra Early Pearl, or some other hardy kind, in
the same fashion as in early spring. They are likely to winter well, and
will give an early crop of fine bunching onions. For the North, fall
sowing of onion-seed cannot be recommended.

_Parsley._--Lift some plants and set them in a coldframe 4 or 5 in.
apart, or in a box filled with good soil, and place in a light cellar or
under a shed.

_Pears._--Pick the winter sorts just before there is danger from
freezing. Put them in a cool, dark place, where they will neither mold
nor shrivel. To hasten ripening, they may be brought into a warm room
as wanted.

_Rhubarb._--If plants are to be set or replanted this fall, enrich the
ground with a superabundance of fine old stable-manure, and give each
plant a few feet of space each way. In order to have fresh pie-plant in
winter, dig up some of the roots and plant them in good soil in a barrel
placed in the cellar.

_Sweet-potatoes._--Dig them when ripe after the first frost. Cut off the
vines, and turn the potatoes out with a potato-fork or plow. Handle them
carefully to prevent bruising. Only sound, well-ripened roots are in
proper condition to be wintered over.

NOVEMBER

_Asparagus._--Manure before winter sets in.

_Beets._--They keep best in pits. Some may be kept in the cellar for use
during winter, but cover them with sand or sods to prevent shriveling.

_Blackberries._--Cut away the old wood and mulch the roots. Tender sorts
should be laid down and lightly covered with soil at the tips.

_Carrots._--Treat as advised for beets.

_Celery._--Dig up the stalks, leaving the roots on, and stand them close
together in a narrow trench, tops just even with the ground-level.
Gradually cover them with boards, earth, and manure. Another way is to
set them upright upon the floor of a damp cellar or root-house, keeping
the roots moist and the tops dry. Celery can stand some frost, but not
exposure to less than 22° F. The stalks intended for use before
Christmas may in most localities be left outdoors, to be used as wanted.
Should cold weather set in early, they will need covering in some
way. Page 475.

_Orchard management._--Young trees should have a mound of earth raised
around the stem as a support and protection against mice, etc. Small and
lately planted trees may have stakes set beside them, and be tied to the
stakes with a broad band. Apple and pear trees may yet be planted. Trim
superfluous or unhealthy wood out of the old orchards.

_Spinach._--Cover the beds lightly with leaves or litter before winter
sets in.

_Strawberries._--Soon it will be time to mulch the beds. Provide marsh
hay, or other coarse litter, free from weed-seeds, and when the ground
has frozen an inch or so, spread it all over the surface thinly
and evenly.

DECEMBER

_Cabbages._--Plants in coldframes should be aired freely and kept cool.
Heads intended for winter and spring use, if not yet taken in or
protected from severe freezing, must now be cared for. Do not cover them
too deeply, nor store them in too warm a place.

_Carrots._--Store them in cellars or pits. If in cellars, keep the roots
covered with sand or sod, to prevent wilting.

_General garden management._--Begin now to make your plans for next
season's work. Carefully study up the matter of rotation, also that of
feeding your crops in the most effective and economical manner. Repair
frames, sashes, and tools. Clear up the garden and premises. Underdrain
where needed. Beds for early vegetables should be thrown up in high,
narrow ridges, with deep furrows between. This will enable you to plant
them several days or weeks earlier than otherwise.

_Kale._--In very exposed or northern locations cover it lightly with
coarse litter.

_Onions._--For winter storage select only well-ripened, perfectly dry
bulbs. Store them in a dry, airy place, not in the cellar. They may be
spread out thinly on the floor, away from the walls, allowed to freeze
solid, and then covered several feet deep with hay or straw.

_Parsnips._--Take up some roots for winter use and store them in sand in
the cellar.

_Strawberry-beds_ should be given their winter covering of marsh hay,
etc., as soon as the ground is frozen solid.

SUGGESTIONS AND REMINDERS.--II. FOR THE SOUTH

JANUARY

_Annuals._--All kinds of hardy annuals and perennials, such as alyssum,
snapdragon, foxglove, hollyhock, phlox, poppy, pansy, lobelia,
candytuft, sweet pea, Chinese pink, sweet william, larkspur, foliage
cinerarias, centaurea, mignonette, and many others of the same class may
be sown. Most of them should be sown thinly and where they are intended
to flower, as they transplant poorly in this latitude.

_Cannas, caladiums, perennial phloxes, chrysanthemums, and verbenas_ may
be taken up, divided, and replanted.

