Home Vegetable Gardening
A Complete &
Practical Guide To The Planting & Care Of Vegetables,
Fruits & Berries
Part Two: Vegetables — Chapter
11:
The Vegetables and Their Special Needs
The garden
vegetables may be considered in three groups, in each
of which the various varieties are given somewhat similar
treatment: the root crops, such as beets and carrots; the leaf
crops, such as cabbage and lettuce; the fruit crops, such as
melons and tomatoes.
Root Crops
Under
the first section we will
consider:
Beet
Carrot
Kohlrabi
Leek
Onion
Parsnip
Potato Salsify
Turnip
Any of these may be sown in April, in drills
(with the exception of potatoes) twelve to eighteen inches
apart. The soil must be  rich and finely worked, in order that the roots will
be even and smooth — in poor or ill-prepared soil they are
likely to be misshapen, or "sprangling." They must be thinned
out to the proper distances, which should be done if possible
on a cloudy day, hand-weeded as often as may be required, and
given clean and frequent cultivation. All, with the exception
of leeks and potatoes, are given level culture. All will be
greatly benefited, when about one-third grown, by a top
dressing of nitrate of soda.
Beet:
Beets do best in a rather light soil. Those for earliest use
are started under glass (as described previously) and set out
six to seven inches apart in rows a foot apart.
The first outdoor sowing is
made as soon as the soil is ready in spring, and the seed
should be put in thick, as not all will come through if bad
weather is encountered. When thinning out, the small plants
that are removed, tops and roots cooked together, make
delicious greens.
The late crop, for fall and
winter use, sow the last plan of June. For
this crop the larger varieties are used, and on rich soil will
need six to eight inches in the row and fifteen inches between
rows.
Carrot:
Carrots also like a soil that is rather on the sandy side, and
on account of the dept h to which the roots go, it should be deep and fine.
The quality will be better if the soil is not too rich. A few
for extra early use may be grown in the hotbeds or frame. If
radishes and carrots are sown together, in alternating rows
six inches apart, the former will be used by the time the
carrots need the room, and in this way a single 3 x 6 ft. sash
will yield a good supply for the home garden.
The late crop is sometimes
sown between rows of onions, skipping every third row, during
June, and left to mature when the onions are harvested; but
unless the ground is exceptionally free from weeds, the plan
is not likely to prove successful.
Kohlrabi:
While not truly a "root crop" the edible portion being a
peculiar globular enlargement of the stem — its culture is
similar, as it may be sown in drills and thinned out.
Frequently, however, it is
started in the seed-bed and transplanted, the main crop (for
market) being sown in May or June. A few of these from time to
time will prove very acceptable for the home table. They
should be used when quite young; as small as two inches being
the tenderest.
Leek: To
attain its best the leek should be started in the seed-bed,
late in April, and transplanted in late June, to the richest,
heaviest soil available. Hill up from time to time to blanch
lower part of stalk; or a few choice specimens may be had by
fitting cardboard collars around the stem and drawing the
earth up to these, not touching the stalk with earth.
Onions:
Onions for use in the green state are grown from white "sets,"
put out early in April, three to four inches apart in rows
twelve inches apart; or from seed sown the previous fall and
protected with rough manure during the winter. These will be
succeeded by the crop from "prickers" or seedlings started
 under glass in January
or February.
As onions are not transplanted before
going to the garden, sow directly in the soil rather than in
flats. It is safest to cover the bed with one-half inch to one
inch of coarse sand, and sow the seed in this. To get stocky
plants trim back twice, taking off the upper half of leaves
each time, and trim back the roots one-half to two- thirds at
the time of setting out, which may be any time after the
middle of April. These in turn will be succeeded by onions
coming from the crop sown from seed in the open.
The
above is for onions eaten raw in the green state when less
than half grown. For the main crop for bulbs, the home supply
is best grown from prickers as described above.
Prize-taker and Gibraltar are mostly used for
this purpose, growing to the size of
the large Spanish onions sold at grocery stores. For
onions to be kept for late winter and spring use, grow from
seed, sowing outdoors as early as possible.
No
vegetable needs a richer or more perfectly prepared soil than
the onion; and especial care must be taken
never to let the weeds get a start. They are gathered after
the tops dry down and wither, when they should be pulled, put
in broad rows for several days in the sun, and then spread out
flat, not more than four inches deep, under cover with plenty
of light and air. Before severe freezing store in slatted
barrels, as described in Chapter
14: Harvesting And
Storing.
Parsnip: Sow
as early as possible, in deep rich soil, but where no water
will stand during fall and winter. The seed germinates very
slowly, so the seed-bed should be very finely prepared. They
will be ready for use in the fall, but are much better after
the first frosts.
