Main'
GARDEN STEPS
A MANUAL FOR THE AMATEUR IN
VEGETABLE GARDENING
BY
ERNEST COBB
SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY
BOSTON NEW YORK. CHICAGO
-32-1
COPYRIGHT, 1917,
BY SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY.
. , . . . ,,.... * -
;.*.'. - , > -
INTRODUCTION
THE food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the house
which shelters us, are three great necessities of life. Of
these three necessities, food is by far the most important.
The ordinary family plans to spend a large part of the daily
wages for food. If times are bad, we can live in smaller
houses and be very comfortable. We can wear the same
clothes twice as long as we expected to, and still not suffer
from the cold. But with food it is very different. We
must constantly provide ourselves with a nourishing diet,
or our strength fails, health gives way, and great suffering
is the final result. For a useful and happy existence,
nourishing food is of the first importance.
During the past few years we have heard more and more
complaints about the* hardships which millions of people
in America have suffered because of the high cost of nour-
ishing food. During the period when the country was
young there was plenty of food. The vast fields of the
South and West were covered by the richest earth, which
rewarded a small effort with a wonderful harvest. On the
plains beyond the Mississippi, millions of cattle and sheep
wandered and fed at will, providing us with the best of
meat which cost little but the effort to bring it to market.
Gradually this has changed. The great cattle ranges
are no more. Villages and farmhouses dot the prairies
where, a few years ago, there was not even a fence. The
380627
vi INTRODUCTION
fertile fields of the South and West no longer produce rich
harvests almost unaided, as they did before. Now they
must be fertilized and given careful culture.
At first one might suppose that this left a poor prospect
for our future food supply. It does not; the prospect is
as good as ever. It means that the whole plan of the
family in regard to its food supply must be changed.
What Mother Nature freely provided, almost of herself,
she will continue to provide as bountifully as before, but
now she must be helped in the work. Hereafter man must
study the problem of his food supply and must stand ready
to give the aid that Nature needs tp insure an abundance
of nutritious food.
Americans have just begun to understand the meaning
of the high cost of food. For many years workmen hoped
to relieve their condition by demanding higher wages.
Step by step wages advanced, but the general food condi-
tion did not improve. The larger wages bought no more
food than the small wages had. Indeed, frequently they
did not buy so much. 9
The men on the farms had to feed the men in the factories
and in the cities. As the farms became less easy to
work, and harvests required greater labor, the number of
those in the factories and cities who produced no food be-
came greater. Food became scarcer and cost more. Then
the men in the factories said, "We cannot live and buy
food on the wages we get now. We must have more
wages."
They got more wages. Then the factory owners had to
raise the price of the shoes and hats and clothing they
made, to pay the higher wages. Soon the farmer found
INTRODUCTION vii
that he had to pay more for everything he bought, and the
men he hired refused to work unless he paid them more,
because their friends in the factory were getting higher
wages.
There was just one thing for the farmer to do pay his
greater expenses and charge still more for the food he
raised. It is perfectly clear that it makes no difference in
this food question how many times the wages are raised.
The farmer must meet the new expenses each time and get
enough more for his food to pay the difference, or go out of
business.
What can be done to relieve this situation ? There is
one way, and only one way, out. The number of those
who grow food must be greatly increased. All must join
hands and help solve the food problem. If this had been
proposed ten years ago, the city people and the factory
people would have declared that they had no chance to do
this, that they had no gardens to work, and no opportunity
to get any. But the terrible calamity which has fallen
upon the world has proved all this untrue. City people
and factory people can get gardens to work and must work
them.
Even in our largest cities many acres of ground have
been found available for gardens, and thousands, who
formerly longed for something interesting to do through
the idle hours of long summer days, have discovered the
delight of planting seeds and sharing in the miracle of the
growing and ripening crops. They are also learning that
health and vigor come through hours of happy labor in the
garden. There is no pursuit which brings more blessings
in its train,
viii INTRODUCTION
Every man who makes two blades grow where one grew
before helps reduce the high cost of food. There is no
other sure way. In the small gardens, which we now realize
are, after all, available to all who really want them, enough
can be grown to swing the balance and bring the cost of
food within the earning power of the ordinary working
man. This will relieve the pressure on the farmer, who
can produce special foods, not suitable to the small garden,
at a profit to himself and at a price within the means of the
people in the factories and cities.
The terrible conditions which have opened the eyes of
all to the possibilities around them for gardens and food
production will soon pass away, but the food problem will
never pass away. Unless the more bulky and perishable
varieties of food are produced near home the same hard-
ships which have beset the American people will return in
double measure, till at last they are forced to a full reali-
zation of the food problem and how it may be solved.
No one, unless he has been through the experience,
knows half the perplexities which beset the amateur gar-
dener. Bewildered by a mass of information in detached *
form, much of which seems to contradict itself, he finds too
late that important steps have been omitted and that he
must wait a year before he can try again, with the lessons
drawn from his first failure as a guidepost on the new path.
By gathering into one section the necessary information
regarding the culture of each important vegetable for the
home garden and arranging it so that the amateur may take
each necessary step in its proper turn, guided by clear,
explicit directions, we have endeavored to improve the
chances of his success greatly and to save him from much of
INTRODUCTION ix
the disappointment that is so frequently the lot of be-
ginners in gardening.
Since this movement, like others of the same nature,
must depend for its final success upon the children now in
school, the needs of the classroom and school garden have
been kept clearly in mind. Comparatively few children
enjoy the privilege of expert guidance in plant culture and
garden work. Consequently a text covering the subject
thoroughly and written in simple language which the child
can easily understand, will be found necessary to success-
ful work.
Today almost every school is planning in some way to
help solve the urgent question of the food supply. With
Garden Steps in the hands of each pupil, the work may
easily be made definite and successful. Instructions
needed in the early spring, for planting, indoors and out,
are fully given. During the summer months, when the
pupil is not in touch with his instructor, the book will
prove a sufficient guide in tending the growing plants. In
the fall, when the crop matures, the young gardener will
find in Garden Steps what he needs to know about gather-
ing and storing away the ripened crop.
The author wishes to gratefully acknowledge his in-
debtedness to the following, for the use of illustrative
material: Joseph Breck & Sons ; the B-istol County Agri-
cultural School; R. & J. Farquhar & Company; Fottler,
Fiske, Rawson Company ; the Extension Service of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College at Amherst ; and Miss
Clara Endicott Sears, organizer of the Canning and Dry-
ing Club of Harvard, Massachusetts.
CONTENTS
PAGE
I FALL AND WINTER PREPARATIONS . . i
II GARDEN PLANS . . .7
III FERTILIZERS . 19
IV SPRAYS .AND POISONS . . -3
V TOOLS . .38
VI ASPARAGUS -47
VII BEANS -57
VIII BEETS AND CHARD . . . . -7
IX THE CABBAGE FAMILY ... -79
X CARROTS AND PARSNIPS ... -94
XI CELERY . .103
XII SWEET CORN . no
XIII CUCUMBERS 124
XIV LETTUCE . ..... 134
XV ONIONS . . 142
XVI PEAS .150
XVII PEPPERS . . 161
XVIII POTATOES .164
XIX RADISHES ...... .178
XX RHUBARB 182
XXI SQUASH .187
XXII SPINACH 200
XXIII TOMATOES 202
XXIV TURNIPS . . . . . . 214
XXV CANNING AND DRYING . . . . .216
SUGGESTED LIST OF SEED 226
xi
GARDEN STEPS
CHAPTER I
FALL AND WINTER PREPARATIONS
SECRET OF SUCCESS IN GARDENING
SUCCESS in garden work is not a matter of a
single year of study ; it is a matter of long experi-
ence. Very few beginners ever get great results
from the first season. If, after the first sum-
mer, with its struggles and disappointments, the
amateur still looks forward eagerly to the next
spring, determined to turn the mistakes of the past
year into the successes of the next, he may be sure
that he will not fail. This courage to return to the
battle with fresh determination is the quality which
marks the line between big men and little men.
So then, if the weather has been unfavorable, if
bugs and blights have come unexpectedly, if weeds
have crowded in, if sods have been heavy and the
ground hard and lumpy, if the work has been a
tax on muscles unaccustomed to tabor, determine
that instead of giving up, you will turn to use the
experience thus gained, so that next year the crops
2 GARDEN STEPS
shall be increased and improved. Remember that
you are helping to solve one of the greatest prob-
lems of the race, the food supply. There is no
better test of determination of character than the
garden. In the long run, failure is impossible to
those who apply the qualities needed in the task.
Nature knows no favorites. The rain falls on all
alike, but the hoe and the harrow shall say whether
the rain waters weeds or fruit.
FALL CARE OF THE SOIL
Many of the most important steps in gardening
must be taken in the fall. This is the time to look
over the land for next year and plan for its prepara-
tion. If you are to use land which is at present cov-
ered with sod, the fall is the time to plow it under.
If possible, all the land should be plowed at this
season. Fall plowing breaks open the nests of
many injurious insects that are wintering in the
soil, thus greatly reducing their numbers when
spring comes. It also makes the ground more open
and porous, saves it from washing in the winter
rains, and gives it more capacity to hold water in
case of a drought in the early summer.
