Efficiency 



the Backyard Garden, V. — By a. Kruhm, 



SELECTING THE VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES TO PROVIDE A NATURAL 

 SUCCESSION OF CROPS FROM ONE PLANTING — HARVESTING THE 

 FIRST CROPS AND WHAT TO PLANT TO TAKE THEIR PLACE 



Ohio 



THE underlying principles that 

 govern the construction and man- 

 agement of the "Toy Garden," 

 fully described last month, also 

 rule the "Average Garden," to which I 

 have already alluded, and which claims our 

 attention now. But when we more than 

 double the size of the garden without want- 

 ing to double the work in it, it is evident 

 that some readjustment of suggestions 

 made last month becomes necessary. 



In order to make the toy garden yield 

 the largest variety of crops in record time, 

 I confined myself to suggesting for it only 

 early maturing sorts. The easiest way to 

 provide a constant supply of vegetables is 

 to make repeated sowings of the same sorts, 

 as space becomes available. In a small gar- 

 den, this is easily kept up; in a larger gar- 

 den, it is apt to turn recreation into hard 

 work, or, lacking that, the garden will be- 

 come a patch of weeds. 

 The question of efficiency in managing an 



average garden, then, revolves around the 

 problem of selecting sorts that will provide 

 a natural succession of crops 

 from one planting. To prac- 

 tice this will, in some cases, 

 reduce the number of crops 

 each row may yield. But I 

 figure that, even if each row 

 bears only two crops in the 

 course of a season, the gardener may 

 be well satisfied with his work. 

 To effectively help solve the problem of 

 choosing sorts of vegetables for a proper 

 succession, I am giving in the accompanying 

 table at the end a carefully selected list 

 of varieties of the most popular vegetables 

 that will mature in perfect succession. 

 This list and its accuracy is based on obser- 

 vations covering a period of four years. 



Please notice, that, in order to make it 

 easy for you to have an efficient garden, I 

 have again included in the working out of 

 my plan those vegetables suggested for a 

 toy garden. However, this does not ex- 

 empt you from carefully studying last 

 month's plan as well. I have concentrated 

 my efforts in this installment on giving 

 needed and useful information about the 

 new classes of vegetables I suggest. For 

 best results in the garden, keep both April 

 and May numbers of The Garden Maga- 

 zine, within easy reach throughout the 

 season. 



Now to the working out of the plan for 

 the average garden. While, above all, the 

 garden is planned with the practical needs 

 in mind, I have not lost sight of the desire 

 of the suburbanite to have his backyard 

 garden ornamental as well. With this in 

 view, the garden is planned so that the tall 

 growing and, in many instances, long- or all- 

 season crops are placed in the background. 



Toward the front will be found the dwarf 

 growing vegetables as well as those that 

 make a pleasing picture. 



Start to dig in sections A and D, break- 

 ing enough ground to start four rows as 

 indicated. Then, after the earliest supply 

 of the most important vegetables is pro- 

 vided for, go clear back to the end of the 

 lot and start to dig sections B and C. Work 

 your way toward the front, never forgetting 

 that no more ground should be dug in one 

 day than can be planted on that day. 



Arrange it so that a couple of days elapse be- 

 tween the time you plant the first row of bush 

 limas in section C and the next two rows. 

 While this would logically follow — since the 

 row of mustard will give out before the two 

 rows of lettuce — some enthusiastic gardener 

 might be tempted to remove the lettuce to 

 make room for the beans. If you do, all 

 your bush limas will bear at once, and you 

 will cut short your season of supply. When 

 planting the lima beans, be sure to press 

 the seeds eye down into the soil, or many 

 of the seedlings will "break their necks" 

 trying to reach sunlight. 



I have provided two rows of Swiss chard 

 or spinach beet, since there is no other plant 

 in the vegetable kingdom that will produce 

 larger quantities of high quality greens 

 more faithfully than Lucullus Swiss chard. 

 When everything in the way of greens goes 

 on a strike, when mustard, spinach, and 

 lettuce "bolt" and kale is devoured by 

 cabbage worms, Swiss chard keeps right 

 on producing handsomely curled, creamy 

 yellow leaves. Their thick midribs are 

 excellent served like asparagus with a 

 cream dressing; the pretty "savoyed" 

 foliage makes fine spinach. 



