Vegetable 
Onions From Seed 
Give onions just as rich soil as you possibly can and 
prepare it very well before sowing the seed. Some onion 
growers plow and fertilize their onion soil in the fall and 
get on it very early in the spring, working it down to 
fine condition. Onion seed will stand cool soil conditions 
so should be sown early. 
Make your rows 12 to 15 inches apart, covering the 
seed only about one-fourth inch. The plants should be 
thinned out to stand one inch or two apart. This 
depends on the richness of the soil. Rich soil will 
develop good bulbs when they are as close as one inch, 
but on poorer soil the plants should be two or two and 
one-half inches apart. Onions like frequent shallow 
eultivati eo and the rows clean from weeds. This is 
usually a*hand job. 
The roots are harvested when the tops die down in 
the fall and they will keep in storage best if the tops are 
not pulled off until used. The white varieties are mildest 
and sweetest in flavor, but they do not keep quite as 
well as the yellow and red varieties, which are drier and 
coarser grained. 
If you want to get extra large bulbs, start the seed in 
February or early March in a hot-bed or window box. 
The rows can be close—three or four inches apart— 
dropping eight or ten seeds every inch. When the tops 
are six inches tall clip them back to four inches. Do this 
several times if necessary before it is time to transplant 
them outdoors. It will make them stocky. They will 
stand light frost, so transplant outdoors early. 
One ounce of seed will sow a 200-foot row. Four or five 
pounds is sufficient for an acre 
GREEN ONIONS FROM SEED. The above all 
applies to growing onions for the dry bulbs. If you wis 
green onions, sow the seed very thick just as early as 
the soil can be worked and pull the plants as needed— 
or plant onion sets either in the fall or spring. 
Parsnips 
The soil for parsnips does not need to be exceptionally 
rich but it should be deeply worked and fairly loose. 
This full development will require all season so best 
sow the seed quite early in May, though if you want 
parsnips to occupy the space occupied by an early crop, 
it is all right to wait until June 15th. Parsnip seed is 
weak and even fresh seed will not grow any too well— 
so plant it thick in fine soil, making the rows 18 inches 
apart and covering the seed only about one-fourth inch. 
We think it is an excellent plan to sow a few seeds of 
early round radish right in the row with the parsnip 
seed—as the parsnip seed germinates slowly and the 
soil sometimes bakes over it so that the little seedlings 
cannot force their way through. The radish seed will 
come quickly breaking the soil and marking the rows so 
that cultivation can begin. You can even leave the 
radish plants in until the roots develop. 
When the parsnips are well up, thin them to stand 
about six inches apart in the row. 
The roots may be dug and used in the fall, but freez- 
ing really improves them and most gardeners leave them 
to dig in the winter or early in the spring. Dig them in 
the spring before growth starts again as that spoils 
them. : 
An ounce of seed will plant a 100-foot row. 
Parsley 
Parsley is the favored of all plants for garnishing. 
The seed is slow of germination like Parsnip and we 
recommend sowing it the same way. Soak the seed 24 
hours in lukewarm water before planting. Start early in 
the spring, in April in our section, planting in rows 18 
inches apart. The plants will need almost eight inches 
in the row to develop so thin out to that distance. You 
can cut the leaves off regularly and a new crop will come 
right along—the later developed leaves often being 
more curled than the first. 
In the fall some of the plants can be lifted and trans- 
planted into the hot-bed or in a window box for winter 
garnishing. In the south where winters are not severe, 
seed may be sown in the fall in the open ground and the 
plant will live over winter if protected with leaves, and 
will give an early spring crop. 
One ounce will sow a 150-foot row. 
HAMBURG TURNIP ROOTED PARSLEY. These 
plants develop turnip-like roots that are used for 
flavoring soups, salads, etc. Start the seed like the leaf 
parsley and thin the plants to five or six inches in the 
rows. In the fall when the roots are full size dig them 
and store in a pit outdoors or in sand in the cellar. 
One ounce will sow a 150-foot row. 
