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BECKERT SEED AND BULB COMPANY 



Fresh From Your Own Garden 



There is all the difference in the world 

 between vegetables fresh from your own 

 garden and fresh from other sources. Fresh 

 in some cases may mean a week and even 

 from the farmer markets means at least a 

 day old. 



It has long been known that the food 

 value of fresh vegetables decreases steadily 

 from the time they are picked until they 

 are cooked, so that in order to enjoy their 

 complete tastlness and get the full benefit 

 of their health-giving properties, you must 

 grow your own. And "growing your own" 

 is not all hard work, for there is a lot of 

 pleasure in watching the various plants 

 develop, in harvesting and finally in eating 

 the fruits of your labor. 



Soil. Rich acres are not necessary in 

 order to have these delicacies from your 

 own garden. Any soil that can rightfully 

 be called soil can be made to grow the finest 

 vegetables. The ideal soil is sandy loam, 

 rich in humus (decayed vegetable matter) 

 and well drained. Heavy soils are greatly 

 im.proved by an application of lime, and 

 light soils by digging in cover crops (such 

 as cow peas, rye, etc), or large quantities 

 of strawy manure. 



Pulverized sheep manure is an excellent 

 all-around fertilizer for gardens. It is high 

 in available plant food, contains humus, 

 and is absolutely free from weed seeds. Dig 

 in at the rate of five pounds to fifty square 

 feet. For root crops (beets, carrots, etc.), 

 put a little bone meal in the drill and cover 

 lightly with soil before sowing seeds. For 

 leaf crops (cabbage, lettuce, etc.), use a 

 small quantity of nitrate of soda from time 

 to time during the growing season. This 

 quickens the growth and produces larger 

 plants. 



Preparation. Prepare the ground as early 

 in the Spring as it will crumble on the spade 



or fork. If top soil is deep, spade to a depth 

 of 8 to 10 inches; if shallow, dig all the top 

 and just a little of the bottom soil and mix 

 thoroughly. After spading, break up the 

 lumps with a steel rake and make your gar- 

 den as level as possible. Then mark out 

 your rows. 



Flanting- Dates. Due to changing weather 

 conditions and differences in localities, we 

 cannot give definite dates to plant. As a 

 general rule, however, all the hardy vege- 

 tables (beets, carrots, lettuce, smooth peas, 

 etc.), may be planted outdoors as soon as 

 the ground can be worked; tender varieties 

 (corn cucumbers, wrinkled peas, etc.), about 

 when the maple trees start to leaf. 



Thin Out. We would venture to state that 

 more gardens are spoiled by lack of proper 

 thinning out than from any other cause. 

 Thin out as soon as the plants are big 

 enough to handle (see cultural instructions 

 preceding each variety for distances). Plants 

 thinned out need not be wasted, for the 

 majority of vegetables transplant very 

 easily and even if they must be thrown 

 away, it is better to have a dozen good 

 plants that will yield than fifty poor ones 

 that will not. 



Cultivation. This takes you up to the 

 cultivation and watering of your garden. 

 Cultivate frequently, not only to keep down 

 weeds but to conserve moisture. "Water only 

 during extreme droughts and be sure to 

 thoroughly soak the ground. 



Do not permit any ground to remain idle 

 after taking off an early crop. Plant some- 

 thing immediately, if only a cover crop to 

 turn under. 



Full cultural directions are given 

 throughout the catalog immediately pre- 

 ceding each variety. We will be glad to 

 furnish additional instructions on request. 



B. S. & B. Go's. Quality Vegetable Seeds 



The varieties of Vegetables listed on the following pages are our personal selections, 

 backed by years of experience in supplying quality seeds to the private and professional 

 gardener. 



Our list of varieties will be found to include such newer varieties as have proven their 

 worth as well as the recognized standard sorts. 



This extensive list gives ample opportunity for you to select the varieties best suited 

 to your particular needs and climatic conditions, which is not the case when your selec- 

 tion is limited to a few varieties. 



