Vegetable Cultures for Victory Gardeners (3) 
Cucumbers 
Even a few hills of cucumbers will amply repay the 
grower for the space and effort they require. By all 
means grow some cucumbers for slicing and pickling. 
Any ordinary garden soil will yield a fair crop. If 
you have a choice, plant cucumbers in a light, warm, 
sandy loam. It doesn’t have to be rich, but mix one or 
two spadesful of well rotted manure in the soil for 
each hill. ‘ 
Where manure is unavailable, use a generous amount 
of balanced fertilizer (a cupful to each hill), worked 
into the soil several days before planting the seed. A 
mulch of straw or grass clippings will help hold the 
moisture and keep the roots cool. A constant supply of 
moisture is necessary for best results. Plenty of water 
during the growing season insures a good crop. 
As cucumbers are a warm weather crop, do not plant 
the seed until the soil is warm and danger of frost is 
past. In our section the first crop may be planted out- 
doors in the latter part of May. You can gather pickles 
in 45 to 55 days after then and good slicers in about 
two months. - 
For extra early use cucumber seed may be started in 
the hot-bed before it is possible to plant outdoors. In 
that case plant the seed on sections of overturned sod 
or in paper pots—so the roots will not be disturbed. 
Assuming that you will start the crop outdoors, make 
the hills about 4 x 6 feet apart and plant 10 or 12 seeds 
in each hill covering about three-fourths to an inch deep. 
When the plants are well up and past danger of being 
destroyed by beetles, pull out all but three plants in 
each hill. Cultivate and dust the plants frequently with 
some poison insecticide, lime dust or use garden spray. 
To have each plant bear its best, gather the cucum- 
_bers just as soon as they are ready to use. Allowing 
them to grow oversize and ripen on the vine greatly 
weakens the plants and cuts down future yield. And 
instead of pulling the fruit off, cut the stems with a 
knife, scissors or the finger nail. The catalog suggests 
varieties which are best for pickling—while others are 
best for slicing. 
As we stated above, the pickles will reach edible 
stage in less than two months, so it is possible to start 
cucumbers as late as July 15th or 20th and still be 
quite sure of getting a crop before fall frosts. 
One ounce of seed will plant about 50 hills. 
Endive 
Endive is an excellent salad plant to take the place of 
lettuce in hot weather. It is grown very much like 
lettuce. You can have Endive coming in your garden at 
just the time the lettuce starts to go to seed. The plants 
_are ready for use in 65 to 70 days. 
The seed can be sown as soon as ground is in workable 
condition in the spring, in any good garden soil. Make 
the rows 12 to 15 inches apart and thin the plants to 
8 to 10 inches apart in the rows. Thinnings can be 
transplanted. For a fall crop plant seed in July and 
transplant in August. Deep Heart Fringed is an ex- 
ceptional fine variety of Endive. 
When nearly full grown, tie the outer leaves together 
over the center in order to bleach the heart of the plant. 
By tieing fresh plants every few days a succession is 
kept up. Do not tie when the heads are wet. When the 
weather is hot and dry a head will blanch nicely in five 
days to a week. 
It can be held until Christmas by lifting the plants 
in October and transplanting to cold frames where they 
can be protected from severe freezing weather. 
One ounce will sow a 150-foot row. 
Egg Plant 
A dozen plants of this too little appreciated vegetable 
will give you a nice quantity of good big meaty “eggs’ 
for your table. Fried egg plant is a delicacy fit for a king. 
This vegetable likes it real warm and in the northern 
states must be started early as it needs the whole 
season to develop. In the vicinity of Cleveland the 
seeds are started indoors or in the hot-bed in March so 
they will be good sized plants in May. 
Do not set the plants outdoors until there is no more 
danger of frost or cold nights. A fairly rich soil and a 
southern exposure is desirable. Set the plants two or 
three feet apart, cultivate and rake a little well rotted 
manure or fertilizer around each plant. Fruit does not 
set unless the plants are kept growing steadily. Some- 
times pinching off the ends of the branches to leave only 
two or three blossoms on a branch helps the fruit to set. 
Ordinarily it requires four to four and one-half months 
for Egg Plants to reach the edible stage. 
One ounce of seed will grow about 1,000 plants. 
Kale 
Kale is not only. a useful plant but it is quite orna- 
mental as well, and some gardeners plant a row of it as 
a border for their vegetable garden. It is a greens plant 
and is so hardy that the edible leaves may be cut from 
under the snow in the winter. They may be used in the 
fall also, but frost improves the flavor. 
The seed may be sown in May or June and the plants 
allowed to grow all summer. Or planting may be de- 
layed until July or even the first of August. In the latter 
ease the space occupied for early crops may be used. If 
planted early the plants will be immense in the fall with 
great curly leaves. Make the rows two and one-half 
feet apart and thin out or transplant to stand 114 
feet apart. 
In the south the seed is planted in the early fall for 
early spring greens—and the same method may be 
followed in the northern states by giving the plants 
some protection over the winter. It is better not to 
handle the plants when they are frozen, but if you do 
cut them, thaw out in cold water. 
One ounce will produce about 2500 plants. 
Kohl Rabi 
Kohl Rabi is another vegetable that is out of the 
ordinary, yet it is very easy to grow. The flavor is like 
the turnip but is sweeter and milder. The edible part; 
unlike the turnip, is not underground but is a swelling 
of the stalk. 
Sow the seed just as soon as the soil is in good condi- 
tion in the spring in rows one and one-half feet apart. 