Cultures for Victory Gardeners (4) 
Garden Peas 
If you have always depended on peas purchased from 
some one else we insist that you really do not know how 
delicious they can be. Try some of your own served an 
hour or two after picking and you will readily taste the 
difference. 
FOR THE VERY EARLIEST CROP. Plant a 
smooth seeded variety (they are hardier than the 
wrinkled varieties) and plant in rather light soil only an 
inch deep. Do this early, just as soon as the frost is out 
of the ground and you should have peas for your table 
from First in Market, in about 50 days. 
FOR THE MAIN CROP planting should be done a 
little differently. The idea is to get peas deeply rooted 
so that when the weather gets warm and dry the plants 
will still thrive and produce. So for the main crops 
choose a heavier soil that will retain moisture and plant 
the seed much deeper. In fact we think it a good plan to 
make a trench five or six inches deep and drop the seed 
in that, one every two or three inches. Make the trench 
broad and zig-zag the seeds back and forth. Cover the 
seed only an inch or two then and gradually fill in the 
trench as the plants grow. 
THE SELECTION OF VARIETIES. As said above, 
for the first crop choose one of the smooth seeded 
varieties, Alaska or First-in-Market. For the next 
planting you will want one of the wrinkled seeded 
varieties, as they are really of better quality. In our 
catalog we give the height of the vine and if your space 
is very limited you will want a dwarf variety. 
The tall varieties, like Thomas Laxton and World’s 
Record, require supporting with wire, strings or brush— 
but they will yield more pods than the dwarf varieties. 
Plant the rows two and one-half or three feet apart. 
FOR A SUCCESSION. Plant a row of peas every 
ten days or two weeks until June or plant several 
varieties at the same time. For instance, First-in- 
Market, Thomas Laxton and World’s Record all planted 
at the same time will give you a continuous supply of 
tender pods. 
During very hot, dry weather peas do not produce 
very well, but if you plant an early variety like Nott’s 
Excelsior or New Giant Wonder August 15th, you can 
have peas in October. Remember the later plantings 
should go deeper and it may be necessary to soak the 
seed and even moisten the earth in the trench. 
FALL PLANTING. Peas are quite hardy and the 
smoother seeded varieties will live over winter even in 
our northern states, if planted just before the ground 
freezes in the fall. The roots will develop, but the tops 
will not break the surface until spring when they will be 
off to a very early start. This is well worth trying. 
One pound of seed will plant a 75-foot row. 
Peanuts 
While peanuts can be grown on a commercial scale 
only in the southern states on the sandy types of soil, 
any northern garden can raise a few successfully and the 
pleasure the children will derive from it is well worth 
the effort. 
Choose light, sandy soil that warms up quickly in the 
spring and stays warm during the summer. Plant the 
seed peanuts after frost is over in rows two and one- 
half feet apart. Drop a couple of seeds every five or six 
inches in the row and cover them with two inches of soil. 
It is best to shell the peanuts before planting them as 
they start quicker. 
The pods are formed from the blossoms and where 
the soil is very light the blossom stems will bury them- 
selves—but it is well to draw up the soil around and 
practically cover the plants and gather the peanuts 
when the first frosts have killed the tops. The Extra 
Early Spanish peanut is small but it matures earlier 
and is surer to succeed than the large podded varieties. 
Peppers 
They are not hard to grow, though they do like lots 
of warm weather and a long season. The plants require 
little room and the catalog offers you both the real hot 
varieties and the mild sweet peppers for salads. Grow 
at least a few plants of each kind. They will succeed 
best in warm, sandy, but fairly rich soil. 
Start the seed in a hot-bed or window box in the 
house in April so that the plants will be ready to go 
outdoors late in May or early in June. They will not 
stand frosts or cold soil and can go in garden in space 
formerly occupied by an early crop. Set the plants in 
rows three feet apart, allowing each plant two feet of 
row. 
Keep the soil loose around the plants with a hoe or 
cultivator—and you might add a little fertilizer around 
the plants when they are about six inches high to pro- 
mote rapid growth. 
