July, 1918 
47 
Almost invariably the 
strawberry bed needs pro¬ 
tection from birds as the 
fruit ripens. The best plan 
is to cover it with a cotton 
net, which is especially 
made for the purpose 
Another essential for a 
good crop is the straw 
mulch, worked under the 
berries and close up to the 
plants. This will keep dirt 
from coming in contact 
with the fruit 
THE WAR GARDEN DEPARTMENT 
Successful gardening calls for keeping everlastingly at it, and success this year is more important to 
the individual and to the world than ever before. The more unfavorable the weather conditions the more 
dependent upon your knowledge and labor are the crops you are raising. If there are any garden problems 
which trouble you, our Information Service will be more than glad to answer them for you. Simply describe 
the situation fully and mail your letter to The Information Service, House & Garden, 19 West 44th Street, 
New York .— Editor. 
ROBERT STELL 
AS April was the time of preparation in the 
vegetable garden, so is July the season of reali¬ 
zation. Harvesting time is at its height, and 
hills and rows should be yielding their best this 
month. 
Yet these results cannot be had without constant 
attention on the part of the gardener. Those old 
enemies, dry weather and weeds, are always waiting 
their chance to raid the vegetable trenches, and 
only honest care in the matters of cultivation, water¬ 
ing and maintaining the dust mulch can frustrate 
them. The successful gardener, too, must be a 
specialist in a sense. It is perfectly apparent that 
while there are some general principles which apply 
to the raising of practically every crop, there are 
also special treatments which certain things require. 
Special Vegetable Needs 
Tomato plants need some kind of support as soon 
as their branches are large enough to show a tendency 
to droop to the ground. Where there are only a 
couple of dozen plants, individual stakes 5 feet long 
may be used, pruning the plants to a single stalk 
with two or three side shoots each and tying them 
to the stakes with strips of cloth. Another plan is 
to use barrel hoops supported by stakes so arranged 
that one will encircle each plant 18 inches or so 
from the ground. If the tomato patch is on a larger 
scale, some sort of trellis will be preferable. A con¬ 
venient one is made of stout stakes strung with two 
lines of wire, one 6 inches and the other 4 feet above 
the ground. Strong twine is laced up and down 
between the wires. 
When pruning the tomato vines it is a good plan 
to root some of the cuttings in damp, sandy soil. 
This is easily done, and the resultant plants can be 
counted on for a late season crop. 
The vine crops such as squash, pumpkins and 
Canning and Preserving for July 
Fruits to Can 
Blackberries, raspberries (red), raspber¬ 
ries (black), cherries, dewberries, elder 
berries, gooseberries. 
Fruits for Jams 
Strawberries, plums, elder berries, black¬ 
berries, grapes, raspberries, cranberries, 
currants. 
For Marmalades 
Apricot, plums, peaches, grape fruit, 
rhubarb, oranges, yellow tomato. 
For Jellies 
Juicy fruits, such as blackberries, cur¬ 
rants, grapes, plums, raspberries, apples, 
crab-apples, quinces, wild crab and wild 
grape. 
melons should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 
every three weeks as a preventive of blight. Watch, 
too, for stem borers, whose presence is indicated by 
the leaves and tips of the vines wilting under a 
hot sun. These borers usually attack the stems 
quite near the soil. The vines can be slit with a 
sharp knife enough to remove the borers. Cover the 
cut part of the stem with soil and the wound will 
heal quickly. 
A mistake often made with these vine crops is 
to leave too many plants in the hills. Two or three 
strong, healthy plants are far better than five or 
six overcrowded ones, so do not hesitate to thin out 
if you suspect that such a plan may be advisable. 
The strawberry bed should be one of the promin¬ 
ent features of the home garden, provided there is 
space enough for it. To keep the plants in the best 
condition for a good crop next year, attention should 
be given them during the summer. After the fruit¬ 
ing season is over the mulch should be removed and 
the ground beneath it well cultivated. A dressing of 
fertilizer may be worked in at this time, and the 
mulch replaced. Keep the runners removed, else 
the bed will become too crowded. Six inches apart 
in all directions is the standard distance for the 
plants to be in order to yield the best results. Some 
of the runners can be potted up before cutting, sink¬ 
ing the pots under the newly forming plants and 
leaving them there until the roots are well established. 
Thus you can renew the bed with fresh plants from 
season to season. 
Before dismissing the subject of strawberries, let 
me advise you to set out this summer at least a 
few of the new ever-bearing varieties. These are 
well worth while, as good plants will yield fruit 
literally up to the time snow flies. 
General Rules for Preserving 
Preserves and Jams: Weigh fruit. Use three- 
fourths as much sugar as fruit, measured by weight. 
Add one cup of water to the fruit for every pound 
of sugar. Bring the mixture to the boiling point, 
and cook until syrup is thick. Stir often to prevent 
the mixture from burning. 
Marmalades and Butters: Use one-half as much 
sugar as fruit by weight. To every pound of sugar 
add two cups of water to the fruit. Cook fruit in 
water until soft, then mash or rub through a sieve, 
add the sugar, and cook the mixture until thick. 
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