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 Garden Vegetables, 
 
 M. B. FAXON, 
 
 BOSTON, MASS. 
 
 ESSAY, 
 
 DELIVERED BEFORE THE 
 
 Massachusetts Horticultural Society 
 
 JANUARY 28, 1888. 
 

GARDEN VEGETABLES. 
 
Copyright, 1888, by M. B. Faxon. 
 All rights reserved. 
 
GARDEN VEGETABLES. 
 
 By M. B. Faxon, Boston. 
 
 It seems as if enough had already been said and written urging 
 every one to have a vegetable garden ; but observation will show 
 that not one family in ten does have a garden that is entitled 
 to be called such in every sense of the word. I wish it distinctly 
 understood at the outset that 1 shall speak of garden vegetables 
 as adapted by their superior culinary qualities for the family 
 table, putting aside, for a moment, the question of the yield, pro- 
 vided the vegetables mentioned are good average croppers ; or. 
 in other words, I shall speak of garden vegetables as entirely 
 distinct and separate from those vegetables which are grown to 
 sell. I make this emphatic distinction between vegetables grown 
 for the table and those raised to sell, for the reason that where 
 there is no kitchen garden, and it is the custom to take vegetables 
 for the table (it is not always that this is done, and when it is not 
 the family go without) from farm or market garden crops, as a 
 rule the table is very poorl3- supplied ; for the moment a crop 
 is scarce and brings a good price in the market it is immediatelj' 
 shut off from the raiser's table. But have a separate garden for 
 your table, and do not allow any vegetables whatever to be sold 
 from it, and you will find that you can enjoy green peas the 
 17th of June, and celery and cauliflowers at Thanksgiving. 
 
 A garden containing one acre, and even less space, will amply 
 supply ten persons with all the luxuries of the .season ; therefore 
 let us take one acre as a basis for the garden we will now con- 
 sider. Each family can easily plan the size of the garden suited 
 to its needs, by taking this estimate for ten persons as a basis, 
 and planting more or less as they may require. 
 
 In order to cultivate vegetables in a satisfactory way, proper 
 attention must be given to the preparation of the soil. Having 
 selected the location, the first step is to see that the ground is 
 properly drained, so that all surplus and stagnant water which 
 may accumulate can pass away freely. After this is effected the 
 ground should be trenched or ploughed as deep as the nature of 
 
the soil will adtnit and thoroughly enriched with plentj' of good barn- 
 yard manure. Vegetables can be raised with more or less success 
 on soils of various degrees of richness, but taking the average 
 piece of ground, if from five to teu cords of good barnyard 
 manure is spread broadcast and harrowed in, in the fall, and 
 in the spring from five hundred to a thousand pounds of some 
 good chemical fertilizer is dropped in the rows at the time of 
 planting, there is no reason why a good vegetable garden cannot 
 be had. 
 
 A very important point iu forming a good garden is to so 
 arrange the planting of the different vegetables, both by a judi- 
 cious selection of sorts, and also bj' planting the varieties selected 
 at the proper times, as to secure a succession of the different 
 kinds for the table throughout the season, and not a dozen varie- 
 ties all together when it is impossible to use more than three 
 or four ; or on the other hand having a time come when there 
 is no vegetable whatever fit for the table. Let us now suppose 
 that we have prepared a garden of one acre for planting, and that 
 it is the first of April. 
 
 Suppose the piece to be oblong in shape, say 100 feet wide by 
 436 feet long, which, divided into rows, will give 109 rows, each 
 row (that is, the surface upon which the seeds or plants will 
 be placed) one foot wide and 100 feet long, with three feet 
 between each row, which is ample space for horse cultivation. 
 
 I will now mention the varieties of vegetables suitable for the 
 kitchen garden, with short hints for their culture, and at the same 
 time state the number of rows of each vegetable, which should 
 be planted to supply a family of ten persons for one year in an 
 average season. Please remember that our rows are each 100 
 feet long. 
 
