CHAPTER XII 

 CORN. BEANS. SWEET POTATOES 



"Great helper in the cook's rare art. 

 The complete garden does its part." 



WEET or sugar corn will do nicely on 

 almost any warm, well-drained, fairly- 

 rich soil ; it does especially well, I can 

 testify, on a turned-under clover sod. 

 It is a tender plant and sowings should 

 not be made in the North until early in 

 May. In the garden, corn may best be 

 planted in rows about four feet apart 

 (not in hills like the farmers' field 

 corn). Sow the seed thinly in drills and cover about 

 two inches deep (see Chapter V in regard to tarring 

 the seed), and thin the plants when well up to about 

 one foot apart. Cultivate, thoroughly. Make suc- 

 cessional sowings at ten-day intervals, until about 

 July 1 5th. Corn is usually sold at retail by the dozen 

 ears, and is shipped in various kinds of packages 

 crates, barrels, baskets, sacks, etc. The ears are not 

 good unless pulled at just the right stage of juicy 

 development. 



Varieties : Cory, Crosby, Early Minnesota, 

 Black Mexican, etc., are good early and second- 

 early kinds. Country Gentleman, Stowell's Ever- 

 green, etc., are standard late varieties. I grow all 

 of these. 



Insects and diseases : Wireworms in the soil 

 are often troublesome (see Chapter VIII). Cut- 

 worms bother, too, but the wise grower plants 