For method of keeping see Chapter
14: Harvesting And
Storing.
Potato: If
your garden is a small one, buy your main supply of potatoes
from some nearby farmer, first trying half a bushel or so to
be sure of the quality. Purchase in late September or October
when the crop is being dug and the price is low.
For an extra early
and choice supply for the home garden, start a peck or so in
early March, as follows: Select an early variety,
seed of good size and clean; cut to pieces containing one or
two eyes, and pack closely together on end in flats of coarse
sand. Give these full light and heat, and by the middle to end
of April they will have formed dense masses of roots, and
nice, strong, stocky sprouts, well leaved out. Dig out furrows
two and a half feet apart, and incorporate well rotted manure
in the bottom, with the soil covering this until the furrow is
left two to three inches deep.
Set the sprouted tubers,
pressing firmly into the soil, about twelve inches apart, and
cover in, leaving them thus three to four inches below the
surface. Keep well cultivated, give a light top dressing of
nitrate of soda — and surprise all your neighbors! This system
has not yet come extensively into use, but is practically
certain of producing excellent results.
For the main crop, if you
have room, cut good seed to one or two eyes, leaving as much
of the tuber as possible to each piece, and plant thirteen inches
apart in rows three feet apart. Cultivate deeply until the
plants are eight to ten inches high and then shallow but
frequently. As the vines begin to spread, hill up moderately,
making a broad, low ridge. Handle potato-bugs and blight as
directed in Chapter 13:
Insects And
Disease, And Methods Of Fighting Them.
For harvesting see Chapter
14: Harvesting And
Storing.
While big crops may
be grown on heavy soils, the quality will be very much better
on sandy, well drained soils. Planting on well rotted
sod, or after green manuring, such as clover or rye, will also
improve the looks and quality of the crop. Like onions, they
need a high percentage of potassium in manures or fertilizers
used; this may be given in sulphate of potassium. Avoid
planting on ground enriched with fresh barnyard manure or
immediately after a dressing of lime.
Salsify: The
"vegetable oyster," or salsify, is to my taste the most
delicious root vegetable grown. It is handled practically in
the same way as the parsnip, but needs, if possible, ground
even more carefully prepared, in order to keep the main root
from sprangling. If a fine light soil cannot be had for
planting, it will pay to hoe or hand-plow furrows where the
drills are to be — not many will be needed, and put in
specially prepared soil, in which the seed may get a good
start.
Radish:
To be of good crisp quality, it is essential with
radishes to grow them just as quickly as possible.
The soil should be rather sandy and not rich in fresh manure
or other nitrogenous fertilizers, as this tends to produce an
undesirable amount of leaves at the expense of the root. If
the ground is at all dry give a thorough wetting after
planting, which may be on the surface, as the seeds germinate
so quickly that they will be up before the soil has time to
crust over. Gypsum or land-plaster, sown on white and worked
into the soil, will improve both crop and quality.
They are easily raised under glass, in autumn or
spring in frames, requiring only forty to fifty degrees at
night. It is well to plant in the hotbed, after a
crop of lettuce. Or sow as a double crop, as suggested under
Carrots.
For outside crops, sow every
ten days or two weeks.
Turnip:
While turnips will thrive well on almost any soil, the quality
— which is somewhat questionable at the best — will be much
better on sandy or even gravelly soil. Avoid fresh manures as
much as possible, as the turnip is especially susceptible to
scab and worms.
They are best when quite
small and for the home table a
succession of sowing, only a few at a time, will give the best
results.
Leaf Crops
Under leaf crops are
considered also those of which the stalk or the flower heads
form the edible portion, such as celery and cauliflower.
Asparagus
Brussels
Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Endive
Kale
Lettuce
Parsley
Rhubarb
Spinach
The quality of all these will
depend largely upon growing them rapidly and without check
from the seed-bed to the table. They are all great
nitrogen-consumers and therefore take kindly to liberal
supplies of yard manure, which is high in nitrogen.
For celery the manure is best applied to some
preceding crop, such as early cabbage. The others
will take it "straight." Most of these plants are best started
under glass or in the seed-bed and transplanted later to
permanent positions. They will all be helped greatly by a
top-dressing of nitrate of soda, worked into the soil as soon
as they have become established. This, if it fails to produce
the dark green healthy growth characteristic of its presence,
should be followed by a second application after two or three
weeks — care being taken, of course, to use it with reason and
restraint, as directed in Chapter 6:
Manures, Fertilizers And
Mulching.
