460 



GARDE^^ERS' CHROMCLE 



the level or in trenches, plant in lines four to six inches 

 apart or more, depending upon the depth of soil available 

 for furrewing up. Celery can be well taken care of in 

 its own trenches all ^^'inter or moved into cellars in 

 lines of sand. \\'hile in the open, celery keeps in most 

 cases its own nutty flavor at its best, it is of course, far 

 more convenient to get at in the cellars during the long 

 and cold Winter months. With two feet of soil overhead, 

 more or less depending on the latitude of the locality, and 

 plenty of good leaves and manure it will keep well. This 

 method, however, requires much labor. 



Leeks can be grown beside celery and placed in trenches 

 like them. As they are quite hardy they can be left out- 

 doors all Winter with little protection. 



As a rule, potatoes are planted on the farm and not in 

 the vegetable garden proper. They require a lot of room 

 and would take up a good sized garden to hold enough 

 for an average family, but if a few early ones are desired, 

 they may be planted in the garden about the end of April 

 or May in lines two and a half feet apart and eighteen 

 inches between seeds. When scab is prevalent, soak the 

 seeds in formaldehyde, one to twenty parts of water. The 

 seeds like free and friable soil. Old pasture land broken 

 up is the best. Use fertilizer if necessary ; spray well, and 

 often cultivate until foliage meets. This is a standard 

 vegetable and deserves every care and attention to obtain 

 a good clean crop. 



Melons, although not classed as a vegetable, deserve a 

 prominent position in the garden. Locate a well drained 

 spot with full sun exposure. Sow seeds about ten inches 

 apart, in boxes twelve inches square. Cover with glass 

 and ventilate as a greenhouse. \\'hen plumule appears 

 then take out all but three plants. Let the foliage grow 

 to fill the box ; harden oiif and remove the box. ^Melons 

 have many pests which we strive hard to get rid iif. The 

 best resistant to disease is to keep the plants healthy and 

 growing. Thorough cultivation is essential. Apply liquid 

 cow manure or any fertilizer with good judgment 

 throughout the growing season. Pinch the shoots be- 

 yond a flower bud at the limit of the space permitted. 

 Water when necessary — a fountain sprinkler is good in 

 the long cool evenings. Dust dry powder as Hellebore or 

 Shot after rain if aphis are troublesome or any other eat- 

 ing insects. Spray arsenate of lead if beetles should 

 appear after fruit is set, but be very careful in this opera- 

 tion as this fruit is edible. Should rust appear on the 

 foliage spray with a w-eak Bordeaux mixture. Apply it, 

 say once a week, until all effects of it disappear and the 

 plants regain their normal health. 



Cucumbers require about the same treatment as melons. 

 Cucumbers and melons should be grown far apart to pre- 

 vent fertilization with one another, as they are of the same 

 order and the sourness of the cucumber will soon spoil 

 the sweet taste of the melon. 



Lettuce is a favorite salad, and there are many good 

 varieties to choose from, either cabbage or cos. They like 

 cool treatment whether forced or grown outdoors. If 

 sown or planted in a light rich soil and partially shaded 

 in hot weather, they will succeed well. The cos varieties 

 should be tied up before maturity of grovi'th so as to 

 blanch the heart like celery. Sow at intervals, and with 

 the assistance of the greenhouse, lettuce may be had all 

 the year 'round. 



Pole beans require a rich soil, well exposed to the sun, 

 so that free circulation of air surrounds each pole. A 

 great drawback is a damp atm(is])here, in fact, it is often 

 a cause of failure with beans. Set up poles securely in 

 the allotted space, whether farm or garden, four feet by 

 four feet, in lines. Plant eight or ten seeds to a pole ; 

 ihiu nut later to three seedlings; train vines up the poles; 



feed and water judiciously, and cultivate until the crop 

 is harvested. 



Dwarf beans may be grown in the garden in lines two 

 feet apart, and three inches between the seeds. If sown 

 thinly, plants thrive better. Continue sowing every two 

 weeks until August. 



Cauliflower seeds should be sown earh- in a gentle heat, 

 potted into three-inch pots when the third leaf appears, 

 or when the seedlings are about three or four inches long. 

 Harden oft' gradually and plant in a good position to get 

 the first batch oft" before hot weather sets in. Later sow- 

 ings can be made in cold frames or outdoors to furnish 

 cauliflower in the Fall right up to frost. Plant in lines 

 three feet apart and two inches between. Water well and 

 if the flower is shaded from sun and heavy rains, it will 

 attain a perfect specimen of purity and size. Tie the 

 leaves together, which will act as a good protection. 

 Cauliflowers deserve good care for they are among the 

 most delicious vegetables in the Brassica family. 



Brussels sprouts may be treated about the same as 

 cauliflower. They must be sown early indoors as they 

 need a long season to reach maturity. Pot up ; gradually 

 harden oft'; plant outdoors in April or May in lines three 

 feet by two feet apart ; stake the plants firmly ; feed and 

 water \\ell, and cuhivate often. As the sprouts are hardy 

 the plants can be left outdoors unprotected until used on 

 the table. 



Squash was the leading vegetable in the war gardens, 

 everybody had squash. The Hubbard and Delicious 

 seemed to be the popular varieties grown. Sow eight or 

 ten seeds to a hill ; thin out to three or four when ready ; 

 place screens over hills to prevent attacks of insects while 

 leaves are small and tender. This delicious vegetable will 

 grow almost anywhere. It is a gross feeder and can be 

 fed mechanically on milk. Squash has a good vine to 

 cover over an undesirable place, and its foliage alone 

 makes a great attraction at least for the Summer and Fall 

 and until frost. 



Parsnips are hardy and will stand the outdoors all Win- 

 ter, but .should have some slight protection in extreme zero 

 weather. If grown for exhibition, unusual methods of 

 culture may be adopted, such as digging holes in lines in 

 a good position in the garden, three or four feet deep, 

 with a crowbar. Fill up the hole with ver\- good soil ; sow 

 seed on the surface of the hole ; thin out to one plant. 

 Good soil will produce long and perfect shaped roots. In 

 ordinary treatment sow the lines two feet apart, and thin 

 out accordingly. Give good care all season. 



Onions prefer a rather stift', hard soil, but will do well 

 in any ordinary garden soil, providing they get plenty of 

 food, as they are gross feeders. To grow the large onions 

 or exhibition kind, sow seeds in gentle heat in January or 

 February ; keep them growing along, potting and repot- 

 ting. Gradually harden oft', and plant outdoors at the first 

 opportunity. Sow outdoors in lines twelve inches apart, 

 or broadcast in beds, but lines are preferable as cultivation 

 is easier. \\'eed them bv hand and thin out with good 

 judgment; water when necessary; feed often and cultivate 

 well The harvest crop is ready in .\ugust or September. 

 Let the bulbs ripen good and keep in a cool, airy ]ilace, 

 but do not allow them to freeze. 



Egg plants may be sown indoors in a gentle heat and 

 pottecf in six-inch ])ots in a good compost of soil, three- 

 quarters soil to one-quarter decomposed manure. Grow 

 indoors until Mny, and harden oft' gradually. They should 

 not be planted outdoors before the fifth of June. They 

 thrive very well in a newly starteil grapery, as they like 

 heat and moisture, but cannot stand the cold. When the 

 nights are warm and when they receive no check, they 

 will fruit an<l grow luxuriantly. 



