VEGETABLES. 215 



VEGETABLES. 



J. A. SAXPSOX, EXCELSIOR. 



Having^ followed g-ardeuing- for a number of j'ears, I can say that 

 the word "'vegetables'' interests ine whenever I hear it mentioned 

 or see it in print. I started gardening in my present location with 

 the intention of soon becoming a fruit grower to such an extent that 

 I could drop gardening with safety and rely wholly on fruit; but as 

 a mother clings fondly to the child for which she has cared, so I 

 have a fondness for the garden. 



Each season has its peculiarities; the past season's peculiarity was 

 a drought sufficient to seriously interfere with the growth of manj^ 

 varieties of vegetables, and when I say ''vegetables" I have to stop 

 and think of what that implies. There are so many good things to 

 grow in the line of vegetables, and so many varieties of each kiad, 

 that the theme is a vast one. I will begin with the first vegetable of 

 the season. 



Asparagus. — The demand for asparagus is on the increase, and 

 no garden is complete without it. It resembles green peas in flavor 

 and is eas^' to grow, in fact. after a bed is once started it is not an easy 

 matter to destroy it. I should advise planting it in one or more long 

 rows instead of a small bed, so that it can be cultivated with a horse. 

 Put the rows about four or five feet apart, and set it so that the 

 crowns are four to six inches under the ground when covered up; 

 then let it grow about two years before cutting. I cut it about two 

 inches under the ground when the stalks are about five inches high, 

 taking everything clean that is tall enough, until about the first of 

 June. Then I leave one or more stalks in each hill to grow and keep 

 life in the roots, and quit cutting about the first of Jul}-. 



Beans. — The Black Wax beau is considered a standard variety for 

 string; some like the Golden Wax, which is choice but does not keep 

 tender as long as the Black. There are several other varieties for 

 string that are good, and in some locations may be best. 



For a shell bean, I use the Butter, or Case Knife, and the German 

 Lima with good satisfaction, either of which is a pole bean. The 

 Bush Lima does not prosper well as a market bean, except that the 

 seedmen get a good har\-estout of it; which shows the demand for a 

 bush bean suited for the market as a shell bean. 



Beets. — After considerable experimenting, I have concluded that 

 the Eclipse is the best garden beet, so far. It is well to plant two or 

 three successions at intervals through the summer, so as not to be 

 out of nice tender beets of medium size. The 'Early Blood Turnip 

 beet is choice for general use. I plant with a seeder, in rows about 

 two feet apart, and thin out when large enough for greens. 



Sweet Corn. — I hardly need to eulogize sweet corn. It is a stand- 

 ard vegetable for the home garden and the market, and many a 

 farmer has sold the surplus sweet corn so as to have a profit, besides 

 having a good supply- for the home and a lot of choice fodder for the 

 cows to turn into milk and butter. The Cory and Marblehead are the 

 earliest varieties, and might be called one and the same as they are 

 so near alike. There is not much sweetness to either variety. About 

 eight days later comes the Earl}- Minnesota, a very choice early 



