CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
379 
MUSTARD ( Brassica ) 
532. Importance. — Mustard is a member of the cab- 
bage family. It is used as a salad plant, often with 
cress, and also for greens. The seeds are used in the 
manufacture of the mustard of commerce. This plant 
is often grown in home gardens and to a limited extent 
for commercial purposes. 
523. Culture. — In the North the seed may be sown at 
any time from early spring until fall to obtain a succes- 
sion of young tender leaves. It is customary to sow as 
soon as possible in the spring for the early summer crop, 
in July or August for the fall crop and in September 
for the spring crop. Southward it is often started in the 
fall, for cutting early in the spring. The sowings are 
made in drills a foot or more apart, and then thinned to 
5 or 6 inches in the row. White London is perhaps the 
best variety for the North; Southern Giant Curled is 
popular in the South. Chinese is a broad-leaved variety, 
producing a large amount of herbage. 
OKRA OR GUMBO (Hibiscus esculcntus) 
524. Importance. — This hot weather perennial is 
grown to a considerable extent in the South, and in a lim- 
ited way in the North. The young, tender pods are used 
mainly in soups and stews, although they are excellent 
when boiled and served hot or cold as a salad. 
525. Culture. — In the South the sowings are made in 
the open ground ; in the North the plants should be started 
under glass, the seed sowed in pots, inverted sods or 
in other devices, so the shift to the field may be made 
without disturbing the roots. The planting distances 
depend upon the vigor of the varieties, but ordinarily 
2x3 feet apart provides sufficient space. The soil 
should be warm and fertile. Several varieties are in 