An additional advantage may be gained at this
time if a catch crop of rye or clover is sown, to be
plowed under in the spring. When the ground is
harrowed, scatter about a quart of rye or a half
pint of clover seed to the twenty-foot square, and
FALL AND WINTER PREPARATIONS 3
then rake it in with a wooden rake. These growing
plants hold the moisture and keep the soil in place
during the winter and spring months, and when
plowed under, add humus to the earth.
The gardener should also make every effort at
this season to get dressing for the coming spring.
In the fall, farmers frequently have dressing to spare,
but it is often impossible to obtain it at planting
time. Besides, if the dressing is secured in the
spring, it will probably be lumpy, hard to work
into the ground, and most unsatisfactory to handle.
Ideal soil is the result of patient toil. Market
gardeners take the most minute pains in preparing
the ground for their crops, and the beginner should
take their practice for his own. The author once
saw men in France digging up the soil from the
garden into large carts. These men were moving
to a new place, and, by the French law, they had a
right to carry with them the top soil of their little
farm. It represented years of patient improvement.
Every stone was picked out, the rich, dark earth
was soft and fine, in perfect condition. They could
not afford to leave it behind.
It is a joy to work in soil like this, and of course
one year or two years will not produce it. How-
ever, careful preparation in the fall will make the
greatest difference the following spring, and much
of the next year's success depends on it.
In the first place, plow lightly, especially the sod
4 GARDEN STEPS
land that is to be planted the next year. Next, pla
to dig or plow in a liberal amount of dairy or stabl
dressing before frost comes. In the spring, when thi
ground is worked over, the dressing will be well de
cayed and will make light and fine soil, which woul
be lumpy and heavy if the work were done in th
spring with fresh manure.
SOIL FOR EARLY SEEDS
While putting in the dressing, remember the col
frame and the window boxes. Save out a coupl
of barrow-loads and mix it about half and half wit
fine soil, leaving it where it will not be washed to
TOMATOES, HANSON LETTUCE, AND FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISH
IN COLD FRAME
The lettuce provided plants for setting out, and enough for eating during pa
of May and all of June. Cold frame is seven feet long by four feet wide. Tl
back board is one foot high, the front board is six inches, and the. side boar<
are one foot high. Pepper plants, which do not show, were also planted here.
FALL AND WINTER PREPARATIONS 5
much by the rains and surface water. When needed,
this will be suitable for intensive planting. If the
ground is likely to be frozen when soil is wanted for
the window boxes, some of this earth should be put
in a barrel in the cellar, where it will be available
at any time. Do not let this soil get too dry.
Water it enough to keep it moist.
ORDERING GARDEN SUPPLIES
Besides the dressing, estimate how much of other
fertilizers, such as nitrate of soda, lime, and com-
mercial fertilizers, will be needed, and order them
now. Fertilizer dealers try to estimate what the
demand will be each year and do not mean to keep
on hand any surplus. If the supply is exhausted
in the spring, those who waited till then will have
to wait longer still.
The same rule applies to tools and all supplies to
be ordered from a distance. One does not mind
waiting for a harrow a month overdue if that month
is November ; but in April, it is very different.
Spring always catches some people unprepared ; don't
be one of them.
As the winter months come on, the garden plans
should be laid out, and the necessary seeds listed
and ordered. It is disappointing in the spring to
order seeds which one is anxious to try, only to find
them sold out.
Window boxes, markers for garden rows, stakes
6
GARDEN STEPS
for supports, bean poles, all the little accessories
needed in the garden, should be made during the
cold weather. The manual training room at school
is an ideal place in which to construct these things.
They have a vital interest for the pupils and most
of them are very easy to make. When the garden
rush is on, there is little time for making these sup-
plies, and one is glad enough to have them ready.
As soon as the plans for the coming spring are
complete, it will be time to begin starting seeds in
the windows again. The year for garden work really
has no beginning and no end.
INSPECTING SCHOOL GARDENS
CHAPTER II
GARDEN PLANS
THE right arrangement of the various plants in
the garden, and the soil provided for each, will have
much to do with the final success of the little farm.
In some gardens the soil is the same throughout,
and the only difference between one spot and another
is the smoothness of the soil or the presence of water.
In most gardens, however, there are some spots
richer in humus and more suitable for cultivation
than others.
A SAMPLE GARDEN
In the author's garden, which is square and
covers about an acre, there are several kinds and
conditions of soil. In the southwest corner there
is a piece about fifty feet square, where the loam is
deep, full of humus, and fairly free from stones.
The soil here was formerly acid and heavy. A
dressing of lime, together with wood ashes from the
fireplace, has greatly improved it, however. This is
now used as the " kitchen gardenj" which will be
described a little later.
8 GARDEN STEPS
North of this square there is a streak of gravel.
This was the crown of a slight rise in the ground,
from which the top soil has been washed off because
of careless cultivation. This piece would be useless
for most plants, but tomatoes, corn, or beans do
well there. With plenty of dairy dressing beneath
TURNING OVER THE GROUND WITH A WHEEL PLOW
The plow turns weed roots up to the sun, which kills them. It also
saves humus from washing out.
the hills, squashes also thrive on this gravel streak.
The task now is to treat this piece with lime and
humus, giving it a very shallow plowing each year,
till a top soil is formed again. By fall plowing and
by planting cover crops, it can be kept from washing
away.
The rest of the westerly side is a light loam, not
more than a foot deep, on a gravel subsoil. With
GARDEN PLANS 9
level cultivation and a soft surface, potatoes thrive
well here.
In the center of the garden, running north and
south, is the rhubarb bed, rich from good care dur-
ing several years.
East of the rhubarb bed is a large piece of sandy
loam, which is two feet deep in places. It is all on
a gravel subsoil and needs a light dressing of lime
each year to enable it to retain water. Here the
asparagus bed is laid out. Beans, cucumbers, and
the main corn crop thrive here ; the soil is also per-
fectly suited to berries and small fruits.
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
The farmer, who has his broad acres to cultivate,
usually picks out some spot near the house where the
earth is rich and fine, for a kitchen garden. Here
he plants the vegetables for the home table which
need special care and nice cultivation. The amateur,
with his much smaller piece of ground, should fol-
low the same practice.
There are some plants that need a great deal of
room to grow in ; fortunately, with good cultiva-
tion, these do well if left to themselves. Corn,
tomatoes, squashes, and beans all push on cheer-
fully through long periods of dry weather and
hot sun if they are started well. These are the
vegetables which may be planted where it is most
convenient.
GARDEN PLANS 1 1
Plants Requiring Special Care. There are other
plants, however, which will do little if they are not
nursed along and tended frequently. Such plants as
lettuce, celery, beets, radishes, and cauliflower need
the finest earth, and water at all times, to keep their
growth up to the best. Where it is possible to have
a hose that will reach every part of the entire gar-
den, the problem is easily solved. Very few gardens,
however, can boast the luxury of a hose. It is best,
then, to select a special plot of ground large enough
for these plants, and to call that the kitchen garden.
Root Habits and Water. If we could watch a
root as it works its way through the soil, we should
see it turn towards the nearest supply of water. In
digging out old wells, roots of trees have frequently
been found, which have come more than a hundred
feet to feed in the moist earth near the well. The
tiny roots of the garden plants do the same thing
on a smaller scale. They go toward the nearest
water, wherever that may be. Their natural tend-
ency is to go down into the earth, to seek water
in the moist soil below them.
Restilt of Frequent Watering from Above. Ap-
plications of water from a watering pot seldom
moisten more than the top of the ground. When
the rows are watered in the evening in this way,
the roots detect the moist earth above them and
turn in that direction. The next day, when the
hot sun falls on the plants, the roots are near the
12 GARDEN STEPS
surface and soon feel the heat. The water quickly
evaporates, and it is probable that the plants would
be better off if they had not had any water at all,
for the roots would then be well below the surface,
seeking what moisture they could find.
Another bad result of frequent watering is the
crust formed on the surface of the soil each time the
ground is watered. This crust enables the sun to
draw the water rapidly from the earth below. The
only way to prevent this evaporation is to break up
this crust thoroughly by cultivation. Of course,
frequent water means frequent cultivation and an
unnecessary increase in labor. So it is clear that if
we use a waterpot or a hose at all, it is better to put
on enough water to soak the soil thoroughly, well
below the plants, once or twice a week.
Simple Irrigation Plans. - - There are very satis-
factory ways of applying water to a small area like
the kitchen garden, without using the watering pot
or hose. One can irrigate with empty cans, old
wafer pipe, or tiling.
Empty cans, such as tomato cans or oil cans,
holding a quart or more, may be sunk in the rows
every few feet. Perforate the bottoms and sides,
so that the water may leak through freely. Do not
sink them between the rows, as they will interfere
with cultivation. Fill these cans with water once
a day. It takes but a moment to water a small
patch by this method, and the water is admitted
GARDEN PLANS 13
below the plants without forming any surface
crust.
Water pipe, which has been used but is still strong,
may be obtained in almost every town at a very
low price. This makes an excellent medium for
irrigation. Prepare the pipe you intend to use by
IRRIGATION PIPES
A pail of water poured into these pipes is worth three sprinkled on the
plants. It takes not one tenth the time and labor.
boring holes every foot, about one fourth of an inch
in diameter. In one end of the pipe drive a plug.