Another method of
growing good
cabbages and similar plants, where the ground is not
sufficiently rich to carry the crop through, is to "manure in
the hill," either yard or some concentrated manure being
used. If yard manure, incorporate a good forkful with
the soil where each plant is to go. (If any considerable
number are being set, it will of course be covered in a furrow
— first being trampled down, with the plow). Another way, sure
of producing results, and not inconvenient for a few hundred
plants, is to mark out the piece, dig out with a spade or hoe
a hole some five inches deep at each mark, dilute poultry
manure in an old pail until about the consistency of thick
mud, and put a little less than half a trowel full in each
hole.
Mix with the soil and cover, marking the spot
with the back of the hoe, and then set the plants. By this
method, followed by a top-dressing of nitrate of soda, I have
repeatedly grown fine cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and
sprouts. Cotton-seed meal is also very valuable for manuring
in the hill-about a handful to a plant, as it is rich in
nitrogen and rapidly decomposes.
The cabbage group is
sometimes hilled up, but if set well down and frequently
cultivated, on most soils this will not be necessary.
They all do best in very deep, moderately heavy soil, heavily
manured and rather moist. An application of lime some time
before planting will be a beneficial precaution. With this
group rotation also is almost imperative.
The most troublesome
enemies attacking these plants are: the flea-beetle, the
cabbage-worm, the cabbage-maggot (root) and "club-root";
directions for fighting all of which will be found in the
following chapter.
Asparagus:
Asparagus is rightly esteemed one of the very best spring
vegetables. There is a general misconception, however — due to
the old methods of growing it — concerning the difficulty of
having a home supply. As now cared for, it is one of the
easiest of all vegetables to grow, when once the beds are set
and brought to bearing condition. Nor is it difficult to make
the bed, and the only reason why asparagus is not more
universally found in the home garden, beside that mentioned
above, is because one has to wait a year for results.
In selecting a spot
for the asparagus bed, pick out the earliest and best drained
soil available, even if quite sandy it will do well.
Plow or dig out trenches three feet apart and sixteen to
twenty inches deep. In the bottoms of these tramp down firmly
six to eight inches of old, thoroughly rotted manure. Cover
with six to eight inches of good soil — not that coming from
the bottom of the trench — and on this set the crowns or
root-clumps — preferably one-year ones — being careful to
spread the roots out evenly, and covering with enough soil to
hold in position, making them firm in the soil.
The
roots are set one foot apart. Then fill in level, thus leaving
the crowns four to six inches below the surface. As the stalks
appear give a light dressing of nitrate of soda and keep the
crop cleanly cultivated. (Lettuce, beets, beans or any of the
small garden vegetables may be grown between the asparagus
rows during the first part of the season, for the first two
years, thus getting some immediate return from labor and
manure). The stalks should not be cut until the second
spring after planting and then only very lightly.
After that full crops may be had.
After the
first season, besides keeping cleanly cultivated at all times,
in the fall clear off and burn all tops and weeds and apply a
good coating of manure. Dig or lightly cultivate this
in the spring, applying al so a dressing of nitrate of soda, as soon as the
stalks appear. If the yield is not heavy, give a dressing of
bone or of the basic fertilizers mentioned earlier. It is not
difficult to grow plants from seed, but is generally more
satisfactory to get the roots from some reliable seed
store.
Broccoli: The broccoli makes a
flower head as does the cauliflower. It is, however, inferior
in quality and is not grown to any extent where the latter
will succeed. It has the one advantage of being hardier and
thus can be grown where the cauliflower is too uncertain to
make its culture worth while. For culture directions see
Cauliflower.
Brussels Sprouts: In my
opinion this vegetable leaves the cabbage almost as far behind
as the cauliflower does. It is, if anything, more easily grown
than cabbage, except that the young plants do not seem able to
stand quite so much cold. When mature, however, it seems to
stand almost any amount of freezing, and it is greatly
improved by a few smart frosts, although it is very good when
succeeding the spring crop of cauliflower. It takes longer to
mature than either cabbage or
cauliflower.
Cabbage: Cabbage is one
of the few vegetables which may be had in almost as good
quality from the green-grocer as it can be grown at home, and
as it takes up considerable space, it may often be advisable
to omit the late sorts from the home garden if space is
very limited. The early supply, however, should come from the
garden — some people think it
should stay there, but I do not agree with them. Properly
cooked it is a very delicious vegetable.
What has already been said
covers largely the conditions for successful culture. The soil
should be of the richest and deepest, and well dressed with
lime.
