Give the Vegetables a Square Deal 



:-%*,. 



Hi 



Early Prolific Straightneck Squash — 

 one of our prize winning vegetable strains 



Radish, Early Scarlet Globe 



Planting Hints (Continued) 

 LETTUCE. Sow lettuce seed as soon as the ground can 

 be worked. Make rows the same as for carrots and beets. Sow 

 the seed thinly, letting it run out slowly from the corner 

 of the packet. Cover with about half an inch of soil and press 

 down firmly. If the plants of loose-leaf lettuce look crowded 

 when they come up, thin them a little. Thin head lettuce 

 plants so that they stand about eight inches apart in the 

 row. Have the rows at least eighteen inches apart. Lettuce 

 does best when, the weather is cool and moist. 

 MUSKMELON. In sections where summers are short, 

 seed can be planted indoors or in hotbeds in small boxes. 

 The young plants can be transferred to the garden when 

 danger of frost is past. If practicable, spade in a liberal 

 forkful of well-rotted manure at the bottom of each hill. 

 The rows should be at least six feet apart, and the hills 

 two to three feet apart in the rows. In general, the culture 

 is the same as that for cucumber. 



WATERMELON. Raising watermelons requires about the 

 same culture as muskmelons except that the vines need more 

 room. Hills should be liberally manured, and cultivation 

 careful and thorough. 



MUSTARD. Sow at the same time as radishes and lettuce. 

 Make the rows in the same way. Sow the seed thinly and 

 cover with about half an inch of soil. Press down firmly. 

 When the plants are about two or three inches high, thin 

 them so that they are about six inches apart in the row. 

 Mustard plants make the best greens when they are given 

 plenty of water so that they grow quickly. 

 OKRA or GUMBO. Okra seed does not germinate well at 

 cool temperatures, and planting should be delayed until 

 the ground is warm. Drop four or five seeds to the foot and 

 cover about an inch deep. Thin to about one and one-half 

 feet in the row and keep thoroughly cultivated. 

 ONION. Onion seed germinates well in cool weather. Plant 

 as soon as the soil can be prepared. Shallow planting is 

 advisable, — one-fourth to one-half inch. When a few inches 

 tall, the young plants can be thinned to prevent crowding, 

 and the plants removed can be used as green onions. After 

 that, they can be pulled as needed, and those left to become 

 fully ripe can be stored for winter. 



PARSLEY. The seed is even slower to germinate than pars- 

 nip. It grows best in rich mellow soil and should be sown as 

 early as possible in rows with a covering of not more than 

 one-half inch of soil firmly pressed down. When the plants 

 are well up, thin them to eight to twelve inches apart in 

 the row. As soon as those of the curled varieties are about 

 three inches tall, cut off^ all the leaves; the new growth will 

 be brighter and better curled. Every cutting will improve 

 the quality of the leaves. 



PARSNIP. Parsnips grow best in loose, rich, sandy loam 

 but will make good roots in any soil that is reasonably rich 

 and deep. Stony soil and raw manure are likely to produce 

 branched or misshapen roots. The seed requires steady 

 abundant moisture for germination and should be sown as 

 early as practicable. Sow in rows and when well up thin to 

 five inches apart in the row. Keep the ground moist if 

 possible. Parsnips are improved by freezing, and a portion 

 of the crop can be left in the ground all winter to be dug in 

 spring when the ground has thawed. 



PEAS. Peas need moderate temperature, plenty of mois- 

 ture, and long daylight hours. They are not injured by light 

 frosts and may be planted as early in spring as the soil will 

 permit. By planting some of several varieties at the same 

 time, a well-arranged succession can be obtained, extending 

 over a period of 30 days. Successive plantings of a desirable 

 variety will also provide a succession, but this cannot be 

 extended over as long a period with good results. AH vari- 

 eties more than one and one-half feet tall do better if staked 

 up or otherwise supported when four to six inches tall. Use 

 sharpened branches of trees set between the double rows. 



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