At the other end put an elbow, and an upright a
foot or two long.
The upright pipe in the illustration is a little too
14 GARDEN STEPS
high ; but no cutting tool was handy, so it was left.
The only objection to the height is that it causes
an unnecessary pressure of water as it leaves the
holes, where it might wash away the dirt somewhat.
The pipe required to water an ordinary kitchen
garden need not be very long. The pipe in the
illustration is twenty feet, two lengths, five feet
apart. This supplies plenty of water to those plants
that need it most. For a larger space more pipe
could be laid, connected in one system with a single
tub as a reservoir.
When the ground is ready to plant, open a trench
about a foot deep. Lay in the pipe with the holes
down, so that the upright piece stands erect. Then
fill in the earth again.
The paint kegs, used as shown in the picture,
make excellent reservoirs. For the inch pipe, a
hole .measuring a trifle less than an inch was bored
in the bottom of the keg, which was then screwed
snugly on to the inch pipe.
If two or three pails of water are poured into these
pipes every night during hot, dry weather, the
plants will be well supplied with moisture.
A more expensive, but more desirable, way to
irrigate is by means of porous drainpipe. This
should be laid in trenches about a foot under
the surface, and, if necessary, will provide not only
for irrigation but for drainage. Clay pipe is used
extensively in draining fields, as the water soaks into
GARDEN PLANS 15
the pipe and runs away from the land. When used for
irrigating purposes, the water is poured into the pipe ;
it then soaks out of the pipe into the soil about it.
On the other hand, your garden may have a clay
subsoil, and, while needing water in dry weather,
may have too much in wet weather. Under such
conditions you can lay the pipe so that it drains to
the outlet. Make a plug for the lower end. In
wet weather open the outlet and allow the surplus
water to run off. Close the outlet and fill the pipe
in dry weather to keep moisture about the plants.
ARRANGEMENT OF CROPS
Let us look over the garden land, then, and see
just what we have. If part of it is full of gravel,
that may be set off for plants which will succeed
there. If water stands on certain parts of the land
an hour or two after rains, such places should be
drained. The best and most convenient part should
be used for the kitchen garden. A sheltered place,
on the south side of a fence or building, will be
right for a cold frame. Fertilizer and lime can be
provided according to the needs of the land. No
work is more interesting than surveying your land
and planning for its improvement.
SUCCESSION OF CROPS
In many states the early crops are completed in
time for another to be started and ripened during
i6
GARDEN STEPS
the same season. Early peas, potatoes, and other
crops that ripen by the middle of July, may be
followed by beans, late cabbages, cauliflower, late
corn, celery, and other plants, especially those that
can be set out. Sweet corn does not ripen well in
COLD FRAME, WITH COVER RAISED, TO AlR
AND HARDEN PLANTS TO BE SET OUT
The top of this cold frame is made of three
double window sashes. It does them no harm if
they are laid putty side up.
the temperate belt if planted later than the fourth
of July. In the south, the season is much longer,
and three crops can often be planted on the same
land. After each crop, a dressing of commercial
fertilizer is the best preparation for the next.
ROTATION OF CROPS
A good deal has been said of rotation of crops.
This changing the location of crops from year to
GARDEN PLANS 17
year is much more important on the large farm than
in the garden. One five-acre piece, planted to corn
this year, can be planted to advantage with pota-
toes next year. Crops thus exchanged drain the
soil less and keep more free from disease and pests.
The garden, however, offers a very different prob-
lem. There may be parts of the garden well suited
to certain crops. In this case it is more important to
have suitable soil for the plants than a change of
location. One can afford to feed the plants well
on the small space and give them all the nourish-
ment they need. The kitchen garden cannot well
be moved, and this is not necessary if it is properly
cared for.
Beans and peas should not be moved when a spot
is found where they flourish. Such plants, known
as legumes, seem to require the presence of certain
bacteria in the soil. Wherever these bacteria are pres-
ent, legumes flourish and will do better there than
in new locations.
There are some crops, however, which may wisely
be changed about. Corn and potatoes are easily
moved in most gardens, and the soil is improved by
doing so. Cabbages should also be changed from
year to year, to avoid root maggots.
CLEANING UP THE LAND
It always distresses a good garde'ner to see a gar-
den that is untidy. Stumps and roots cause many
i8
GARDEN STEPS
extra steps each time the land is worked. Remem-
ber that every stone on the land draws out the moisture
from the soil, spoils the dust mulch which should be
kept on the surface by cultivating, and helps to keep
the soil hard and lumpy.
FF~H
NOT THREE YET, BUT HE is AS
GOOD AS ANY ONE ELSE FOR
PICKING UP STONES
CHAPTER III
FERTILIZERS
IN the growth of plants, four constituents are
needed, which are likely to become exhausted in
the soil. These must be supplied to most gardens
after brief use, and to all gardens after continued
cultivation. They are nitrogen, lime, phosphates,
and potash. When the needs of the crop expected
are understood, the farmer can, by supplying these
essential constituents, prepare most soils to produce
good results.
A few years ago a man bought a large tract of
land at a low price, on the northern end of the island
of Newport, Rhode Island. Those familiar with the
soil laughed when they heard that he planned to
grow peaches there. They declared that the soil
was so poor it would not even grow grass, which
was true.
" All I want of the soil is to hold up the trees,"
he replied. " I'll feed them."
He did, and today a most profitable peach orchard
flourishes on that barren strip. Being surrounded
by the warm water of the bay, it is* free from frost
the dread of peach growers.
19
20 GARDEN STEPS
NEEDS OF PLANT GROWTH
Garden plants may be given fertilizers exa'ctly
suited to their particular needs. The study re-
qujred in order to do this for each plant, however,
is extensive, and not necessary for home gardening.
Two general divisions may be made among garden
plants. One division includes those plants wanted
for their leaves and stalks, such as spinach, chard,
cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce. Into the other
division go those plants grown for their seeds, like
corn and peas and beans, or for their fruits, such as
tomatoes and melons, or for their roots, like po-
tatoes and other root crops.
The plants in the first division require a good deal
of nitrogen, which stimulates the quick growth of
tops. Those in the second group need less nitro-
gen and more potash, which increases the slower
development of fruit, seed, and roots.
" COMPLETE" FERTILIZER
There is a fertilizer prepared by reliable houses
called a " complete " fertilizer, which may be used
with success on all plants in the garden. This is
the kind referred to in the following pages, when
commercial fertilizer is indicated. But if the gar-
dener wishes to study the special needs of the two
groups, he can buy two grades of fertilizer, one for
the first group, and another, usually called potato
DESERT LAND WITHOUT WATER OR FERTILIZER
SAME LAND IRRIGATED AND FERTILIZED
21
22 GARDEN STEPS
fertilizer, and rich in potash, for the second
group.
In buying fertilizer, go to a reliable house fa-
miliar with the needs of farmers and buy high
grade material always. By saving a few cents on
the purchase price, much is lost in the crop. The
complete fertilizer will be satisfactory for general
work ; but if a large crop of one vegetable is planned,
study its needs a bit, and buy from your dealer some-
thing which he recommends for that particular
plant.
ANIMAL DRESSING
Dairy and Stable Dressing. - - The term dairy
dressing in this book will refer to manure chiefly
from cows. Stable dressing will mean dressing mostly
from horses and will include the bedding used in
the stables. Dairy dressing is by far the most
important fertilizer for the amateur gardener in
most parts of the country. It not only contains
the four essential constituents noted, but greatly
increases the ability of the soil about it to hold water
near the roots of the growing plants. There is
little danger of using too much, and hardly any other
fertilizer is needed if this can be obtained, with the
exception of an occasional application of lime.
Other Manures. Stable dressing is also valuable,
but must be used with more care than dairy dress-
ing. It is known as " hot manure," as it will heat
FERTILIZERS 23
rapidly if left in a dry pile, and soon burns away its
fertilizing value. It will also burn seeds if placed
in the row with them and, unless it is well rotted,
should be used in general only to dig or plow into
the soil in the fall.
Manure from the sheep and pig are both rich in
fertilizing values, and should be used under the ad-
vice of gardeners near at hand. Neither of these
fertilizers will be generally available, except near
large cities or in regions where these animals are
kept.
Poultry Droppings. A most valuable fertilizer
available to many gardeners is provided by poultry
droppings. This manure needs to be handled with
some care, as it is too strong in nitrogen to be used
freely with plants which do not require much nitro-
gen, such as beans and peas. It is, however, almost
perfect for those plants wanted early in the spring
for their tops, such as rhubarb, asparagus, and
lettuce. As a lawn dressing it is unequalled, and
may be scattered about on the sod at any time
with safety.
Poultry droppings are so common in all districts
and so valuable as a fertilizer, that some study of
their qualities is well worth while. Being very rich
in nitrogen and one-sided in this respect, it is best
to add the potash which they lack and make them
into a complete manure. For this "purpose we may
use kainit, which is a crude form of potash, well
24 GARDEN STEPS
adapted to this end. Kainit may usually be pur-
chased from dealers in agricultural supplies ; it
comes in large bags at a dollar or so -a bag. Before
scraping the droppings from the roost, scatter about
a quart of kainit with what will make a pail of
droppings. When kainit is not available, twice
the amount of rock phosphate may be used with
good results.