Lettuce is
grown with advantage between the rows of early cabbage, and
after both are harvested the ground is used for celery. The
early varieties may be set as closely as eighteen inches in
the row, and twenty-four between rows. The lettuce is taken
out before the row is needed.
The late crop is started in
the outside seed-bed about June 1st to 15th. It will help give
better plants to cut back the tops once or twice during
growth, and an occasional good soaking in dry weather will
prove very beneficial. They are set in the field during July,
and as it often is very dry at this time, those extra
precautions mentioned in directions for setting out plants, in
the preceding chapter, should be taken. If the newly set
plants are dusted with wood ashes, it will be a wise
precaution against insect pests.
Cauliflower:
The cauliflower is easily the queen of the cabbage group: also
it is the most difficult to raise.
(1) It is
the most tender and should not be set out quite so early.
(2) It is
even a ranker feeder than the cabbage, and just before heading
up will be greatly improved by applications of liquid
manure.
(3) It must
have water, and unless the soil is a naturally damp one,
irrigation, either by turning the hose on between the rows, or
directly around the plants, must be given — two or three times
should be sufficient.
(4) The
heads must be protected from the sun. This is accomplished by
tying up the points of leaves, so as to form a tent, or
breaking them (snap the mid-rib only), and folding them down
over the flower.
(5) They
must be used as soon as ready, for they deteriorate very
quickly. Take them while the head is still solid and firm,
before the little flower tips begin to open out.
Celery: This
is another favorite vegetable which has a bad reputation to
live down. They used to plant it at the bottom of a
twelve-inch trench and spend all kinds of unnecessary labor
over it. It can be grown perfectly well on the level and in
the average home garden.
As to soil, celery
prefers a moist one, but it must be well drained. The
home
supply can, however, be grown in the ordinary garden,
especially if water may be had in case of injurious
drought.
For the early crop the best
sorts are the White Plume and Golden Self-blanching. Seed is
sown in the last part of February or first part of March. The
seed is very fine and the greatest pains must be taken to give
the best possible treatment. The seed should be pressed into
the soil and barely covered with very light soil — half sifted
leaf-mold or moss. Never let the boxes dry out, and as soon as
the third or fourth leaf comes, transplant; cut back the
outside leaves, and set as deeply as possible without covering
the crown. The roots also, if long, should be cut
back. This trimming of leaves and roots should be
given at each transplanting, thus assuring a short stocky
growth.
Culture of the early crop,
after setting out, is easier than that for the winter crop.
There are two systems:
(1) The
plants are set in rows three or four feet apart, six inches in
the row, and blanched, either by drawing up the earth in a
hill and working it in about the stalks with the fingers (this
operation is termed "handling"), or else by the use of boards
laid on edge along the rows, on either side.
(2) The
other method is called the "new celery culture," and in it the
plants are set in beds eight inches apart each way (ten or
twelve inches for large varieties), the idea being to make the
tops of the plants supply the shade for the blanching. This
method has two disadvantages: it requires extra heavy manuring
and preparation of soil, and plenty of moisture; and even with
this aid the stalks never attain the size of those grown in
rows. The early crop should be ready in August. The
quality is never so good as that of the later
crops.
For the main or winter crop,
sow the seed about April 1st. The same extra care must be taken as
in sowing under glass. In hot, dry weather, shade the beds;
never let them dry out. Transplant to second bed as soon as
large enough to develop root system, before setting in the
permanent position.
When setting in late June or
July, be sure to put the plants in up to the hearts, not over,
and set firmly. Give level clean culture until about August
15th, when, with the hoe, wheel hoe or cultivator, earth
should be drawn up along the rows, followed by "handling." The
plants for early use are trenched (see Chapter
14: Harvesting And Storing),
but that left for late use must be banked up, which is done by
making the hills higher still, by the use of the spade. For
further treatment see Chapter
14: Harvesting And
Storing.
Care must be taken not to
perform any work in the celery patch while the plants are
wet.
Corn salad or
Fetticus: This salad plant
is not largely grown. It is planted about the middle of April
and given the same treatment as spinach.
Chicory:
This also is little grown. The Witloof, a kind now being used,
is however much more desirable. Sow in drills, thin to five or
six inches, and in August or September, earth up, as with
early celery, to blanch the stalks, which are used for salads,
or boiled. Cut-back roots, planted in boxes of sand placed in
a moderately warm dark place and watered, send up a growth of
tender leaves, making a fine salad.
Chervil:
Curled chervil is grown the same as parsley and used for
garnishing or seasoning. The root variety resembles the
stump-rooted carrot, the quality being improved by frost. Sow
in April or September. Treat like parsnip.
