Esesay by J). X. Hall, before the Kansas State Horticultural Society.

OF the first importance in the cultivation of vegetables, either for market or home consumption, is a suitable Soil and Location.

Without a suitable location - that is, one with warm exposures, and naturally or artificially well drained - no soil, however good, will produce early vegetables; and unless the soil is suitable - that is, deep, friable, and at least moderately rich - we cannot produce good ones. To receive the best results, then, it is indispensable that the spot selected for the vegetable garden shall be early land; that is, with a southern or southeastern exposure, level or gently rolling, and well drained naturally or artificially; and that the top soil shall be neither " clayey," nor " sandy," but rich and deep, with a sub-soil of sufficient porosity to admit of waters passing off freely and rapidly, without washing.

Next in order to the location of the garden and of nearly if not quite equal importance, is a thorough Preparation of the Soil, Sowing seeds of vegetables, or transplanting plants of them in shallow-plowed, unma-nured, or weedy land, is time, money and labor thrown away. The best and most experienced gardeners, both amateur and commercial, agree that ordinary land cannot be put in condition to raise the best crops of vegetables, with less than three years' careful preparation; and my own experience has fully demonstrated the truth of this assertion. But by careful and systematic working, fair crops may be realized the first year.

Proper preparation of the soil for growing vegetables consists in heavy manuring and deep and thorough pulverization. Manure liberally applied is an important, nay, an indispensable, element of success. Vegetables to be good must be grown quickly, and to be remunerative the land must be closely planted, and liberal manuring will produce not only heavy crops, but a rapid growth, and early maturity. But manure must be not only liberally but judiciously applied; it must be incorporated with the soil, and in such a condition as to be of immediate use as plant food. To prepare a spot of ground for garden operations, therefore, decomposed manure, or compost, should be liberally applied, and the ground plowed from eight to fourteen inches deep, early in the fall, and if practicable, cross-plowed later in the season. In the spring another dressing of fine manure should be applied, dragged in, and the ground again thoroughly plowed and harrowed.

For this last dressing of manure may be substituted - at the time of sowing the seed or setting out the plants - an application of the concentrated or commercial manures, such as guano, raw bone, superphosphates, bone dust, etc., applied to the hill or row. This is equally good for the current crop, and where the ground is not in the best condition, better, as the fertilizing qualities are in shape for immediate use as plant, food. It is not, however, of as much permanent value to the land. Having selected the location and put the ground in proper condition, the next thing in order is the best method of