The seed is small like cabbage so cover only about a 
quarter inch. Thin the plants to stand three and one- 
half to four inches apart. The bulbs will grow to a 
diameter of four or five inches, but they are better to 
use when only two or three inches in diameter. Instead 
of letting them grow large make a second planting of 
seed to come on later. The bulbs will reach edible size in 
about two months. 
One ounce of seed will plant a 200-foot row. 
Lettuce 
You all know how to grow lettuce—the most popular 
of all salad crops—so we will just give a few suggestions 
here that may help. 4 
In the first place—lettuce will stand cool, even cold 
weather—so start at least a little seed very early. If 
you have a hot-bed or cold-frame you can get edible 
heads before it is possible to plant in the open garden. 
If you have no frame, plant some lettuce seed in a box 
of soil in a sunny window. 
A little later pick out a sunny protected spot outdoors 
—up against the house or fence—and plant more lettuce 
seed there. There is no reason why you cannot have nice 
crisp lettuce for your table perhaps even before your 
neighbors have started their gardens. 
Although lettuce will grow in any soil, if you want 
the most tender leaves and fine heads choose a rather 
cool location where the soil is quite moist and does 
not bake. 
You may sow the seed in a raised bed which has been 
worked fine and broadcast it or sow in rows. In either 
case thin the plants so that they will have at least six 
inches of space to themselves. For best results with the 
heading varieties we recommend transplanting and setting 
the plants ten to twelve inches apart. When sowing, cover 
the seed not more than a quarter of an inch. Do not 
waste the little plants that are thinned out as they are 
very tender and you will enjoy them at the table. 
For later planting some varieties are better adapted 
than others. The New York or Wonderful and Cali- 
fornia Cream Butter are two of the best summer 
varieties. 
One ounce of seed will sow a 150-foot row. 
Leek 
Leek belongs to the Onion family, but instead of 
forming bulbs, the edible portion of the plant is the 
fleshy stalk. Leek makes a delicious salad—and is 
valued for flavoring soups and stews. 
Sow the seed directly outdoors as soon as the soil can 
be worked—like onions—making the rows from 12 to 15 
inches apart, covering one-quarter to one-half inch 
deep. Later thin the plants, allowing each four or five 
inches of space. The best leek is grown by banking the 
earth up around the plants to blanch the stalks white. 
In that case it is best to transplant the plants to rows 
two and one-half or three feet apart when they are at 
the proper stage for thinning, so that plenty of earth is 
available. Leek can be stored for winter use. 
One ounce will sow a 100-foot row. 
Muskmelons 
Muskmelons delight in warm, rather rich soil, and 
unless your soil is already rich it will pay you to dig in 
each hill a shovelful of well rotted manure or a cupful of 
fertilizer. Muskmelon seed cannot be started outside 
until the soil and weather is warm—so for extra early 
crops plant some seed in the hot-bed or window box on 
inverted sods. 
When it is warm enough to plant outside make the 
hills 3 x 4 feet apart or make them wherever you have a 
corner to spare in your garden. Put ten or a dozen seeds. 
in each hill, covering about one inch, and when the 
plants are well up thin to three or four in each hill. 
_ Melons left on the vines until they are dead ripe are 
immeasurably better than any you can buy in the 
stores. When ready the melons should be a little soft 
and they will part readily from the stem. On some 
varieties tiny: cracks appear on the bud end—showing 
that the melon is just right to eat. The early varieties 
will be ripe in 70 to 75 days from planting. 
One ounce of seed will plant about 60 hills. 
Watermelons 
Watermelons are grown very much like Muskmelons, 
but the hills require more space, 6 x 6 or 6 x 8 feet. 
_ Of late years some very early varieties have been 
introduced fully equal to the late ones in quality. Even 
in the northern states it is now possible to grow your 
own watermelons. Early varieties, like Coles Early and 
Northern Sweet ripen in about 75 days. 
After the soil and weather is warm drop a dozen seeds 
in each hill, covering one inch deep and later thinning 
out to the three strongest plants. Cultivate as long as 
possible before the vines cover the ground. The ma- 
turity of the melons may be hastened by pinching off 
the ends of the vines. This throws the strength of the 
plants into the fruits already set. 
One ounce of seed will plant about 40 hills. 
Mustard 
Mustard will grow on most any kind of soil, but it 
likes fairly cool weather—so the seed should be started 
very early in the spring or in the late summer so that 
the plants will thrive during the cool fall weather. The 
leaves make very nice salads. Sow the seed in rows 12 
inches apart, covering lightly about one-fourth inch. 
Thin the plants out as you wish to use them so that you 
will have mustard always in the best condition. Make 
succession plantings until hot weather—then again in 
the fall. The plants will live over winter with little 
protection. We know of some gardeners who grow 
enough to supply their needs,in window boxes during 
the winter. 
One ounce of seed will sow a 250-foot row. 
Okra 
Okra is used in the south more than in any other 
section but northern gardeners will find it easy to grow. 
The tender young pods are used in soups and stews— 
such as the famous Gumbo soup of our southern states. 
The flower of the plant is very pretty and some people 
consider it worth while to grow as a decorative plant. 
Any soil that will give a crop of sweet corn will grow 
Okra satisfactorily. 
After the soil is well warmed up make the rows three 
feet apart and allow each plant two feet in the row. 
Cover the seed one inch deep. The plant grows quite 
tall and branching and if cultivated frequently and the 
pods are kept picked, they will produce an almost 
unbelievable number. The pods are in best condition 
to eat when about one inch long, and do not allow them 
to get much larger than that on the plant. 
One ounce will sow a 60-foot row. 
A Le 
