2 
~ VEGETABLE 
CULTURE 

ASPARAGUS. Seed should be 
soaked 24 hours before planting 
—and covered 2” deep in the 
garden. Thin young plants to 
1” apart. Cultivate often. Set 
in permanent beds in spring. 
BUSH BEANS. Do not plant 
until danger of frost is past. 
Press soil firmly around seeds. 
Thin young plants to about 6” 
apart. Cultivate only before 
blooming and never when wet. 
Pick frequently. Make _ plant- 
ings every two weeks for sup- 
plies throughout the season. 
POLE BEANS. Plant about 
same time as Bush Beans. Poles 
5’ to 8’ long should be driven 
into ground in rows about 4’ 
apart with spacing of 3’ in row. 
Run rows north and _ south. 
Plant 5 to 8 beans around each 
pole, thinning to 4 plants later. 
Hoe frequently. 
Caution: To avoid spreading 
plant diseases, do not cultivate 
or pick when plants are wet. 
BEETS. Plant about same time 
as radishes in deep, sandy 
loam. Have soil fine and loose 
and press down firmly around 
seed. When tops are 3” to 6” 
tall pull them and use for 
cooked greens. Continue this 
until roots stand 6” apart. Plant 
every 10 days or so. 
BRUSSELS SPROUTS. Easy to 
grow wherever conditions are 
favorable for late cabbage, and 
requires same culture. 
CABBAGE. Set out as soon as 
frost danger is past. Use plenty 
of good commercial fertilizer. 
Cultivate frequently, every 5 or 
6 days until cabbages are large. 
For winter storage, stand plants 
upright in cold cellar, with 
roots in sand. Slight freezing 
will not harm cabbage. 
CARROTS. Sow early § and 
thinly—in light deep soil, pref- 
erably fertilized the previous 
season. Thin plants when about 
2” tall. Keep on cultivating 
frequently throughout season. 
CAULIFLOWER. Follow same 
methods as for cabbage ex- 
cept that heads must be pro- 
tected from sunlight to assure 
the desirable white curd. Gather 
and tie the tops of leaves to- 
gether loosely to shut off light. 
Do not cramp the heads. 
CHINESE CABBAGE, An eas- 
ily raised succession crop. Set 
out in rows which have been 
oceupied by earlier vegetables. 
COLLARDS. Sow seed thickly 
in rich ground and transplant 
when about 4” high—or if 

plants are to remain where 
sown, spread the seed more 
thinly, and when young plants 
are well started, space them out 
to 2’ or 3 apart in the row. 
CORN. Do not plant until all 
danger of frost is past. Be sure 
soil is well worked and dry— 
then drop 6 kernels of corn in 
a shallow hole made with the 
corner of the hoe. Cover each 
*hill” with about 1” of fine soil 
pressed down firmly. When 
6” high, thin to three or four 
plants in each hill. Hoe often, 
but not deeply. 
CUCUMBER. The best soil is 
warm, sandy loam—preferably 
on a slight southward slope. Be 
sure all danger of frost is past, 
and that soil is fairly moist and 
loose. Plant 8 or 10 seeds to the 
hill. When 6” tall, thin to 3 in 
a hill. Take fruit as soon as it 
reaches picking stage. 
EGG PLANT. Requires con- 
tinuous warm weather for best 
results. Seed should be started 
in a hot bed, as it is slow to 
germinate. Set plants in open 
ground when 2” tall and pro- 
tect from hot sun when young. 
Be sure to keep young plants 
developing rapidly. Cultivate 
freely. To produce large fruits, 
remove lateral branches so as to 
reduce number of fruits per 
plant. Spray to protect from 
potato bugs. 
ENDIVE. Sow at intervals for 
eontinuous supply. When well 
started, transplant or thin to 
V’ apart. To blanch, tie outer 
leaves together over the center 
when plant is nearly grown. 
Just before killing frosts in 
fall, dig the plants, taking 
plenty of soil with roots—pack 
closely together and store in 
dark cellar for winter use. 
KALE or BORECOLE. Requires 
moist, well enriched soil. Pick 
leaves as wanted, or pull whole 
plant. Leaves are best after a 
frost. 
KOHL RABI. Sow early as 
possible in light, rich soil. 
When plants are in the third 
leaf, thin to 6” apart. Plant at 
intervals of 10 days for sue- 
cession of bulbs until hot 
weather—after which they do 
not grow. Use while still young 
and tender, before skin hardens, 
LETTUCE. Sow as soon as 
ground can be worked—or for 
extra early crops start indoors 
and transplant when danger of 
heavy frost is over. Repeat 
sowing every 2 weeks to insure 
continuous supply. For leaf 
lettuce, thin plants to 6” apart. 
For head lettuce, thin to 8” 
spacing, in rows 18” apart. Let- 
tuce grows best and heads best 
in cool, moist weather. 
MUSKMELON. Requires long 
season to develop and is easily 
injured by frost, or even by 
cool weather. Before plant- 
ing, spade in liberal forkful 
of well rotted manure in each 
hill. Thin plants to 4 per 
hill after third leaf develops, 
PLANT GOOD SEED...and then be careful about: 
Good healthy seed, fresh, true to type— 
the kind you get from reliable seedsmen 
—is the best insurance for success in 
your garden. 
Good garden seed is the world’s 
greatest bargain. Uncertain seed is 
a sorry gamble. 
Good garden seed returns dollars in crop 
for pennies spent on seed. That’s why it 
is just plain common sense to be sure 
your seed is right. 
Preparing the Soil 
Rich, sandy loam is best adapted to 
gardening. Stiff clay must be broken up 
and given plenty of fibrous material. 
Sandy soil should have fertilizing. 
Work soil deeply, making the top three 
or four inches fine and loose. Thorough 
hoeing or raking before planting keeps 
down weeds. Do not work clay soils 
when wet. 
If subsoil is stiff clay, special drainage 
is needed. Tile placed three feet below 
surface and not more than eighteen feet 
apart will greatly improve results. 
Planting 
Tor planting in open ground, choose a 
time when the soil is moist but not wet. 
Seed should be covered immediately 
after planting so as to retain moisture. 
Press down fine earth firmly around 
seeds so as to bring particles into close 
contact with the seed. 
Planting depths are suggested by the 
table on page 19. However, it should 
be noted that the best depth varies with 
the condition of the soil, so that each 
gardener’s own practical experience 
must be considered. 
In order that the tender stems of seed- 
lings can push through the ground eas- 
ily, soil must be soft and loose. 
Cultivating 
The importance of cultivating cannot 
be over-emphasized. Proper cultivation 
pays ample dividends. 
Stirring the surface soil during the pe- 
riod of growth not only kills weeds but 
encourages healthy root development. 
It also allows air to enter, and helps 
conserve moisture. 
As plants grow, cultivation should be- 
come more shallow to avoid injury to 
roots, 

