64 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



and lettuce would be a very faulty combination. One part 

 of the area should be set aside for all similar crops. For 

 example, all root crops might be grown on one side of the 

 plot, all cabbage crops in the adjoining space, all tomato 

 and eggplant crops in the center, all corn and tall things 

 on the opposite side. Perennial crops, as asparagus and 

 rhubarb, and gardening structures, as hotbeds and frames, 

 should be on the border, where they will not interfere with 

 the plowing and tilling." ("Principles of Vegetable Gar- 

 dening," page 31.) 



Usually where large acreages are worked there is a tendency 

 to devote a greater portion of the land to one crop and some- 

 times a failure in this crop will mean ruin to the farmer, 

 whereas, where small areas are used, there is generally a 

 diversity of the higher-priced crops and a failure in one is 

 not so likely to be disastrous. 



To get the greatest production from the soil two crops can 

 be grown in the same soil at the same time one of which 

 will mature much earlier than the other, thereby giving its 

 place up just about the period of growth when the second 

 crop would need more room. This is known as companion 

 cropping. 



"In companion cropping there is a main crop and a 

 secondary crop. Ordinarily the main crop occupies the 

 middle part and later part of the season. The secondary 

 crop matures early in the season, leaving the ground free 

 for the maui crop. In some cases the same species is used for 

 both crops, as when late celery is planted between the rows 

 of early celery. 



Following are examples of some companion crops : 



Radishes with beets or carrots. The radishes can be sold 

 before the beets need the room. 



