THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 287 



required per acre when the planting is done by hand on the ridges 

 than when it is drilled with a garden drill in plats. 



Thinning. Chile started from seed planted in the field must be 

 thinned to one or three plants to the hill. When the chile has been 

 thinned out properly the plant or plants in the hill branch out con- 

 siderably and produce a heavier and better crop. If too many plants 

 are left to the hill there is a marked tendency for the plants to grow 

 too tall and more or less top heavy. The chile is thinned out when 

 about 3 to 5 inches high. If a good germination takes place it is 

 more difficult to thin the chile, because there are more small plants 

 to the hill to be pulled out. Care should be had in selecting the 

 strongest plants in the hill and in injuring as little as possible the 

 roots of those which remain. While the common way of growing 

 chile is to plant the seed out in the field in the spring, it can also be 

 grown by starting the plants in cold frames early in the season and 

 transplanting to the field as soon as danger of frost is over. 



Irrigation. After the irrigations to get the crop started have 

 been given, the frequency of the subsequent irrigations depends 

 upon the weather and soil conditions, and for that reason no specific 

 statement can be made just when and how often the chile should be 

 irrigated. One thing, however, is important to keep in mind, and 

 that is that the chile plant keeps bearing as long as it is growing. If 

 the growth should be checked by the lack of irrigation the plant stops 

 bearing and the blossoms and the very small pods are likely to drop 

 off. The grower himself should study his local conditions and de- 

 cide for himself when and how much to irrigate. While the chile 

 plant resists considerable drought, at the same time, it should not be 

 allowed to suffer from the lack of irrigation. When the chile is 

 grown on ridges the space between the ridges should be allowed to fill 

 with water almost up to the plant. If the water is simply turned in 

 and allowed to rush down the furrow to the other end the ridges will 

 remain practically dry, necessitating frequent irrigations to keep the 

 plants from suffering. In irrigating the chile on ridges always aim 

 to hold the water long enough in me furrow for the ridges^ to get 

 fairly well soaked through. In the level plat the irrigation is more 

 simple and the soil around each hill gets wet sufficiently while the 

 water is running down to the end of the plat. When the plats are 

 quite long and are made up of a series of squares as soon as each 

 square is filled with water the border, dividing that square from the 

 next one, is cut and the water rushes into the next square which is 

 treated the same as the one before. (N. Mex. Col. Ag. and Mech. 

 Arts 67.) 



CHIVE. 



This is a small onion-like plant having flat, hollow leaves which 

 are used for flavoring soups. The chive rarely forms seeds, and it is 

 propagated by the bulbs, which grow in clusters. The leaves may be 

 cut freely and are soon replaced by others. (F. B. 255; S. Dak. 

 E. S. 68.) 



CITRON. 



The citron is a type of watermelon with solid flesh which is used 



