


PEPPERS — Sweet 
Warm, mellow soil in sheltered loca- 
tion is best. Start under glass. Culti- 
vate regularly, drawing soil up around 
stems. When plants are 7” to 8” tall, 
hoe in light dressing of commercial fer- 
tilizer. Do not plant hot peppers near 
sweet; they are apt to cross. 
California Wonder Improved — Num- 
ber one quality peppers, about 4-in. 
long and 3 1/2-in. diameter, very smooth, 
3 and 4 lobed, glossy green, turning 
bright crimson when ripe. Remarkably 
thick walls, tender, sweet. 75 days. 
Pimento — Excellent for canning or 
stuffing. Smooth, heart-shaped, very 
thick flesh. 73 days. 
Ruby King—Abundant, tapering fruit, 
dark-green changing to ruby-red. 69 
days. 
World Beater—One of the best large 
peppers. Glossy-green, changes to 
bright red. Mild, very sweet, thick 
flesh. 75 days. 
Hot 
Hungarian Wax — Slender, waxy yel- 
low fruit about 6-in. long, turns red 
when ripe. Very hot. 65 days. 
Long Red Cayenne—The hot favorite. 
For canning, pickling, drying. Pun- 
gent flavored fruit, tapering and 
twisted. 70 days. 
Red Chili — Low, spreading, 18-in. 
plant. Extremely pungent fruit. Erect, 
conical. 82 days. 
PUMPKIN 
Cultivate practically the same as mel- 
ons or cucumbers. 
Connecticut Field — Large fruit with 
flat ends, 15 to 25-lbs. and up to 15-in. 
Surface, slightly ribbed, deep orange. 
Thick flesh, orange-yellow, sweet and 
coarse. 118 days. 
Green Striped Cushaw—Medium size, 
smooth, crookneck shaped, white with 
green mottling and stripes. Thick yel- 
low flesh. 115 days. 
King of the Mammoths — Largest of 
the pumpkins weighing 60 lbs. and up- 
ward. Yellow skin mottled with orange. 
Deep orange flesh. 115 to 120 days. 
Kentucky Field— Dull orange, large 
ribbed fruit. Coarse, deep yellow flesh, 
good flavor. 120 days. 
Small Sugar or New England Pie — De- 
sirable for pie or general use. Round, 
flat end fruit, deep orange. Thick, yel- 
low-orange flesh. 118 days. 

Early White Bush Squash 


You can get along with just one cul- 
tivator and one hoe, but a sensible 
selection of varied models pays for 
itself over and over. 

MULCHING 
A mulch of straw, leaves or lawn 
clippings will keep the surface moist 
and conserve water. It reduces soil 
temperatures and prevents root in- 
jury from heat. It will also keep 
tomatoes, pepper and eggplant clean 
and will prevent soil insects from 
attacking melons. 
However, if summer rains are light, 
the mulch can do harm, because the 
few drops that do fall cannot pene- 
trate to the soil. In this case, pull 
away the mulch from around the 
plant stem and soak the roots thor- 
oughly with the hose. 
A mulch is particularly beneficial to 
potatoes because tuber formation 
stops in hot soils. As much as 12” 
of straw can be used over potato 
roots. 
HARVESTING 
The big advantage the home gar- 
dener has over the commercial 
grower is that he can pick his 
vegetables one minute and have 
them in the kitchen the next. All 
vegetables are better if left on 
the plant until ready to serve. 
Sweet corn in particular loses sweet- 
ness every minute it is off the stalk. 
Pick only what vegetables you can 
use right away and not until you 
are ready to use them. 
Most vegetables, particularly sum- 
mer squash, sweet corn, cucumbers, 
carrots, beets, peas and string beans, 
should be used much younger than 
usually harvested by the commercial 
grower. Learn the “‘feel’’ of an ear 
of corn that is ready to pick. The 
tip of the ear will feel full and the 
silks should be turning brown. 
Muskmelons do not get sweeter 
after picking. For full flavor leave 
them on the vine until a crack ap- 
pears all around the point of attach- 
ment between the stem and melon. 
The free end should feel definitely 
soft when the melon is ready. 
Avoid harvesting beans while the 
plants are wet with dew or rain, as 
moisture spreads disease. 
COMPOSTING 
A good compost pile is the sign of a 
good gardener. At very little cost, in 
materials or labor, it furnishes the 
humus which every garden needs. 
Humus is decomposed vegetable 
or organic matter. In building a 
compost pile the idea is to accu- 
mulate such matter in a way 
that will encourage decomposi- 
tion and increase its plant food 
value. 
A small space in the corner of your 
garden is all you need. (For ap- 
pearance’s sake you may want to 
hide it with a screen of shrubs, or 
trellised vines.) 

Dig a trench about a foot deep, 2 
or 3 feet wide, and 3 or 4 feet long. 
Then make a simple frame extend- 
ing above ground level, as _ illus- 
trated. 
After you have a layer of material 
(grass cuttings, plant leaves, vege- 
table tops, straw, etc.) 6 inches or 
more deep, scatter over it a coating 
of chemicals to aid decomposition 
(sulphate of ammonia, superphos- 
phate, limestone) and water well. 
Forking over occasionally and wet- 
ting well during the season speeds 
decomposition. Place a 1-inch layer 
of earth at about 6-inch intervals to 
prevent bad odors. (Avoid using 
diseased plants or weeds which 
should be burned.) 
These vegetables 
STORE well 
Beets, Carrots, Turnips, Winter 
Radishes—Do not wash. Pack in 
loose moist sand or fine moist soil. 
Store in unheated cellar, or in ven- 
tilated room away from heat. 
Cabbage—Roughly trim heads, cut 
off roots. Store in temperature of 
40 to 60°, with high humidity or 
cover heads with moist soil or sand. 
Celery, Kale, Chinese Cabbage, 
Endive, Leeks—Store in trenches 
outdoors or in boxes of soil in base- 
ment. Outdoors must be covered 
with straw to prevent freezing. 
Squash, Pumpkins — Harvest as 
they mature, leaving 3 or 4” of stem. 
Cure for a few days at 80 to 85°. 
Store in dry place. 
Peas, Beans—May be picked off 
plants or the whole plant pulled 
and placed in dry airy place to 
cure. After thoroughly dried, shell, 
clean, sort and store in jars or cans 
in cool, dry, dark place. 
Qnions—Pull as soon as most of the 
tops fall over. Place in racks or 
spread out on dry wooden floors— 
or hang in dry airy place. Store in 
dry well-ventilated place at a tem- 
perature just above freezing. 
Parsnips, Salsify, Horseradish— 
Not injured by freezing, and may 
be left in the garden, or stored in 
moist soil or sand in cool building. 
Potatoes—Should be kept in slatted 
bins for ventilation and left un- 
covered. Protect from strong light. 
Keep longer at 36 to 40°, but cook 
better if stored at higher tempera- 
ture. 
Sweet Potatoes—Dig as they ma- 
ture or after first killing frost. Sort 
them as dug, and place in crates. 
Cure for two weeks at 80 to 85°F. 
before storing. Best storage tem- 
perature 50 to 55°. 
15 
