108 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



work should be done. The vegetable grower must use his 

 own powers of observation and common sense, and not expect to 

 find in print the injunction that on a certain day he must do a cer- 

 tain thing. It may be possible to make such prescriptions in more 

 steady-going climates, but in our diverse local climates, which are 

 either forcing or retarding, according to localities, and according 

 to times of the year in the same locality, it is impossible to say just 

 when a crop planted at a certain time should be hoed or cultivated, 

 trained up or gathered, and the ground cleared up for other uses. 

 All such acts will be omitted from our California garden calendar. 

 Let it be understood rather that the grower must be always on the 

 alert to do certain things 'without suggestion from any one, viz.:, 



First: Stir the ground as soon as it will take tools well after 

 the young plants have appeared above the surface, and thin the 

 plants in the row to allow proper space for attaining good size. 

 With some strong growing shoots from large, deeply covered seeds, 

 it may be sometimes desirable to lightly harrow or rake the whole 

 surface before the shoots appear: it is better to break off some 

 shoots than to have them all under a crust. 



Second : Continue stirring afterwards whenever the soil 

 works well, for weed killing if there be any ; if not stir stir the sur- 

 face just the same. 



Third: Continue stirring so long as the cultivator does not 

 seriously injure the plant by breaking its stems and foliage, and 

 then use the hoe carefully to prevent the ground becoming com- 

 pacted near the stem in places not reached by the cultivator. 



Fourth: Keep the condition of the plant constantly in sight 

 and thought, to train or trim its growth to attain best results. Such 

 treatment for each plant will naturally be noted in the place devoted 

 to its special consideration later. 



Fifth: Watch for the attainment of such degree of maturity 

 as makes each plant most desirable for food purposes. The slack 

 gardener is apt to allow his vegetables to become stale or over-ripe 

 in the rows, and in that way miss their best estate. 



Sixth: Gather promptly and dispose of each, either by eating 

 or selling, when it reaches this condition and quickly clear away the 

 remains of the growth for stock feed or for the compost heap. 

 Do not allow the plants to , stand for the purpose of gather- 

 ing seed from the culls which are rejected at picking. Select the 

 earliest and best specimens for seed if any seed is to be saved. It 