With the peculiar needs of the city dwel- 

 ler in mind, I have provided a liberal supply 



TABLE SHOWING VARIETIES OF 



VEGETABLES THAT WILL PROVIDE SUCCESSION CROPS 



FROM 



ONE SOWING 





SEEDS 



READY 



END 







SEEDS 



READY 



END 







SOWN 



FOR 



USE 



OF 

 SEASON 



REMARKS 





SOWN 



FOR 



USE 



OF 

 SEASON 



REMARKS 



BEANS, BUSH 











LETTUCES 











(Green Podded) 











Early Curled 



3-15 



5-IO 



6-15 



Start indoors. 



Bountiful 



1 



6-2S 



7-25 



First early, flat podded. 



Simpson 











Giant Stringless 



>4-25 



7-5 



8-1 



Second early, round pod. 



May King 



4-15 



6-1 



6-20 



Y Sow in July for fall use. 



Stringless Refugee 



J 



7-i5 



9-1 



Late, long bearing. 



California Cream 



4-15 



6-10 



6-25 



(Wax Podded) 











Butter 











New Kidney Wax 



1 



6-25 



7-25 



First early, flat podded. 



All Seasons 



5-1 



6-25 



7-20 



1 Repeat sowing through 



Brittle Wax 



(M-2S 



7-i 



8-1 



Second early, round pod. 



Iceberg 



5-5 



7-i 



7-25 



f summer. 



Sure Crop, Wax 



7-10 



8-25 



Late, long bearing. 



PEAS 











BEETS 











Pedigree Ex. Early 



-\ 



6-5 



6-12 



Sow Little Marvel again 



Eclipse 



{ 



6-15 



7-1 



Best early. 



Little Marvel 





6-12 



6-21 



on 4-25 to fill gap be- 



Crosby's Egyptian 



6-18 



7-10 



Most popular. 



Thomas Laxton 



>4-i5 



6-14 



6-21 



tween Thos. Laxton 



Detroit Dark Red 



f' 4-15 



6-20 



7-15 



Nearly ideal. 



Boston Unrivaled 



( 



6-30 



7-8 



and Boston Unrivaled 



Edmand's Blood 





7-i 



7-25 



Best main crop. 



Potlach 



J 



7-4 



7-i5 





Black Red Ball 



J 



7"5 



8-15 



Darkest, late. 



RADISHES 











CABBAGES 











Rapid Red 



4-10 



5-i 



5-6 



i Sow twice a week for 

 1 2 weeks. 



Copenhagen Mkt. 



) 



6-1 



6-20 



Use quickly. 



Ey. Long Scarlet 



4-10 



5-7 



5-i5 



Allhead Early 





6-20 



8-1 



Keeps well. 



Short-Top 











All Seasons 



{ 



7-5 



9-1 



Best summer. 



White Icicle 



4-10 



5-7 



6-1 



-) Sow repeatedly for sum- 



Premium Flat 



>«5 



7"3° 



fall 



Standard. 



Chartiers 



5-15 



7-10 



8-10 



> mer use. Keeps well. 



Dutch 











White Chinese 



7-i 



9-1 



10-15 



•* For winter. 



Danish Ballhead 



J 



7-30 



fall 



Best keeper. 



TOMATOES 



■\ 









CORN 











Sparks' Earliana 



) 



7-i 



8-10 



Use best strain. 



Golden Bantam 



1 









Chalk's Jewel 





7-10 



9-i5 



Best bright red. 



Kendel's Giant 

 Country Gentle- 

 man 



7-25 



8-5 



8-20 



8-10 

 8-20 

 9-10 



Plant Golden Bantam for 

 succession during fall. 



Stone 

 Globe 

 Beauty 



>3-i5 



7-20 



7-5 

 7-5 



frost 



9-5 



9-15 



Main crop. 

 Prolific, fine shape. 

 Best scarlet. 













Trucker's Favorite 



/ 



7-20 



frost 



Main crop. 



238 



