



Detroit Dark Red Beets 
PUMPKIN 
Plant in middle of spring among corn; 
or in hills 8’ apart each way. Drop 
seeds to a hill. If planted in hills, cul- 
tivate the same as melons and cucum- 
bers. For winter use gather before 
frost (leave stem 3” to 4” long) and 
store in warm, dry place. 
Kentucky Field or Large Cheese—Dull 
orange, large ribbed fruit. Coarse, deep 
yellow flesh, good flavor. 120 days. 
King of the Mammoth—Largest of all 
pumpkins. Valuable for stock feed- 
ing and exhibition. Globular, slightly 
ribbed, flattened, weigh 60 to 90-lb. 
Flesh solid, yellow-orange, coarse, but 
good quality. 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. 
Striped Cushaw—For stock feed. Crook- 
necked, 11-lb., white and green striped, 
thick, coarse yellow meat. 112 days. 
RADISH 
Rich, sandy soil needed. Sow in rows 
12” to 18” apart and keep well wat- 
ered. Plants must be thinned out to 
prevent crowding and quick growth is 
necessary for the best radishes. Sow- 
ings 1 week to 10 days apart will keep 
a supply. 
Crimson Giant—Large round, 1 to 114- 
in. Deep crimson roots. Very crisp and 
tender for its size. 28 days. 
Early Scarlet Globe—Globular, slightly 
elongated, bright scarlet. 24 days. 
Early Scarlet Turnip, White Tipped— 
Carmine red with white tip. Flesh 
white, crisp and mild. 26 days. 
French Breakfast — Roots thicker to- 
ward bottom. 11-in. long by 14 to %4- 
in. Dull scarlet, white tipped. 25 days. 
White Icicle—Tapering roots 5 to 514- 
in., very white with pure white, mild 
flesh. 27 days. 
Fall and Winter Varieties 
Long Black Spanish—7 to 10-in. roots. 
Black skin, solid white flesh. Late and 
very hardy. 55 to 60 days. 
Rose China Winter—Popular, very dis- 
tinct winter sort. Good for late salads. 
Cylindrical blunt, smooth, bright rose- 
red. Flesh white, very firm and pun- 
gent. 52 days. 
Ss 
GARDEN GUIDE POSTS 

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 
roisture spreads disease. 
COMPOSTING 
A good compost pile is the sign of a 
tzood 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. 
Onions—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 tex 
perature 50 to 55°. 
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