CHAPTER XXIX 

 HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



Whether intended for home use or for market it is important 

 that vegetables be harvested at the right stage of maturity. In 

 many vegetables the quality or yield is deficient until a certain 

 stage of development is reached; and after passing that stage the 

 product may soon become objectionable or even inedible by reason 

 of the development of undesirable texture or incipient decay. In 

 the case of some vegetables, the period during which they are in 

 ideal edible condition is extremely short (from one to four days) 

 while in others this period is very much longer (from one to four 

 weeks or even more). Promptness in picking is therefore much 

 more imperative with some vegetables than with others. Exam- 

 ples of vegetables in which given specimens remain in edible 

 condition only a short time are radishes (except winter varieties), 

 green peas, string beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, okra, summer 

 squash, tomato, muskmelon. The foliage crops, like leaf lettuce, 

 spinach, and mustard, in which the entire plant is gathered at the 

 harvest, are edible at earlier stages, but are deficient in yield 

 unless allowed to attain full development. Unless harvested 

 promptly when fully developed, they quickly run to seed. Exam- 

 ples of vegetables in which the same specimen remains in edible 

 condition over a long period are beets, carrots, rutabagas, onions, 

 leeks, parsnips, winter squash. 



The Harvesting Period. — In some vegetables the entire crop 

 can be gathered at one time, as in the case of late cabbage, celery, 

 potatoes, sweet potatoes, ripe onions, winter squash, and the late 

 root crops intended for winter use. The time of the harvest is 

 governed partly by the maturity of the crop, but in many cases 

 fully as much by the advancement of the season and danger of 

 unfavorable temperatures. In certain other crops the harvesting 

 season may extend over a long period, but prompt picking of 

 individual specimens be essential. This is particularly true of 

 tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, summer squash, melons, and okra. 



In the case of green peas, string beans, and sweet corn, the 

 harvesting season is shorter, but several pickings are often neces- 

 sary in order to gather the entire product at the right degree of 

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