SPRING GREENS 



101 



It thrives only when the weather is cool. The edible part is the 

 rosette of leaves formed at the crown before the seed stalk begins 

 to develop. In hot weather the plants either run quickly to seed 

 or perish outright. The planting should therefore be done exceed- 

 ingly early in spring, so that the crop may develop before the 

 weather becomes hot. In mild climates the seed may be sown in 

 the fall, and the crop wintered over with slight protection for 

 early spring use. Sometimes it is also sown earlier in the fall 

 for use before winter sets in. For best results the plants should 



Fig. 55. — Spinach. A typical plant. 



be thinned to about six inches apart in the row. 

 eight weeks are required to produce the crop. 



From six to 



SPRING GREENS 



spinach. — In American gardens the most important plant 

 grown exclusively for '' greens " is spinach (Fig. 55). It is dis- 

 tinctively a cool season crop, and quickly runs to seed in warm 

 weather. In central and northern latitudes the seed is sown as 

 early in spring as the ground can be worked, and the crop is ready 

 for cutting in six to eight weeks. 



In the latitude of Cairo, Illinois, and Norfolk, Virginia, the seed 

 is more often sown in September or October, and the plants allowed 

 to winter over, usually without protection. As soon as growth 



