53 Spinach and Other Greens 



garden plants, and the number used first and last is legion. 

 The need for green food is common to all peoples. They 

 are cheap foods to grow, in comparison with seed-foods, as 

 they usually require only a part of the season in which to 

 grow. Most of the potherbs are of very simple culture. 



SPINACH 



Spinach is essentially a spring and autumn crop. It 

 delights in cool moist weather. It quickly runs to seed in 

 summer. It is grown mostly in drills. It is usually a 

 succession-crop. Propagated by seeds, which germinate 

 quichly. It is a true annual, hut may be carried over win- 

 ter by starting it in autumn, as it is very hardy. The crop 

 requires a moist soil, well supplied with quickly available 

 fertility. 



~^ Seed IS sown about 1 in. deep from late August to Novem- 

 ber, according to locality, or at the earliest moment in spring, 

 in rows about 1 ft. (8 to 14 in.) apart, and thinned to about 6 

 in., making a stand of about 87,000 plants to the acre. Some- 

 times it is sown broadcast on clean land, and not thinned. From 

 10 to 15 lbs. of seed are required to sow an acre in drills, and 

 nearly or quite that much if broadcasted. In a continuous 

 growing season, the plants should be ready to harvest in 6 to 8 

 weeks. The yield of a good crop should be 200 to 250 barrels ; 



' the number of " heads " can be estimated from the distances 

 planted. 



Blight or mosaic. — Great losses of spinach are incurred 

 because of this disease. The symptoms are similar to those 

 of other hosts affected by mosaic, and may be recognized by 

 the mottling and malformation of the foliage, the dwarfing, 

 and finally the premature dying of the plant. Insects are 

 now known to carry the virus from diseased to healthy plants, 

 as well as to act as virus-bearers during the part of the year 