 The Beet. The soil best suited to the beet is a deep, light 
 and rich sandy loam. Early beets should be sown from the 10th 
 to the 20th of April, or as soon as the ground is in good working 
 condition. As soon as the plants are well up they should be 
 thinned to from four to six inches apart. July 1, or perhaps a little 
 earlier, is the proper time to plant for the winter crop ; the plants 
 maj' be left a little closer together, say from two to three inches 
 apart, as, the weather being warmer, they will grow as well at this 
 season as the early ones sown iu April do thinned to six inches 
 apart. Cover the seed one inch deep. The Early Bastian and 
 
Dewing's Early Turnip are the standards for both early and late 
 crops. The Earh- Dark Red Egyptian and the New Eclipse beets 
 are both good varieties for the first early supply, but for winter 
 use no beet has ever yet been produced equal to the Dewing. 
 
 Beet-tops make most excellent greens, being ver3' tender, and 
 when cooked are preferred bj- many to dandelions or spinach. 
 , The Swiss chard, or Silver beet, is grown entirely for the tops, 
 and it is a very desirable variety to grow for this purpose, for, as 
 soon as the tops are gathered, they immediatel}' spring up again, 
 and keep growing the entire season without regard to the number 
 of times they are cut down, and on this account it is only neces- 
 sary to plant a small quantity of this species to supply a large 
 family. Let us have half a row of beets for greens and the rest 
 of this row for our first early supply of the roots ; say either 
 Eclipse or Egyptian, and for winter use plant one row of 
 Dewings. 
 
 The Carrot. A good, light and well-enriched sandy loam, 
 which is very finelj* pulverized, will grow carrots to perfection. 
 For early crops, cover one-half of an inch deep and thin to six 
 inches apart in the row ; for late, cover three-quarters of an inch 
 deep and thin to four inches. The earliest is the French Forcing ; 
 this is a little round carrot of delicious flavor, and very early. 
 Tiie Early Scarlet Horn is the next in order — a very fine-grained 
 and agreeably flavored vegetable. A good strain of Dauvers 
 Half LoDg is best for general use. Unless an extra quantity 
 is needed, half a row will be found sufficient for flavoring the 
 winter soups and stews. 
 
 The P.\rsnip. Parsnips must be sown as soon as possible 
 in the spring. They should be planted in rows, and when well 
 up thinned out to sis inches apart. Cultivate in the usual manner 
 during the summer, and when fully grown gather and store the 
 same as a.n\ root for winter use. 
 
 Parsnips are improved b3^ frost, and it is a usual custom to take 
 up in the fall a certain quantity for winter use, leaving the rest 
 in the ground until spring, to be dug as required. 
 
 The Long Smooth White is the favorite for general use. The 
 roots are long and smooth, and it is verj' productive and a most 
 excellent keeper. Two rows will give us a good yield, for which 
 purpose one-quarter of a pound of seed is wanted. 
 
 The Potato. No garden can be said to be complete without 
 
6 
 
 its patcli of potatoes. As regards the cultivation of the potato I 
 will say ver3- little, as it is a subject by itself; but potatoes are 
 usually planted in drills by dropping the pieces of the cut tubers 
 about ten or twelve inches apart. 
 
 Cultivation should commence as soon the youug plants are 
 fairly above the surface of the ground, and continued until the 
 appearance of the blossoms, when no further attention will be 
 required until harvesting time. At each successive hoeing gather 
 the earth about the plants, adding a little each time for support, 
 and also to develop the side shoots. When the bugs arrive use 
 Paris green ; one or two ai)plications will destroj' them. I con- 
 sider the following varieties the best for general cultivation, and 
 in the order named : Beauty of Hebron, Early Rose, Clark's 
 No. 1 and Pearl of Savoy. The Snowflake potato is without doubt 
 one of the mealiest and best, as far as its edible qualities go, but 
 it is such a shj- yielder that I cannot recommend it highly, 
 although I have grown it eonsiderablj- myself. Potatoes have 
 grown ver^- poorly the past season, and the yield has been very 
 small, as they have rotted badly in all parts of New England, and 
 the result is that thej' are very high in price. The potato which 
 yielded the best with me (and I may saj' that it was entirely free 
 from rot) was Bliss's Triumph, and it is a most excellent eating 
 potato ; but as this is the first year I have grown it I do not know 
 much about it ; yet knowing it to be a variety that has been 
 in themarket a long time and is well liked, I think we cannot do 
 better than to grow some of them. I certainlj' shall do so, for, if I 
 can iind a potato that will be free from rot, that is the potato for 
 me to raise. A family of ten persons will consume 50 bushels 
 of potatoes in a year, and, as a good average yield is 150 bushels 
 per acre, it is necessary that one-third of our garden be devoted 
 to this crop. 
 
