igl I 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page i'5 



it should be placed in rows far enough 

 apart for horse cultivation. The ground 

 may be furrowed out and the plants set 

 in the bottom of the trench six to eight 

 inches apart. As the plant develops the 

 soil should be drawn arotmd to secure 

 proper blanching. The plants may be 

 severely cut back when transplanting to 

 the field. Banking with earth should be 

 done several times during the growing 

 period, care being taken to hold the tops 

 of each plant together in such a way that 

 earth will not be placed in the heart nf 

 the plant. Frequent and copious water- 

 ings are essential to secure a tender, 

 sweet, crisp growth of celery. Celery 

 may be enjoyed from early winter till 

 the following spring. It can be success- 

 fully kept by standing the plants upright 

 in a few inches of soil in the cellar, or 

 may be stored in the field by cinvering 

 with boards and sufficient soil to prevent 

 severe freezing. Varieties: Golden Self 

 Blanching, White Plume, Boston Market, 

 Burpee. 



Corn is so well known that it needs 

 no further comment here. A succession 

 can easily be had by frequent plantings 

 or by using ^'arieties which mature at 

 different periods. By planting corn in 

 rows wide enough for horse cultivation 

 a crop may be secured with very little 

 attention other than frequent cultivation. 

 Corn should be planted on warm, early 

 soil. There are many varieties of sweet 



corn. For table use those varieties 

 should be chosen which mature ciuickly. 

 contain a large precentage of sugar and 

 are tender. Corn should not be planted 

 until the ground is well warmed in 

 spring. Plenty of seed should be used, 

 as the weaker plants and suckers can be 

 removed. Varieties: Cory Early, Golden 

 Bantam, Burpee; ]\Ianhattan. Early Mar- 

 blehead. Early ilinnesota, Thorburn. 



Cucumbers may be sown in hills as 

 soon as the ground is sufficiently^ warm 

 in the spring. They delight in a friable, 

 rich soil and frequent cultivation. Bj' 

 keeping the fruit from maturing larger 

 yields may be secured. By the use of the 

 hotbed or forcing hills early plants may 

 be obtained. If plants are grown in the 

 hotbed and transplanted they should be 

 carefully "hardened of¥" before being 

 transferred to the garden. Hills may be 

 set four by six feet or six by six feet, as 

 the space permits. Careful preparation 

 of the soil in each hill should be given. 

 It is often found advantageous to dig the 

 hole two feet across and one foot deep, 

 incorporating a liberal supplj- of horse 

 manure. Do not plant the seed directly 

 in a bed of manure. Plant the seeds 

 about one and one-half inches deep. 

 Firm the soil lightly after planting. 

 Cucumbers should be planted level, and 

 nr)t on mounds as sometimes practiced. 

 See that no more than four plants grow 

 to each hill. While picking cucumbers 



do not injure the vines, as such injnrj- 

 lessens the yield materially. Remove the 

 cucumbers by using a sharp knife. 

 Cucumbers for slicing purposes should 

 be grown rapidly, medium in size and 

 well filled at both ends. Selections from 

 the White Spine type are very desirable. 

 Varieties: Extra Early White Spine, 

 Fordhook Pickling, Burpee; Cumber- 

 land. Thorburn 1S96 Pickler, Improved 

 White Spine, Thorburn. 



The culture of egg plant is quite sim- 

 ilar to that of the tomato. For further 

 details of culture see tomato. A^arieties: 

 Black Beauty, Early Long Purple, Bur- 

 pee; Early Dwarf Purple, Thorburn. 



Kale is a member of the cabbage fam- 

 ily. It deserves more attention and 

 should be planted more frequently in the 

 garden. It makes an excellent plant for 

 furnishing a liberal supply of greens dur- 

 ing the fall, winter and spring. It is 

 quite hardy. It should be grown and 

 handled like cabbage in every respect. 

 Kale will stand the winter nicely and is 

 thought by some that the quality is 

 improved by freezing. It can be success- 

 fully grown where cabbage does well. It 

 is very easily grown. Varieties: Tall 

 Green Curled Scotch, Dwarf German, 

 Burpee; Curled Dwarf Green Scotch, 

 Thorburn. 



The culture of the leek is practically 

 the same as for the onion. The flavor is 

 not so strong. It usually requires the 

 entire season to mature, but may be used 

 green like onions. It does not form a 

 bulb like the onion. By planting leek in 

 an open furrow, gradual filling may be 

 practiced which will secure a greater 

 blanched portion than by planting on the 

 level like onions. Leek deserves to be 

 more generally planted in the garden. 

 Varieties: Large Rouen, Thorburn; 

 Long Mezieres, Burpee. 



For best success with lettuce the foil 

 should be in fine condition. This plant 

 responds readily to fertilization. The 

 best plants may be obtained by sowing 

 the seed in a hotbed and transplanting 

 once before transferring to the field. 

 This method will insure a continuous 

 growth of crisp, succulent plants. The 

 growth should never be checked, as it 

 makes tough, bitter lettuce. Frequent 

 cultivation should be given. A large 

 amount of moisture is desired through- 

 out the season. The many varieties of 

 lettuce may be di\'ided into two classes — 

 cabbage or head lettuce and Cos or 

 Romaine. If one cares to plant Cos 

 A'arieties they should see that the outer 

 leaves are frequently tied up in order to 

 blanch the inner leaves. This lettuce is 

 highly recommended and deserves more 

 attention in Western gardens. It is a 

 great delicacy wdien well grown, but 

 very undesirable when proper care is 

 not given. Varieties: Deacon, Grand 

 Rapids, Denver Market, Triannon Cos or 

 Romaine, Burpee; All Heart, Dreer. 



The culture of muskmelon and water- 

 melon plants is essentially the same as 

 for cucumber, except they require more 

 room. By choice of varieties a very fine 

 selection of both may be secured. Varie- 

 ties: Fordhook, Netted Gem or Rocky 



