104 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Practical Notes on Vegetable Growing 



N. BUTTER BACH 



THE essentials for success in vegetable growing are : 

 proper irrigation, deep culture, heavy manuring, 

 and seed with good germinating power. When 

 you are provided with these requirements you are well 

 established for a productive vegetable garden. In the 

 cultural notes I describe the treatment in growing which 

 I have found most satisfactory in my territory. Climatic 

 conditions may vary the date of plantings a little. The 

 North may find our planting time to be a little early, 

 while the South will find it late, but the general treat- 

 ment varies little. Care should be exercized in careful 

 selection of varieties for early and late planting. Such 

 selections can be made by referring to catalogs of respon- 

 sible seedsmen. 



LETTUCE. — For the earliest lettuce sow seed in hotbeds or 

 greenhouse middle of February, transplant in cold frame or light, 

 airy house, and plant outdoors as soon as frost is out of the 

 ground a foot apart. They want very rich soil and sufficient 

 moisture, as the quality of lettuce depends on crispness, and this 

 can only be obtained by quickness of growth. For later crops 

 seed is sown in rows and thinned out a foot apart. For winter 

 lettuce to be protected or in cold frames middle of September is 

 about the best time to sow. The transplanted plants always do 

 better except in warm weather, when it is better the plants remain 

 where sown and thinned out. 



CABB.AGE. — Seed can be sown in September and transplanted 

 in cold frames when the plants are about five inches high. They 

 ought to be aired freely during Winter and planted in the open 

 as soon as the frost is out of the ground. But where greenhouses 

 are handy it is hardly worth while to go to this trouble. Early 

 Jersey Wakefield is generally used for this purpose. If the seed 

 is sown early in February the plants are ready to be planted the 

 latter part of March or the first part of April. Cabbage deinands 

 heavy manuring and in addition a coinplete fertilizer and a high 

 culture. Cabbage likes new soil. 



CELERY. — Celery seed may be sown in open borders in the 

 latter part of March or early part of April. Or for early use in 

 February in greenhouse or frame and transplanted in flats. It is 

 very slow to germinate and moisture is essential for its germina- 

 tion. Celery is naturally hardy and likes cool weather. The 

 young plants inust be kept clear of weeds and watered if nec- 

 essary. If a growth of 7 to 8 inches has been made, the tops 

 ought to be cut back a couple of inches to strengthen the roots 

 and expose the heart of the plant to the sun. If only a small 

 quantity is needed it will pay to transplant from the seed bed to 

 an intermediate bed before planting. The soil can not be made 

 too rich, and a heavy coat of manure should be piowed under be- 

 fore planting, also abundant water should be on hand. July is 

 usually the inonth for fall and winter celery. The proper dis- 

 tance between rows is Syi to 4 feet if the plants are lifted for 

 winter storage, otherwise they are jjlanted in double rows froin 

 10 to 12 inches apart with 6 to 8 feet intervals between, so as to 

 have all the soil needed for winter covering. Celery can also be 

 planted in closely set beds, say 6x8 inches. With a very rich 

 soil and abundant fertilizer and water supply celery can then be 

 blanched through the dense shade resulting from the rapid 

 growth. Boards are also used with this method. Celery should 

 be constantly cultivated. Loose soil ought to be packed around 

 the spreading leaves to encourage a compact growth. A light 

 furrow thrown up with a plow will bleach dwarf varieties. For 

 late winter varieties the spade and shovel ought to be used for 

 banking. Celery is very hardy, and a little frost won't injure it. 

 Celery that has been lifted from its place of growth is inore liable 

 to decay than that with roots undisturbed. 



MELONS. — Melons need a fertile, warm soil, with plenty of 

 humus. Hotbed or compost soil is very suitable. It takes 100 

 days from the day of planting until the titne of ripening. Water- 

 melons take 30 to 40 days more. Three to four years old seed set 

 earlier and better than new seed. For early melons seed sown in 

 a hotbed or greenhouse will advance the plants froin two to three 

 weeks. They are sown in pots or on pieces of sod and transplant- 

 ed in the open ground in May. Well rotted manure in the hills 

 is very beneficial. Frotn 7 to 10 seeds are planted in a hill and 

 later thinned out to three plants. The hills ought to be not less 

 than 4x6 feet apart. After the plants attain the height of 6 

 .inches they ought to be cut back to two eyes or leaves, and after 



the side branches attain 14 to 16 inches they can be reduced to 

 about a foot to encourage branching. After the setting of fruit, 

 the branch is pinched two leaves above the fruit, and continue to 

 pinch in the saine way until the fruit is ripe. Pinching will 

 hasten the maturity and also increase the size of fruit. 