 The Radish. The radish will thrive in any good soil, but to 
 be crisp and tender needs to be grown quickly. Sow in drills 
 as soon as the ground is in good working order, and thin out the 
 plants to three inches apart. If a continuous supply is wanted 
 throughout the season, make sowings every ten days to two 
 weeks. The French Breakfast and Early Long Scarlet are both 
 excellent sorts. Half a row, planted at intervals, will be found 
 sufficient. 
 
 The Turnip. Tlie turnip is propagated from seed and should 
 
be planted where the plants are to remain, as thej' do not do well 
 when transplanted. For earlj' crops sow as soon as the ground 
 can be made ready in the spring, and thin out to from four to eight 
 inches apart according to the size of the variety. The principal 
 difficulty in planting turnips is that of getting them so thick that 
 it makes a groat deal of trouble in thinning. The Swede turnip 
 is plautetl later — about June 1 — while the Purple Top varieties may 
 be planted either early or late, and as late as August 15, a good 
 crop may be secured. The Sweet German turnip is a very 
 desirable sort for winter, as is also Carter's Imperial Swede; the 
 former is white, and the latter yellow. These turnips should be 
 planted from the 10th to the 20th of June for the best results. 
 The .Sweet German turnip is commonly known as the Cape 
 turnip, and is raised extensively on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 
 Do not fail to have a plentiful supply of this most excellent 
 vegetable for winter use. At least three rows of turnips of the 
 different varieties should be planted. From tiie 1st to the 15th of 
 August a great mau^- of our earl^y vegetables have been gathered 
 and the ground is clear ; if we plant in these places the Purple 
 Top turnip we shall be able to secure a good crop for fall and 
 winter use without any great amount of labor. 
 
 Onions from Seed. To raise onions from seed it is necessary 
 that the seed should be planted as soou as the ground is in fit 
 condition to work in the spring. Plant in rows, and when well 
 up thin to four inches apart. The onions must be thoroughly 
 cultivated during the growing season, and be kept entirely free 
 from weeds. 
 
 There are white, redj and yellow onions ; but the yellow ones 
 are the favorites in this section. For New England, the Yellow 
 Globe Danvers onion is the standard. If onions are not strictly 
 fashionable eating, they are at least good, so I think we shall do 
 well to plant three or four rows of them. 
 
 Onions from Sets. Sets are small onions which produce large 
 onions for salads or for the table much earlier than they could 
 be grown from seed. They should be set out about the middle 
 of April, and covered three inches deep. When the tops have 
 died, about the middle of July, the onions should be gathered and 
 spread thinly in a cool, dry place. Sets are especially desirable 
 for small gardens, and for those who wish a few early onions for 
 salads. There are white, yellow, and red onion sets, but the 
 
white oues are by far the best, being of excellent qualit}- and 
 niilcl flavor. As we want only a few of these early onions before 
 those grown from seed are ready, suppose we set out half a row 
 of sets, and, as these small onions can be set near together, let us 
 make the row a foot wide and set the bulbs four inches apart, 
 therebj' having a row of three sets wide. For this purpose two 
 quarts of sets are needed. 
 
 AsPAUAGUS. Asparagus is a hardy perennial plant. It may 
 be grown from seed or propagated b^' roots. If grown from seed 
 it will take four years before a good crop can be gathered, after 
 which time a full supply ma\' be expected every season. But the 
 most satisfactory waj' to establisli an asparagus bed is b}' plant- 
 ing two-year-old roots. These may be purchased at very reason- 
 able rates. These roots should be planted in rows from three 
 to four feet apart, the roots being set one foot apart in the rows, 
 and for depth set the roots so that the crowns shall be from four 
 to six inches below the surface of the ground. 
 
