Danvers Half Long carrots 
are good in deep soils. When 
summer planted, they mature 
in ninety days 
Late tomatoes when picked 
partly green may be kept for 
several weeks. Pack them in 
boxes with dry sand 
Celery ready for trenching. At 
the left, in the background, are 
plants enclosed in artificial 
blanchers 
THE WAR GARDEN for 
NEXT WINTER 
G. T. HUNTINGTON 
Good potatoes do not just 
happen. Soil and cultural con¬ 
ditions affect them more than 
many amateurs realize 
P RECISELY as our Government is looking 
ahead and preparing for a continuance of 
the war drive well beyond the immediate 
future, so should the war gardener plan for 
his vegetable plot to yield its quota of food 
for the table not only during the summer 
months, but through next winter as well. The 
war garden for next winter is not a luxury— 
it is a necessity, a contribution to the food 
supply which none wnose planting space per¬ 
mits should overlook. 
The preserving of home garden crops for 
use during the non-productive months is 
treated on other pages of this issue of House 
& Garden. That phase of the looking ahead 
problem has to do with the perishable things 
which must be cooked and then put up in 
glass or tin in order to keep—tomatoes, string 
beans, corn and many others. But there are 
also the non-perishable vegetables which can 
be planted now and need only storage in a 
suitable place to make them retain their edible 
qualities for months. It is with these that 
the present article deals. They should have a 
place in every real war garden, for their all- 
around worth is beyond question. 
First to consider among these vegetables are 
the so-called root crops—the beets, carrots, 
parsnips, turnips and salsify. Then there are 
the above-ground things like celery, Brussels 
sprouts, cauliflower, cabbages, pumpkins and 
squash. All of these might be termed home 
garden crops, in the sense that they may be 
grown with a fair certainty of success if the 
soil conditions are at all suitable. 
Varieties and Qualities 
It is not all of gardening to plant, any more 
than it is all of fishing to fish. The choice 
of varieties, the time of sowing, the stage at 
which the crop is harvested, all bear directly 
upon the success of the undertaking. Aside 
from the ever-present considerations of soil 
conditions, cultivation and weed and insect 
warfare, these three points are the most im¬ 
portant to the final results. They are closely 
allied, and a short discussion of their relations 
to each other and to the scheme in general will 
be well worth while. 
Early rather than standard or main-crop 
varieties may be chosen in many cases, for the 
simple reason that their quicker maturing 
makes it possible to use the ground for suc¬ 
cession plantings and so get more out of it. 
Where certain sorts are especially recom¬ 
mended for late plantings, this rule should, of 
course, be modified. In a later section of this 
article definite suggestions for varieties are 
made under the different vegetable classes. 
As to the time of sowing, keep in mind 
the cardinal principle that winter vegetables 
should be no more than well matured when 
they are stored away. There is a vast dif¬ 
ference between maturity and full develop¬ 
ment, in both table and keeping qualities. It 
is senseless to plant so early that your root 
crops reach full size a couple of weeks before 
they can be stored, for when they come on the 
Christmas dinner table they will be tough and 
woody. In summer planting it is usually pos¬ 
sible to calculate very closely the number of 
days a crop will occupy the ground, and this 
sort of planning should not be omitted. The 
planting dates which follow are based on 
average conditions in the latitude of New 
York. For every hundred miles north or 
south, about a week earlier or later, respec¬ 
tively, should be allowed. 
Beets: Crimson Globe and Detroit Dark 
Red are good sorts for winter keeping. Plant 
the seed late in June, \ l / 2 " deep in light soil. 
One ounce of seed will be sufficient for 50' 
of row. They mature in about 90 days. Early 
varieties, to mature at the same time, may be 
planted later. 
Carrots: Chantenay for shallow soils, Dan¬ 
vers Half Long where the soil is rich and 
deep. Sow late in June or early in July, as 
they mature in approximately three months. 
Half an ounce of seed to 50' of row. With 
both carrots and beets, proper thinning is 
necessary in order that the roots may have 
sufficient room to attain good size and form. 
Parsnips: Improved Hollow Crown. Plant 
early in June, in a deep, loose soil, using *4 
oz. of seed to every 50'. 
Salsify: Sandwich Island is a good sort. 
It should be planted not later than the first 
week in June. One ounce of seed will sow 
50' of. row. 
Turnips: White Egg, White Model, White 
Globe. Sow late in July. For 50' of row, 
oz. of seed will be enough. Succession plant¬ 
ings may be made through August, in normal 
seasons. 
Above-ground Crops 
Brussels Sprouts: Danish Prize, Dalkeith. 
Sow early in June, in seed beds. When the 
plants are about five weeks old, transplant 
them to rows, 35 to every 50'. If the soil is 
dry, use water in the bottoms of the holes, 
and firm the soil well after the plants are 
set. Shade for a few days with old berry 
baskets or regular protectors, if the sun is 
very hot. It is a good plan to pinch out the 
tops of the stalks when the “buttons” are 
formed. 
Cabbage: Danish Ball Head is a good sort 
for storing. Sow in seed bed early in June, 
and transplant like Brussels Sprouts. About 
30 plants to 50' will be enough. 
Cauliflower: Nonpareil, Autumn Giant. 
Sow in seed bed not later than June 1st. 
Transplant, 35 plants to 50'. The soil in the 
rows should be well enriched. Use plenty of 
water when the plants begin to head up. 
Celery: Winter King. It is best to buy 
plants started in the spring, for the winter 
crop. These may be set out during June, 100 
plants to 50'. The soil should be well en¬ 
riched. About the middle of August begin to 
earth them up to blanch. Draw the earth up 
against the plants with a hoe, while holding 
the stems together to prevent any of the soil 
getting into the hearts. Continue this earth¬ 
ing at intervals until by fall all but the top 
(Continued on page 60) 
