40 CROP PRODUCTION 



being used for greens. The main crop should be ready 

 for use late in May or early in June, the ground being 

 cleared in time for a crop of beans or other vegetables. 

 In more southern regions the main sowing may be 

 made early in September so that the plants are well 

 grown by winter and will mature in early spring. 



Spinach has been cultivated for many hundred years. 

 It is thought to have originated from a wild plant native 

 to Asia, called Spinacia oleracea. It belongs to the Pig- 

 weed Family. This is probably the reason why it is 

 commonly attacked by a leaf -mining fly that develops in 

 our native white pigweeds. This leaf miner is the most 

 injurious insect enemy of Spinach. The infested leaves 

 show discolored blotches through which the outHnes of 

 the footless maggots are readily seen. In northern 

 regions spinach leaves that mature before the end of 

 May are generally not infested. 



Swiss Chard 



For summer and fall use at home Chard or Swiss 

 Chard is the most desirable Pot-herb. It is really a 

 beet, developed for leaves rather than roots. It is 

 sometimes called Leaf-beet. Seed sown very early in 

 spring in rich, moist soil will yield leaves large enough to 

 use by early summer and a continuous succession there- 

 after until winter. The comparatively new variety 

 called Giant LucuUus is a great improvement over the 

 older sorts. The leaves of Chard are too tender to 

 stand shipment, so they are seldom seen in the 

 markets. 