Poultry droppings should not be exposed to the
weather, if their full strength is to be retained.
When mixed with the kainit, they should be put into
barrels or boxes and covered over. The potash
holds the nitrogen in the manure and preserves it
in its best state. This dressing is most useful as
a stimulater, after the crop is planted, but a little
may be mixed with the soil at planting time. Put
in enough dairy dressing in the fall, if possible, and
make the earth light and soft. Then, when the
crop is well started, this poultry dressing, quickly
available, is a wonderful help to the growing plants,
especially where tops are desired. It saves much
in the expense of added dairy dressing.
Where poultry droppings are plenty, and it is
not convenient to cover them, they may be piled
out doors. Thus exposed to the weather, much of
the nitrogen escapes, and they become more nearly
balanced as fertilizer.
Do not use such poultry dressing too freely on
spots intended for fine cultivation. It tends to
FERTILIZERS
make the ground hard and lumpy for a while. On
the asparagus bed, or with corn or rhubarb, this is
not an important consideration, and they may be
used freely.
LIME
Direct Action of Lime on the Nature of the Soil. -
Lime is not only an essential constituent of plant
food, but is of the greatest importance to the farmer
through its beneficial action upon the soil. It
CLAY SOIL BADLY CRACKED
SAME TYPE OF SOIL AFTER
TREATMENT WITH LIME
neutralizes the acidity in sour lands. It acts on
the dressing that is dug in, hastening the decay of
the vegetable and animal matter so that it will be
more quickly and completely available to the roots.
It also helps to increase the store of potash in the
soil in suitable form for the plant 'to use, a most
important service.
26 GARDEN STEPS
Not only does lime create more plant food for the
growing roots to draw upon, but it also improves
the physical nature of the soil. On heavy and
clayey soil, it breaks up the lumps, separates the
fine particles which cling together, and makes this
soil open and porous. The clayey soil thus treated
is able to hold moisture a much greater length of
time, and is more even in temperature from day to
day.
On light, sandy soil, lime fills up the chinks be-
tween the particles, which tend to be large. Thus
the soil is made more retentive of water, which
otherwise would soon run down into the subsoil
beyond reach of the plants. In sandy soil, not limed,
plants whose roots do not feed deeply are likely to
be withered by the hot summer sun and die for lack
of moisture.
How to Secure Lime. Agricultural lime is se-
cured from large seed houses or from dealers in
farm supplies. It is not at all expensive, and every
gardener should have it on hand. For some crops,
like beets, a light dressing every year is recom-
mended.
Litmus Test. All sour or acid soil should be
treated with lime at once. If you find a piece of
ground where sorrel grows freely and where seeds
sprout poorly, try the litmus test. Litmus paper
may be procured from the druggist. It is blue.
Place a handful of the soil you wish to test in a glass
FERTILIZERS 27
or cup. Add enough water to turn it into thin mud.
Then bury part of the litmus in the mud. In han-
dling the paper, care should be taken not to touch
that part which is to be tested, as one's hands may
be acid. If the soil is sour, the paper will turn
from blue to red. This shows that such soil needs
lime.
The foregoing experiment is very interesting for
classes in school. Many samples of soil may be
brought and tested. If the soil proves acid, lime
may be added till it is neutral and the paper stays
blue. Put a tablespoonful of lime in a glass of
water, stir well, and mix the water with the mud,
a little at a time, till the desired result is ob-
tained.
Application of Lime. - - The amount of lime to
apply varies with the condition of the land. For
heavy, damp lands, it would not be too much to
apply twenty-five pounds to each twenty-foot
square, every third year. If the land is rather light
and sandy, fifteen pounds every year for each
twenty-foot square would be sufficient. As lime
tends to wash away from light land, it needs more
frequent dressings and rather more lime than the
heavy soil. Do not apply the lime with the dressing.
Scatter it over the surface of the harrowed land in
the early spring. The tendency of lime is to work
into the soil and gradually wash down through it to
the subsoil.
28 GARDEN STEPS
WOOD ASHES
When cleaning out fireplaces or stoves where
wood has been burned, put the ashes away care-
fully in a barrel. Wood ashes, if pure, are rich in
potash, and offer it in a form immediately available
to plants. Lime is also present, and an application
of wood ashes on lumpy, hard ground has a very
beneficial effect. This fertilizer is especially im-
portant with peas and beans. A few wood ashes,
scattered along the rows, or in the hills with beans,
are of great value. Keep them dry till they are
used, as much of their value is lost if they are ex-
posed to the weather.
HUMUS
Humus is decaying animal and vegetable matter
in the earth. It comes from the weeds and plants
left in the ground, from leaves, and roots, and sim-
ilar sources. In a natural state, plants grow and
die in the same spot. The seeds fall about them
and are nourished by the humus of the decaying
plant. In this way the growth may continue year
after year.
In the garden, however, plants are not left to die.
They are carried away and used elsewhere. If
this plan is continued long, there will in most cases
be little or no vegetable matter left available to the
plant, in the soil. When this happens, crops will be
FERTILIZERS
29
very poor until humus has been supplied. This
can be done by planting crops like clover, cow
peas, or rye, and plowing them under ; or it may be
provided by adding manure to the soil. For the
ordinary garden, the application of manure is the
most convenient method and the most useful. For
these reasons, it is not well to depend entirely on
commercial fertilizers, unless the soil is very rich
in vegetable matter. Dressing of some kind should
be added to most soils each year, in order to keep
the earth well filled with humus.
WHAT ONE BOY ACCOMPLISHED WITH ONE TWENTIETH OF AN ACRE
CHAPTER IV
SPRAYS AND POISONS
THE plant doctors are always at work compound-
ing remedies for their patients, so that today we are
happy in the possession of a cure for almost every
evil in the garden. It is interesting to note the
advice of an English gardener, given some years ago,
to hill up the potato vines, drawing the earth snugly
about the stems to keep the mysterious " blight
disease" from creeping down and rotting the tubers.
Of course this precaution was of no use against the
tiny spores that cause the blight.
BORDEAUX MIXTURE
After much research Bordeaux mixture was dis-
covered, a compound of copper sulphate and lime.
This wonderful remedy not only protects the po-
tato vine against the blight, but also prevents many
other plants from having fungus diseases of all
kinds. Tornatoes,, melons, cucumbers, beans, straw-
berries, and numerous other plants are saved from
possible destruction by its use. Bordeaux mixture
may be purchased at a seed house or at local stores.
3
SPRAYS AND POISONS
The Pyrox mentioned in later pages is a compound
of Bordeaux with arsenates, giving protection from
insects and disease at the same time.
Formula for Bordeaux Mixture. It is possible
to make your own Bordeaux mixture at very little ex-
pense, if you wish to do so. In a two-quart fruit jar,
AFTER BLIGHT AND BUGS
The force pump is best for large patches. The boys can spray the whole
crop from this position, with three gallons of Bordeaux and lead arsenate.
or some glass or crock holding two quarts of water,
suspend a half pound of copper sulphate. Tie the
copper sulphate in a piece of cloth and suspend it
from a stick laid across the top of the full jar. In
another vessel put one half pound of quicklime;
add warm water till it is dissolved, and the mixture,
when stirred, is about as thick as cream.
Pour the copper solution into a wooden or earthen
32 GARDEN STEPS
vessel which will hold three gallons. A stone jar is
good for this purpose. Then strain the lime through
a cloth into the copper solution, and mix thoroughly.
Fill up with clear water to make the three gallons.
Whenever you use this, stir it thoroughly. For
potatoes, add a quart of water to each quart of
the solution, as you put it into the sprayer. For
beans or cucumber vines, add three pints of water
to a quart of the solution. The potato can stand a
stronger solution than most plants.
There seems to be some doubt about the keeping
qualities of the Bordeaux mixture after the lime
and copper sulphate are mixed ; for this reason a
small recipe is given. Three gallons of stock solu-
tion will, however, last half the season in the ordinary
garden, and the amount can be increased to suit
the needs of the crop.
Application. Apply this spray on a clear day,
using a pump which throws a fine spray with con-
siderable force. Be sure that all parts of the plant
are covered.
POISON FOR INSECTS
Two Classes of Insects. Beside plant diseases,
there are numberless insects to be repelled. These
may be classed in two divisions those that chew
the foliage, and those that suck the sap. The po-
tato bug is perhaps the most common and the most
destructive of the chewing bugs. A poison ap-
SPRAYS AND POISONS 33
plied to the foliage as a powder or spray will amply
protect plants against these insects. The sap-
sucking insects cannot be reached by ordinary means,
for they thrust their needle-like beaks into the
veins of the plant, where the poison does not go.
Fortunately, these bugs have soft bodies and are
sensitive to sprays or powders that affect their
skins. The aphis, or louse, is the member of this
group which must usually be fought in the home
garden.
Arsenate of Lead. In former days, Paris green
was the chief agricultural poison, but in many places
arsenate is now used entirely in place of Paris green.
It is stronger than Paris green and clings to the
foliage much better. If well dried on, a spray of
arsenate of lead will stick through several rains,
whereas Paris green will soon wash off. Arsenate
of lead may be purchased as a paste or as a powder.
The powder is the most practical to buy. It does
not harden, and there is no expense for a jar. The
paste must be packed in a sealed jar and will harden
if not kept carefully sealed.