CUCUMBERS. — Cucumbers need rhe same treatment as 

 melons, except for the pinching, and four plants in a hill instead 

 of three. 



PEAS. — Peas ought to be sown as soon as the ground can be 

 worked in Spring in rows 2^4 feet apart for the dwarf varieties 

 and 3 to 4 feet for the taller or brush varieties. They are plant- 

 ed in succession from March to June and for late crop in August. 



BE.\NS. — Beans are treated similar to peas, only they are not 

 as hardy. The first planting is made in May, and a planting every 

 two weeks until September. 



CAULIFLOWER. — Cauliflower like rich soil and a great deal 

 of moisture. The soil ought not to be warm, but at least a foot 

 of top soil is required. They need light and sun, but not too 

 strong a sunlight. A place where it will get the morning sun is 

 very well adapted. In dry weather they need to be watered 

 frequently. Manure water will be a great help, in fact there is 

 nothing better. Constant cultivation is necessary to prevent any 

 check during its period of growth. It is a good idea to tie the 

 leaves with a string over the fleshy flower buds to preserve their 

 ivor.v whiteness. For early planting the seed ought to be sown 

 not later than the middle of February in a hotbed or greenhouse. 

 The young plants must be transplanted in an airy house or cold 

 frame, and planted in the open in April, or as soon as the weather 

 permits it. Cauliflowers which are not ready to cut before frost 

 sets in ought to be trenched in a cold frame and covered with 

 mats, etc., and thev will mature properly. 



BRUSSELS SPROUTS.— Brussels sprouts are in reality 

 among the best of vegetables. They like a deep mellow ground, 

 and ought to be sown in April or May in the open, in rows where 

 the plants remain. Transplanting tends to make them leggy. The 

 jilants should be 2^2 feet apart and 18 inches in the row. The 

 ground ought to be manured the previous year. No manure 

 should be plowed under in time of planting. Sandy soil should 

 be avoided and top growth should be discouraged, as a stocky 

 plant is desirable. Sprouts are very hardy, and they can be win- 

 tered over with little protection. 



EGG PLANTS. — Egg plants are sown in hotbeds or green- 

 houses in March and transplanted in 3-inch pots. When the pots 

 are filled with roots they are repotted in 5-inch pots. They are 

 l)lanted in open ground when all danger from frost is over. Egg 

 p ants won't make much growth until the hottest months of mid- 

 summer. They need a good supply of water to make a quick 

 growth and without interruption. Planting should be 3 x 3 in a 

 rich inellow soil and protected from potato beetle. 



TOM.ATOES. — Tomatoes for early planting may be sown in 

 March under glass, and for later in the open in May. If sown 

 under glass they are treated the same as egg plants and planted 

 in the open ground in May 4 .x 4. In the vegetable garden some 

 kind of frame, stake or trellis should be used. 



ONIONS. — The best soil for onions is a rich loam. Plowing 

 should be done in the Fall, and a heavy coat of inanure should 

 be plowed in. The groimd should be well pulverized in the 

 Spring with a disk harrow, and if chicken manure is available a 

 good sprinkling will be beneficial. The seed should be sown in 

 hotbeds or greenhouse the last part of February or first part of 

 March in rows 4 to 5 inches apart and transplanted as soon as 

 they can be handled. They should be planted in the open in 

 .\pril 6 inches apart and 14 "to 16 inches between the rows. Con- 

 stant cultivation is necessary to keep the weeds down and the 

 surface loose. A top dressing of nitrate of soda two weeks after 

 planting will be found very beneficial Onions can also be sown 

 outdoors in April in rows and thinned out. 



BEETS. — Beets need a light and very right soil to grow tender 

 roots. Sow with a drill an inch deep. The plants ought to be 

 thinned out, for early use 5 inches, and for later 3 inches, as the 

 former will mature more quickly than the latter, and should be 

 continued until the latter part of July. They can be sown as soon 

 as the frost is out of the ground. Swiss chard is a beet and 

 should be cultivated the same as beets. 



SPINACH. — Spinach is the easiest cultivated crop. The first 

 sowing should be made as soon as the frost is out of the ground, 

 and later from August until October. August sown crop is fit 

 for winter use when protected, and October sown is for spring 

 use. New Zealand Spinach is a good substitute for real spinach, 

 and can be used all Summer when real spinach can't be had. 



