RADISH 
Soil should be light, quick and rich 
to insure rapid growth. Slow growth 
makes the flavor too strong. Sow as 
early as ground can be worked, as 
Radishes are very hardy. Make suc- 
cessive sowings up to hot weather. 
When in the third leaf, thin to give 
roots plenty of room. Pull promptly 
when mature. The secret of crisp, de- 
licious radishes is quick growth, 
prompt picking. 
Crimson Giant—Large round, 1 to 1%- 
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 toward 
bottom. 1l¥%-in. long by % to %-in. 
Dull scarlet, white tipped. 25 days. 
White Icicle—Tapering roots 5 to 5'%- 
in., very white with pure white, mild 
flesh. 27 days. 
Fall and Winter Varieties 
Celestial or Chinese White Winter— 
White flesh, rather mild in flavor. Roots 
large, 8” long and 2% to 3 inches in 
diameter, cylindrical with heavy shoul- 
der. 60 days. 
Chinese Rose Winter or Scarlet China— 
Popular, very distinct winter — sort. 
Good for late salads. Cylindrical blunt, 
smooth, bright rose-red. Flesh white, 
very firm and pungent. 52 days. 
Long Black Spanish — Good keeping 
winter variety. White, crisp and pun- 
gent. 8 to 9 in. long, slightly tapered. 
58 days. 
RUTABAGA 
(See Turnip) 
SALSIFY 
Light, rich soil best and it must be 
stirred to a considerable depth. Sow 
in rows 18” apart. Cover seeds firmly 
with Yo” of fine soil and thin plants 
later to 2” to 3” apart in the row. 
Cultivate the same as parsnips or car- 
Tots: 
Mammoth Sandwich Island—A palat- 
able and nutritious vegetable when 
cooked. Flavor is remarkably similar to 
oysters. 120 days. 
SPINACH 
Plant very early in spring—or start 
seed in fall (giving it protection by 3” 
of straw over the winter) and enjoy 
an early spring crop. Cut all spinach 
before hot weather as it doésn’t do 
well in extreme heat. Sow again in 
August or September for fall crop. 
Spinach should be gathered before the 
flower spike appears. 
Bloomsdale Savoy, Long Standing (fr)— 
A few days later than regular Blooms- 
dale Savoy. Holds from 12 to 14 days 
longer. 42 days. 
Giant Nobel or Giant Thick Leaf— 
Large, vigorous, spreading plant, slow 
to form seed stalks. Heavy yielder. 
Large, thick, smooth, deep green leaves. 
AS days. 
New Zealand—Thrives in dry, hot 
weather. Can be picked repeatedly all 
N 
season. Not a true spinach, but similar 
when cooked. 70 days 
SQUASH 
Very sensitive to cold so delay plant- 
ing until warm weather. Follow same 
care in planting and culture as for 
cucumbers and melons. Plant sum- 
mer varieties 6 or 8 seeds in hills 3’ 
to 4’ apart each way and winter 
squash 8’ apart. Plants bear longer if 
squash is picked off as soon as it is 
ready for use. 
Summer Varieties 
Early Prolific Straightneck (fr)—Earlier, 
smaller, and more productive than Giant 
Summer Straightneck, and more ~ uni- 
form. Brilliant yellow. Fine for home or 
market. 50 days. 
Early White Bush Scallop—Fruits green- 
ish when young, become white at ma- 
turity. 3-in. long, 7¥% to 8¥Y2-in. wide. 
93 days. 
Giant Summer Crookneck—Prolific, bush 
type plant, curved neck fruits around 
A toxo-lova 20) tow 24-in. long. 4 io. 5-in: 
diameter. 56 days. 
Zucchini—Straight, cylindrical fruits, 3 
ton4 bse otono-insithrough, .lOnto) l4-in: 
long. Mottled and striped green-creamy- 
gray. Delicate flavored flesh. 60 days. 
Fall and Winter Varieties 
Butternut — Deep buff-colored, bottle- 
shaped fruits. Smooth, hard shell. Solid 
fine textured flesh, that is deep yellow, 
dry, sweet, with excellent flavor. 12-in. 
long, upper or neck section 3Y2-in. 
diameter. 85 days. 