Arsenate may be applied as a powder, by shaking
it on the plants from a tin box with holes punched
in the bottom. The easiest way to use it, however,
where more than a half dozen plants are to be treated,
is in a spray. Mix the powdered ajsenate of lead
into a paste and then dilute with water. A heaping
tablespoonful to a gallon of water will be sufficient.
34
GARDEN STEPS
It should leave a thin, white film over the leaf
when it dries. All chewing insects are controlled by
this poison. For convenience, arsenate of lead may
be combined with the Bordeaux mixture. Simply
add a heaping tablespoonful of arsenate, reduced to
a thin paste, to a gallon of Bordeaux mixture.
THE HAXD SPRAY
This is convenient for small gardens and odd spots about the house.
It should always be kept loaded in the shed ready for use.
Cutworm Bait. - - The cutworm has tricks of his
own that require special treatment. He lives in
the ground and comes out at night to gnaw at the
stems of tomatoes, cabbages, onions, and other
plants, just at the level of the soil. He is very fond
of sweets. Mix a teaspoonful of powdered arsenate
SPRAYS AND POISONS 35
of lead with a quart of bran, and make it into a
paste with sweetened water ; this he prefers to any
other food. It kills at once all worms that eat
vegetation. Sugar and molasses are equally good
for sweetening. Drop the bait in small doses a
yard or two apart on the soil you intend to plant.
There seems to be little danger to birds or animals
from this poison.
How to Protect against Other Worms. Other
worms with habits like those of the cutworm are
always present, , but seldom do great harm in the
small garden. White grubs and wire worms some-
times harm the roots of growing plants. They are
checked best by frequent cultivation. Plow up the
land in the fall, and you will expose their nests and
eggs to the cold, which will greatly decrease their
number.
The Earthworm the Gardener's Friend. Com-
mon earthworms, or angle worms, should be wel-
comed in any garden. They harm nothing and do
much good, making the soil more porous, opening
it to water, and refining the humus. The habit of
digging them in the garden plot for fishing bait
should be discouraged.
Hellebore. - - There are some plants, such as
cabbages and cauliflowers, on which it is not wise to
use, shortly before they are to be eaten, such a
powerful poison as arsenate of lead. 'In such cases,
hellebore is a satisfactory substitute. This is es-
36 GARDEN STEPS
pecially valuable for currants. Shake the powdered
hellebore among the leaves or mix a tablespoonful
to two quarts of water and spray it on.
Treatment of Sucking Insects. Lice, those little
green mites which gather sometimes in great numbers
on pea vines, cabbages, and other plants, get their
living by sucking the sap from the veins and thus
robbing the plant of its nourishment.
Tobacco powder is good to dust on such insects.
It fills up the breathing pores of their bodies and
kills them. Persian insect powder also has the same
effect. The best and most generally used weapon
against the sucking insects, however, is kerosene
emulsion.
Kerosene Emulsion. In preparing the kerosene
emulsion spray, shave a quarter of a pound of good
laundry soap and dissolve it in two quarts of water.
Place a gallon of kerosene in a receptacle large enough
to hold both the soap water and the kerosene.
Into this kerosene, pour the soap water while it is
boiling hot, and churn or stir vigorously for five
minutes till the mixture is creamy. This will keep
until wanted. For lice, plant bugs, and scale insects
that suck the sap, take a cup of this emulsion, mix
it with a gallon of water, and spray vigorously. It
is a good plan, when vines are badly affected, to
spray with this emulsion every three days, using a
spray of clear water once in between, till the lice
are gone.
SPRAYS AND POISONS 37
The emulsion may also be used successfully against
the root maggots that bother cabbages. Soak the
ground about the roots. This usually kills the
maggots at that point. Vigorous cultivation, how-
ever, is the best general protection against grubs.
CARE IN HANDLING POISON
Always keep the poisons away from the reach of
children and careless people. Do not trust hired
help to handle poison, unless they are perfectly
trustworthy. A spoon, used in mixing arsenate of
lead and then in mixing chicken food, has dreadful
possibilities. If you can, keep poisons in a chest
under lock and key. Then you will know just who
is handling them. Mark all such material with
distinct labels.
GARDEN ON THE END OF A \\ HARF
Less than twenty feet square, it provides tomatoes,
pole beans, bush beans, beets, lettuce, radishes, peas,
cucumbers, and squash all made out of a dump.
CHAPTER V
TOOLS
IT may be that a poor workman always complains
of his tools ; nevertheless, to be a good workman
one must have good tools. In gardening, the best
tools are not very expensive and contribute much to
the success of the work.
Wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow should be one
of the first things on the list. Barrows with iron
wheels are the most desirable. They are light
and strong. Best of all, the wheel does not swell
and become loose if the barrow 'is left out in the
rain.
Shovel. One shovel is really enough in the home
garden, though most people have two or three about
the place. If only one is available, it should be
square at the bottom, with a rather sharp edge. If
one can have both a round, pointed shovel and a
spade, so much the better.
Spading Fork. --This tool is needed frequently
for digging, for handling dressing, and for turning
over the soil in corners where the plow does not
reach. Be sure the fork is manufactured by a reli-
38
TOOLS
39
able firm, and is of good steel, for great strain fre-
quently comes on a single tine.
Sickle. For trimming the long grass that grows
about the edges of the garden, for work about trees,
and for cutting corn stalks after the ears are picked,
WOODEN RAKE, CULTIVATOR, HEAVY HOE, LIGHT WEEDING
HOE, AND IRON RAKE
a light sickle of high grade is often called into use.
Keep the sickle sharp.
Rakes. A wooden rake with teeth set close
together is needed for smoothing garden ground
and raking the lawn. Ask for a lawn rake, as hay
rakes have the teeth too far apart for garden work.
A steel rake with short, straight teeth is also needed
for preparing the seed beds and raking about grow-
ing plants.
GARDEN STEPS
Hoe and Cultivator. - - The principal use of the
hoe is for opening small trenches and furrows.
For cultivating and killing weeds, the best tool is
not a hoe, but a potato digger with five or six round
tines. The shorter the tines and the lighter the tool,
the better. The sharp teeth of this potato digger
sink into the ground easily, and work back and
forth, leaving the dirt loose and fine without piling
it up. It is also useful in
turning over new ground.
A sharp stroke and a pull
will bring up a clod with
little effort. In selecting
tools of this sort, light-
ness is essential. A heavy
hoe only requires more
effort for the same result.
Trowels. Trowels are
not expensive. Good
ones can be bought in
the ten-cent store. Have
one large trowel with a
curved blade for general
use, and one small mason's trowel for working about
the smaller plants.
Wheel Harrow. Another tool for cultivating is
the wheel harrow or wheel plow. This tool costs
about five dollars, and is worth every cent of it,
where the garden covers five thousand feet or more.
SICKLE, SMALL MASON'S TROWEL,
ROUND-BLADED TROWEL, AND
SMALL CULTIVATOR
TOOLS
With this tool come a plow, a pair of hoes, and a
set of cultivator teeth. After every rain, as soon as
the top surface is dried a bit, bring out the wheel
harrow. Run it up and down the rows and it will
leave the earth soft and loose, ready to hold every
drop of moisture in the soil.
With this wheel harrow a seeder is offered, which
costs about five dollars more. This tool needs such
careful adjustment for each kind of seed, that you
will find it more satisfactory to plant the seed by
hand. On a big place
these seeders are neces-
sary and do good work ;
but for the small plot or
garden there is great
satisfaction in knowing
just where every seed
goes, and the seeder is not
used enough to justify its
expense and extra care.
Spray Pump. --Two
sprayers are desirable.
One should be large
enough to throw liquid
from a pail or tank with a
good deal of force, either
in a spray or a stream.
This pump costs from
three dollars up, acccrd-
FORCE PUMP TO USE WITH PAIL,
SMALL TANK SPRAY FOR DAILY
USE, AND WATER POT
The force pump has no washers and
never gets out of order.
42 GARDEN STEPS
ing to style and materials used in making it. It is
used in spraying trees, potatoes, cucumber vines,
and other plants which cover a good deal of
surface.
Besides this pump, get a small hand sprayer cost-
ing fifty cents, made from galvanized iron. This
may be kept loaded with arsenate of lead solution,
as it is needed almost daily to spray the small squash
vines and plants of like nature, which are often
attacked by beetles as soon as they appear above
the surface of the ground.
Watering Pot and Hose. If you can have run-
ning water and enough hose to cover the space pro-
vided for the kitchen garden, use it by all means.
The plants there depend for their best qualities
upon rapid growth, and rapid growth depends upon
water, plenty of it. If the running water and hose are
not possible, a watering pot is needed. A pot
made of galvanized iron, and holding about two gal-
lons, is the best.
Iron Bar. Many people try to do garden work
without the help of a bar, but if they realized the
great advantage gained by the use of such a tool,
they would not be without it. Bars vary in price
according to their weight. Even a piece of old
water pipe, five feet long or so, may be made of
much use. Heat the end in the fire until it is red-
hot. Then pound it into a point on a large flat
stone. For setting the many stakes which are
TOOLS 43
needed each year in every garden, a bar of some kind
is really essential.
