Important Vegetables for July Planting— By James T. Scott 



New 

 York 



PROMPT ACTION NOW WILL INSURE A CELLAR FULL OF VEGETABLES THIS WINTER— THE LAST OPPORTUNITY, AND 

 ONE THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED— EVERY HOME GARDENER SHOULD GROW TWO CROPS ON THE SAME GROUND 



JULY ought to be more a month of ac- 

 tivity than even April or May. In 

 spring everyone prepares for summer, and 

 during the summer months the wealth of 

 vegetables seems to have no limit. In winter 

 there never seems to be quite enough to go 

 round. Let us do a little thinking now, and 

 get our gardens to work overtime a bit during 

 the fall months, and the usual order of things 

 will stand reversed. 



By July ist many of the early crops have 

 already matured and served their purpose. 

 Clear the ground at once; don't allow any 

 spot to lie idle for a single day. It is erroneous 

 to think that your garden is resting — or that 

 it needs to rest in summer. The long rest 

 of winter is more than enough. Cropping 

 and cultivating improve a garden. Exposure 

 to the elements takes more out of a bare 

 piece of ground than a crop does, and the 

 elements don't help to pay the taxes! 



CELERY MOST IMPORTANT 



The most important winter vegetable, 

 (apart from the potato) is celery. If refer- 

 ence be made to the plan for a vegetable 

 garden in the January Garden Magazine, 

 page 266, it will be found that this crop is 

 intended to succeed early potatoes, beets, 

 spinach, etc. Celery needs an abundance of 

 fertilizer and even though the ground was 

 enriched in the early spring, give some man- 

 ure now. Well-rotted animal manure is best 

 as it retains the moisture — a very essential 

 thing in celery culture. 



There are various ways of setting out celery. 

 The man who grows acres for the market 

 plants it so close in the row that the plants 

 blanch one another. Some plant it on the 

 surface, as they do other crops, and blanch 

 by means of paper collars. Others use 

 boards, and pack leaves between the plants. 

 But I am old-fashioned enough to think 

 that celery is always crisper and nicer when 

 blanched with earth, in the old-fashioned 

 way. It is the plan universally adopted 

 by those who grow it for their own use, and 

 there is no celery on the market that seems 

 to taste just like your own, so this method 

 must have virtue. 



blanching tor quality 



Proceed as follows: Lay down your gar- 

 den line, leaving two feet of space between 

 it and whatever may be next to it. Pull 

 your line tight, so that it will not be readily 

 displaced. Measure two feet again, and 

 lay down another line. Between these lines 

 is the space for the celery. This should be 

 dug out one foot deep, and the soil laid 

 equally on either side. If more than one 

 trench is needed, measure off again, leaving 

 a space of two and one-half or three feet, and 

 so on, as before. When your trenches are 

 dug, level off the soil, and firm down with the 

 back of the spade, to prevent it from washing 

 into the trench again. 



This is the soil that you will use later for 

 blanching. As, however, it will not be 

 needed for that purpose for two months you 

 can easily harvest a crop of lettuce, spinach, 

 or radishes from it. Plant or sow these now. 

 You can walk in the bottom of the trench, 

 and work from both sides, and this will pre- 

 vent any breaking down of the soil. 



Next, add the manure in the trench. 

 Three inches of well rotted material will be 

 none too much. Dig this in with a fork, 

 thoroughly mixing it with the soil. 



The trench will hold two rows of celery 

 plants. Lay your garden line again, six 

 inches from either side. This will leave a 

 space of one foot between the lines of plants, 

 and setting them one foot apart will give 

 ample space. The plants should be about 

 six inches high when set out. If you don't 

 have good ones buy them — they do not cost 

 much. In setting just cover the roots. 

 Many people cover the growing crowns, and 

 then wonder why their plants don't grow. 

 Water the plants freely as soon as they have 

 been planted, and at other times, if neces- 

 sary. The best varieties (my choice) are 

 White Plume for early and Golden Dwarf 

 for late. The minimum quantity worth 

 growing for a family of six would be 400 

 plants; which would require two trenches 

 each 100 feet long. 



CARROTS IN THE STRAWBERRY PATCH 



Another very important crop is winter 

 carrots which should be sown about July ist. 

 Unlike celery it does not want a rich soil, but 

 one that has been deeply worked is essential. 

 In a well ordered garden a patch of straw- 

 berries has to be planted and an old one 

 turned under every year; an old strawberry 

 patch is an ideal place for carrots. The 

 berries are all picked by this time, and the 

 plants may as well be turned under now as 

 later on. 



Sow the carrots in rows about 18 inches 

 apart, and thin out the plants when big 

 enough, leaving two inches between each. 

 The best varieties are Long Orange Im- 

 proved, and Danvers Half-Long. The min- 

 imum quantity for a family of six would be 

 about 250 running feet. Two small later 

 sowings can also be made in any vacant 

 place, one in about two weeks, and one a 

 month after that date. These young carrots 

 are preferred by many to the larger ones for 

 immediate use, and they are very palatable. 



WHERE THE PEAS AND CORN GREW 



Rutabagas (turnips) may be sown as early 

 as July 15th, and up to August ist. About 

 100 running feet of row should be sufficient, 

 but this is a matter of taste. I sow twice 

 that quantity. Sow in rows two feet apart — 

 the ground having been previously manured 

 ■ — and later thin the plants to nine inches 

 apart. The rutabagas may succeed the 

 early peas and early corn. 

 332 



Cabbage, Flat Dutch and Savoy; and 

 cauliflower, Autumn Giant and Snowball, 

 should be planted by the first of July. Both 

 of these like a rich soil. They want plenty 

 of room, and should have at least 2^x1^ feet 

 of space. One hundred heads of cabbage, 

 and the same of cauliflower, are sufficient. 

 The cabbage will be required for storage for 

 winter use, and the quantity may be in- 

 creased, if necessary. The Snowball cauli- 

 flower will all be used before cold weather, 

 but the Autumn Giant can be lifted and 

 heeled-in in soil in the cellar, where it will 

 keep in good condition until Christmas. 

 The cabbage and cauliflower can be grown 

 where the early beans, lettuce, spinach, or 

 radishes have been. 



THREE SOWINGS OF CORN 



Three more sowings of corn can still be 

 made. On July ist and 8th plant Country 

 Gentleman, 100 feet of row at each planting, 

 and on July 16th plant Minnesota. It may 

 just happen that this last planting will be 

 cut down by early frosts, but if we have a 

 late mild fall this extra late crop of sweet 

 corn will be a treat, anyway it's worth risking 

 the seed on a chance. This last sowing can 

 succeed early crops of cabbage, cauliflower, 

 turnips, or peas. 



PEAS ON A CHANCE 



Peas are not usually very successful when 

 sown at this time, but they are worth trying. 







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Celery is the most important crop for July 

 planting. The home gardener should grow it in 

 double rows in trenches and blanch by earthing up 



