Growing a Year's Vegetable Supply 
By John S. Dvig, Massachusetts 
TO obtain a supply of vegetables, the year round 
without the aid of a greenhouse, is a big propo 
A second sowing of 
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 f< ir 
storing certain 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 the least three feet deep and thoroughly drained. 
There are a great many different kinds of frames ad- 
vertised, 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 ma- 
turity 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. 
The root-cellar should be rat and water-proof and 
well ventilated and must have sufficient windows to let 
in the light. 
A good supply of loam, leaf mold, old and well de- 
caved 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 varie- 
ties of the different vegetables, I will leave them out of 
this essay as most gardeners, professionals and ama- 
teurs 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 strawv 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 
properlv. 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 
271 
grown to maturity in the hotbed 
lettuce is necessary so that nice plants can be had tor 
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. 
Cucumbers 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, 
earl}' cabbage, leek, celery and onions ; the latter to 
be supplied to the consumers from the frame. To- 
matoes, peppers, egg plant, celery and also the second 
sowing of lettuce should be transplanted in the hotbed 
and grown on, and thoroughly hardened off, then trans- 
planted outdoors as soon as their respective season 
comes round for transplanting which varies according 
to latitude. 
If the ground has been prepared as before men- 
tioned all that will be required before transplanting 
or seed sowing is raking and leveling it. The ground 
should lie measured off and stakes put in to mark where 
rows are to be, either for seeds or plants. I firmly be- 
lieve 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, cab- 
bage, 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 
growing 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 plant to plant ; the same for parsley ; pars- 
nips 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 ; cucum- 
bers, 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 sur- 
face of the soil loose. Staking and tieing and also 
thinning out and watering should be thoroughly at- 
tended to. 
A sharp lookout should be kept for insects that in- 
fest all vegetable plants and the destroying of same 
should be regularly attended to. There are so many 
different kinds of insecticides on the market that there 
is no excuse for vegetable plants to be eaten up and 
ruined bv bugs if the grower has the time, and help. 