Line. A strong cord" about one hundred feet
long should be a part of every gardener's outfit.
In setting out rows of vegetables, edging walks and
SQUARE SHOVEL, SPADING FORK, SPADE, EDGE CUTTER FOR
WALKS AND GARDEN EDGES, AND ROUND-POINTED SHOVEL
gardens, and making the whole place neat and
orderly, the marking line is constantly needed. A
large fishline makes a good line for the garden, as
it is free from knots and twists.
Row Markers. In planting a fairly large piece
of ground, thorough cultivation, economy of space,
and general appearance all require that care be
taken in marking the rows. These may be made
44
GARDEN STEPS
straight and of even width by the use of a marker,
which can be made as follows :
Take a piece of two- by three-inch joist, six feet long
if you want the rows three feet apart, four feet long
THE Row MARKER
Draw it behind you and make three parallel rows at once.
if you want them two feet apart, and so on. At the
center, nail on a piece of scantling about eight feet
long for the handle. For braces, nail strips obliquely
across to' the heavy piece, one on each side. Small
pieces about seven inches long and sharp at one
end, should be nailed firmly to the body piece, at
distances as needed for the rows. When finished,
this will look like a long rake with three or more
teeth.
TOOLS
45
In marking lines, measure the first row, and then
draw the marker behind you so that the outside
tooth follows this line. The other teeth mark rows
which are parallel.
Where many people work together, as in school
gardens, two or three of these markers with teeth
measured for various distances between rows, can be
made in the manual training room, and will be of
much service in planting the larger seeds, such as
beans, peas, and corn.
Stakes. During the winter months provide
yourself with twenty-five or thirty stakes to set at
the heads of the rows. ==a ___
These can be made in
school if tools are pro-
vided there. Narrow
cedar shingles are espe-
cially good, because cedar
does not rot, and they
can be used year after
year. Cut off three inches
of the thin end ; point
that end and smooth
the other with a plane.
A piece about two
inches wide is large
enough to write upon.
If shingles are not at hand, pieces of boxwood
will serve.
STAKES FOR MARKING Rows,
MADE FROM SMALL SHINGLES
4 6
GARDEN STEPS
Grindstone. If you have ever had a grindstone,
even a small one, you will never want to be without
one. It is used in twenty ways every week. By
means of a grindstone, axes and hatchets, table knives,
trowels, shovels, hoes, and many other tools can be
kept in good condition with little labor. The ex-
pense of a small grindstone is not great, but if you
do not feel like spending the money for that, then
get a whetstone and a large file, and be sure to use
them on your garden tools when they get dull.
HOEING AND CULTIVATING A FIELD or POTATOES
CHAPTER VI
ASPARAGUS
PREPAREDNESS has no greater significance as to
garden work than in relation to asparagus. It is
hard for people to plan and plant a crop which may
not be garnered for two years, but there is some-
thing impelling in the world situation today. Those
who never looked ahead before are looking ahead
now. As part of the obligation we owe ourselves
and those dependent on us, why not lay out an
asparagus bed ?
Asparagus is more than a vegetable ; it serves
the purpose of meat also with many people. Few
there are who do not consider a dish of asparagus
on toast a treat, a luxury which only the rich can
afford ; yet nothing is easier to grow and care for.
The first plant, after the rhubarb, to appear in the
spring is this delicious vegetable. During the six
weeks before strawberries ripen, a small patch will
provide daily for the needs of the average family.
Once grown, it will continue to be.ar almost in-
definitely. There are beds over fifty years old which
still produce good crops.
47
4 8
GARDEN STEPS
KINDS TO CHOOSE
Danger of Rust to Certain Varieties. In certain
parts of the country, asparagus has suffered from
rust, a disease which kills the plant by attacking
the foliage. Some gardeners who made asparagus
their main crop almost gave
up in despair, because no
remedy could be found for
rust. Then it was dis-
covered that certain varie-
ties of asparagus are free
from this disease. By
choosing these types, the
growers have escaped the
ravages of rust.
Hardy Varieties. - - The
Argenteuil, the Reading
Giant, and the Palmetto
are all varieties which have
been very successful and
hardy. Before deciding on
the kind you wish to plant,
however, write your state
agricultural experiment station and the department
at Washington. Constant attention is being given
to this plant, and great efforts are being made to
provide types which will thrive in every locality. It
is safe to plant asparagus thus recommended.
ARGEXTEUIL ASPARAGUS
ASPARAGUS
METHODS OF PLANTING
49
Fertilizing. --The methods of planting recom-
mended formerly by all, and still required by most,
writers on this subject have been expensive both in
dressing and in labor. A detailed study of the as-
paragus plant and its habits shows that much of
this labor and fertilizer has probably been wasted.
Asparagus should be harrowed and fertilized when strawberries are
ripe. No more asparagus should be cut after this.
The customary method has been to dig deep trenches,
even as far down as four feet, and enrich the ground
heavily with large quantities of dressing. It must
be admitted, however, that the root will probably
never get full value from a large amount of dress-
ing used when planting. It is four years before the
root is large enough to draw greatly on this fer-
tilizer, and by that time the soil will need a fresh
50 GARDEN STEPS
supply. Moreover, there is little to prove that the
asparagus root draws on the soil beneath it for much
of its food, when once started. The root spreads
chiefly not downward, but horizontally, and even
tends to work upwards, hunting for nourishment
and air.
The French, who have attained great success
with asparagus, plan to feed the roots from above
each year. Progressive American growers, who
have started the roots with very little dressing and
increased the amount as the roots grew, have been
rewarded with such good results that they will
never again resort to the expensive plan of deep
digging and the use of a great quantity of dressing
when the roots are set.
Growing from Roots. Asparagus may be grown
from seed, but, as enough one-year or two-year
roots for the ordinary garden cost less than a dollar,
and save at least a year in time and a good deal of
labor, it is not worth while to grow from seed.
The sale of a fraction of the crop the third year will
more than repay the extra expense for the roots.
The roots should be set during the spring, except in
the South. In the northern states the roots are
not ready to transplant till after the growing season is
passed. They would make little growth if planted
then, and would be likely to die during the winter.
Preparing the Soil. For the ordinary garden,
the following plan should prove simple, inexpensive,
ASPARAGUS 51
and successful. Select for asparagus the most level
spot possible, provided with good drainage ; for the
soil will tend to wash away, and the roots may be
exposed before long, if on a slope. Sandy loam is
the best soil, though any good garden land will do.
When the earth is warm, lay off the plot into rows
three feet apart, after digging it over with the
spading fork at least a foot deep and removing all
large stones. Along these rows, scoop out the earth
in a trench about ten inches deep and fifteen inches
wide. See that the bottom of the trench is loose,
and mix with the soil, thus loosened, dairy or stable
dressing, about a barrow-load to every twenty feet.
This dressing should not be too fresh ; if partly
rotted and free from heat, it will do.
Setting Out. Into the bottom of the trench, set
the roots two feet apart, so that they will spread out
freely in all directions and the crown will lie six
inches beneath the level of the soil. Then put back
two inches of the soil, gathering the earth firmly
about the roots. The distances for separating the
roots may be a trifle less than two feet, in rows
three feet apart ; but if the bed is to be permanent,
the roots will, before many years, spread so that they
will need even more room than two feet. In old
beds, where ample room has not been provided, the
roots crowd and choke one another. This soon re-
duces the size of the stalks and spoils the crop for
market.
52 GARDEN STEPS
CULTIVATION
The First Year. When the shoots appear, fill
in the rest of the soil gradually, mixing dressing with
it, a barrow-load to each twenty feet of soil. If
the spot is windy, support the slender shoots with
stakes driven in along the row. Of course no
sprouts will be cut for food the first summer. In
the fall, before the berries drop, cut down the tops
and take them away. If the seeds are allowed to
ripen on the bed, the young plants that sprout from
them will prove troublesome weeds the next season.
Then cover the bed with dressing of any nature,
enough to form a protective mulch during the winter.
The Second Year. --The next spring this dressing
must be dug or harrowed into the soil, which should
be well loosened over the bed. After the cutting
has stopped, apply some fertilizer which will be
immediately available to the plant. Five pounds
of nitrate of soda or commercial fertilizer to a
twenty-foot square is the best, and more will do no
harm. The next year's crop will depend upon the
strength of growth during July and August. The
roots are then storing up the nourishment needed
for pushing out shoots the next spring. Everything,
therefore, must be done to encourage strong growth
of the tops during the summer.
Later Care. Every fall hereafter, the ground
should be mulched with dressing, to be harrowed in
ASPARAGUS 53
the next spring ; a new application of fertilizer may
be harrowed in again when the season for cutting
is over. By this method the roots receive nourish-
ment when it is needed, especially during each sum-
mer season, and there will be no loss of crops from
ASPARAGUS THREE WEEKS AFTER HARROWING
When crop is cut, about strawberry time, harrow the bed.
lack of support. The large expense for labor and
dressing at planting time will be saved, and you
will know what nourishment the roots are getting,
and when they get it.
Use of Salt. Salt is often recommended for
asparagus. It is valuable in two ways. It helps
to check the weeds, and it keeps the ground more
moist, drawing the dampness from the air. Do not
use salt in place of a fertilizer, however. It has
little nutritive value. It probably does make the
54 GARDEN STEPS
fertilizer used more available to the plant; but the
full measure of dressing and other fertilizers should
be given, whether salt is used or not. Salt may be
scattered freely among the plants without fear of
harm.
