HOUSE AND GARDEN 
13 2 
April, 1910 
pboric acid and 
potash ; but you 
will have to supply 
them in one or more 
of many mixtures. 
If you can get it, 
rely principally on 
old, well rotted sta¬ 
ble manure, pref¬ 
erably that of 
horses and cows 
mixed, and if pigs 
have run on it, so 
much the better. 
With a layer of 
this three inches 
thick ploughed into 
your garden patch, 
you will be certain 
to raise a tremend¬ 
ous crop of some¬ 
thing —w h e t h e r 
tempting vegeta¬ 
bles, or a forest of 
weeds, will depend 
on your own at¬ 
tention and industry. This manure may bring you some weed 
seeds with it, but probably the ground contains so many already 
that it will not make much difference. The weeds are only a sign 
of trouble; they come to remind you that you have been neglect¬ 
ing your job of cultivating. This stable manure — five 
to eight two-horse loads will not be too much—should be 
spread evenly over the surface of your ground before plough¬ 
ing and you should see that your ploughman turns it all 
under, leaving no bunches to clog the harrow, rake, or seed-drill 
later on. 
If good manure is not to be had in your vicinity, you will 
have to fall back on some of the chemical fertilizers. It will be 
more convenient to use one of the many ready-mixed brands. 
As a general rule, the more you pay per bag, the cheaper you are 
really getting your plant-food. If you can, mix your own fertil¬ 
izers. Directions for doing this, and for preparing an excellent 
fertilizer for your garden, will be found in the February issue of 
this magazine, page xxii. All chemical fertilizers should be applied 
broadcast after ploughing. Use, for a 50 x 100 foot garden, 
200 to 300 lbs., according to quality. Later applications may 
also be made, as described subsequently. Unleached wood ashes 
is another excellent fertilizer, both for its plant food and for its 
action upon the soil, and it can be obtained readily in some 
Do not forget to plant some of these big peppers. 
Stuffed with chopped meat, they make a fine 
luncheon dish 
localities. Apply fifteen to twenty bushels broadcast on the 
above space before harrowing. 
Nitrate of soda, which forms probably the most important 
element of mixed fertilizers and plant foods, can with much 
greater economy be used pure for many purposes. But the 
beginner will have to be exceptionally careful in applying it. 
One of its most valuable features is its remarkably quick action. 
To force plants to early maturity, and to help along backward 
crops, it has no equal. For application it may be mixed with 
equal parts of ashes, light soil, or other suitable substance to give 
it bulk. But personally I have always preferred to use it pure, 
PLANTING-TABLE FOR 
V egetable 
When to sow 
or plant 1 
Depth 
to sow 
in ins. 
Distance 
Apart in Rows 
rows 3 apart 
Seed or 
plants for : 
50-ft. row 
No. 
days 
to 
ger¬ 
mi¬ 
nate 
No. days 
to 
mature 
I. Crops 
Remaining Entire Season 
Asparagus, seed. 
April-May. 
I 
2-4 in. 
15 in. 
I oz. 
20-30 
3 years 
Asparagus,plants 
April. 
4 
1 ft. 
3 ft. 
50 
— 
1 year 
Bean, pole. 
May 15-June 10. 
2 
3 ft. 
3 ft. 
i- pt. 
6—10 
65-100 
Bean, lima. 
May 20-June 10. 
2 
3 ft. 
3 ft. 
} pt. 
6—10 
60-90 
Beet, late. 
April-August. 
3-4 in. 
15 in. 
I OZ. 
7 -i 5 
75-90 
Carrot, late. 
May-Tuly. 
£-1 
2-3 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
10—20 
90-120 
Com, late. 
May 20-July 10.. 
2 
3 ft. 
4 ft. 
i pt. 
4—10 
80—100 
Cucumber. 
May 10-July is.. 
.! 1 
4 ft. 
4 ft. 
i oz. 
4-15 
60-85 
Egg Plant, seed . 
June 1st. 
i 
3-6 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
6-12 
125-150 
Egg Plant, plants 
June 1-20. 
— 
2 ft. 
2^ ft. 
25 
Leek. 
April. 
— 
2-4 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
6—20 
120-150 
Melon, musk. 
May 1 s-June 15 . 
1 
4 ft. 
4 ft. 
i oz. 
6—20 
90-120 
Melon, water . .. 
May 15-June 13. 
1 
6-8 ft. 
6-8 ft. 
i oz. 