 These roots should be set out in the spring. They can be set 
 in the fall, but the spring is the preferable time. It will take 
 two years to obtain a good asparagus bed, if two-year-old roots 
 are used, for the first season after the roots arc set out it is not 
 desirable to cut any asparagus from the bed, as the plants need 
 to be given time to become thoroughly established ; but in four 
 years from the seed, or in two years from the setting of two-year- 
 old roots, a good asparagus bed can be established. As regards 
 the varieties of asparagus, Conover's Colossal and Moore's Hybrid 
 are both good, but the secret of growing "giant" asparagus lies 
 in the manure iieap. As we all like asparagus, let us have three 
 rows of it in our garden, which will taka about 400 plants. 
 
 The Cucumber. Cucumbers in the open ground should be 
 plante^l about .Tune 1, in hills six feet apart and thinned to four 
 plants in a hill. Cucumbers are easy to grow if they are given 
 plenty of water. A sprinkling of dry plaster will keep off the 
 striped bug. 
 
 The Improved White Spine and Long Green Prickly are the best 
 for the table, while the Boston Pickling is the leading kind for 
 pickles. A dozen hills will supplj' the needful amount of the 
 table sorts, but as regards the pickles each famiiN- must plant 
 according to its needs. 
 
The Muskmelon. There is something about every vegetable 
 tliat makes one think when it comes that it is more desirable than 
 any of its predecessors, and I always feel so when I commence 
 to gather that most delicious fruit, the cantelope melon. The 
 cantelope melon is one of the muskmelon famih', and is too well 
 known to need an}- long description. I will simply say that it 
 should not be planted until the ground is warm, as it is almost 
 as tender as the squash. Plant in hills, and thin out to three or 
 four plants in each hill. When the plants liave made four leaves, 
 the ends of the main shoot should be pinched off, which will cause 
 the lateral branches to put forth sooner than otherwise. This 
 will strengthen the growth of the vines, and the fruit will come 
 earlier to maturity. The Arlington, Montreal, and Haekensack, 
 are, I think, three as good cantelope melons as grow. Half a 
 row, or about fifteen hills, will give a good supply. 
 
 The Watermelon. AYatermelons are cultivated the same as 
 muskmelons, but are not grown in this section with equal success, 
 as our seasons are not long enougli for them to attain to that 
 perfection which they reach further south. But it will not take 
 much room to tr}- a few hills ; so, if our watermelons are not suc- 
 cessful, it need be no great loss to us. The Mountain Sweet, 
 Vick's Early, and Phinney's Early Oval are good sorts. 
 
 The Squash. The squash is one of our tender annuals, and 
 until all danger from frost is passed it should not be planted, 
 as, owing to the tender nature of the plant, the seed is liable 
 to rot in damp, cool weather. Make the hills eight or nine feet 
 apart, and thoroughly manure them. Place seven or eight seeds 
 in each hill so as to have plenty for the bugs, but as soon as the 
 plants are well up thin out to three plants in each hill. 
 
 The bush varieties, such as Summer Crookneck and White 
 Bush Scallop, can be planted nearer together, say six feet apart 
 each way. Press the seeds down firmly before covering, and 
 cover early planted ones an inch deep, and late ones two inches 
 deep. Fine plaster is about as good an article as has 3'et been 
 found for driving away the bugs. Plant Early Summer Crook- 
 neck and White Bush Scallop for summer use, Boston Marrow 
 for fall, and Hubbard, Essex Hybrid, and American Turban for 
 winter. Be sure and gather the crop before it is nipped by frost, 
 if you wish your squashes to keep well. A dozen hills of the 
 
10 
 
 Slimmer kinds will be euough, but quite a quantity of the fall and 
 winter sorts should be planted — say five or six rows. 
 
 The Cabbage. As far as the cultivation of the cabbage is 
 concerned, as pertaining to the kitchen garden, it is about as well 
 to buy a few plants and set them out when the suitable time 
 comes, as it is to try to raise them, unless one has some hot- 
 beds or desires to raise the plants for the pleasure of so doing. 
 For early use the seed should be sown in the hot-bed or a box in 
 a snnnj' window about February loth, covering the seed about half 
 an inch deep. The plants will be readj- to set in the garden 
 about the 20th of April, before which time they should be trans- 
 planted at least twice to make good stocky plants of them. Set 
 the plants from two to three feet apart each way, according to 
 the variety, and cultivate often. A good crop of winter cabbages 
 can be raised by sowing the seed in the open ground from the 
 10th to the 20th of June ; drop a few seeds in each hill, and when 
 the plants are well up thin them out, leaving them about three 
 feet apart. 
 