CUTTING ASPARAGUS
The sprouts which come during the first three
weeks the second year may be cut, but cutting should
not continue longer than three weeks. When cut-
ting sprouts, take them all, big and little, 'and stop
cutting completely when the time is up. Cutting
the stalks may begin regularly the third year, and
may continue from the time they come up in
April till strawberries ripen, about July first. Never
leave the small shoots to form tops, as they will
draw strength from the roots and retard other
stalks. During the cool weather, once in two days
is often enough to cut ; but when the sun gets hot,
the beds should be cleaned up each day. All stalks
five i'nche's high should be taken.
The cutting is done with a knife made for the pur-
pose. It has a sharp end. Thrust this into the earth
an inch away from the stalk, and cut down obliquely,
so as to cut off the shoot an inch or so below the sur-
face. Be careful that the knife does not continue
down and cut other shoots beneath the surface, or
injure the crown itself. If it is not convenient to
get an asparagus knife, a putty, or glazier's, knife
with the end well sharpened, will do.
ASPARAGUS
55
Wash the stalks
and tie them in
bunches weighing
about a pound.
Raffia for this pur-
pose can be bought
from seed houses.
When bunched, the
asparagus should
stand in a pan in a
cool place. Pour in
enough water to
cover two inches of
the stalk. Aspara-
gus will be improved BUNCHING ASPARAGUS
by Standing thus a The bunching frame holds a pound and a
, T 1 1 quarter when full. It has slots for the raffia.
day or two. It will
be more tender and have a better flavor.
BANKING ASPARAGUS
Some gardeners bank the hills with earth to get
white stalks. This is always done at the expense
of flavor. The stalk is usually slightly bitter and
strong till it has been exposed to the air and sun.
Years ago the white, or blanched, asparagus was
in demand, but markets now usually quote the
green asparagus at higher prices. The public has
discovered that the latter is superior in flavor and
quality.
56 GARDEN STEPS
ENEMIES
Besides the rust, already spoken of, and for which
no satisfactory cure has been found, the stalks are
attacked by a small beetle which sometimes, though
not frequently, does a good deal of harm. The best
way to check this pest is to let chickens run in the
bed. A flock of chickens is the ideal caretaker for
the asparagus bed. They' will fertilize it, cultivate
it, keep the weeds out, and eat every beetle that
conies around. Certain precautions, however, must
be taken. It is often said that chickens will not
eat asparagus, but this is not true. They will eat
the stalks and spoil them, if other green stuff is not
at hand. Care must be taken, then, not to have
the flock so large that they eat all growing green
stuff. If you can inclose a bit of sod ground with
the asparagus, that will satisfy their appetites for
green food, and they will not touch the stalks.
CHAPTER VII
BEANS
FOOD VALUE OF BEANS
TRAVELERS tell us that few people in this country
realize the important place which beans take in the
food supply of the world. Those who have been in
India and other eastern lands say that we are
mistaken in thinking that rice is the chief article of
diet in the East. Beans, they report, are found
everywhere a staple food, of the greatest importance
in the lives of the working classes.
STRING BEANS
The advance which has been made recently in
the culture of beans is wonderful. Twenty years
ago string beans were well named, for they certainly
had strings and plenty of them. They produced
a cluster of pods which, if picked at just the right
moment, were edible, but which at once became
tough and coarse if left on the bushes.
Today there are many varieties which are edible
for some time, and a few which continue to produce
57
RUST-PROOF GOLDEN WAX BEAN
58
BEANS 59
delicious beans for a great part of the summer. It
can hardly be said, as yet, that beans are really string-
less, although many growers advertise different
kinds as " stringless beans." All beans develop
strings sooner or later, but it is now possible to leave
them on the vines for some time and still find them
brittle and free from tough fiber.
Bush String Beans. - - The first beans of the sea-
son will be the string beans which grow on low,
sturdy bushes. If the sun is warm and the weather
fair, beans may be served at table less than eight
weeks after planting.
Almost every seed house offers bush string beans
which they can recommend for your locality, and
you are reasonably sure to get a good bean by
choosing from their catalogues. There are two
varieties, however, the Valentine, and the Early
Six Weeks , which have been tried all over the coun-
try with much success ; these may be trusted to
give good results everywhere.
Giant Stringless Green Pod Valentine. This is
a green bush bean, developed lately from the Val-
entine family. The vines are productive and hardy.
The pods are large, almost round, and are free from
the rust which attacks many beans, covering them
with brown spots. This bean is not the earliest, but
is well worth trying in any garden.^
Early Six Weeks. --This green-podded bean is
one of the earliest. It has long pods which are
60 GARDEN STEPS
rather flat, and the quality is good if the beans are
picked while young. The pods soon become coarse
and stringy if left on the vines, while those of the
Giant Stringless keep their excellent table quality
much longer. '
Bush Wax Beans. Of late years, there have
been developed many excellent bush beans of the
yellow, or wax, variety, such as the Golden Wax,
and War dwells Kidney Wax. If you wish to try
some of the bush wax variety, a safe way is to ask
your seedsman for the best wax bush bean to grow
in your locality. Beans vary somewhat as to hardi-
ness and quality, according to climate and condi-
tions, and you may depend upon any reputable
seed house for advice regarding this type of bean.
Culture of Bush Beans. Beans are easily in-
jured by frost and should not be planted until the
cold nights are past and the ground is warm and
mellow. Market gardeners who raise them in
large quantities each year often plant them soon
after the peas. Then they plant others in the same
row, about a week later. If the first ones grow
well, they simply pull the second lot out as they
sprout; but if the first seeding is hurt by wet or
cold, they have the second planting to depend upon.
See that the ground is not too wet. Rake the earth
until it is soft. Measure the space intended for beans
and lay out a line with the cord. Then open a
furrow two inches deep along this line, and sow
BEANS
61
the beans about half an inch apart. Rake the
earth back into the furrow and pack it to be sure it
is firm above the beans, scratching it gently with
the rake to break up the surface crust.
At least two feet should be left between the rows.
Be sure to leave a stick at each end of the row to
show just where the beans are planted.
After a few days of warm
sun, the earth will crack, and
the whole bean, greatly swelled
by the moisture it has absorbed,
will begin to push up through
the ground. The little root
below has strength enough to
lift this weight and force it
through the earth into the
sunlight. As soon as it comes
above the ground, the healthy
seed splits in the middle, and
the first leaf appears.
Now is the time to look
over the row. Some beans will be weak and yellow.
Pull them out at once. If some are less than an
inch apart, thin them out also. Watch them for
another week. The cutworms will get some prob-
ably, and accidents may happen to others. Soon it
is time to thin them out again, leaving them not
less than four inches apart.
Be sure that the ground is kept soft and loose
BEAN, SHOWING FIRST LEAF
AND ROOT GROWTHS
62
GARDEN STEPS
about them with the cultivator, and once or twice
as they grow, take the trowel and clean the weeds
from between the bushes.
Beans are very delicate. Do not work among
them during a rain or while the leaves are wet, for
they are likely to become rusty if you do.
BEANS ARE A GOOD CROP FOR THE AMATEUR TO RAISE
In about seven weeks the pods should begin to
form, and after a few days they will be ready to
pick for the table, as they grow rapidly after
the blossom falls. Don't be one of those people who
insist on leaving the beans till they are big, before
letting the family enjoy them. Better a few de-
licious, small beans, than more tough, large ones.
Pole String Beans. By developing the tendency
to grow long vines and by careful choice of seed,
BEANS 63
several varieties of pole string beans have been
brought out that bear larger crops than the bush
varieties. In the small garden, space is always a
consideration. By growing pole beans which are
prolific and which keep on bearing pods for some
time, the gardener will get far better returns for the
work done and space used, than from the bush varie-
ties.
Kentucky Wonder Wax. A few years ago a
new green pole bean appeared which attracted much
attention and spread rapidly throughout the coun-
try the Kentucky Wonder. It was good as a
string bean and also as a shell bean. This remark-
able bean has now been developed into a wax bean
the Kentucky Wonder Wax bean. It begins to
bear almost as soon as the bush beans, and delicious
beans have been picked in November from vines
which began bearing in July. The pods are pale
yellow, very thick and fleshy, and have a delicious,
buttery flavor, which make them truly " butter
beans."
The pods, of course, get stringy if left on the vines
long, but there is no need to eat the large, stringy
ones, as the vine is constantly producing new pods.
If the beans grow faster than you wish to eat or can
them, several poles may be left, to use as shell beans.
Eight poles are enough for the average family.
There are other good pole beans, such as the
Golden Cluster, a very early wax bean of good qual-
64 GARDEN STEPS
ity; the Lazy Wife, of especially rich flavor; and
the McCasland, a new bean much praised both as a
string and a shell bean.
SHELL BEANS
It is a good plan to plant two sorts of shell beans
which have been found especially good, besides
those you try as an experiment. Follow the plan
of sticking to something you know to be good, but
always be ready to try any new plant which might
prove better still. In this way you avoid losing a
crop and also keep from getting in a rut. Staying in
ruts has been a costly habit among farmers all over
the world.