Golden Table Queen — All-America 
medal. Skin is deep golden; flesh 
orange, dry, fine flavor and texture. 
Improved Green Hubbard (fr)—Most 
widely grown of any winter squash. 
Round, warted, dark green with thick 
yellow flesh. Weight 12 to 14 lbs. 100 
days. 
Table Queen or Des Moines (fr) — 
Acorn-shaped, green, deeply furrowed; 
flesh rich yellow, dry, mealy, delicious. 
Convenient size for baking and serving 
in halves. 100 days. 
SWISS CHARD 
(See Beets, Leaf) 
TOMATOES 
Do best in sandy, well pulverized 
loam. Sow seed in hotbed or indoors. 
When plants are about 2” high, set 
out, 3” apart, in boxes or pots—later 
transplant into the garden. Or keep 
in flats until all danger of frost is past, 
and then set plants out directly into 
the garden. Water around the roots of 
the plants when setting them out, if 
ground is dry. Cultivate frequently 
until plants shade the ground. Remove 
all but the two or three strongest 
branches. Study methods of staking 
and training vines and adopt the one 
best suited to your situation. 
Beefsteak—Rich scarlet-red, extra large 
fruits, more or less ribbed. Juicy, solid, 
with rich sub-acid flavor. One of the 
best for home use. 90 days. 
Bonny Best—Second early variety, valu- 
able for canners. Medium-vine, not very 
‘hardy. Medium-sized, apple-shaped, solid 
fruits, bright scarlet. 73 days. 
Earliana— Open, spreading, medium 
small vines. Red fruits run to medium 
size. This seed is selected for thick, 
smooth fruit. 66 days. 
John Baer—Thick, scarlet 
Bonny Best). Smooth, 
large fruit. 70 days. 
(similar to 
firm, medium 
Jubilee — Orange colored fruit. Juicy 
with few seeds. Weighs about 6 oz. 
Bears over a long season. 72 days. 
Marglobe—Moderately productive, with 
heavy foliage. Vigorous and resistant 
to wilt and rust. Fruits medium large, 
nearly round, smooth, and solid. Deep 
red. 77 days. 
Ponderosa—One of the largest varieties. 
Spreading large vines. Solid, fine fla- 
vored, pink, with small seed cells. 
Somewhat rough and flat. Have a ten- 
dency to crack. 88 days. 
Pritchard's, Scarlet Topper—Medium to 
large, round, with thick, firm flesh and 
small seed cavities. Brilliant red 
throughout, coloring right to top, with- 
out hard green spots. Free from acidity, 
one of the best home canners. Early. 
Continued on Page 23 

The Old Gardener on TOMATOES 
Tomatoes are the Number One crop in 
home gardens, raised by almost every- 
body. For some good information on 
how to grow them, see Vegetable Seed 
Culture. 
Tf you had trouble with disease, as so 
many folks did last year, try some 
of the newer disease-resistant kinds 
like Marglobe, Pritchard, and Rutgers. 
Even folks who don’t like tomatoes 
ordinarily will go for Jubilee, the big 
orange variety that looks just like a 
California orange. It’s as mild in flavor 
as an apple and full of natural sugar. 
Try slicing it on the same plate as the 
red varieties. 
To stake or not to stake is often a 
question. If you do insist upon staking, 
don’t use Earliana or Pritchard, since 
they won't make 
enough vine for, 
this method ofX 
training. 
Above all, if you 
do grow early 
varieties, be sure 
to add one of the hae Sains 
main crop sorts like Rutgers so you'll 
have plenty of tomatoes for canning 
and for use when the early varieties 
are through. 
Feeding: The safest plan for feeding 
tomato plants is to use balanced plant 
food. Apply it as a side dressing at 
regular intervals. Don’t use _ poultry 
manures. They cause a long, sappy 
plant growth, with very little fruit, If 
any animal fertilizers are used, they 
need balancing—by addition of super- 
phosphate and muriate of potash. With- 
out these necessary elements, the crop 
may be poor. 


21 