 The Early Jersey Wakefield, and Henderson's Early Summer 
 are good for early use, while Fottler's Brunswick and Stone 
 Mason Drumhead are standards for fall and winter. Half a row 
 of the early varieties will be found sufficient, and as to the late 
 sorts, I usually plant quite a quantity, as there will be plent}' 
 of room for them after the pea crop has been gathered and cleared 
 away. 
 
 The Cauliflower. Although the cauliflower is more adapted 
 for growth by the experienced market gardener than it is b}' the 
 amateur, j'et there is no reason why a corner of our garden 
 cannot be devoted to this most excellent vegetable, and good 
 cauliflowers grown. The plants are set out and cultivated the 
 same as cabbages, and should be transplanted at least twice 
 before they are set where they are to remain, so that they may 
 become good and stocky, thereby having sufficient vitality to 
 commence at once a good growth. You can raise your own 
 plants by sowing some seed in a box in a window or in the hot- 
 bed, or, at the proper season, plants can be purchased and set 
 out. The Early Snowball and Dwarf Erfurt are both desirable 
 sorts. Let us set at least a row, which will take say seventy-five 
 plants. 
 
 Celery. Celery is also a market gardener's crop, but is easily 
 
11 
 
 grown ill the garden. The jdants should be raised the same as 
 cabbage or cauliflower plants, and set out in rows in the open 
 ground from tJie loth of June to the first of Jul}'. As the roots 
 grow the earth is drawn up against the plants to bleach them, 
 and this is continued at intervals until the crop is ready to gather. 
 The Boston Market has been the popular varietj' for a great many 
 years, and is so still ; the Early Ailington is a good variety, and 
 grows somewhat larger, but I would like to call your attention 
 particularlj' to some of the crimson celeries, which have this 
 advantage : that in the spring, when the Boston Market celery, 
 and, for that matter, all white celeries, have become soft and lost 
 their aroma, the pink celeries are just as good as when gathered 
 in the fall. The new Dwarf Kose is a very desirable variety. 
 Grow some pink celery next season, and I know it will please 
 you. 
 
 One hundred plants will set one of our rows, as the plants 
 should be about twelve inches apart. As celery usually follows 
 some early crop, suppose we set two rows, as there will be plenty 
 of room when it is time to plant this crop. 
 
 Lettuce. Lettuce is a favorite with us all, and in its differ- 
 ent varieties furnishes the best vegetable of the salad kind grown 
 in the open garden. It requires to be cultivated in a moist soil 
 to be crisp and tender, and needs to be grown in cool weather ; 
 and it is for this reason that the best lettuce is raised early in the 
 spring or summer, before the ground becomes diy and hot. The 
 seeds should be planted in rows, and covered a quarter of an inch 
 deep. When the plants are well up, they should be thinned to 
 twelve inches apart; if plants are used, set them the same dis- 
 tance apart. For New England, the Black Seeded Teuuisball, 
 for solid heads, and the Boston Fine Curled, for a curled lettuce, 
 are both desirable varieties. There are innumerable other varie- 
 ties of lettuce, but the two mentioned are good sorts. Half a 
 row of lettuce will be found sufficient for our needs. 
 
 Pole, or Running Beans. Pole beans, as a class, are not 
 very hard}', and cannot be planted until settled mild weather. 
 From May 20 until .June 1 — perhaps a little earlier in some sec- 
 tions — is about the right time. Pole beans are planted in bills, 
 which should be at least four feet apart each way, and the plants 
 in each hill should not be more than five, as it is necessary that 
 these beans should have plenty of air and light to do their best. 
 
12 
 
 The poles must be firmly set in the ground before the beans are 
 planted, and the earth slightl}' raised about them ; the seed should 
 be covered two inches deep. 
 
