CHAPTER FIFTEEN 
CROPS GROWN FOR THEIR LEAVES 
Who would be without celery and lettuce, rhubarb and 
spinach, when it is so easy to raise them? 
Old Farmer’s Almanac 
ALL leafy crops of the garden are used as food when 
the leaves are tender and in good condition. The plants 
are not left to reach natural or full maturity and pro- 
duce seed. They are often grown in ways that promote 
excessive leafy development, which may be somewhat 
unnatural for the plant. 
Some leafy vegetables, like rhubarb, onions from sets, 
Swiss chard, and cabbage, are rather easy to grow success- 
fully, but the greater number of leafy vegetables require 
conditions that are very favorable to their growth. In 
general, the production of many tender leaves in these 
crops requires a rich soil, abundant moisture, cool weather 
and good cultivation. Poor soil, lack of cultivation, in- 
sufficient moisture, and hot weather invariably result in 
fewer leaves, slower growth, and poorer quality. 
Many of the most delicious of the leafy vegetables 
(especially of the salad crops) wilt quickly when gathered, 
and soon lose their tenderness and best flavor. For this 
reason they are especially suited to home production, for 
then they may be placed on the table fresh from the 
garden. With a few exceptions, home-grown leafy 
vegetables excel in crispness and flavor the vegetables 
which are bought in the market; and the excellent table 
qualities of properly grown leafy crops well repay the 
home gardener for his efforts in producing them. 
At least twenty distinct sorts of plants may be grown 
in the home vegetable gardens in the United States solely 
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