CULTURE I 
Seeds under this culture give 
best returns if sown in flats in 
early spring, but good re- 
sults may be obtained by 
sowing outdoors after all 
danger of frost is past. Sow 
seed at depth indicated under 
flower descriptions. Water thor- 
oughly with fine spray and 
place in warm room; although 
little water will be necessary, 
watch flats carefully and never 
28 
let soil become dry. When seed- 
lings appear, remove flats to 
sunny window. Transplant to 
other flats as soon as they are 
large enough to handle, keeping 
them 2” to 2144” apart both ways. 
Expose gradually to outside 
conditions and, when sufficient 
growth has been made, plant in 
permanent outside locations. For 
sowing outdoors, follow instruc- 
tions given in Culture ITI, 
CULTURE II 
May be sown in outside seed- 
beds and later transplanted, or 
directly into their permanent 
location. Spade seed-bed deeply, 
mix well-rotted manure, or peat 
moss or humus and a commer- 
cial fertilizer, well into the soil; 
spread an additional half inch 
of peat moss or humus on seed- 
bed, and rake well into top sur- 
face. Sow seeds at depth indi- 
eated, and water thoroughly 
with a fine spray. When large 
enough, transplant or thin out. 
If exceptionally early flowering 
is desired, follow instructions 
under Culture I. 
CULTURE III 
Seeds under this culture do 
not take kindly to transplant- 
ing and should be sown out- 
doors in early spring, as soon 
as danger of frost is over, 
directly into beds they are to 
occupy. Prepare seed-bed same 
as Culture II. Level off and 
sow seeds thinly at depth indi- 
cated; water thoroughly with a 
fine spray. After seedlings ap- 
pear, thin out to give individual 
plants a chance to develop. 
CULTURE IV 
Seeds under this culture, be- 
ing quite hardy, may be sown 
outside in very early spring, 
as frosts do not affect their 
growth to any extent. The seed- 
bed should be spaded deeply, 
and fertilizer mixed thoroughly 
with the subsoil. Plant at depth 
indicated, and water thoroughly 
with a fine spray. When large 
enough to handle, thin out and 
transplant. For very early 
plants, sow in fall, leaving 
plants to winter in their beds. 
CULTURE V 
Sow in seed-flats in early 
spring if for the garden; or dur- 
ing the summer months if you 
wish to cultivate them in pots 
for house decoration. Sow seeds 
to depth indicated, and water 
thoroughly with a fine spray 
