Growing a Year's Vegetable Supply 
By John S. Doig, Massachusetts 
TO obtain a supply of vegetables, the year round, 
without the aid of a greenhouse, is a big propo- 
sition to carry out successfully, but it can be 
accomplished if one has the use of a good root-cellar 
and a good deep frame, the latter to be used as a hot- 
bed during the early part of the year, and as a place for 
storing vegetable plants in the fall, for winter use. 
A good supply of mats and shutters is required for 
protection during the early part of the year, and also 
for the fall and winter months. The frame should be 
at least three feet deep and thoroughly drained. There 
are a great many different kinds of frames advertise'd, 
but what I consider the best for the purpose of a hotbed 
and storage, is a deep pit of the depth above mentioned 
of cement or brick walls with frame work set on top. 
It should be built in a sheltered position with a southern 
exposure so as to get the full benefit of the sun. The 
best hotbed sash that can be had should only be used 
as it is necessary to have good material to work with to 
obtain the best results in raising young vegetable plants, 
and to bring early vegetables to maturity earlier than 
would be the case if using poor material, always in need 
of repair, and that contracts and expands according to 
the climatic conditions. 
A good supply of loam, leaf mold, old and well decayed 
manure, and sand should always be on hand, and should 
be stored away in a place in the fall where it can be 
reached when required in the early spring for use in the 
hotbed. 
The vegetable garden is best situated in a sheltered 
position, with a southern exposure, well drained and 
free of rocks, and should have a good irrigation system 
throughout its whole area. If the soil is heavy it is bet- 
ter to be well trenched and manured in the fall and given 
a good topdressing of lime in the spring before forking 
it over with the digging fork. Light soils, I consider, 
give the best results if just ploughed over in the fall, 
and well manured and spaded over in the spring. 
Vegetable seeds should be bought of a reliable seed 
firm, of which there are many in the United States. The 
amount of vegetables to be grown will depend on the 
size of the family to be supplied the year round. The 
seed list is the first consideration and should be made 
out as early as possible, so that the seeds will be on hand 
when the time arrives for sowing. As to the varieties of 
the different vegetables, most gardeners, professionals 
and amateurs as well, have their own fancies. 
The time for preparing the hotbed varies according to 
the different latitudes, and as a basis I would suggest 
from the beginning of February until the middle of 
March, according to latitude. In making up the hotbed 
good strawy stable manure is the best, mixed with leaves 
if they can be obtained, as they help to modify the tem- 
perature and help to retain the heat longer than if the 
manure is used alone. When filling the frame with it 
tramp it well and see that there is sufficient moisture to 
create fermentation, otherwise, if too dry, it will not heat 
properly. A layer of half rotted leaves should be spread 
over the surface and then the compost put in to a depth 
of three or four inches. The first seed to be sown is 
lettuce, followed by radishes, and carrots, which can be 
grown to maturity in the hotbed. A second sowing of 
lettuce is necessary so that nice plants can be had for 
transplanting outdoors when the ground is in working 
condition and the weather is favorable. After that the 
following vegetable seeds should be sown, viz. : Toma- 
toes, peppers, egg plant, and, if desired, sweet corn. Cu- 
cumbers and summer squash can be sown in pots, two 
or three seeds to each pot, and plunged in the hotbed, 
later to be transplanted in the open ground, which will 
come in bearing from one to two weeks earlier than those 
sown outdoors. 
The next in order of sowing is early cauliflower, early 
cabbage, leek, celery and onions ; the latter to be sup- 
plied to the consumers from the frame. Tomatoes, pep- 
pers, egg plant, celery and also the second sowing of 
lettuce should be transplanted in the hotbed and grown 
(m, and thoroughly hardened off, then transplanted out- 
iloors as soon as their respective season comes round for 
transplanting which varies according to latitude. 
If the ground has been prepared as before mentioned 
all that will be required before transplanting or seed 
sowing is raking and leveling it. The ground should be 
measured off and stakes put in to mark where rows are 
to be, either for seeds or plants. I firmly believe in the 
rotation of crops as a necessity to success in growing 
vegetables and no same crop should be grown on the 
same land year after year. 
The distance apart for planting is also an important 
factor in growing good vegetables, and I submit a list 
of measurements here that I consider the best. Lettuce 
should be planted eighteen inches between rows and 
twelve inches from plant to plant ; cauliflower, cabbage, 
brussels sprouts, two and a half feet between rows and 
two feet from plant to plant ; egg plants and peppers 
three feet each way ; tomatoes four feet each way ; leeks 
two feet between rows and nine inches from plant to 
plant ; celery three feet between rows and nine inches 
from plant to plant. 
The same importance should be attached to seed grow- 
ing outdoors. Peas vary according to height of variety, 
from two and a half feet to five feet between rows ; onions 
eighteen inches between rows, and when the plants are 
large enough for thinning, two to three inches from 
])lant to plant ; the same for parsley ; parsnips two feet 
between rows and one foot from plant to plant ; dwarf 
beans, two feet between rows and when sowing the seed, 
the seed can be dropped in the row from three to four 
inches apart; pole lima beans, four feet between hills 
each way and four plants left to a hill when thinning; 
potatoes two and a half feet between rows and eighteen 
inches between tubers ; sweet corn three feet between 
hills each way ; cucumbers, squash, etc., twelve inches 
between hills each way. 
Throughout the Summer months the hoe should be 
used freely to keep down weeds and to keep the surface 
of the soil loose. Staking and tieing and also thinning 
out and watering should be thoroughly attended to. 
A sharp lookout should be kept for insects that infest 
all vegetable plants and the destroying of same should 
be regularly attended to. There are so many dift'erent 
kinds of insecticides on the market that there is no ex- 
cuse for vegetable plants to be eaten up and ruined by 
bugs if the grower has the time, and help, to attend to 
the crops as he should have. 
A succession of sowings is necessary to keep up the 
supply of fresh vegetables throughout the season ; also 
for a winter supply. Lettuce should be sown every ten 
days until the end of August : peas from April until July 
every two weeks ; dwarf beans from May until the end 
of ^\ugust every two weeks ; beetroot from May until 
the middle of July every two weeks ; early cabbage and 
cauliflower second sowing in April, and in May for late 
and winter varieties. 
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