254 Gardening 



plants are to stand. With rich soil, plenty of moisture 

 in the soil, and good cultivation, these vegetables seldom 

 fail to produce satisfactory crops. 



These crops suffer especially (as do all other vege- 

 table crops) from crowding in the row. The average 

 gardener seems tempted to leave the plants standing 

 closely together. It does look like a " poor scant stand " 

 to thin the young plants to 3 or 6 inches apart in the row. 

 But proper and early thinning not only gives larger 

 plants and a greater total yield for each row, but the 

 plants mature more quickly. 



Leaf lettuce. Many excellent varieties of loose or 

 leaf lettuce are listed in the seed catalogues. The seed 

 is usually sown in rows about 14 inches apart and seed- 

 lings thinned to stand 5 to 10 inches apart. Cos lettuce 

 also may be grown from seed sown directly in the garden, 

 but the heads are smaller and later in developing than 

 when grown by the transplanting method. 



Spinach. From 30 to 60 days is sufficient for the 

 development of the loose clusters of spinach leaves, so 

 widely used as pot greens. In the North the seed is sown 

 early in the spring. The crop grows best on well-drained, 

 warm, and rich soil. As the entire plant is cut and used, 

 some of the thinning necessary may be done by removing 

 the largest plants rather early. If not used, the plants 

 soon run to seed, especially in hot weather. For a late 

 crop sow seed late in summer in the North, and later 

 southward. In the more southern of the planting zones, 

 the plant makes an excellent winter crop. 



Peppergrass. The " peppery " flavor of peppergrass 

 or garden cress makes the plant useful in flavoring 