_Roses_ may be planted in quantities. Let the ground intended for them
have a thorough dressing of manure. Occasionally a plant may be taken up
and divided. The hybrid varieties may now be layered. This is done as
follows: Select a shoot and bend it flat upon the ground; hold it in
both hands, having a distance of about 6 in. between them; keep the left
hand firm, and with the right give the shoot a sharp twist; now cover it
with 4 in. of earth and tie the free end to an upright stake.

_Asparagus beds_ should be liberally manured. New beds should now be
made. Set the plants 6 in. deep. Sow seed now.

_Beets and all hardy vegetables_ (carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas,
kohlrabi, spinach, lettuce, herbs, etc.) may now be sown, planted, or
transplanted.

_Cabbage plants_ should be set out on heavily manured ground. Sow seed
of Early Summer for a later supply.

_Fruits._--If possible, all planting and transplanting of fruit-trees
and grape-vines should be finished this month. Pruning should be
completed as soon as possible, and preparation made to protect the
blossoms of tender fruits next month. Set out strawberry-plants, and
during dry weather run the cultivator through all old beds that are at
all weedy. It is a good plan, where practicable, to mulch the beds.
Here, pine-straw can be had plentifully for the purpose. Examine peach
trees for borers. Raspberries and blackberries should be pruned now if
the work is not already done. Cuttings of Le Conte pears, Marianna
plums, grape-vines, and pomegranates should be put in at once if they
have heretofore been forgotten. Root-grafting should be progressing
rapidly; this is the best time for this important work.

_Onion seeds._--Sow at once, and plant sets as soon as possible.

_Peas._--Sow early and late varieties. The late varieties succeed best
if sown at this season.

_Seasonable work._--This is a good month to obtain canes for staking
peas, tomatoes, and beans, hauling manure, making repairs, and examining
tools, etc. As the fall crop is harvested, the land should be prepared
for another crop. Tile-draining is now is order. Prepare frames to cover
with canvas for use next month.

_Sweet-potatoes._--A few may be bedded in a frame from which to obtain
"draws" for setting out about March 15.

_Tomatoes, egg-plants, and peppers._--Sow now on a slight hotbed. When
the plants come up, all the air possible should be given during the day.
They can be raised without heat, but at this season this plan would
better be attempted only by the skillful.

FEBRUARY

_Asters, cannas, dahlias, heliotropes, lobelias, petunias, pyrethrums,
ricinus, salvias, and verbenas_ are best sown in a coldframe, where they
can have some protection from heavy rain.

_Cannas_ should be transplanted now.

_Chrysanthemums_ must be planted in well-manured ground in a position
where water can be readily supplied to them.

_Dahlias_ may be taken up and divided as soon as they begin growth.

_Gladiolus and tuberose bulbs_ should be planted now. It is a good plan
to extend the planting through March and April.

_Pansies._--Plant them out in the beds where they are to flower.

_Routine work._--Sodding should now proceed rapidly. If sods cannot be
obtained, the ground may be planted with Bermuda grass. Plant small
pieces of the grass a foot apart and water them if the weather is dry,
and they will grow rapidly. Hedges should be cleared up and put in good
shape. All planting of trees and shrubs should be finished this month.
All pruning of trees must be done early in the month. Young roses cannot
be set too early in February. They thrive best when planted in fall.
Roll the drives and repair them when necessary. The lawn will now
require constant care, and the mower should be used before the grass
becomes 1-1/2 in. high.

_Bush-beans_ may be planted February 14. On alluvial land it is best to
plant them on slight rises as a protection against the rains which
sometimes occur toward the end of the month. If frost should threaten
just as the beans begin to peep out, cover them an inch deep with the
plow or hand cultivator. Sow Early Mohawk first, and at the end of the
month sow Early Valentine; a week later sow the wax varieties.

_Cabbage,_--Sow early varieties, such as Early Summer, Early Drumhead,
and Early Flat Dutch. Etampes, Extra Early Express, and Winnigstadt sown
for small heads in the order named have done very well in southern
Louisiana. The earlier sown plants should be transplanted as often as
convenient. Should worms cause trouble, dust the plants with a mixture
of one part of pyrethrum powder to six of fine dust.

_Carrots, celery, beets, endive, kohlrabi, onion sets, parsley,
parsnips, radishes and purple-top turnips_ must now be sown.

_Corn._--Plant Extra Early Adams, Yellow Canada, Stowell Evergreen, and
White Flint toward the middle of the month. Sow again a week later, and
again after another week. If the first two sowings fail, the last one
will give the early crop.

_Cucumbers._--Sow and protect with small boxes during cold days and
nights, or sow in pots or on sods. Protect the seedlings with sashes or
canvas, and plant them out late.

