“The striped beetles chewed the 
small leaves, but I dusted with rote- 
none and this kept the beetles away. 
The plants were well started when we 
had a hard hail storm which broke up 
the vines and tore off the leaves. 
Nearly all of the plants were killed, 
but a few grew and set melons. These 
few melons ripened, but we had 
enough to show the kind of fruit. As 
our seasons are short we can't usually 
raise watermelons. I was glad to find 
we could raise this kind, as I like 
watermelons to eat.”’ 
Reports Nancy Hawthorne, “‘I 
planted one packet of Maine Yellow 
Eye beans in a plot plowed and har- 
rowed by our tractor. They came up 
in approximately two weeks. When 
they were up about four inches I 
mixed Eastern States Castor Pumice 
with the soil around the plants. After 
that I kept the row hoed and fer- 
tilized with 9-16-16. 
“ Around the first of September the 
bean plants lost their leaves. I looked 
in the Cooperator to find why the 
leaves had dropped from the plants. 

Nancy Hawthorne of Hazardville, Connecticut, 
told of excellent results with Eastern States 
Maine Yellow Eye beans. 
I found that when the leaves fall, the 
beans are mature. 
“T picked all the pods that were 
ripe. All the pods were not brown so 
I didn’t pick them all. Later I put the 
beans in flat pans to dry. They were 
left there for about one month. When 

Marjorie Pelkey, Chester, Massachusetts. did a 
big business in lettuce from Great Lakes seed 
planted in the field. 
I planted the seeds, I thought that I 
would sell the produce, but after 
keeping them clean from weeds and 
bugs, I decided to can them instead.”’ 
The detailed letter of Marjorie 
Pelkey suggests that she kept a care- 
ful record of her project: 
‘This past spring I ordered a pack- 
age of Eastern States Great Lakes \et- 
tuce seed. In April, as soon as I could 
get a small piece of ground worked 
up, I planted the seed. A few days 
later the seedlings came up. Later I 
thinned them out, and left the re- 
mainder to grow larger for trans- 
planting. 
‘In May I prepared the place I 
wished to plant them. The ground 
was worked up deeply and manured 
well and Eastern States fertilizer 
added. The soil I chose was quite 
moist and kept the moisture during 
most of the summer. 
“I transplanted the lettuce seed- 
lings in four rows, six inches apart; 
the rows were 25 feet long. After 
transplanting them, I watered each 
one with a starting solution contain- 
ing one handful of 5-10-5 fertilizer to 
one gallon of water. 
‘* By planting them six inches apart, 
the between ones were used first as 
leaf lettuce, and which gave the others 
a chance to make heads. 
“They grew very fast and soon 
were forming heads. Every plant 
made a solid head like small cabbages. 
Somes wetemvety large — 10) to 12 
inches across. The inner leaves were 
crisp and delicious of flavor and so 
tender. Even the outer leaves were 
nice and sweet and free from any bit- 
ter taste. It was the best lettuce we 
ever had. They kept well, and we had 
lettuce to use until the middle of 
September. 
‘‘T gave away lots of heads, and 
also sold about 45. Besides, we had 
all we could use and as the lettuce 
became too old, I fed it to the hens 
and chickens. They liked lettuce, too. 
Everyone said these heads of lettuce 
were nicer than the ones in the store. 
“T didn’t have any trouble with in- 
sects, so by keeping the weeds out 
and hoeing up around the plants sev- 
eral times, they were no trouble at 
all. 
“Next year I am planning to have 
a bigger patch of Great Lakes lettuce, 
and perhaps will get a chance to sell 
the heads at the local store. They sure 
were swell plants and looked so nice 
in the rows I had that I hated to pull 
one out to eat!”’ 
MELLOMS AT THE FORD r= 
leis era yp ite Syn 
OY WE 
TRREEGRE 
BIG. 


Here we reproduce Sylvia M. Wood’s letter — 
because it is so unusual. Getting started is the 
important thing! 
>< ARCOMPLIMEN Ia aalLajust 
want to tell you how much I enjoy 
the Cooprrator and don’t care to 
miss a Copy. 
Had a wonderful garden this year 
from Eastern States seeds, wouldn’t 
raise a garden without your seeds. — 
George Edward Lewis, Bryantville, Mas- 
sachusetts. 
3/ 
