June 1857

About the first of this month all your melons and cucumbers that have been hitherto under the protection of glasses or paper frames, may be fully exposed to the open air, having been previously and gradually inured thereto. A piece of shingle or board should be laid under each fruit of the early melons to preserve them from the damp of the earth, which would injure their flavor. Occasional refreshments of water will be necessary, but particularly to the cucumbers.

Your principal or general crops of melons and cucumbers, in the open ground, should now be kept totally free from weeds, the ground between the plants must be frequently hoed, and the earth drawn gently to the stems of the latest sown: the vines should be laid off in a neat and regular manner, and prevented from running into one another.

in a neat and regular manner, and when any of them are too luxur ant, check them by nipping off the extremities of the runners In the last week of this month sow general, crops of cucumbera and melons for pickling, which is to be done in the same manner as directed on page 382. The long oval musk-melon, and the long prister cucumber, are ingental estimation for this purpose; but the cluster cucumber, on account of its numerous bearing and small fruit, is by many preferred.

If not done before, thin your water-melons, leaving but three of the best plants in each bill, and draw the earth with a hoe up aroun the bills till the stems of the plants are covered up to the seed leaves; the ground between them must be kept perfectly free from weeds, either by hoeing, or (if cultivated on a large scale), by ploughing and harrowing in the early part of the season.

Squashes and pumpkins may be treated in the same way as di rected for water-melons; they are more hardy, and do not require so very particular attention; however, the ground must be kept loose and free from weeds, for it will be in vain otherwise to expeot profitable crops.

Your sweet potatoes must have earth drawn around the bills, to enlarge them and encourage the growth of the roots; lay. off the vines regularly, and keep the ground very clean.

The early cauliflowers will now be producing their heads abund. antly; care must be taken to break down the leaves to presorve the flowers from sun and rain, as directed on page 385 Those plants which are still advancing in growth, or part coming into Anwer, should, in very dry weather, be frequently well watored which will greatly enlarge the size of the flowers. For this purpose, draw the earth around each plant, basin-formed, to retain the rater till soaked down about the roots. Bary in dry seasons. This practice is absolutely neces i dry sever plants from lato soving, should now be plates out finally, as directed on page 329; taking oare either to snoist or oloudy weather, or to give shade and water after planting: a large cabbage leaf laid over enon plant will protect it considerably.

Take opportunity of moist or cloudy weather, and plant out a fol croD of cabbages and savovg. from the Inte soring sowings: also, of

the red pickling cabbage, allowing each kind a sufficient distance according to the nature of its growth, as directed in the former months But in gardens, where taere is no ground vacant, from other crops • or where there is a necessity of making the most of evory piece o etchen ground, you may plant the savoy and cabbage plants betwee rows of forward beans, and early cauliflowers, or such crops as stand distant, and are soon to come off the ground; observing to give each plant a little water in acdiately after planting, unless the ground is sufficiently saturated with moisture. Tou may now sow seeds of any of the early heading kinds of cabbage, such as the early York, Sugarloaf, or Battersea, to come in both. for small hearts and hard cabbages in autumn.

The early plants of either of the above kinds may now be planted out, as directed in May; the late sown crops should be thinned, and those pulled out planted in nursery-beds, four inches asunder, giving them a good watering when planted, and afterwards occasionally, till well established: here they are to remain till of sufficient strength for planting out finally.

Plant out finallysuch broccoli plants as are of sufficient size, choose for this purpose a bed of rich mellow earth, and let them be planted at the distances mentioned on pago 887. Thin the late sown crops, and plant those pulled out into nursery TOWE, to obtain strength, giving them a good watering immediately after planting. Early in the month sow some more seed for a succession orop, to produce their hende in February, &c. For particulars seo page 387.

The celery plants that have arrived to a sufficient sizo, should now be finally planted out into trenches. Choose for this purpose a piece of rich ground, in an open exposure; mark out the trenches by line, ten or twelve inches wide, and allow the space of three feet between trenon and trench, whill will be sufficient for the early plantations. Dig each trench a moderate spade deep, laying the dug out earth. of any on each side, between the trenches: lay three inches deep of very rotten dung in the botton of each trench, then paro the sides and dig the dung and parings with an inch or two of the obe alond at bottom, incorporating all well together, and put in the Previous to planting, trim the tops of the plants, by cutting off the long straggling leaves. and also the ends of their roots, leaving the former about six inches long, and the latter two.

When, however, [JuN the plants have been duly thinned and kept free from reeds the will be short and stubby, and will lift with small balls of earth i each. In this case they may be planted with a trowel and need a trimming. Let them be planted with a dibble, in single rows, along the mid ale of each trench, allowing the distance of four or five inches be tween plant and plant; as soon as planted, give them a plentif watering, and let them be shaded until they strike root, and begin t Small sticke may he placed across the trenches, and on those board or pine planks laid lengthwise; or, pino or cedar bougbs may be lai over the plants, which are to be taken off as soon as they begin t grow.

The plants when grown to the height of eight or ten inche! should have their first landing; this must be done in a dry day; the earth should be broken small and laid in gently to both sides of the plants, always taking care to leave the hearts and tops free; repeating it every ten or twelve days till they are blanched of a sufficient length for use.

