CHAPTER X. 

 THE PLANTING SEASON. 



The chapter on California climates as related to vegetable 

 growing has already shown that there is really no closed season in 

 the state except in the mountain districts. It is always time to 

 plant something, if the moisture is available, for there is no degree 

 of cold realized which endangers the hardier vegetables. It is 

 true that in December and January in the regions of heavy rainfall, 

 there is apt to be a cold, wet surface soil which does not give a 

 hospitable welcome either to seed or seedlings, but even this can be 

 overcome by using lighter soil at a little higher elevation or by the 

 devices for raising the seed-bed unless one wishes to wait for Febru- 

 ary planting as is commonly done in such places. The antithesis 

 of the December and January cold is the July and August heat 

 and drought in the interior, but this, too, is conquerable by irriga- 

 tion, with added shade for some tender-leafed plants, or by choos- 

 ing moist, low land, of which California valleys both on the coast 

 and in the interior have great areas. The conclusion of the whole 

 matter is that California valleys and foothills are naturally fitted 

 for almost endless succession of sowings and gatherings and such 

 temporary unfitness as locally occurs is easily overcome by very 

 simple cultural arts and provisions. Still there are best times for 

 doing things for specific purposes and many of these can only be 

 learned by local experience. An attempt will be made, however, to 

 give hints to newcomers, or to the many who have not essayed 

 vegetable growing and have thus neglected glorious opportunities, 

 which will enable them to realize, it is hoped, some direction in 

 which promising efforts may be put forth. 



Seasonable Work in the Garden. In view of the fact already 

 emphasized that the planting season extends throughout the year 

 and is regulated by local conditions and not by the calendar, it fol- 

 lows that other garden work constantly recurs, and it would be a 

 hopeless task to attempt to specify certain times at which certain 

 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 certain 

 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. 

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