_Lettuce._--Sow seeds and transplant the plants on hand. This crop
requires a soil well supplied with plant-food.

_Melons._--Plant seeds in the same manner as advised for cucumbers.

_Okra._--Sow seeds on sods and set out the plants next month.

_Peas._--Sow seeds of a number of varieties.

_Peppers and egg-plants,_ if not sown last month, should be sown now.
Sow them under glazed sashes and keep close. When the plants appear,
give some air, and increase it according to the weather. If a large
number of plants is required, the sowing may be delayed until next
month. Should flea-beetles trouble you, use plenty of bordeaux on
egg-plants.

_Potatoes, Irish._--The main crop should be planted as early as
possible. Standard varieties are Early Rose, Peerless, and Burbank.

_Strawberries._--Run the cultivator through them at least once every
three weeks; if they are to be mulched, collect the necessary material.
Strawberries planted in February seldom yield much of a crop.

_Sweet-potatoes,_ can now be bedded and protected with canvas, or a row
or two of whole tubers may be planted for "draws" and vines.

_Tomatoes_ in frames should be given all the air and light possible and
plenty of room if protected with canvas, do not allow the plants
to crowd.

MARCH

_Beans._--Sow all varieties for a fall crop. As soon as the plants
appear, the cultivator must be run through the crop, and kept going as
often as necessary.

_Corn._--Continue to plant; and we recommend harrowing the patch as soon
as the young corn appears. It is generally planted in hills 3 or 4 ft.
apart, but better results will be obtained-by planting in drills and
leaving one stalk every 12 in.

_Cucumbers._--Sow in hills 4 ft. apart, using a liberal quantity of seed
to each hill. When the plants come up, thin them to about six in the
hill. When the plants begin to get rough leaves, pull out one or two
more from each hill. Striped cucumber-beetles are sometimes very
numerous, and in order to get a stand of plants it is necessary to go
through the patch early every morning and sprinkle all the hills with
air-slaked lime.

_Egg-plants._--Toward the end of the month the plants growing in frames
may be transplanted to their fruiting quarters. Seed may be sown outside
after March 15; sooner if a warm and sheltered spot is selected.

_Lettuce._--Sow in drills, and when the plants are large enough, thin to
a foot apart. If transplanted at this season, they often go to seed.

_Okra._--A sowing may be made now, but the main planting would best be
deferred until after March 15. Sow in drills 3 ft. apart and thin the
plants to 18 in. apart in the drills.

_Peas._--Early varieties may be sown; it is now too late to sow
tall-growing kinds.

_Peppers._--Treat as advised for egg-plants.

_Potatoes, Irish._--It is not too late to plant them, but the sooner
they are planted the better. The crop planted in February should be
harrowed as soon as the shoots begin to come up, and when the rows can
be fairly seen, the cultivator must be set to work to keep down weeds
and grass.

_Squashes._--Plant seed in hills 6 ft. apart. The directions for
planting melons may be followed. The same remarks apply to pumpkins and
other vegetables of this kind.

_Sweet-potatoes._--If slips or vines are at hand, they may be planted
late in the month for the earliest tubers. The whole potatoes may be
planted on a ridge to yield vines for later planting.

_Strawberries._--The mulching of beds or rows should be no longer
delayed, if clean and plentiful fruit is wanted.

_Tomatoes._--About March 15 the frame plants may go to their fruiting
quarters. It is necessary to use some judgment in this matter, as they
may be killed or injured by an April frost. Seed may be sown in the open
ground for plants for late fruiting. Set the plants 4 ft. apart
each way.

APRIL

_Alternantheras_ should go out now.

_Annuals_ of all kinds may still be sown where they are to flower, as
they transplant with difficulty at this season.

_Coleuses._--Plant out in the beds now. Cuttings root readily, simply
requiring to be stuck in.

_Beans_ of all kinds can be planted, limas especially.

_Beets._--Make another sowing.

_Cabbage plants_ obtained from spring sowings should be set out as soon
as fit. The ground requires to be very rich to carry this crop.

_Cucumbers._--These can be sown anywhere now.

_Corn._--Make a sowing to yield roasting ears to come in after that sown
last month.

_Okra._--Sow in drills 3 or 4 ft. apart.

_Peas._--Make a sowing of early varieties for the last time.

_Squash (bush) and pumpkin_ may now be planted.

_Tomatoes_ should be got out to their fruiting quarters as early in the
month as possible. Let them be set at least 4 ft. apart each way.

MAY

_Beans._--Plant a few more bush and pole beans.