 If the ends of the runners of some of the later sorts are pinched 
 off when they have reached four or five feet in height, it will 
 hasten their ripening. Limas and Sievas, being very tender, 
 should not be planted before the ground is very warm and mellow 
 — say about June 1. One quart of pole beans will jilaut about 
 1.50 hills. The Large White Lima, Sieva or Small Lima, and 
 Pole Horticultural, are tlie best shell beans, while the Black Wax 
 Pole or Indian Chief is an excellent snap or string beau. It has 
 been my custom to grow the pole varieties for shell beans, and 
 to depend upon the bush sorts for snap beans, as the dwarf kinds 
 are far superior to the pole varieties as far as string beans are 
 concerned. One row of pole beans will be found sufficient for 
 our wants, and suppose we divide this row between the Limas 
 and Pole Horticultural. 
 
 Bush, or Dwarf Beans. Bush beans are somewhat hardier 
 than pole beans, but they should not be planted until the weather 
 becomes settled. All beans do best iu warm, light soil, but will 
 flourish in almost any soil or situation unless it be shaded or very 
 wet. Plant in drills, from three to three and a half feet apart, 
 and cover the same depth as for pole beans ; one quart of seed 
 will plant about one hundred and twenty-five feet of row. 
 
 The Early Yellow Six Weeks and Dwarf Horticultural are the 
 best gi een-podded string or snap kinds ; and for yellow varieties 
 the Golden, White, and Black Wax take the lead. We must 
 arrange for a bountiful supply of string beans for our table, so 
 let us plant two rows and divide them in some such way as 
 this : Half a row of Early Yellow Six Weeks and half a row 
 of Golden Wax, planted say May 20; then wait until June 10 
 and plant another half-row of Golden Wax and half a row of 
 Dwarf Horticultural, which last named variety, if not needed as a 
 snap bean, can be allowed to ripen and become a most excellent 
 shell bean ; in fact, one of the best. 
 
 Peas. Peas are eaten bj- every one, and are so much liked that 
 they are almost always placed first upon the list of vegetables 
 to be planted in the family garden, and it is almost impossible to 
 grow too many of them. To have a good succession of peas for 
 the table from the 17th of June until the middle of JUI3' or the 
 
13 
 
 first of August, or perhaps even later thau this, it is necessary 
 to make several plantings and to use quite a number of varieties, — 
 early, medium, and late. If the peas planted grow over two feet 
 in height they must be bushed ; as, if they are not, they will fall 
 over on one side or the other, and not only will the peas on the 
 under side of the vines be apt to mildew, but the yield will not 
 be so great as if they are properly staked up and the air and 
 sunlight can have free access to them ; and the garden will not 
 look neat and tidy if pea vines are indiscriminately left to drop 
 into the spaces between the rows. 
 
 For first early, the Dan O'Rourke and First and Best are as 
 good as any. For second early, American Wonder, McLean's 
 Advancer and Yorkshire Hero will be found excellent. For the 
 general crop, the Champion of England, Carter's Stratagem, and 
 Bliss's Ever-Bearing seem to take the lead. The Dan O'Rourke 
 and First and Best are hard, smooth, white peas, and can be 
 planted just as early in the spring as the ground can be made 
 ready ; but with the green, wrinkled varieties, such as American 
 Wonder, McLean's Advancer, Champion of England, etc., it is 
 different, as these green, wrinkled kinds are more tender and 
 must not be planted until the ground is warm and mellow. For 
 this reason hard, smooth peas, so-called, can be obtained fit for 
 the table somewhat earlier than the green, wrinkled varieties, 
 because they can be planted earlier. It is better to plant more 
 peas than one needs than it is to run short of this most excellent 
 vegetable when the season is only partly gone. I have mentioned 
 only a few varieties but they are all good ones, and will be sure 
 to give the most perfect satisfaction. 
 
