VICTORY 
GARDEN 
Garden Planning Insures Success 
The planned garden insures a maximum of fresh vege- 
tables from a given area. Decide first which vegetables you 
wish to grow and send your order just as soon as possible 
because some seeds are quite scarce this year. While you 
await their arrival make a planting plan. Arrange according 
to the planting dates given on the opposite page. The begin- 
ner will do well to restrict his activities to outdoor gardening 
as the simplest way to success. Plants of Peppers and Egg- 
plants may be secured locally at the right time for setting 
out in the particular location. Tomato and Cabbage plants 
also are available almost everywhere though it is a simple 
matter to grow these from seed started in a box or pan 
placed in a sunny window. From 6 to 8 weeks are required 
to secure plants large enough for setting in the garden. 
Arranging the Garden 
In arranging the garden allow for sufficient space between 
the rows so that the plants will not be too crowded. From 
12 to 15 inches of space suffice to separate the rows of Beets, 
Carrots, Lettuce, Turnips and Rutabaga. Spinach, Onions, 
and Radish can stand a foot apart. Swiss Chard, Bush 
Beans, Parsnip, Salsify, and dwarf Peas require not less 
than 2 feet between the rows. Lima Beans, Sweet Corn, tall 
Peas, Squash, Tomatoes, Muskmelon, Cucumber, and New 
Zealand Spinach must have not less than four feet sepa- 
rating the rows. 
Succession Sowing 
By planning for a succession of crops many vegetables may 
be had until late fall. Thus Beets, Carrots, Lettuce, Bush 
Beans, and Sweet Corn may be sown at two week intervals 
to produce a continuous supply of delectable young produce 
full of flavor and vitamins. Follow the planting calendar to 
determine the correctness of the sowing times. Consume all 
produce before it has reached its maximum size as it is then 
that it is most palatable and wholesome. 
Just as soon as a row has been harvested replant with an- 
other crop after loosening the soil with the spade and crum- 
bling it well. Follow the leaf crops such as Lettuce with 
either a root crop or one belonging to the edible seed group 
which includes Beans, Peas, and Sweet Corn. The root crops 
are followed by a leaf crop or the edible seed group. Lastly 
the edible seeds are followed with a kind grown for its 
leaves or a root vegetable. This rotation is quite important 
to secure maximum yields from the garden. 
See Page 82 for Dreer’s Victory Garden Collections 
of Choice Vegetable Seeds 
Canning and Storing 
If space permits, plan to grow enough vegetables for can- 
ning a good winter supply. Also grow enough Beets, Carrots, 
Turnips, and Rutabaga for winter storage in a cool cellar or 
an outdoor pit. They will keep in good condition well into 
the late winter if stored cool but frostproof and slightly damp. 
Soil Preparation 
Spade the soil deeply just as early in the spring as it has 
lost its stickiness. Crumble well while turning each spadeful. 
Decayed manure is best spaded under but dried manures and 
fertilizer are best added after spading but before the surface 
is raked level and smooth. Use a string or line to secure 
straight rows. Open the furrows with a stick for seeds which 
are covered from %4 to % inch deep. The rows for larger 
ones such as Beans, Peas, and Sweet Corn are made with the 
edge of the hoe. Always sow thinly. 
Planting Depth 
Correct planting depth is highly important and the gen- 
eral rule to cover seeds three to four times as deep as their 
smallest diameter applies as well to vegetables as to flowers. 
Use the rake to draw the soil over the seed and firm by 
walking over the row or pressing down with the end of the 
rake. Firm planting is very important with practically all 
kinds of seed. If the weather remains dry apply a fine, con- 
tinuous spray of water until the soil is well moistened to a 
depth of several inches. The seeds of Beets, Carrots, and 
Parsley may be soaked previous to planting for two hours in 
warm water. Drain and wash thoroughly in cool water. Drain 
again and mix with dry sand to facilitate sowing. 
Thinning 
Thin the plants when about an inch high if they come up 
too thickly. Thin a second and third time or until they stand 
far enough apart in the row so that they will not interfere 
with one another. Crowded plants cannot develop properly. 
For detailed directions about growing the various crops refer 
to the information given in the pages which follow and to 
the seed packets. 
Cultivation 
Cultivation plays an important part because it encourages 
a vigorous growth. Keep the soil surface well stirred during 
the growing season. However, never cultivate while the soil 
is wet as otherwise its good physical condition will be im- 
paired. 
New Vegetables—You Should Try 
101 Edible Sey Beans—Bansei 
Edible Soy Beans are a comparatively new vegetable as 
far as American gardeners are concerned. They are very rich 
in Vitamins A, B, and G. Bansei is very early, extremely 
productive, and well adapted to varied growing conditions. 
The plants grow 2 feet tall and need no support. Pkt. 10c; 
Y, Ib. 25c; Ib. 45c; 2 lbs. 85c; 5 lbs. $2.00. 
295 Celtuce 
Celtuce is easy to grow, doing best on rich and fertile soil. 
It is grown for its solid stalks which are succulent and tasty, 
either cooked or raw. Sow from early spring until late sum- 
mer for a continuous supply. Pkt. 15c; 1% oz. 35c; %4.oz. 
05c30z. $125. ‘ 
* 919 Tomato Jubilee 
A delighful new bright orange-yellow tomato with fruits 
which weigh about 6 ounces each. Of splendid quality, fleshy, 
smooth, solid, and of agreeable mild flavor. Awarded a 
Bronze Medal in the 1943 All-America Selections. Pkt. 15c; 
Y% oz. 60c; % oz. $1.10; oz. $2.00. 
%* 130 Pole Bean Potomac 
A very vigorous grower with beautiful, streamlined, long, 
slender and practically round pods which are meaty and 
tender. It is absolutely stringless at all stages of growth. The 
pods are an attractive fresh green color, well retained in 
cooking. Pkt. 15c; % lb. 35c; lb. 65c. 
x Winner in the 1943 All-American Selections of Vegetables 57 
