liEW-lWBig HOME GARDENING GUIDE IMBMflfflg 



SWEET CORN 



For the home gardener, the simplest way 

 to plant sweet corn is in rows or drills, 

 net in hills. Space the rows 36" apart, 

 and plant a seed about every 3". Thin 

 stalks to stand 9" to 12" apart in row. The 

 drill should be 3" to 4" deep, but don't 

 cover seed with more than 1" of soil. 

 The drill or furrow can be filled in as 

 the plants grow to anchor them against 

 the wind. 



Removing suckers has been standard 

 practice with practically all growers. 

 Now, experiments prove that removing 

 suckers merely takes away extra food- 

 prcducing leaves and so hurts rather 

 than helps growth. Also, suckering oft- 

 en disturbs roots enough to injure plant. 

 Always plant corn in several short rows 

 side by side rather than one long row. 

 Corn is pollinated by wind and rows 

 side-by-side mean that all the stalks can 

 be reached by the pollen. Many home 

 gardeners, on reading newspaper ac- 

 counts of corn de-tasseling, assume that 

 this is necessary to set ears. On the con- 

 trary, removing tassels may cut the crop 

 seriously. Detasseling is only done 

 where hybrid corn is raised for seed pur- 

 poses. The more pollen that flies, the 

 better the set of kernels. So don't de- 

 tassel sweet corn in the home garden. 

 If weeds are under control, stop cultiva- 

 ting. If weeds are bad late in the season, 

 work the soil as shallow as possible to 

 avoid injuring surface feeder roots. 



CUCUMBERS 



Sandy soils with plenty of compost are 



best. Roots have difficulty on heavy soils. 

 Plant 8 to 10 seeds in a "hill". When 

 vine is 6" long, thin to three strongest 

 plants. Keep fruits picked to promote con- 

 tinuous fruiting. If compost isn't available, 

 feed with commercial fertilizers. Use plenty 

 of moisture: cucumbers are 90 per cent 

 water. 



EGGPLANT 



Start seed indoors 8 weeks before plants 



are needed. Set out after weather is warm 

 and settled. Feed and water liberally as 

 Eggplant needs to be kept growing rapid- 

 ly to produce well. D.D.T. will control 

 pests that until now made this a tricky 

 crop to grow. 



ENDIVE 



Strictly a cool-weather crop: gets bitter at 

 temperatures much above 80 degrees. 

 Plant very early and again in mid-July. 

 Use last planting as late fall salad crop, 

 and store surplus in cold frame or cellar 

 by digging each plant with ball of soil. 

 Space 12" apart in rows 18" apart. Feed 

 liberally for bigger, crisper heads. 



KALE 



Grow like Brussels Sprouts. 



KOHLRABI 



Wants rich soil. Plant early in spring 

 6" apart in row. Must be used when 

 young: woody when old. Make second 

 planting three weeks later, and again aft- 

 er mid-Iuly. 



MUSKMELON 



Plant 8 to 10 seeds to a hill after weather 

 is warm. If grown in cool weather or 



where nights are cold, will not bear 

 well and melons will have poor flavor. 

 Melons love plenty of compost or well- 

 rotted manure. When vines begin to run, 

 thin three plants to a hill. In damp soil 

 mulch with clean straw or raise each fruit 

 on a shingle to keep from rotting. 



OKRA 



Plant on rich soil when weather is hot 

 and settled, spaced 36" x 15". Pods mature 

 rapidly and must be picked or they will 

 be inedible. 



ONIONS 



Sets produce sooner than seeds. Set 1" 

 apart and pull every other set for use as 

 green onions. Again pull every other on- 

 ion, leaving balance of sets to mature as 

 dry onions. 



From seed, onions have better flavor. 

 Green onions can be grown in about 60 

 days from seed. Use thinnings for green 

 onions, leaving 4" apart for globe types 

 and 6" for the big Spanish types to mature 

 for dry onions. Latter can also be started 

 indoors for largest bulbs and can be set 

 out 6" apart after frost danger has passed. 

 All onions need liberal feeding and water- 



Lg PARSLEY 



Seed germinates slowly; soak over night. 

 Sow early as seed germinates poorly in 

 hot weather. Space plants 6" apart. 

 Plain parsley has best true parsley flav- 

 or: curly sorts better for garnishing. If 

 leaves are cut off when plant is 3" tall, 

 curly sorts will have better curL 



(Continued on Page 17) 



PEPPER, 

 Long Red Cayenne 



