easy to prevent plant diseases from attack- 
ing plants or spreading from plant to plant, 
it is almost impossible to cure plants once 
they have a disease. Thorough coverage is 
just as important as proper timing. All 
parts of plants above ground should be 
covered with a thin film of spray or dust. 
Any surface that is not covered may serve 
as a starting point for infection. 
Use either a plunger duster with a long 
tube to reach under the leaves or a hand 
crank duster. For liquid sprays use the 
knapsack compressed air sprayer, with 214 
to 3-gallon capacity. 
The pesticide chart on page 58 tells you 
how to protect your vegetables with South- 
ern States dusts and sprays to give you 
higher yields of better quality. 
Harvesting Timetable 
(Harvesting at the peak of maturity assures you of high quality vegetables ) 
VEGETABLE 
Snap Beans 
Lima Beans 
Beets 
Carrots 
Cabbage 
Cauliflower 
Sweet Corn 
Cucumbers 
Cantaloupes 
Onions 
Parsnips 
Peas 
Squash (summer) 
Squash (winter) 
Peppers 
Tomatoes 
Richmond, Virginia 
WHEN TO HARVEST 
Pick when the pods are three-fourths grown and before the seeds 
are formed or when they are only small. Cut beans for canning 
are picked when the pods are full grown and seeds one-fourth 
grown. 
Pick when seeds are green and tender and just a bit before they 
reach full size and plumpness. 
Harvest when they are 114 to 2 inches in diameter. 
When they have reached 1 to 11% inches in diameter. 
When heads are solid and before they split. 
Tie leaves together and cut heads when white. Do not allow 
heads to get ricey. 
Use the thumbnail test. If the kernels are full grown but the milk 
is still watery and will squirt out freely when pressed, the corn 
is in the milk stage. This is the ideal stage for canning and 
eating fresh. 
Harvest when fruits are slender and dark green, before color 
starts to get light. 
Harvest when stem slips from melon. 
For scallions, 1 inch in diameter. For storing, when stalks turn 
brown and fall over. 
Best to leave in ground until it thaws in late winter. 
When pods reach their prime quality—slightly before the seeds 
reach their fullest size. Pods are firm with tender green 
peas. Cook immediately after picking. 
Harvest when skin is soft, tender, and pale yellow. 
May be left on vine until skin is hard or until just before first 
frost. 
Harvest when fruits are solid and dark green. 
For fresh use, fruits are picked when red ripe but before they 
become soft. For canning, fruits should be fully red and fully 
ripe. This stage is evident by a deepening of the red color of 
the outer skin. 
09 