_Celery_ may now be started. The bed or box needs plenty of water, and
should be shaded from sun.

_Lettuce_ requires careful handling to encourage it to germinate. It is
best sown in a box and kept shaded and moist.

_Melons, cucumbers, squashes, and pumpkins_ may be sown.

_Radishes._--Sow the yellow and white summer varieties.

_Remarks._--It is a constant struggle with weeds throughout this month,
and the cultivator and plow are ever going. As the land becomes vacant,
sow corn or plant sweet-potatoes--draws or vines. Sow some late Italian
cauliflower. Let the orchard have constant and thorough cultivation, and
remove all unnecessary growth from the trees as soon as they appear. Be
always on the lookout for borers. Keep the strawberries as free of grass
and coco, or knob-grass, as possible.

JUNE

_Beans._--All kinds may now be sown.

_Cauliflower._--Sow the Italian kinds.

_Corn._--Make a planting at the beginning of the month and again at the
end.

_Cucumbers._--Plant a few more hills. The plants at this season must be
given plenty of water.

_Endive._--Sow, and attend to the tying up of the plants that are of
sufficient size.

_Melons._--Sow for a succession a few more water and muskmelons.

_Okra_ may still be sown.

_Radishes._--Sow the summer varieties now.

_Squashes and pumpkins_ may yet be sown.

_Sweet-potato_ vines may now be set out in quantities.

_Tomatoes._--About the middle of the month sow for the fall crop.

JULY

_Beans._--Bush and pole beans may be planted towards the end of the
month.

_Cabbage and cauliflower_ may now be sown, but the main sowing should be
deferred until next month.

_Carrots._--A sowing should be made.

_Celery._--Sow and transplant what plants there may be on hand.

_Cucumbers._--These may be sown now for pickling.

_Endive._--Transplant and sow.

_Grapes_ should be kept well tied to trellis, and unnecessary growth
removed, so that the wood may have the chance of becoming thoroughly
ripened. If the cultivator and plow are not used judiciously, a second
growth will be started, which is not desirable.

_Lettuce._--The seed requires to be sprouted before being sown, and if
the sowing is done on a dry day the drills should be watered.

_Radishes._--Sow the summer kinds.

_Strawberries._--Keep the beds clean of weeds and grass.

_Tomatoes._--Make a sowing early in the month, or, what is much better,
take cuttings from plants still in bearing.

_Turnips._--Sow a few after a shower towards the end of the month.

_Remarks._--Much cannot be done this month, as the weather is hot and
dry, but the opportunity should not be lost for killing weeds and
preparing for the planting season, which is now rapidly drawing near.

AUGUST

_Artichokes._--Seed of the Green Globe may be sown now and large plants
obtained by spring. The seed-bed requires to be shaded.

_Bush beans, beets, pole beans, carrots, celery, endive, kohlrabi,
lettuce, mustard, Black Spanish and Rose China radishes, parsley,
turnips, rutabagas, and salad plants_ of all kinds may now be sown. The
seed should be sown on small ridges, adaptable to the kind of plants,
for level culture is not successful in the vegetable garden in
this section.

_Broccoli_ should be more grown, for it is hardier than the cauliflower.
Many cannot tell the difference between the two. Sow now.

_Cabbages_ must be sown by the middle of the month. Make the ground very
rich and shade the seed-bed, keeping it moist during the whole of
the time.

_Cauliflower_ should also be sown.

_Potatoes, Irish,_ should be planted by the middle of the month, if
possible. Plant only those that have sprouted, and instead of planting
on top of the ridge set in the furrow and cover 2 in. deep; as the
potatoes grow, work more soil down to them.

_Salsify._--Sow now or early next month.

_Shallots._--Plant them now.

_Squash._--Bush kinds may be planted now at any time.

_Sweet-potatoes._--Vines may still be set out, with prospects of
harvesting a fair crop.

_Tomatoes._--If short of plants, cut off good-sized limbs from bearing
plants and plant them deep. Keep them moist, and they will root in a few
days. Do this just before it rains.

SEPTEMBER

_Annuals_ of the hardy class may be sown this month: the following list
will assist in making a selection: Calliopsis, candytuft, calendulas,
canterbury bells, columbine, corn-flower, daisies, forget-me-nots,
gaillardia, godetia, larkspur, _Limnanthes Douglasii,_ mignonette,
pansies, _Phlox Drummondii,_ primroses, poppies of all kinds, _Saponaria
Calabrica, Silene pendula,_ sweet williams, and sweet peas.

_Bulbs._--Study the catalogues and make out your wants, for it is
nearing planting time.

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