One ounce will produce about 1,000 plants. 
Pumpkins 
If your family likes Pumpkin pies you will want some 
pumpkin vines in your garden. Small Sugar is the ideal 
variety for pies, though the larger growing kinds make 
good pies also. For stock feed, plant King of Mam- 
moths. In most gardens there is a corner or two left 
after other things are planted that will accommodate 
pumpkins and you can plant them right among the 
hills of your sweet corn also. 
They will mature quicker in light, sandy soil and the 
seed should not be started until the soil is warm and 
danger of frost is past. The Small Sugar variety will be 
big enough for pies in nine or ten weeks. 
The seed is planted in hills 6 x 6 or 6 x 8 feet apart 
and like melons and cucumbers, the crop will be bigger if 
the soil in the hills is enriched with well rotted manure. 
Plant seven or eight seeds in a hill, one and one-half 
inches deep, and after the plants are well up, thin to 
four of the strongest ones. 
Sprinkle powdered lime mixed with fine road dust on 
the plants to keep the beetles away. 
One ounce of seed will plant about 26 hills. 
Radishes 
THE SPACE FOR RADISHES. Your garden space 
may be limited and if you do not care to set aside a 
special place for radishes, plant them in odd corners 
and even right with other crops. They are out of the 
way quickly, and if planted with slow-growing root 
crops, such as parsnips, beets or carrots, the space 
will never be missed. 
Any soil will grow radishes, but if the roots are to be 
at their best, crisp and brittle, they must grow quickly. 
A rich sandy loam is ‘‘quick soil’’ and this is the kind 
that radishes should have. Avoid the use of fertilizers 
containing a surplus of nitrogen such as manure, as this 
causes a rank growth of the top at the expense of the 
root. However, manure applied in the fall or summer 
before is very beneficial. 
FOR SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER. The short 
round and turnip-shaped radishes may be grown 
quickest. At that time there is plenty of moisture in the 
soil. The varieties like Scarlet Globe, Sparkler and 
French Breakfast reach edible stage in three and one- 
half to four weeks and they should be used soon. In 
order not to overdo the supply, sow a little radish seed 
every few days. Then you will have them right along in 
good condition. If you have a hot-bed you can have 
radishes very early for your table. 
White Icicle and the Crimson Giant Globe are fine 
varieties for late spring and early summer. They grow 
with surprising rapidity and will reach down after soil 
moisture, of course, better than the round varieties. It 
has been our experience that they will stay in good 
condition in the ground after making their growth with- 
out becoming hot and pithy. Some people choose Icicle 
for summer planting. 
RADISHES FOR SUMMER. The round varieties 
will not do at this time of year unless the season is 
exceptionally cool and moist—the long varieties such as 
Long Scarlet, are best for late planting. Long Scarlet 
will stand heat, it grows deep for moisture and it stays 
brittle and crisp for a considerable time. Under good 
conditions the roots should be edible in 40 days. 
One ounce will plant a 100-foot row. 
RADISHES FOR WINTER. Winter radishes should 
not be planted until August and then plant the Chinese 
varieties. These grow slowly and some have enormous 
roots. They will need much more space in the row than 
the early varieties—sow them accordingly. Pull the 
roots late in the fall and store them in sand in the 
cellar. Winter radishes allow you to extend the radish 
season through practically the entire year. 
One ounce of the seed will plant a 150-foot row. 
Rhubarb 
It goes without saying that you like Rhubarb pie 
and sauce. A few Rhubarb roots well established will 
yield abundantly for years. 
You may grow your own roots from the seed if you 
wish but you will save time and patience if you buy the 
roots already grown healthy and vigorous under expert 
care. Like asparagus, it will pay you to make the soil 
very rich for rhubarb, working in manure before setting, 
and every season after. 
Set the plants in the spring or fall four or five feet 
apart each way—leaving the crown even with the sur- 
face of the soil and packing the earth well. Do not cut 
any stalks the first year but let the roots establish 
themselves. 
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