CHINESE CABBAGE 
Must never be grown as a spring crop 
since it will only go to seed. Plant after 
June 15, as days are getting shorter, then 
it will head. An excellent succession crop 
to follow early peas. 
SWEET CORN 
For the home gardener, the simplest way 
to plant sweet corn is in rows or drills, 
not in hills. Space the rows 36” apart, and 
plant a seed about every 3”. Thin stalks 
to stand 9" to 12” apart in row. The drill 
should be 3” to 4” deep, but don't cover 
seed with more than 1” of soil. The drill 
or furrow can be filled in as the plants 
grow to anchor them against the wind. 
Removing suckers has been standard prac- 
tice with practically all growers. Now, 
experiments prove that removing suckers 
merely takes away extra food-producing 
leaves and so hurts rather than helps 
growth. Also, suckering often disturbs 
roots enough to injure plants. Always 
plant corn in several short rows side by 
side rather than one long row. Corn is 
pollinated by wind and rows side-by-side 
means that all the stalks can be reached 
by the pollen. Many home gardeners, on 
treading newspaper accounts of corn de- 
tasseling, assume that this is necessary to 
set ears. On the contrary, removing tassels 
may cut the crop seriously, Detasseling is 
only done where hybrid corn is raised 
for seed purposes. The more pollen that 
flies, the better the set of kernels. So 
don’t detassel sweet corn in the home gar- 
den. If weeds are under control, stop cul- 
tivating. If weeds are bad late in the sea- 
son work the soil as shallow as possible 
to avoid injuring surface feeder roots. 
18 
CARROTS, 
Imperator 
PEPPER, 
California Wonder 
CUCUMBERS 
Sandy soils with plenty of compost are 
best. Roots have difficulty on heavy soils. 
Plant 8 to 10 seeds in a “hill.” When vine 
is 6’ long, thin to three strongest plants. 
Keep fruits picked to promote continuous 
fruiting. If compost isn’t available feed 
with commercial fertilizers. Use plenty of 
moisture: cucumbers are 90 per cent water. 
EGGPLANT 
Start seed indoors 8 weeks before plants 
are needed. Set out after weather is warm 
and settled. Feed and water liberally as 
Eggplant needs to be kept growing rapid- 
lywio produce well =D Dales walleicontrol 
pests that until now made this a tricky 
crop to grow, 
ENDIVE 
Strictly a cool-weather crop: gets bitter at 
temperatures much above 80 degrees. Plant 
very early and again in mid-July. Use last 
planting as late fall salad crop, and store 
surplus in cold frame or cellar by digging 
each plant with ball of soil. Space 12” 
apart in rows 18” apart. Feed liberally for 
bigger, crisper heads. 
KALE 
Grow like Brussels Sprouts. 
KOHLRABI 
Wants rich soil. Plant early in spring 6” 
apart in row. Must be used when young: 
woody when old. Make second planting 
three weeks later; again after mid-July. 
CUCUMBER, 
White Spine 
MUSKMELON 
Plant 8 to 10 seeds to a hill after weather 
is warm. If grown in cool weather or 
where nights are cold, will not bear well 
and melons will have poor flavor. Melons 
love plenty of compost or well-rotted ma- 
nure. When vines begin to run, thin three 
plants to a hill. In damp soil mulch with 
clean straw or raise each fruit on a 
shingle to keep them from rotting. 
OKRA 
Plant on rich soil when weather is hot 
and settled, spaced 36’’ x 15’’. Pods mature 
rapidly and must be picked or they wiil 
be inedible. 
ONIONS 
Sets produce sooner than seeds. Set 1” 
apart and pull every other set for use as 
green onions, Again pull every other on- 
ion, leaving balance of sets to mature as 
dry onions. 
From seed, onions have better flavor. 
Green onions can be grown in about 60 
days from seed. Use thinnings for green 
onions, leaving 4’ apart for globe types 
and 6” for the big Spanish types to mature 
for dry onions. Latter can also be started 
indoors for largest bulbs and can be set 
out 6’’ apart after frost danger has passed. 
Onions need liberal feeding and watering. 
PARSLEY 
Seed germinates slowly; soak over night. 
Sow early as seed germinates poorly in 
hot weather. Space plants 6” apart. Plain 
parsley has best true parsley flavor; curly 
sorts better for garnishing. If leaves are 
cut off when plant is 3” tall, curly sorts 
will have better curl. 
