42 
House & Garden 
STARTING PLANTS FOR NEXT SPRING’S GARDEN 
Forehandedness Which Means the Saving of Several Months and 
Assures Good Results in Blossom and Crop for the Coming Year 
T HE late garden, which is designed and 
planted to furnish a supply of vegetables 
for fall and winter, is not unlike the spring 
garden in some respects. Both are usually 
planted under conditions cjuite unfavorable 
for the germination of the seeds and early 
growth of the plants, but have more fav¬ 
orable conditions awaiting them, normally, 
in the course of their development. 
In the early spring too low a temperature, 
and wet soil are the unfavorable influences; 
in the fall the high temperature and dry soil 
are likely to be the objectionable conditions. 
But the result is the same; the seeds have 
a hard time of it in germinating, being likely 
to rot in the first place, and to dry up in die 
second, just as they are sprouting. And 
even those which succeed in getting above 
the ground are apt to get along very slowly 
at first, because conditions are such that 
nitrification—by which the nitrogen in the 
soil is changed into forms which the little 
plant roots can make use of—is being ac¬ 
complished at a very 
slow rate indeed. 
In the spring gar¬ 
den we had to do 
something to remedy 
this condition in or¬ 
der to avoid having 
very late crops ; but in 
the fall the situation 
is more serious, for 
if these crops are de¬ 
layed a week or two 
they may be lost 
through an early snap 
of cold weather. 
Therefore it is essen¬ 
tial to give these late 
crops every attention 
that will help to keep 
them supplied with 
available plant-foods, 
especially nitrogen, the 
most important of all. 
The first and best 
activity that the ener¬ 
getic gardener can en¬ 
gage upon in this con¬ 
nection is the use of that old standby for 
making the garden hustle—nitrate of soda. 
This is for all crops which were transplanted 
last month, such as cabbage, cauliflow'er, 
brussels sprouts, celery and leeks. It will 
pay to give at least one light application— 
a handful being sufficient for a number of 
plants, or 10' to 20' of row. 
Special Stimulation 
The crops that were sown from seed, 
such as beets, carrots and rutabagas, should 
not be given any special encouragement un¬ 
til after they have been weeded out dior- 
oughlyc To do so would stimulate the weeds 
even more than the plants, as they are more 
rapid growers. Hand weeding and thinning, 
in hot weather, unless it is followed imme¬ 
diately by rain, is pretty sure to leave the 
remaining plants more or less knocked out 
and wilted for a few days. The best time 
to apply the nitrate of soda, therefore, is 
just as they are beginning to convalesce; 
and, if possible, after its application it should 
be watered in thoroughly. 
In addition to this special stimulation, 
keep up the constant use of the slide or 
wheel hoe, so that the soil moisture may 
be conserved and air admitted freely to the 
soil about the roots of all the newly started 
crops in your garden. That they require 
just as careful attention as the spring-sown 
crops did in the way of weeding, thinning, 
etc., goes without saying. 
There is another matter in which the late 
planted crops are at considerably more of 
a disadvantage than those planted early; 
danger from the attacks of insects and dis¬ 
eases. Most of these do not put in an ap¬ 
pearance until after the spring planted 
garden is pretty well along, so that the plants 
are in better position to resist or survive 
the attack. The late planted crops, however, 
have to run the gauntlet during the early 
stages of their careers, and for that reason 
should be watched and protected even more 
conscientiously. 
Remember that you 
use arsenate of lead 
or some other stomach 
poison for eating in¬ 
sects, such as the potato 
bug; nicotine extract 
or some other contact 
insecticide for sucking 
insects, such as plant 
lice; and Bordeaux 
mixture for blight, rust 
and rot. These can all 
be used together, as an 
all-purpose s p r a y— 
only the nicotine 
should not be used un¬ 
til the enemy it is effec¬ 
tive against is actually 
present; while the ar¬ 
senate of lead and the 
Bordeaux mixture 
should be applied in 
advance to keep new 
growth covered and 
readv for any surprise 
attack in advance. 
Corn is at its best noiv and should be After transplanting it into the trench, 
picked as soon as the kernels are mature a good watering will help the celery 
The onions should be pulled and allowed Large , well formed and perfectly ripened Beans to be kept for seed should mature 
to dry somewhat in the sun before being tomatoes come from vines that are care■ on the plants and then be shelled imme- 
stored away fully pruned diately 
