
Cultivation 
The main reasons for cultivating 
are four —all important: 
1. To keep the surface of ground 
from caking or baking hard. 
2. To conserve moisture in the 
subsoil. 
3. To release food elements in 
the soil. (Air is necessary for this 
process, so soil must be loose to 
permit aeration.) 
4. To destroy weeds. 
Frequent, shallow cultivation or 
hoeing is best. It requires less ef- 
fort and gives better results. Never 
let the weeds get a start. They rob 
the plants of food and moisture. 
Cultivate after each rain or soak- 
ing, as soon as soil is dry enough, 
and as often between as neces- 
sary to keep weeds under control. 
Avoid packing soil near seeds 
or plants by walking in center of 
spaces between rows. 
Mulching 
Mulching between rows with 2 
or 3 inches of straw or strawy 
manure, dried lawn clippings, 
leaves, helps to conserve moisture 
and keep down weeds. 
Mulches are especially valuable 
for the longer growing crops such 
as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, 
cucumbers, and melons. 
Apply mulch when plants are 
well established and after the 
rows have been weeded. 
Harvesting 
The secret of fine flavor in vege- 
tables is harvesting each variety 
when its texture and flavor are 
best. No vegetable should be al- 
lowed to become tough, coarse, 
overgrown, and unpalatable be- 
fore being harvested. Use as soon 
after harvesting as possible. 
Remember, large size is not evi- 
dence of quality. Some vegetables 
should be picked or pulled when 
young for cooking or canning. 
Never pick string beans while 
dew is on them or you may spread 
plant diseases. 
e e C 
NOTE ON COOKING: Do not 
overcook vegetables as this de- 
stroys much of the vitamin con- 
tent. Do not use too much water as 
this wastes part of the valuable 
minerals. Never, never add soda 
to green vegetables to set the color 
as it destroys vitamin C. 
Storing Vegetables 
It is often cheaper and easier to 
store than to can vegetables—par- 
ticularly when canning supplies 
and time are limited. 
Success in storing vegetables de- 
pends on— 
(a) proper selection—only good, 
sound, dry vegetables should be 
stored; 
14 
(b) proper stage of maturity — 
this varies with different vege- 
tables (cabbage, onions, squash, 
pumpkins should be fully ma- 
tured; but beets, carrots, parsnips, 
turnips and salsify may become 
woody if allowed to fully mature); 
(c) proper temperature and hu- 
midity in the storeroom. Root crops 
require cool, moist air; cabbage 
and potatoes, cool and moderately 
moist; onions and dry beans, cool 
and dry; squash, pumpkins, sweet 
potatoes, warm and dry.) 
Temperature should be 34° to 
38 ©. (Squash, pumpkins, and sweet 
potatoes should first be ‘‘cured” 
for 3 weeks at 70°.) 
Methods of storage 
A vegetable storage room in 
your basement is ideal, for it is 
convenient and it also provides a 
suitable place for canned sup- 
plies. 
This room should be partitioned 
off from the rest of the house or 
cellar, well removed from the fur- 
nace and preferably on the cold 
side of the house, with an outside 
window for proper ventilation. It 
should be well insulated. 
An earthen floor helps provide 
necessary humidity; a concrete 
floor can be sprinkled every few 
days or covered with a layer of 
earth or sawdust, which should 
be dampened occasionally. 
Keep the room dark. Screen all 
openings to keep rats and mice 
out. Keep onions, cabbage on slat- 
ted racks; potatoes in bins; root 
crops in moist sand. 
Remove all decayed plant ma- 
terial, and keep room clean and 
sanitary. 
Outdoor storage 

Sink a barrel half way into the 
ground, fill with selected vege- 
tables, cover with burlap bags 
stuffed with straw, then cover 
with 6 inches of clean straw or 
leaves and a layer of dirt on top 

to hold it in place. Or turn the 
barrel on its side, sink half way 
into earth, fill, cover, etc., as de- 
scribed above. (See sketches.) 


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