90 



TENDER AND HARDY VEGETABLES 



Warm Season Crops, Not Transplanted.— The following hot 

 weather crops are usually not transplanted from hotbeds or cold- 

 frames. They are usually planted in the open garden when summer 

 weather comes. (1) Pop corn, sweet corn and field corn; (2) beans 

 of all kinds including limas, snap beans, green and dry shell beans, 

 also soybeans and cowpeas; (3) the vine crops of the melon group, 

 including water-melons and citrons, cantaloupes and other musk 



melons, squashes and 

 pumpkins, cucumbers 

 and gherkins; (4) okra 

 or gumbo. 



In northern states it 

 is more or less common 

 practice to start canta- 

 loupes in individual 

 boxes in hotbeds or cold- 

 frames, duringthe spring 

 season. They are thus 

 forced somewhat earlier 

 and are of good size 

 when set in the summer 

 garden. 



Early Spring Crops, 

 UsuallyTransplanted. — 

 There are four crops 

 that are started in early 

 spring and should ma- 

 ture before the summer 

 heat becomes intense. (1) Early cabbage (Fig. 63), (2) head 

 lettuce, (3) Cos lettuce or romaine, and (4) early cauliflower. 



These do not endure summer heat well and will not head up 

 well nor be crisp if dry summer heat strikes them for a long 

 period. 



They are best started in protected beds as in window boxes, 

 then transplanted to coldframes for a short period and are later 

 transplanted to the open garden in very early spring. 

 They endure the late spring frosts. 



Cool Autumn Crops, Usually Transplanted. — Several crops of 

 the cabbage and celery groups are best suited to make their main 

 growth in the late autumn weather. They may be started in beds 

 where there is cool shade and where they may be easily watered. 



Fig. 62. — Sweet peppers represent the tender vege- 

 tables. They are productive, easily grown, and have 

 few enemies. 