Chives:
Leaves are used for imparting an onion flavor. A clump of
roots set put will last many years.
Cress:
Another salad little grown in the home garden. To many,
however, its spicy, pungent flavor is particularly pleasing.
It is easily grown, but should be planted frequently--about
every two weeks. Sow in drills, twelve to fourteen inches
apart. Its only special requirement is moisture. Water is not
necessary, but if a bed can be started in some clean stream or
pool, it will take care of itself.
Upland cress or "pepper
grass" grows in ordinary garden soil, being one of the very
first salads. Sow in April, in drills twelve or fourteen
inches apart. It grows so rapidly that it may be had in five
or six weeks. Sow frequently for succession, as it runs to
seed very quickly.
Chard: See
Spinach.
Dandelion: This is an
excellent "greens," but as the crop is not ready until second
season from planting it is not grown as much as it should be.
Sow the seed in April--very shallow. It is well to put in with
it a few lettuce or turnip seed to mark the rows. Drills
should be one foot apart, and plants thinned to eight to
twelve inches.
The quality is infinitely
superior to the wild dandelion and may be still further
improved by blanching. If one is content to take a small crop,
a cutting may be made in the fall, the same season as the
sowing.
Endive: This
salad vegetable is best for fall use. Sow in June or July, in
drills eighteen to twenty-four inches apart, and thin to ten
to twelve inches. To be fit for use it must be blanched,
either by tying up with raffia in a loose bunch, or by placing
two wide boards in an inverted V shape over the rows; and in
either case be sure the leaves are dry when doing this.
Kale: Kale
is a non-heading member of the cabbage group, used as greens,
both in spring and winter. It is improved by frost, but even
then is a little tough and heavy. Its chief merit lies in the
fact that it is easily had when greens of the better sorts are
hard to get, as it may be left out and cut as needed during
winter--even from under snow.
The fall crop is given the
same treatment as late cabbage. Siberian kale is sown in
September and wintered-over like spinach.
Lettuce:
Lettuce is grown in larger quantities than all the other salad
plants put together. By the use of hotbeds it may be had
practically the year round. The first sowing for the spring
under-glass crop is made in January or February. These are
handled as for the planting outside — see Chapter VIII
—but are set in the frames six to eight inches each way,
according to variety. Ventilate freely during the day when
over 55 give 45 at night. Water only when needed,
but then thoroughly, and preferably only on mornings of bright
sunny days.
The plants for first outdoor
crops are handled as already described. After April 1st
planting should be  made every two weeks. During July and August the
seed-beds must be kept shaded and moist. In August, first
sowing for fall under-glass crop is made, which can be matured
in cold frames; later sowings going into hotbeds.
In quality, I
consider the hard-heading varieties superior to the
loose-heading sorts, but of course that is a matter of
taste. The former is best for crops maturing from the
middle of June until September, the latter for early and late
sowings, as they mature more quickly. The cos type is good for
summer growing
but should be tied up to blanch well. To be at its best,
lettuce should be grown very rapidly, and the use of
top-dressings of nitrate are particularly beneficial with this
crop. The ground should be light, warm, and very rich, and
cultivation shallow but frequent.
Mushroom:
While the mushroom is not a garden crop, strictly speaking,
still it is one of the most delicious of all vegetables for
the home table, and though space does not permit a long
description of the several details of its culture, I shall try
to include all the essential points as succinctly as
possible,
(1) The place for the bed
may be found in any sheltered, dry spot — basement, shed or greenhouse — where an even temperature
of 53 to 58 degrees can be maintained and direct sunlight
excluded. (Complete darkness is not necessary; it is
frequently so considered, but only because in dark places the
temperature and moisture are apt to remain more even.)
(2) The
material is fresh horse-manure, from which the roughest of the
straw has been shaken out. This is stacked in a compact pile
and rampled-wetting down if at all dry — to induce
fermentation. This process must be repeated four or five
times, care being required never to let the heap dry out and
burn; time for re-stacking being indicated by the heap's
steaming. At the second or third turning, add about one-fifth,
in bulk, of light loam.
(3) When the
heat of the pile no longer rises above 100 to 125 degrees (as
indicated by a thermometer) put into the beds, tramping or
beating very firmly, until about ten inches deep. When the
temperature recedes to 90 degrees, put in the spawn. Each
brick will make a dozen or so pieces. Put these in three
inches deep, and twelve by nine inches apart, covering
lightly. Then beat down the surface evenly.
After eight
days, cover with two inches of light loam, firmly compacted.
