June, 1910 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



311 



How to Gather Early Crops 



MOST people let their vegetables get too old! 

 But there is a proper time to gather vege- 

 tables and there is also an improper time; there is 

 ■a proper way to gather them and there is also an 

 improper way. If we gather vegetables too soon 

 we injure the crop in most cases; if we leave them too 

 long, they deteriorate in quality. Sometimes a single 

 day, one way or the other, makes all the difference. 



Do not gather peas until the pod is nicely 

 filled, but not hard; and under no circumstances 

 delay picking until it develops a yellowish tinge, 

 the sign of age. Never pull your peas, but pluck 

 them. Take the pod in the hand and break 

 the pod from the vine with the thumb and first 

 finger. Some pull them with an upward jerk, 

 but this is likely to tear the vine loose from the 

 support and often breaks or loosens it at the root, 

 spoiling the remainder of the crop on that particu- 

 lar stem. 



Spinach should be cut close to the ground. If 

 you pull it up by the roots you gather also a lot of 

 dirt, which, when thoroughly shaken in among 

 the leaves, is hard to wash out. Cutting also in- 

 duces a second growth. 



Radishes are best when about the size of a marble; 

 permitted to grow large, they become hollow and 

 often have a very strong flavor. 



Cabbage can be used as soon as it is well headed. 

 Always select the hardest heads for cutting; this 

 will save you from losing a quantity later on by 

 splitting. 



Watch cauliflower carefully when it starts to head; 

 if left too long it gets rough. No particular size 

 can be specified as the proper one for cutting, as it 

 will vary according to season, soil and cultivation; 

 but I never allow the heads to get any larger than six 

 inches across. When looking over the cauliflowers, 

 break a leaf or two over any that have started to 

 head up; this will prevent the sun from browning. 



Pick beans when about two inches long. Don't 

 wait for them to develop strings or beans inside 

 the pods. All the preparation necessary for cooking 

 is to pinch off the ends, and the beans should be in 

 such a condition that this can be easily done with the 

 thumb and first finger. 



Beets develop white lines or rings and lose their 

 flavor when cooked, if they are allowed to get tough 

 and woody. They should be used when about one 

 inch in diameter. Be careful not to break the small 

 root when gathering, as that will cause bleeding. 



Carrots should also be used when small; they are 

 usually ready for use when about one-half -inch in 

 diameter at the top. If larger than that, they will 

 have developed a core and have lost the deep yellow 

 color. 



Swiss chard should be cut. Take the head in 

 one hand and cut it off clean, but be careful not to 

 cut low enough to injure the crown. 



Start gathering onions now from the sets. Select 

 the largest, so as to keep them from running to seed. 



Kohlrabi and turnip should now be ready for 

 use. They get strong in flavor with age. 



When selecting lettuce for cutting, look over the 

 bed carefully and select the hardest and largest 

 heads, as they are the best eating and will also be 

 the first to run to seed. 



Toward the end of the month look over the early 

 potatoes, for some may be ready for digging. 

 Don't dig them when very small; they should be the 

 size of hen eggs. 



Be careful when cutting the asparagus. Com- 

 mence to ease up on the bed a little by letting an 

 occasional shoot grow instead of cutting it off. 

 Discontinue cutting entirely after- the middle of 



June. I usually stop when peas come into bearing. 

 By cutting later than this, you surely shorten the 

 life of the bed. 



Pay strict attention to ventilating the melons, 

 and just as soon as the vines fill the box they are in, 

 they must be gradually hardened off, so that the 

 boxes can be removed. Start by leaving about one- 

 half inch of air on the frame all night, and keep 

 increasing this amount for about a week, when the 

 sash can be entirely removed, also the boxes. 

 Spread the plants out evenly, being careful not to 

 crack any of the stems; pin each vine in place with 

 a twig bent V shaped, but don't jam these down 

 hard on the vines. Simply stick them into the 

 ground far enough to hold the vines in position. 

 Dig over the space in between the hills, adding 

 some lime if the ground is sour. Look over the 

 vines every week and keep them placed so that 

 they will cover the bed evenly and not grow in one 

 big bunch. v 



If you haven't sown Lima beans, do so at once, 

 for it is not yet too late to get a good crop. In fact, 

 they can be sown as late as the middle of June, but, 

 of course, it is better to do it earlier. 



