210 GARDEN GUIDE 



cession plantings can be made to maintain the supply until Summer. Sow 

 about Y2 in. deep in rows 12 to 18 in. apart, and thin to 4 in. 



New Zealand Spinach is a distinct type, its greatest charm being the 

 fact that it resists heat and grows luxuriantly during hot weather. It is of 

 branching habit, spreading 3 or 4 ft., and thrives in any good garden soil. 

 The seed is very hard and should be soaked in tepid water for several hours 

 to aid germination. When the ground has become warm in IVIay, sow in 

 rows about 3 ft. apart, covering the seed one inch and thinning to 12 to 18 

 in. in the row. Another method — and a good one — is to sow in hills 2 ft. 

 apart, leaving 2 or 3 plants in each hill. Pick off the thick, succulent leaves 

 and tender shoots, preserving the main stems; the plants will immediately 

 start out into new growth, yielding delicious greens until frost. 



Squash should be planted or started in frames, as recommended for 

 the Cucumbers and Melons already discussed. For earhest use, plant a 



CrookQeck Squash i 



few hills of SceJloped or Crookneck type of Summer variety. These may 

 be had in the bush form, thus taking up comparatively little space. There 

 are a few varieties, such as Fordhook and Delicata, which will serve for 

 both Summer and Winter use. Bush varieties may be planted in hills 

 4 or 5 ft. apart each way, while for running sorts the hills should be 7 to 8 

 ft. apart to allow for proper development. Cover the seed /^ to 1 in. deep. 

 Put 8 or 10 seeds in each hill and thin to 2 or 3 of the strongest plants. 

 If the plants are kept well dusted with tobacco or wood ashes during the 

 early stages of growth, it wiU help to discourage the appearance of the 

 insects Ukely to attack them. Success of the late or Winter varieties may 

 be made much more certain by starting them in paper pots in frames and 

 setting out. The first sign of the deadly Squash borer is Ukely to be a 

 slight wilting of the leaves on a hot, bright day. Make a thorough examina- 

 tion at once at the base of the stem, and if you find a smeJl hole from which 

 a gummy, yellowish matter has exuded, slit the thin cavity lengthwise until 

 you find the intruder. Then cover the joints of the stem with a little 

 soil; new roots wiU form and the plant wiU go on growing. 



SWISS CHARD. 



Swiss Chard, or Spinach Beet, is now used by many gardeners in pref- 

 erence to Spinach. One great advantage is that from a single planting in 