This may be covered with a layer of straw or other light
material to help maintain an even degree of moisture, but
should be removed as soon as the mushrooms begin to
appear. Water only when the soil is very dry; better
if water is warmed to about 60 degrees. When
gathering never leave stems in the bed as they are likely to
breed maggots. The crop should appear in six to eight weeks
after spawning the bed.
Parsley:
This very easily grown little plant
should have at least a row or two in
the seed-bed devoted to it. For use during winter, a box or a
few pots may be filled with cut-back roots and given moderate
temperature and moisture. If no frames are on hand, the plants
usually will do well in a sunny window.
Parsley seed is particularly
slow in germinating. Use a few seeds of turnip or carrot to
indicate the rows, and have the bed very finely prepared.
Rhubarb:
This is another of the standard vegetables which no home
garden should be without. For the bed pick out a spot where the
roots can stay without interfering with the plowing and
working of the garden--next the asparagus bed, if in a good
early location, will be as good as any. One short row will
supply a large family. The bed is set either with roots or
young plants, the former being the usual method.
The ground should first be
made as deep and rich as possible. If poor, dig out the rows,
which should be four or five feet apart, to a depth of two
feet or more and work in a foot of good manure, refilling with
the best of the soil excavated. Set the roots about four feet
apart in the row, the crowns being about four inches below the
surface. No stalks should be cut the first season; after that
they will bear abundantly many years.
In starting from seed, sow in
March in frames or outside in April; when well along-about the
first of June--set out in rows, eighteen by twelve inches. By
the following April they will be ready for their permanent
position.
Manuring in the fall, as with
asparagus, to be worked in the spring, is necessary for good
results. I know of no crop which so quickly responds to
liberal dressings of nitrate of soda, applied first just as
growth starts in the spring. The seed stalks should be broken
off as fast as they appear, until late in the season.
Sea-Kale:
When better known in this country, sea-kale will be given a
place beside the asparagus and rhubarb, for, like them, it may
be used year after year. Many believe it superior in quality
to either asparagus or cauliflower.
It is grown from either seed
or pieces of the root, the former method, being probably the
more satisfactory. Sow in April, in drills fourteen inches
apart, thinning to five or six.
Transplant in the following
spring as described for rhubarb--but setting three feet apart
each way. In the fall, after the leaves have fallen — and
every succeeding fall — cover each crown with a shovelful of
clean sand and then about eighteen inches of earth, dug out
from between the rows. This is to blanch the spring growth.
After cutting, shovel off the earth and sand and enrich with
manure for the following season's growth.
Spinach: For
the first spring crop of this good and wholesome vegetable,
the seed is sown in September, and carried over with a
protection of hay or other rough litter. Crops for summer and
fall are sown in successive plantings from April on,
Long-Standing being the best sort to sow after about May 15th.
Seed of the New Zealand spinach should be soaked several hours
in hot water, before being planted.
For the home garden,
I believe that the Swiss chard beet is destined to be more
popular, as it becomes known, than any of the
spinaches. It is sown in plantings from April on, but will
yield leaves all season long; they are cut close to the soil,
and in an almost incredibly short time the roots have thrown
up a new crop, the amount taken during the season being
wonderful.
Spinach wants a strong and
very rich soil, and dressings of nitrate show good
results.
The Fruit Crops
Under this heading are
included:
Bean,
dwarf Bean,
pole
Corn
Peas
Cucumber
Egg-plant
Melon, musk Melon,
water
Okra
Pepper
Pumpkins
Squash
Tomato
Most of these vegetables
differ from both the preceding groups in two important ways.
First of all, the soil should not be made too rich, especially
in nitrogenous manures, such as strong fresh yard-manure;
although light dressings of nitrate of soda are often of great
help in giving them a quick start — as when setting out in the
field. Second, they are warm-weather loving plants, and
nothing is gained by attempting to sow or set out the plants
until all danger from late frosts is over, and the ground is
well warmed up. (Peas, of course, are an exception to this
rule, and to some extent the early beans.) Third, they require
much more room and are grown for the most part in hills.
Light, warm, "quick," sandy
to gravelly soils, and old, fine, well rotted manure — applied
generally in the hill besides that plowed under, make the best
combination for results. Such special hills are prepared by
marking off, digging out the soil to the depth of eight to ten
inches, and eighteen inches to two feet square, and
incorporating several forkfuls of the compost. A little
guano, or better still cottonseed meal, say 1/2 to 1 gill of
the former, or a gill of the latter, mixed with the compost
when putting into the hill, will also be very good. Hills to
be planted early should be raised an inch or two above the
surface, unless they are upon sloping ground.
