The Fascination of Flowert [ 3 1 3 



warm location if possible, near a furnace. They require some 

 watering but need no light. 



GROWING RHUBARB 



Rhubarb will thrive under cooler conditions. A tempera- 

 ture of about 50 degrees is best; but the atmosphere should be 

 moist and the plants should not be in a draft. To provide an oc- 

 casional winter pie or breakfast fruit, dig up clumps of rhubarb 

 root in November; you can allow them to freeze under natural 

 conditions or in a freezer. Then store them in a cool place 

 and plant portions from time to time in a box of earth or sand. 

 Tender young shoots will grow from the nourishment stored up 

 in the roots. 



Young Dirt Farmers 



There is something about working with earth that is deeply 

 satisfying to boys and girls and out-of-door vegetable gardening 

 provides a splendid combination of physical exercise plus the 

 challenge of producing food from the soil. 



When space is limited, we sometimes feel it is best to "bother" 

 only with flowers. However, a small corner devoted to vegetables 

 can give youngsters a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I know 

 of two ten-year-old boys who raised radishes, lettuce, corn, string 

 beans, tomatoes, beets, and carrots in one plot just six by ten 

 feet. They were able to make substantial contributions to the table, 

 and the only help their parents gave was in the spading. 



RADISHES A FAST CROP 



Radishes are a special boon to young gardeners particu- 

 larly those with limited planting space. Some radish seeds may be 

 mixed in with seeds of other vegetables, perhaps beets and carrots, 

 for they pop up above ground in a few days. Thus the planted 

 rows are almost immediately marked, and weeds cropping up be- 

 tween them can be dealt with promptly. Another good point 

 about radishes is that they mature in a month or so and can 

 then be pulled out and eaten while the slower-growing vegetables 

 continue to develop and occupy space vacated by the radishes. 