6—20 
100-125 
Onion. 
April. 
•1 *-1 
2-4 in. 
15 in. 
£ oz. 
15-25 
120-175 
Okra . 
May 1 s-June 15. 
*-1 
2 ft. 
3 ft. 
i oz. 
10—20 
100-125 
Parsley 4 . 
April-May. 
i 
4-6 in. 
1 ft. 
i oz. 
15-25 
90-110 
Parsnip. 
April. 
£-1 
3-5 in. 
18 in. 
} oz. 
12-18 
100—150 
Pepper, seed. 
Tune 1st. 
i 
3-6 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
6-15 
125-150 
Pepper, plants . 
June 1-20. 
2 ft. 
2^ ft. 
25 
Potatoes, main.. 
April 1 s-June 20 
4-6 
13 in. 
2} ft. 
i pk. 
15-20 
75-100 
Pumpkins. 
May i-June 20... 
1—2 
6-8 ft. 
6-8 ft. 
i oz. 
6-10 
100-150 
Rhubarb, plants. 
April. 
— 
2-3 ft. 
3 ft. 
25 
i year 
Salsify. 
April-May. 
. 1 
3-6 in. 
18 in. 
5 oz. 
8-15 
125-150 
Squash, summer 
May 15-July 1.. . 
. 1-2 
4 ft. 
4 ft. 
i oz. 
6—10 
60-75 
Squash, winter.. 
May 1 s-June 20.. 
. 1-2 
6-8 ft. 
6-8 ft. 
i oz. 
6—10 
100-12'; 
Tomato seed.... 
June. 
i 
3-4 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
6-12 
125-15° 
Tomato, plants.. 
May 15-July 20.. 
•I S 3 
3 ft. 
3 ft. 
20 
II. Crops for Succession Plantings. 
Bean, dwarf_ 
May 5-Aug. 15... . 
2 
2-4 in. 
ii-2 ft. 
1 pt. 
6—10 
45-75 
Endive 4 . 
April-August. 
i 
1 ft. 
I ft 
i oz. 
5-10 
75-100 
Kohlrabi 4 . 
April-July. 
£-1 
6-12 in. 
I-$-- 2 *ft. 
i oz. 
6—10 
65-85 
Lettuce 4 . 
April-August. 
* 
I ft. 
i-i£ ft. 
50 
5-15 
75-ioo 
Peas, smooth... . 
April 1-Aug. 1.. . . 
2-3 
2-4 in. 
3 ft. 
1 pt. 
5 -i 5 
50-65 
Peas, wrinkled. . 
April 10-July 15.. 
2-3 
2-4 in. 
3-4 ft. 
1 pt. 
5-15 
60-7 s 
Radish. 
April 1-Sept. 1_ 
* 
2-3 in. 
I ft. 
i oz. 
3-10 
2 5 - 5 ° 
Spinach. 
April-Sept.15. 
I 
3-5 in. 
18 in. 
i oz. 
6-15 
60-75 
Turnip. 
April-Sept . 
£-1 
4-6 in. 
15 in. 
i oz. 
3-8 
60-75 
Tomatoes will do well in almost any soil. Support them above the 
ground if you would have them without blemish 
taking care to pulverize all lumps. If the following two rules are 
observed, it may be used without any danger of “burning” the 
plants. First, see that none of it ever lodges upon the foliage, and 
never apply when there is moisture upon the plants. Second, 
apply in many small doses, — 10 to 20 lbs. at a time for such a 
‘ece as we have been considering. It should be put on so spar- 
y as to be barely visible; but its presence will soon be denoted 
the moist spots, looking like big rain drops, which each particle 
makes in the dry soil. 
If you can have ploughed under for your garden a good coat¬ 
ing of rotted barnyard manure, followed by a dressing of wood 
ashes or fertilizer harrowed in, and can apply 50 to 100 lbs. of 
nitrate of soda during the summer, your fertilizer question will 
be settled—arts you can pick out a place on your wall right now 
for some of the blue ribbons to be awarded next fall at your local 
fair. 
In his hurry to get the first plants out and seeds sown, the 
beginner is likely to hurry over the preparation of the ground. 
Instead of hastening things a few hours, he is delaying them days. 
In order to have the best crops, it is necessary that the plants 
make an unchecked growth from the very beginning, and nothing 
is more important in giving them the right start than a properly 
prepared seed-bed. If the ground is in just the right condition 