The greatest
difficulty in raising all the vine fruits — melons, etc. — is
in successfully combating their insect enemies — the
striped beetle, the borer and the flat, black "stink-bug,"
being the worst of these. Remedies will be suggested in the
next chapter. But for the home garden, where only a few hills
of each will be required, by far the easiest and the only sure
way of fighting them will be by protecting with bottomless
boxes, large enough to cover the hills, and covered with
mosquito netting, or better, "plant-protecting cloth," which
has the additional merit of giving the hills an early
start.
These boxes may be easily made of one-half by
eight-inch boards, or from ordinary cracker-boxes, such as
used for making flats. Plants so protected in the earlier
stages of growth will usually either not be attacked, or will,
with the assistance of the remedies described in the following
chapter, be able to withstand the insect's visits.
Beans,
dwarf: Beans are one of the most widely liked of all
garden vegetables —
and one of the most easily grown. They are very particular
about only one thing — not to have a heavy wet soil. The dwarf
or bush sorts are planted in double or single drills, eighteen
to twenty-four inches apart, and for the first sowing not much
over an inch deep.
Later plantings should go in
two to three inches deep, according to soil. Ashes or some
good mixed fertilizer high in potassium, applied and well
mixed in at time of planting, will be very useful.
As the plants gain size they
should be slightly hilled — to help hold the stalks up firmly.
Never work over or pick from the plants while they are wet.
The dwarf limas should not be planted until ten to fourteen
days later than the early sorts. Be sure to put them in
edgeways, with the eye down, and when there is no prospect of
immediate rain, or the whole planting is fairly sure to be
lost.
Beans, pole:
The pole varieties should not go in until about the time for
the limas. Plant in specially prepared hills (see above) ten
to twenty seeds, and when well up thin, leaving three to five.
Poles are best set when preparing the hills. A great
improvement over the old-fashioned pole is made by nailing
building laths firmly across 2 x 3-in. posts seven or eight
feet high (see illustration). To secure extra early pods on
the poles pinch back the vines at five feet high.
Corn: For
extra early ears, corn may easily be started on sod, as
directed for cucumbers. Be sure, however, not to get into the
open until danger from frost is over — usually at least
ten days after it is safe for the first planting, which is
seldom made before May 1st. Frequent, shallow cultivation is a
prime necessity in growing this crop. When well up, thin to
four stalks to a hill — usually five to seven kernels being
planted. A slight hilling when the tassels appear will be
advisable. Plant frequently for succession crops.
The last sowing may be made
as late as the first part of July if the seed is well firmed
in, to assure immediate germination. Sweet corn for
the garden is
frequently planted in drills, about three feet apart, and
thinning to ten to twelve inches.
 Cucumber: This universal
favorite is easily grown if the striped beetle is held at bay.
For the earliest fruits start on sod in the frames: Cut out
sods four to six inches square, where the grass indicates rich
soil. Pack close together in the frame, grass side down, and
push seven or eight seeds into each, firmly enough to be held
in place, covering with about one and a half inches of light
soil; water thoroughly and protect with glass or cloth, taking
care to ventilate, as
described in Chapter
8: Starting The Plants. Set
out in prepared hills after danger of frost is
over.
Outside crop is planted directly in the hills,
using a dozen or more seeds and thinning to three or
four.
Egg-plant: The egg-plant is
always started under glass, for the Northern States, and
should be twice transplanted, the second time into pots, to be
of the best size when put out. This should not be until after
tomatoes are set, as it is perhaps the tenderest of all garden
vegetables as regards heat. The soil should be very rich and
as moist as can be selected. If dry, irrigating will be
necessary. This should not be delayed until the growth becomes
stunted, as sudden growth then induced is likely to cause the
fruit to crack.
Watch for potato-bugs
on your egg-plants. They seem to draw these
troublesome beetles as a magnet does iron filings, and I have
seen plants practically ruined by them in one day. As they
seem to know there will not be time to eat the whole fruit
they take pains to eat into the stems. The only sure remedy is
to knock them off with a piece of shingle into a pan of water
and kerosene.
Egg-plants are easily burned by Paris
green, and that standard remedy cannot be so effectively used
as on other crops; hellebore or arsenate of lead is good. As
the season of growth is very limited, it is advisable, besides
having the plants as well developed as possible when set out,
to give a quick start with cotton-seed meal or nitrate, and
liquid manure later is useful, as they are gross feeders. The
fruits are ready to eat from the size of a turkey egg to
complete development.
Melon, musk:
The culture of this delicious vegetable is almost identical
with that of the cucumber. If anything it is more particular
about having light soil. If put in soil at all heavy, at the
time of preparing the hill, add sand and leaf-mold to the
compost, the hills made at least three feet square, and
slightly raised. This method is also of use in planting the
other vine crops.
