A YEAR'S CYCLE IN THE GARDEN 183 



are needed, for the garden itself is the best of all 

 ice-chests and storehouses for "green-goods." 



A Washing Tank for Vegetables. If you have 

 no place where the vegetables can be washed be- 

 fore taking them into the house and if you do not 

 feel inclined to build a proper washing tank, use 

 a barrel sawed in two, or an old butter tub. But 

 a tank would not cost very much; it could be made 

 as follows: 



Dig a hole about eighteen inches deep, three feet 

 long and two feet wide. Build inside of this a 

 tank of bricks, putting a partition in one end, the 

 partition wall being about two inches lower than 

 the side walls. Place a pipe in the bottom of each 

 basin leading to a barrel or other drainage out- 

 let, then plaster the bottom and side walls with 

 cement. Place a cork in the pipe, in the large 

 washing compartment, which is only used to draw 

 off the water in winter. All the sand is held in 

 the first compartment by the partition. Gather 

 the vegetables right into the tank; if you have 

 a half barrel alongside to hold refuse it will help. 



When to Gather Vegetables. Most people let 

 their vegetables get too old! There is a proper 

 time to gather vegetables and there is also an im- 

 proper time; there is a proper way to gather them 

 and there is also an improper way. If we gather 

 vegetables too soon we injure the crop in most 

 cases; if we leave them too long, they deteriorate 

 in quality. Sometimes a single day, one way or 

 the other, makes all the difference. 



