174 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



January, 1919 



spring, and to sow seeds then, and about a month 

 later. And for fall a summer variety in June, 

 and an early and a late fall variety late in July 

 or in early August. If lettuce is wanted nearly 

 every day during this period, it would take two 

 heads a day for ninety days, or a total of 180 

 heads. To produce this, assuming that both leaf 

 and head lettuce would be grown, would require 

 about 200 ft. This would mean a maximum of 

 eight 25 ft. rows during the whole season. In 



most cases, however, six rows would be sufficient. 



In similar manner, the number of rows of the 

 different vegetables wanted can be estimated 

 and the chart filled in (Distances between rows, 

 amount of seed required, yields, and other data 

 have been given in numerous tables published in 

 earlier volumes of the Garden Magazine). 



If the garden area is limited, you will of course 

 have to make adjustments to cut down the less 

 desired things possibly even leaving out alto- 



gether the least essential. The matter of varie- 

 ties is discussed elsewhere. In making selections, 

 remember the important and practical thing is to 

 follow types and buy your seeds from that stand- 

 point. Most good varieties are listed by most 

 seedsmen; and the new gardener will do well to 

 stick to the things that have proven satisfactory. 

 It is much more important to plan your garden 

 well than to spend your time hunting for all the 

 latest "novelties." 



Ligkt on tke Seed Catalogues a. kruhm 



Giving an Inside View of the Available Supplies for the Season. . Importance of Considering Types Rather than Mere Names 





THE turmoil of the last four years has 

 forcefully taught us to realize that the 

 home vegetable garden is a real factor 

 in the nation's affairs. When we re- 

 member that the product of our home gardens 

 helped release the foodstuffs that fed Belgium 

 and France we may well feel proud. But the 

 dawn of 1919 still carries with it both other oppor- 

 tunities and possibilities. 



If I thought for one minute that there were, 

 among Garden Magazine readers, many who 

 did not themselves, grow most of their fresh, green 

 food I would say "For heaven's sake get in line. 

 Get a rake and a hoe, plant a food garden; if not 

 for your own benefit, then for the sake of the 

 nations." But of necessity our gardens this 

 year must be made in accord with the available 

 supplies, for they are not yet normal, and a little 

 reasonable attention to planning our programme 

 of seed buying sowing and harvest, in the light 

 of exact information on supplies, will be time 

 well spent. 



As an example, the gardener who is fond of 

 peas will do well to order seeds this month; for, 

 while our armies were marching victoriously 

 against the enemy in Europe, another, a mean 

 enemy at our backdoor, attacked the pea crops 

 at home. Much of what the aphis left, the 

 blight got; and then a drought further curtailed 

 the season's supply of seed. So, if your seedsman 

 says, this year, "I am shy of Gradus, please take 

 World Record" be thankful you are offered a 

 worth while substitute. Marchioness does not 

 perfect as handsome a pod as either Gradus or 

 World Record, but the pods are well filled and 

 there are more of them. To use a commonplace 

 expression: don't be "finnicky" when it comes 

 to peas this year. Be glad there are any at all. 



WHILE peas show a record shortage, beans, 

 except in a few isolated instances, are in 

 abundant supply. As a class, the green podded 



bush beans have not been as productive of a seed 

 crop as their wax . podded brothers. Some of 

 the choicer varieties of bush limas — my favorite 

 Fordhook among them — are about as scarce as 

 peas. Bountiful has again been vindicated as 

 the most dependable of the flat green-podded 



Swiss chard has come to be recognized as one of the most 

 profitable vegetables 



When its handling is understood petsai will be better appreci- 

 ated. Sow in August and get heads in October 



type of bean. But just the same, even if some 

 kinds are more easily obtainable than others, 

 it would be well to husband the seed for we have 

 before us a prospect of several "lean years" in 

 seeds, because of imminent labor shortages. 



And it is more than ever desirable for the 

 gardener to learn to look upon specific vegetables 

 as representing a type or a class, and so simplify 

 the problem of selection of varieties from the 

 catalogue of the dealer. For instance, in beans 

 we have the green-podded and the yellow-podded 

 classes. In both there are flat-podded and round- 

 podded kinds or types, and of each several sorts or 

 varieties. The round-podded green companion 

 to Bountiful is Full Measure — a hummer for 

 bearing stringless quality pods. 



The duet of green-podded reliables is dupli- 

 cated among the wax-podded type in Surecrop 

 Stringless (flat-podded), and Brittle Wax (the 

 best representative of the round podded Kidney 

 Wax type). This last named meets all require- 

 ments of a round-podded yellow kind, supersed- 

 ing, in a degree, the Dwarf German Black Wax 

 Pencil Pod Wax, etc. Anyway, would any 

 body grow Currie's Wax, Rustproof Wax, Webber 



Wax, Davis Wax, or even Wardwell, among the 

 flat-podded kinds, when such a wonder as Sure- 

 crop Wax is available? 



CWEET corn promises to be available in 

 ^ quantities after several seasons of disap- 

 pointing shortages. The last few years have 

 seen most yellow kinds make good headway 

 in popular favor — most of them, to be sure 

 on the strength of Golden Bantam quality. 

 However, Seymour's Sweet Orange promises to 

 rival Golden Bantam in popularity some day, 

 if not quite so early, it is a stronger grower later 

 in the season; Golden Evergreen is bound to re- 

 place Stowell's and White Evergreen in the home 

 garden; and Golden Cream will ultimately take 

 the place of Country Gentleman. In the mean- 

 time, the customary quantities of Cory, Kendel's, 

 Howling Mob, and Pocahontas will be planted. 



ONE definite result from the great war is a 

 proper appreciation of root crops. Beets, 

 carrots, kohlrabi, parsnips, salsify and turnips 

 are enjoying an unprecedented popularity. And, 

 as a result, American-grown seeds of all are now 

 available in quantities to satisfy all demands. 

 Crosby's beet and Detroit Dark Red are of the 

 early type most widely grown, because of eminent 

 satisfaction given everywhere. The late type is 

 fitly represented by Long Blood Red. 



Among carrots, the choice of names is great, 

 though selection becomes very simple when you 

 look upon the different kinds representing types. 

 There are the short, the half-long, and long kinds 

 and they correspond to early, midseason, and late. 

 The most popular short sort is Oxheart. Both, 

 Chantenay and Danvers are half-long. Half- 

 long Luc is the finest French strain obtainable 

 to-day of the half-long type. The Improved 

 Long Orange is the latest to be ready, and gen- 

 erally appreciated as a dependable winter keeper. 



Those who learned to value the turnip-rooted 



The home garden wants a medium sized round, smooth fruil 

 freely produced. Bonny Best on Long Island 



