322 SOILS AND PLANT LIFE 



growth of the plants is rapid and continuous, and for this 

 reason, mellow, rich land is best. Successive plantings 

 of radish seed should be made at intervals of about ten 

 days imtil the hot weather comes on. A continuous 

 supply of these vegetables can easily be secured if the 

 season is at all favorable. 



Spinach. — One of the most popular plants for greens 

 is spinach. We may sow the seed very early in the spring, 

 and in the cool, moist weather, the plants grow rapidly, 

 producing an abundant supply of fresh, green leaves. 



Turnips. — The turnip is as easy to grow as the radish, 

 and the soil, season and cultural methods of the two plants 

 are the same. 



Early turnips are sown as soon as the soil is warm enough 

 to receive them. The young vegetables are eaten fresh. 

 A fall crop, the main crop, is sown in the latter part of July, 

 or even later farther south, matures during the cool weather 

 of fall and is harvested before the temperature falls to 

 freezing. 



A turnip or radish which grows and matures quickly is 

 crisp and sweet; one which grows slowly is woody and 

 bitter. 



Peas. — Two types of peas should be recognized : those 

 with smooth seed coats and those whose seed coats are 

 wrinkled. 



The smooth-seeded varieties, such as the " Alaska " 

 or " First and Best," may be planted with the earliest of 

 the cool season crops, while the wrinkled varieties, such as 

 " Nott's Excelsior," should not be planted until two weeks 

 later, or even more, as the seed will rot if cold, wet weather 

 comes on. 



The early varieties are usually rather low growing and 

 require no support for their pods, while the late varieties 

 tend to form vines and produce the best pods when sup- 