 Suppose we plant in our garden six rows of peas, and do it in 
 the following manner : As soon as the ground can be worked, 
 sa3' from April 8 to 12, sow a row of Dan O'Rourke. These peas 
 will be ready for the table June 17, and will last in a green condi- 
 tion until June 25 or 26. A little later than the above were 
 planted, say April 20, plant a row of First and Best, which can 
 be picked from June 25 until July 1 or 2. American Wonder 
 will then be ready, if planted about April 24 or 25, and so in 
 order will come McLean's Advancer, Yorkshire Hero, and Cham- 
 pion of England. A point comes to my mind here, which one is 
 not apt to think of in arranging the dates for planting vegetables 
 for succession, and that is that as the season advances and 
 
u 
 
 becomes warmer, peas, and in fact all kinds of vegetables, grow 
 faster and overtake one another, so to speak, and the dates of 
 planting the different sorts become lost, and all the varieties 
 seem to ripen together. For example, five days in the date of 
 planting peas in April will make about five days difference in 
 harvesting in June. But five days in the date of planting ]>eas in 
 May, will not apparently make any difference in their ripening 
 in July. Of course I refer to the same variety each time. 
 
 Sweet Cohn. If there is one vegetable that everj'body grows, 
 I think it is sweet corn. It is ready for the table at a time 
 when the early summer vegetables are nearly gone, and those 
 of autumn are not quite read^'. This is especially so with 
 reference to sweet corn grown in the average kitchen garden, as 
 corn grown in this manner is from two weeks to a month later 
 than corn grown by a market gardener. If this crop is planted 
 in hills, they should be made three feet apart ; but I prefer to 
 plant in rows without making any hills, simply thinning the 
 plants to about eight inches apart, therebj' getting a larger yield 
 tlian if planted in hills. 
 
 The Early Corey and Early Crosby are two good early varieties. 
 Then come Potter's Excelsior, Moore's Early Concord, and 
 Stowell's Evergreen. There are varieties later than Stowell's 
 Evergreen, but it is not always possible to ripen them in this 
 section. A good way to obtain a continuous suppl}- of this vege- 
 table is to select some good variety and make plantings every two 
 weeks, from the 20th of Maj' until the 1st of July, and by so doing 
 a supplj' can be obtained covering a longer period than if several 
 different varieties are planted at the same time ; for, as the 
 season becomes advanced, it seems as if all the varieties became 
 fit to use together. Be sure and plant enougji to have a bountiful 
 supply throughout the season. At least eight rows should be 
 devoted to sweet corn. 
 
 The Tomato. Tomato plants should be set out in rows about 
 June 1. Their cultivation is very simple. Set them six to eight 
 feet apart, make the ground very rich, and keep them free from 
 weeds ; this seems to be about all that is required. Just before 
 frost take up the vines with all the earth that can be made to 
 adhere to the roots, and place them in the cellar, and what toma- 
 toes have not been picked (that are fully grown) will ripen. I 
 have seen perfect ripe tomatoes, of most excellent quality, on the 
 
15 
 
 table at Thauksgiviug, which were ripeued iu this way. The 
 favoiite varieties are the Acme, Livingston's Perfection, Cardinal, 
 Essex Hybrid, and Emery. There are so many good tomatoes 
 that it is hard to make a selection ; but any one who plants any 
 of the above kinds will be perfectly satisfied. We shall need to 
 set out three or four dozen plants in order to have a good supply 
 all summer ; and if these plants are set eight feet apart in the 
 rows our tomatoes will take about two rows of our garden space. 
 
 Other Vegetables. The above list includes most varieties 
 usually cultivated in the kitchen garden, but there are several 
 others which are equally good ; yet I will not speak of them at any 
 great length, as I have already referred to the cultivation of 
 several vegetables which are cultivated in the same manner as the 
 following: Curled Cress or Peppergrass, Dandelion, Parsley, 
 Spinach, Egg-plant, and Pumpkin ; the first four sorts are planted 
 in rows, and, having been thinned out to the proper distances, 
 are most easily grown, and a great addition to any garden. It 
 is, perhaps, the best plan to purchase your pepper plants, as a 
 dozen is about all that is needed. I think the squash pepper 
 is the best varietj- to grow. A few hills of the small sugar pump- 
 kin will give a good supply for the pumpkin pies. 
 
 I have not forgotten the odd things, so to speak, such as Arti- 
 chokes, Chervil, Endive, Leek, Brussels Sprouts, etc. ; but any one 
 wishing to grow them will find plenty of publications describing 
 their culture. 
 
 Press f'/ Geo. S. Crosby d Co., 38^ iVashinsflon St., Boston. 
 

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