Though peas sown at this time do not always succeed in bearing abundantly, yet a few, to keep up a regular succession, may be sown at two or three different times in the month, and if the season should prove somewhat moist, there will be a chance of obtaining a handsome crop. The best kinds for this season are early Frame, early Warwick, or blue Prussian. The marrow and other such are mor subject to mildew, while the above sorts are comparatively free. If the weather and ground be very dry, it will be of some use t sonk them a few hours in soft river or pond water provious to sowing otherwise water the drills and then sow them. Let those crops, if convenient, be sown in moist ground, but not in a shady place; in such a situation, the plants would draw up and be good for nothing; observe to allow plenty of room betren the rows, for at this season much depends on their having air and liberty to grow.

The asparagus now running up to seed, should be oleared fron weeds, and also your new plantations; likewise, the seedlings intende for next year's planting; for if suffered to be overrun with reeds, t • would ruin them.

Select a piece of cood gronnd for this purpose. manure and die it wit, then draw from the seed beds a suficiency of the stoutest plants trim the long fibres of the roots, and out off the tops of the leaves this done, plant them in rows a foot asunder, and six inches plan from plant in the rowg. ingerting their shanks into the earth up t their leaves; by fais moans they will grow very large, and the part inserted in the earth become white and tendor.

Transplant and sow lettuces as directed last month, on page 888. Tet this be doac in moist treather, particulariy the transplanting; for if in a great drought, the plants will not succeod well: the place must be open and fully exposed, otherwise they will start to seed before they arrive at any tolerable perfection. If you are under the necessity of planting them in dry weather, let it be done late in the afternoon, and immediately give them a plentiful watering.

Continue to sow cresses and other small salading once a week on a shady border. They should be often refreshed with water, in dry weather, and this ought to be repeated both before and after the plants appear.

Sow successive crops of kidney beans in the beginning, middle, and towards the latter end of this month, as directed on page 890; either of the dwarf or running kinds may now be planted with good success. Should the ground happen to be very dry at the time of planting, the drills ought to be well watered previous to the beans being dropped therein; this should not be omitted in dry weather, as it will greatly promote the sprouting of the seeds, and the crops will rise sooner and be more regular. Land up the rows of kidney beans planted last month, which will greatly strengthen and bring forward the plants, and place sticks or poles to the running kinds, which are now beginning to advance in growth..

Lima beans; see that all are properly supported with sticks or poles, and draw up some cart around the stems of the plants. for of the early Carolina kind may be planted about the first of page 390.

Although radishes do not generally succeed wall at this beason Ict a fow of the salmon-colored may be sown at different times tr vell. Some of the short top and 426 -

[Ju not be sown, and toward the middle or end of the month you m BoT a good orop of the-white and blacks wintor or Spanish radish, draw early in autumn.

: The crope of carrots, parsneps, and onions must no be ke clean and free from weeds; and if you observe that your onions i oline more to tops and roots, you may with a long stick gently le over their tops on one side, so as to bend them, and in a few day after, lay them back to the opposite side, which will check the ascer of the juices and cause the bulbs to swell.

The crops of beet should be kept very clean and the plants thin ned to proper distances, that they may have room to swell and large. • gros The seeds of these plants are generally sown in drills, or rows a foot or more asunder; and where that method was practised, you can now more readily clear out the weeds and thin the plants; ob serving to thin them to ten inches distance in the rows; also, wber the seed was sown broadcast, so as the plants stand promiscuously they must likewise be cut out to ten or twelve inches distance, plan from plant, and the roots will grow to a large size accordingly You may now sow succession crops of red, green, and white beet and also of the Mangel wurtzel, or root of scarcity; they will al succeed well from this sowing, but the green and white kinds are generally cultivated for their leaves (see page 203), while the last is only useful for cattle.

The advancing crops of turnips should be hoed and thinned proper distances, and this ought always to be done at an early prior of their growth. As they do not grow large at this season, six or seven inches apart will be sufficient.

tain and clear from weeds the crops of scorzonera, salanty, skire and large rooted parsley, which perform either by hand or Bal hoeing, thinning out the plants to six inches distance, and outing ap all the weeds.

Transplant endive that is now of a sufficient size; for the method, see page 89G. Sow another crop of curled endivé. to keep up a repular successio when wanted; and also some of the broad Batavian kind; this grow

very large, whitens well if tied up, and is very palatable. towards the end of the month. Sow more

Earth up them to the listances mentioned on page 34l, and keep the ground free from weeds. in the early part of this month, plant out a general crop of toma oes and egg-plant, as directed on pages 842, 395 and 896

Plant out cardoons in a bed of good earth, at the distance of four feet from one another, ovory way: they may either be planted on the lovel, or in holes made basin-form, at the above distances, preriously laying some rotten manure in each hole, and mixing the earth therewith; one good plant is suffoient in a place, as they rise to the height of three or four feet and require a considerable quantity of earth to blanch them. the tops and roots as directed for celery; and as they advance in growth, they are to be earthed up for blanching, keeping the leaves close together. These plants are a species of Cynara, or artichoke; the stalks of the leaves are used, when well blanched, in salads, soups, and for steving, &c.

In the early part of this month, you should plant out from the secd. beds full and general crops of the various kinds of capsicums, as directed on page 895.

Plant out from the seed-beds the young plants of thyme, byssop, marjoran, winter savory, ko. &c.; let this be done, if possible, in moist or cloudy weather. Prepare for that purpose some beds, three and & half feet wide, rake the surface smooth, and put in the plants in straight rows, setting them six or eight inches distant every way and water them immediately. Many of these kinds may be planted occasionally as edgings, along the sides of any particular beds or borders. All the large groving kinds of medioinal berbs, sach as angelica, lovage, do., ought to be planted a foot or eirhteen inches asunder, in proportion to their usual growth. You may yet make alips or in shady borders. cuttings of lavender. rosemary. thyme. byssop, do. and plant them