On the Trail of the Slacker 



When the Beginner Needs an Urge — Midsummer Work in Following Up 



CONSTANT and deep cultivation is 

 most important during the hot 

 dry weather of summer. Shallow 

 cultivation may be practised during 

 good growing conditions, but deep cultivation 

 is necessary in excessively hot, dry weather. 

 The point is sometimes raised that this dis- 

 turbs surface roots, but where proper culti- 

 vation is given to the garden, few, if any sur- 

 face roots will be found, due to the fact that 

 cultivation drives the roots down into the soil. 

 Constant working of the soil prevents the 

 starting of any weed growth and also reduces 

 to the minimum the necessity of artificial 

 watering. 



In well maintained gardens a top dressing 

 is given to the vegetable crops at this period, 

 particularly to those which remain in the 

 ground for the entire season. It is often 

 asserted that a top dressing encourages surface 

 rooting, but this is far from the fact if the 

 soil is constantly worked after the dressing has 

 been applied,. as the rains wash down the fer- 

 tility and convey it to the roots. Sheep or 

 other concentrated manures, such as guano, 

 may be used; or some of the commercial 

 fertilizers which are mostly composed of dried 

 bone and blood; or chemicals which are 

 quickly soluble. In some cases nitrate of 

 soda can be recommended, but it should be 

 used sparingly because of its great concen- 

 tration. The danger to the inexperienced 

 gardener with strong chemicals is because of 

 % a tendency to use too much. It is easy to 

 overdo a good thing. 



Another detail of the moment is the hilling 

 of such crops as grow tall and which a little 

 later in the season are liable to be injured by 

 wind or heavy rain storms. The hilling at 

 this time is done as a preventive or protec- 

 tive measure. Corn especially needs this 

 kind of attention. 



Sowing for Fall 



'TpOO early to think about fall when the 

 ■*■ summer harvest is just begun? Not at 

 all! Remember the successful gardener never 

 forgets that the first and most important 

 step in garden success is the sowing of the seeds. 

 Though he may have a very hazy idea of how 

 he is to care for those seeds when they grow 

 into plants, he figures that crossing bridges 

 is best considered when they are reached. 

 The great principle is to get started with 

 each crop. All root crops for winter, such as 

 beets, carrots, rutabagas, yellow turnips and 

 winter radishes should be sown now. If the 

 ground has been previously cropped, fertilizer 

 of some kind should be worked into the 

 ground; well rotted manure is preferred be- 

 cause the season ahead is getting shorter. 

 Corn can still be sown, using early varieties. 

 Peas, spinach, and radishes can be sown 

 successionally from now until September. 

 Lettuce, endive, and cress are also seasonable. • 



Seeds and Germination 



DO YOU complain that seeds do not 

 germinate well at this season of the year? 

 That may seem to be so but is not actually 

 due to the seed but is caused by the dryness 

 of the soil. Seeds require moisture, heat and 

 air for germination. Therefore in the summer 

 season when the soil is dry it is good practice 

 to thoroughly soak the drills with water before 

 sowing the seeds. But do not soak the seed 

 before sowing if the soil is dry since the young 



plant would then be falsely induced to start 

 out its independent life. 



Watering Reasons 



C\$ COURSE the ideal conditions for 

 ^-^ seed sowing and for crop growing all 

 through would be enough rain to finish 

 growth of crops without the necessity of 

 artificial watering. That is a splendid theory 

 but in actual practice'we are forced to resort 

 to artificial watering. A mistake too often 

 made is applying "just a little" water at 

 frequent intervals. The water, practically 

 all on the surface, is quickly evaporated and 

 the plants are left in a far worse condition 

 than if they had received no water at all. 

 When plants do require water, give enough to 

 thoroughly saturate the ground and then work 

 the surface just as soon as it dries sufficiently 

 to pulverize underneath the cultivator. 



Where overhead piping is not used, some 

 scheme should be worked out whereby the 

 water is somewhat tempered before it strikes 

 the plants, as cold water coming into contact 

 with the plants gives a shock that renders 

 them liable to mildew and other undesirable 

 conditions. That is one of the most import- 

 ant advantages of irrigating systems, as in 

 most cases the pipes are overhead and the 

 water is so finely divided that the air thor- 

 oughly tempers it, and falling in very small 

 particles it sinks into the earth very gradually, 

 which is the ideal condition. 



Irrigation — Different Methods 



"INHERE are several systems of irrigation. 