Melon,
Water: In the warm Southern States watermelons may be
grown cheaply, and they are so readily  shipped that in the small home gardens it will
not pay to grow them, for they take up more space than any
other vegetable, with the exception of winter squash. The one
advantage of growing
them, where there is room, is that better quality than that
usually to be bought may be obtained. Give them the hottest
spot in the garden and a sandy quick soil. Use a variety
recommended for your particular climate.
Give the same
culture as for musk melon, except that the hill should be at
least six to ten feet apart each way. By planting near the
edge of the garden, and pinching back the vines, room may be
saved and the ripening up of the crop made more certain.
Okra:
Although the okra makes a very strong plant-and incidentally
is one of the most ornamental of all garden vegetables — the
seed is quickly rotted by wet or cold. Sow not earlier than
May 25th, in warm soil, planting thinly in drills, about one
and a half inches deep, and thinning to a foot or so;
cultivate as with corn in drills. All pods not used for soup
or stems during summer may be dried and used in winter.
Peas: With
care in making successive sowings, peas may be had during a
long season. The earliest, smooth varieties are planted in
drills twelve to eighteen inches apart, early in April. These
are, however, of very inferior quality compared to the
wrinkled sorts, which may now be had practically as early as
the others. With the market gardener, the
difference of a few days in the maturing of the crop is of a
great deal more importance than the quality, but for the home
garden the opposite
is true.
Another method of planting
the dwarf-growing kinds is to make beds of four rows, six to
eight inches apart, with a two-foot alley between beds. The
tall-growing sorts must be supported by brush or in other
ways; and are put about four feet apart in double rows, six
inches apart. The early varieties if sown in August will
usually mature a good fall crop. The early plantings should be
made in light, dry soil and but one inch deep; the later ones
in deep loam. In neither case should the ground be made too
rich, especially in nitrogen; and it should not be wet when
the seed is planted.
Pepper: A
dozen pepper plants will give abundance of pods for the
average family. The varieties have been greatly improved
within recent years in the quality of mildness.
The culture recommended for
egg-plant is applicable also to the pepper. The main
difference is that, although the pepper is very tender when
young, the crop maturing in the autumn will not be i njured by considerable
frost.
Pumpkin: The
"sugar" or "pie" varieties of the pumpkin are the only ones
used in garden
culture, and these only where there is plenty of ground for
all other purposes. The culture is the same as that for late
squashes, which follows.
Squash: For
the earliest squash the bush varieties of Scallop are used; to
be followed by the summer Crookneck and other summer
varieties, best among which are the Fordhook and Delicata. For
all, hills should be prepared as described at the beginning of
this section and in addition it is well to mix with manure a
shovelful of coal ashes, used to keep away the borer, to the
attack of which the squash is particularly liable. The
cultivation is the same as that used for melons or cucumbers,
except that the hills for the winter sorts must be at least
eight feet apart and they are often put twelve.
Tomato: For
the earliest crop, tomatoes are started about March 1st.
They should be twice transplanted, and for best
results the second transplanting should be put into
pots — or into the frames, setting six to eight inches
each way. They are not set out until danger of frost
is over, and the ground should not be too rich; old manure
used in the hill, with a dressing of nitrate at setting out,
or a few days after, will give them a good start. According to
variety, they are set three to five feet apart — four feet,
where staking or trellising is given, as it should always be
in garden
culture, will be as much as the largest-growing plants
require. It will pay well, both for quality and quantity of
fruit, to keep most of the suckers cut or rubbed off. The
ripening of a few fruits may be hastened by tying paper bags
over the bunches, or by picking and ripening on a board in the
hot sun. For ripening fruit after frost see Chapter
14: Harvesting And
Storing.
A sharp watch should be kept
for the large green tomato-worm, which is almost exactly the
color of the foliage. His presence may first be noticed by
fruit and leaves eaten.
Hand-picking is the best
remedy. Protection must be made against the cutworm in
localities where he works.
All the above, of course,
will be considered in connection with the tabulated
information as to dates, depths and distances for sowing,
quantities, etc., given in the table in Chapter 6:
Manures, Fertilizers And Mulching,
and is supplemented by the information about insects, diseases
and harvesting given in Chapter 13:
Insects And
Disease, And Methods Of Fighting Them
and Chapter
14: Harvesting And Storing,
and especially in the Chapter on Varieties which follows, and
which is given separately from the present chapter in order
that the reader may the more readily make out a list, when
planning his garden or making up his order sheet for the seed
store.
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