284 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



other peppers, but as the plants are much smaller they are set 

 closer. A large crop of sweet peppers could be marketed with 

 much more ease and profit than even a small crop of the hot 

 peppers. 



FIELD AND LABORATORY EXERCISES 



1. Market Gardens. If possible, visit the grounds of a market gardener 

 and make lists of the crops he grows in succession in various parts of his gar- 

 den. Make a separate list of his crops sown in late fall. Determine from this 

 what crops will survive during the winter in your climate. What crops does 

 the market gardener consider best for hot. dry weather? Determine if pos- 

 sible what crops are not injured by spring frosts. 



2. Home Gardens. Several of the points called for above may be de- 

 termined from home gardens raised in the neighborhood. 



3. Garden Contests. Home projects in garden work should be started. 

 Let contests be arranged for largest yields, greatest income from a given area, 

 as one-tenth acre. j 



4. New plants not familiar to the students may be assigned; let one or 

 more students try each of the new crops and report results to the others. 



5. Contests for Earliness. Valuable points in contests are earliest pro- 

 duction of certain specified crops, as first radishes, first peas, first sweet corn, 

 first string beans, and others. 



6. Starting early hotbeds should be assigned for laboratory practice. 

 Students may work in groups of two or more. 



7. Early plantings in hotbeds and coldframes should be made profitable 

 to the school. At least enough should be realized to pay for their cost of opera- 

 tion, including the hauling of manure, soil, and the replacing of broken glass 

 or other covers. 



8. Canning exercises should be conducted, either with the regular canning 

 outfits or with steam and barrel as suggested in another chapter. Lady mem- 

 bers of the class would do well to have practice in and preparation of vege 

 tables in new ways, making them palatable for the table. A number of exer- 

 cises along this line may prove profitable. The drying of corn and the drying 

 of fruits are good exercises in connection with this chapter. 



9. Methods of Growers. If possible, study the methods of different 

 growers in the culture, harvesting, preparation for market and selling of the 

 leading money crops of the region. For example, the following where they are 

 grown: Onions, rutabagas, asparagus, rhubarb, sweet corn, greens, beans, 

 peas and others. 



10. Cost-accounting in connection with the production of vegetables is 

 important and gives an opportunity for good practice by young people. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Give the main divisions of the seasonal classification of plants. 



2. Mention five crops of each main division, and state the subdivision for 



each. 



3. What are the advantages of classifying garden crops by seasons? 



4. Describe the culture of loose-leaf lettuce and head lettuce. 



5. Compare the different forms of lettuce. 



6. What vegetables of the early hardy group should be planted several 



times for the sake of freshness? 



7. Compare the pea crop with the snap bean crop in every way you can 



hardiness, season, time for maturing, succession, ways of marketing, etc. 