-*- One is a portable affair that can be 

 carried about the garden and, considering its 

 good points, is quite inexpensive. The pipe 

 can be regulated to distribute the water at 

 any angle desired. This same method is 

 employed on a large scale when the pipes are 

 placed overhead so that plowing and other 

 garden operations can be carried on under- 

 neath. In another system the pipes are 

 placed underground with risers or jet nozzles 

 placed equidistant apart. This system is by 

 far the most sightly, but has the disadvantage 

 of having the pipes underneath the ground. 

 One of the chief benefits of a proper irrigating 

 system lies in the starting of newly set crops, 

 especially plants that are set out from seed , 

 beds, such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, 

 cauliflower, etc. 



How to Pick Vegetables 



*T"*HE harvest is here! The facilities that 

 *• are available for the proper canning 

 of the garden produce leave little excuse for 

 the waste of any crop. The average home 

 garden is indeed a mint if properly looked 

 after, but we are so apt to consider the garden 

 products at their cost to us, which, to be 

 sure, is very small, instead of at their value 

 in the house which is vastly different. 



Make a practice of gathering your vegeta- 

 bles daily. If conditions are such that you 

 are not able to can those that are not for 

 immediate use, they can surely be disposed 

 of where they will be welcome. Though 

 there is nothing to be gained by picking vege- 

 tables too young, there is, on the other hand, 

 a great deal to be lost by allowing them to 

 become too old; and at this season of the 

 year all vegetables mature rapidly. 



Gather corn when the silk is well browned 

 and the top of the ear firm. Never allow 



258 



artichokes to develop the pod before they are 

 gathered. Tomatoes should always be used 

 when firm as they will invariably crack if left 

 on the plant. Potatoes will now be ready for 

 digging; but gather only enough for immediate 

 use as they continue to improve in the ground. 

 Cabbage will split and become useless if not 

 used. Boards placed over the lettuce to 

 shade it will reduce the percentage of the 

 plants running to seed. Romaine or Cos 

 lettuce should be tied up several days before 

 using, first making sure that the plants 

 are thoroughly dry. 



Selecting Types and Rare Seeds 



TV/TANY of the improved varieties of rare 

 ■*■»■■■ vegetables are the result of accident. 

 In every garden there is the possibility of 

 developing a very superior strain of any 

 vegetable, but if the special quality is not 

 recognized and the improved type saved for 

 seed purposes, nothing will be gained. Here is 

 an opportunity for every home gardener. 

 If you have a particularly fine ear of corn, for 

 example, one that shows only a little different 

 habit from the ordinary plant, it is advisable 

 to allow it to mature for seeding purposes. 

 It is by no means outside the possibilities of 

 a small garden to develop an improved type 

 that will be well worth the effort and which 

 may ultimately add to the value of the 

 nation's gardens. 



The regular seed grower, raising stock for 

 the seed trade, aims to reproduce true to 

 type and consequently he has, as a matter 

 of business, a tendency to suppress variations 

 or deviations from the accepted standard. 

 The home gardener stands in a different 

 relation and here opens a fertile field of pos- 

 sibilities. 



To cite an instance of seed selection: In 

 one case, the earliest and best flavored type 

 of muskmelon was selected for seed purposes 

 for a period of eight years. Care was exer- 

 cised that the specimen selected was from a 

 healthy and vigorous vine, which had proved 

 its productiveness. A gain of fifteen days 

 was made in the ripening period, or an average 

 of almost two days per year! The melons 

 were true to type and all that could be de- 

 sired in flavor. Saving of seed from any 

 specimen of unusual perfection or d eve l°P~ 

 ment, is not only possible, but it should be 

 practised in every home garden; in this way 

 new and improved strains and even new 

 varieties may be developed. 



Planning for Next Year 



' I TUS is the proper time to make a few 

 ■*■ records that will be of material benefit 

 for next year's garden. Prepare a garden 

 book and mark down the varieties or more 

 particularly the types you prefer. Do it 

 now, while the matter is fresh in your mind 

 and the very types are in your garden and 

 can be examined. Do you like a long beet 

 or a round one; a white corn or a yellow corn; 

 a small pod bush lima or a large pod type; a 

 buttery head lettuce or the curly non-heading 

 type; a stump rooted or a long carrot? Now 

 is the proper time to ask yourself these ques- 

 tions, and if you make your decisions and 

 record them in your garden book, they will 

 give you invaluable information for next 

 spring. Always carry with you into the 

 garden a fountain pen or pencil and handy 

 record book. 



