THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



197 



or guano or blood and bone, the same as 

 when planting seeds. A method of insuring 

 a good standing from seed is to soak half 

 of the seed you have to plant over night 

 in warm water, dry it off in fine dust or 

 land plaster, and mix with the rest, plant 

 ing two together, covering some prefer- 

 ably a little deeper than others. The ad- 

 vantage of this is that whatever the con- 

 ditions that follow planting may be, 

 enough of the seeds to make a good stand 

 are pretty certain to come through. If the 

 vines are wanted to continue bearing for a 

 long time, pick off fruits as they mature, 

 whether they are needed or not. For late 

 use and for pickling, a second planting 

 may be made the latter part of June. 



The greatest difficulty in succeed- 

 ing with Cucumbers and other curcubits 

 or vine crops, is to protect them from the Egg Plant 



striped yellow beetle, the Melon louse and 



the black wilt. In order to make sure of a crop give a general 

 purpose spraying every ten days or two weeks, using a soapy-nicotine 

 spray. As it is essential to cover the under side of the leaves as well as the 

 surface, an angle nozzle should be used and a sprayer sufficiently strong to 

 produce a good mist spray. Where such a sprayer is not available, dry 

 spraying or dusting may be substituted, keeping the plants well covered 

 from early growth. 



EGG PLANT 



The Egg Plant is another vegetable which revels in the richest soil 

 and an abundance of moisture. General culture is the same as that 

 recommended for Tomatoes, except that the plants do not have to be staked 

 up or pruned. The plants should be grown in pots and for best results 

 repotted once or twice so that they are in three and a half or fours when set 

 outdoors, which should not be until after Tomatoes are planted. If the 

 hotbed or coldframe is used for propagation, sow the seed one-half inch 

 deep and transplant once or twice before transferring the plants to their 

 permanent place in the garden. Set the plants 2 ft. apart in rows 23^ to 

 3 ft. apart. The most dangerous enemy to be encountered in growing 

 Egg Plants is the striped Potato bug. Arsenate of lead paste may jbe used, 

 but if a few plants are grown, hand picking (knocking the beetles off with a 

 small stick or paddle into a pan half full of kerosene and water) will prove 

 effective and will give little trouble, as the beetles are killed before they eat. 



ENDIVE— HORSE RADISH 



Endive is another salad grown mostly for Fall use. Sow the same as 

 Lettuce in June or July, and thin to about 12 in. It requires blanching 

 to be ready for use. The individual heads may be tied up loosely with 