If you have sown seeds of late cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, etc., in bed form, they must now be trans- 

 planted either to the row in the garden where they 

 are to remain or to a prepared bed from which they 

 can later be transplanted into the garden. The 

 only advantage in this latter method is that you are 

 sometimes short of space, and planting in a bed 

 and then transplanting gives an opportunity to 

 get rid of an early crop. 



Egg plants and peppers can now be set out. 

 If there are any cold nights after, place an inverted 

 flower pot over each plant. When planting out 

 lettuce from the seed bed select a place that is not 

 too sunny, such as the north side of a hedge or 

 between two rows of sweet peas. If such places 

 are not available, build a rack about fifteen inches 

 above the plants and cover it with cheese cloth, 

 leaving the sides open. This will prevent the let- 

 tuce from running to seed. 



Make two sowings of beans this month, also of 

 beets, carrots, corn and cucumber. Sow lettuce and 

 radishes every week. Discontinue sowing peas and 

 spinach, as they will not grow during midsummer. 

 After the first fruits have set on your strawberries, 

 place some hay around the base of the plants under- 



This is big enough for any cauliflower if you 

 want real quality 



The carrot on the left is too large ; those in the 

 centre show the effect of poor soil or dry weather. 

 The correct size for gathering is shown on the right 



neath the berries. This prevents them from getting 

 full of sand. 



A tomato trellis will last for years, and is a great 

 asset to the garden. Build it of shingle lath four 

 feet wide at the bottom and three and a half feet 

 high. Train the plants to either side. If you 

 planted the tomatoes three feet apart, make the 

 trellis three feet at the bottom and four feet high. 



LOOKING OUT FOR INSECTS 



No good garden can be run without the use of 

 a good spray pump. Watch for blight, insects 

 and pests of all kinds and spray all the vege- 

 tables that are subject to blight with Bordeaux 

 mixture twice during June. If the weather is 

 either very dry or excessively wet, spray every week. 

 Do not wait for the blight to show itself, as in most 

 cases it is then too late. For eating insects of all 

 kinds, poison must be used. I always mix the 

 poison with the Bordeaux, which helps it to stick 

 to the plant. Be careful when using this ; do not 

 spray it on well-advanced vegetables, such as 

 cabbage which has headed. If cabbage worms 

 are troublesome after the heads have attained any 

 size, I usually pick them off by hand. For aphis, 

 use any of the tobacco preparations as a spray; but 

 above all, keep the Bordeaux going, as it is the great- 

 est of all garden savers. Or you may use paris 

 green, about half a pound to fifty gallons of water, 

 first mixing it into a paste. Arsenate of lead can be 

 used in the same manner. For quick work, white 

 hellebore powder dusted on the plants is effective. 



If you applied soot to the asparagus bed in March 

 or April, you will probably not be troubled with the 

 asparagus beetle; but if you did not do it and the 

 beetle is present, put a few chickens into the aspar- 

 agus bed and leave them there for a few days. For 

 cabbage worm use white hellebore powder. 



If any leaf eater gets after the melons, cucumbers 

 or squash, use the Paris green or arsenate of lead. 

 Use one of these poisons for the potato bug, always 

 mixing it with the Bordeaux in place of water. 

 Watch the beans, celery, cucumbers, melons, 

 potatoes, and tomatoes, and do not let them be 

 attacked by blight. Bordeaux is the preventive. 

 For aphis on peas, use tobacco or kerosene emulsion. 



WATER AND FERTILIZER 



Water the garden constantly if the weather is 

 drv, and don't merely sprinkle. Wet the ground 

 thoroughly, then cultivate as soon as possible to 

 retain the moisture. I use sprinklers in my garden, 

 letting them run night and day, changing their 

 positions every few hours and selecting an especially 

 dry spot to let them run all night. If you haven't 

 running water in your garden, don't use pump 

 water direct from the pump, as it is too cold at this 

 time of the year. Pump a couple of barrels full and 

 let the water stand for an hour or two before using. 



Give an application of nitrate of soda to all crops 

 that are to stand throughout the season, such as 

 Lima beans, parsnips, etc. This encourages root 

 action and renews growth. Keep the cultivator 

 working. It is not only the best protection against 

 dry weather, but also keeps the weeds in check. 



New York. W. C. McCollom. 



[Editor's Note. — Next month's article -will take 

 up the general care of the garden during summer, 

 tJie care of various vegetables, such as celery, lima 

 beans, parsnips, and preparing new strawberry beds.] 