Red Cranberry Shell Bean or Horticultural Bean.
- It is hard to get a shell bean which is surer to
give a good crop, even during a short season, than
the old-fashioned Red Cranberry bean, which now
appears all over the country, in excellent strains.
This bean is most desirable for eating as a shell
bean before it ripens, and after it is ripe and dry, it
is excellent for baking. It ripens quickly and is
very hardy. It may be grown as a bush bean or a
pole bean.
Lima Beans. Several desirable Lima beans
brought out during the past few years have proved
valuable. In the northern states, where frost and
cold nights come frequently in early June and late
August, there is not much hope of ripening Lima
BEANS
beans. Where there are three months of warm
weather, however, there is good hope of getting a
crop, and they are so | . _j
delicious and valu-
able as a food, that
the effort to produce
them is well worth
while.
Dreer's Bush Lima
is a hardy sort, with
a small pod and
small beans of ex-
cellent quality. It
ripens quickly and
fills a large number
of pods at the same
time. Dreer's Pole
Lima is of the same
nature, with small
pods and hardy,
quick-growing vines.
Burpee's Improved
Bush Lima has large
pods, which seem to
require more time
to fill out in large numbers than the smaller pods.
The beans are excellent as to flavor. .
The Sieva Lima is a variety grown for many years
by market gardeners in New England. It is very
CORN AND BEANS PLANTED TOGETHER
A GOOD COMBINATION
The beans take little nourishment needed
by the corn. The poles have swinging corn
cobs to frighten birds away.
66 GARDEN STEPS
prolific and shells out easily, having a good color
and flavor.
In offering the Carpenteria Lima, its growers
called it the most perfect Lima bean in existence.
It is very hardy, it ripens quickly and evenly, and
it is a prolific bearer of delicious, large, green beans.
Culture of Pole Beans. First, procure the poles.
The best pole, and the one most used in country
places, is the small cedar tree. These are not easy
to get in towns today, though most seed houses
carry them at about a dollar a dozen. The most
handy pole to buy is scantling from the local lumber
yard. These cost about fifty cents for a bundle of
ten, in eight-foot lengths.
If you use anything but the cedar pole, or a sapling
which has knots and little branches, remember
that the bean must have something to rest on as it
climbs. Bean vines cannot cling to the smooth sides
of cut lumber, and when the vines are loaded they
will slide down, leaving the foliage in a mass at the
bottom, where it will spot and decay. By nailing
bits of lath or shingle to the pole, every foot or so,
you will give the bean a chance to keep up in the
world.
When you have the poles ready, be sure the ground
is well fertilized and well turned over. Get out
your line and measure spots for the poles at least
two feet apart each way. Four feet is not too much
if you have the room, especially for the Lima beans.
BEANS 67
Take your bar and drive holes eighteen inches deep.
Don't be satisfied with a foot, or you will find your
poles all down some morning in August, after a storm.
The weight on these poles, when the vines have
grown, is much greater than you would suppose.
Set the poles in these holes, and stamp the earth
firmly about them.
For the Cranberry beans and Kentucky Wonders,
make six holes, eight inches from the pole, and
JACK, DOING "HIS BIT" ON SHORE LEAVE
Poles for Cranberry pole beans.
not more than two inches deep. Into these drop
two beans each, cover, and make the earth firm above
them. Add a couple of holes, a trifle nearer the
pole, and put in four more beans, in case you need
extra sprouts. When these have started well, pick
68 GARDEN STEPS
out the five best plants and snip off the other beans.
It is not wise to let more than five grow on one
pole, and four will do as well.
In planting Lima beans, make the earth very fine.
Then take a bean between your thumb and finger,
with the eye down, and thrust it into the soil the
length of your finger. The root comes out from the
eye, and if the bean is above the eye, it is in just the
right position to be forced up through the earth
without delay. If the eye should be uppermost,
the root must crawl around the bean before it can
begin to push, and much delay is the result. Time
is important in growing Limas.
Do not plant a Lima bean out of doors until the
leaves on the maple trees are well out, and you are
sure the earth is warm. The slightest cold will
stop the seed from sprouting. It is useful, when the
spring is late, to cut a few pieces of sod, four inches
square, and put them upside down in a window
box. Lima beans may be thrust into the sod and
sprouted there. Later the sod may be placed by
the pole, without in any way hurting the tender
roots. Few people have much success in trans-
planting beans sprouted in pots or baskets.
If the runners of the Lima bean tend to spread,
they may be tied to the pole with soft string. They
will then go up the pole as they should.
Along in August, if the season threatens to be
short, pinch off the ends of the Lima vines and let
BEANS 69
the whole strength of the vine go into the pods ;
otherwise many small pods, which will never mature,
are likely to form at the top of the vine.
Threshing Beans. --If many beans are left to
ripen for the winter, they should stay on the vines
until they are fully ripe. The vines should then be
pulled and thoroughly dried. If there is room in
some sheltered spot, like the loft, spread them out
there. If such a room is lacking, they may be dried
out of doors. Drive two stakes into the ground
about fifteen inches apart. Place a small box on the
ground between them, to keep the beans from rest-
ing on the ground, and pile the vines in between the
two stakes, making the pile about four feet high.
In two or three weeks of fairly dry weather, they will
be ready to thresh.
An excellent way to thresh them is to thrust the
beans into a grain sack, tie up the end, and beat it
with a heavy stick. This should be done when they
are perfectly dry. The beans will settle at the bot-
tom of the sack when they pop out of their pods.
Cut a small hole in the bottom of the bag at the
corner and let the beans run out. They will escape,
leaving the pods behind them.
CHAPTER VIII
BEETS AND CHARD
SOIL
Importance of Right Kind of Soil. No vegetable
depends more for its quality on the nature of the
soil about it than the beet. Beets will grow in
different soils and will produce something in the
way of a crop even when the soil is poor ; but such
beets are hardly fit for hash. To grow beets which
are terlder throughout, free from fiber and tough
spots, and which have the sweet flavor so much
desired in these vegetables, be sure that the soil
where they grow is rich, free from acid, and worked
into a high state of cultivation.
Fall Preparation. -- The best way to make sure
of perfect soil is to work it over in the fall and
mix a liberal application of dairy dressing well into
the land. Use at least a barrow-load to a twenty-
foot square. Then, in the spring, harrow in five or
six pounds of agricultural lime to each twenty-foot
square. Just before planting, rake into the row a
pound of complete commercial fertilizer for each
fifty feet.
70
BEETS AND CHARD 71
Fertilizer. --The advantage of the commercial
fertilizer is its quick effect on the seedling. Being
pulverized and well mixed with the soil, it warms
the young plant and gives the roots a good start
before they are able to reach out and draw their
nourishment from the coarser dressing about them.
An examination of the beet root will show that it is
very different from the long, wandering feeders of
the corn. Its main taproot goes straight down sev-
eral inches, and the small feeders branch off from
that only an inch or two. This shows us clearly
that the fertilizer must be directly below the beet and
must be worked deeply into the earth, which is soft
and porous to allow free passage for the taproot.
Lime is especially required for this crop, as beets
are hard to develop where there is acid in the soil.
Lime will neutralize the acid, will make the manure
in the soil much more available for the plant> will
help keep worms away, and will make the soil more
porous and fine.
If dressing is not available, twice as much com-
mercial fertilizer may be used, and a pound of ni-
trate of soda, scattered along in the fifty-foot rows
before planting, will help keep the moisture in the
soil about the roots.
VARIETIES
Three varieties of beets are highly recommended.
As the seed is not costly and the plants take little
72 GARDEN STEPS
space, it would not be too ambitious to try them
all.
Egyptian Blood Root. --This beet has a hardy
nature and develops the edible root while the top
is still small. It is universally recognized as the
best early beet for the home garden. The taproot
is small, the shape is round and even, and the flesh
is a handsome dark red, of excellent flavor. ' This
beet may be had in various strains, according to
local tastes and conditions. In the East, Crosby's
Egyptian is the most approved, and market gardeners
pay very high prices for seed especially selected from
this strain.
Detroit Dark Red. Many experiment stations
and departments of agriculture send out the seed
of the Detroit Dark Red beet for school and home
gardens. It has a fixed type and is of strong growth.
The dark red roots mature very evenly in size and
shape, and the flavor is excellent. It takes rather
longer to mature than the Egyptian beet, and is an
excellent variety to grow for midsummer use and
for canning or storing for winter.
Edmand's Early. - - The Edmand's Early beet
always finds an honored place in the author's garden.
It has one quality which makes it unusually adapted
to the home garden it grows large and heavy with-
out losing its tenderness and flavor. Specimens of
this beet weighing nearly two pounds have proved
of tender quality and excellent flavor. This is very
BEETS AND CHARD
73
important in the home
garden, for it is a great
advantage to be able to
leave beets in the ground,
and to pick them as you
need to supply the table.
The EdmantTs Early is
sweet and tender, excel-
lent in every way as a
main-crop beet.
PLANTING
Time. Beets are hardy
and may be planted early
as far as cold spells are
concerned ; but the young
plant is delicate and has not much lifting power.
If planted during April, and left in the ground
during a fortnight of cool, damp weather, few beet
seeds will have the strength to push up through
earth thus hardened above them, and new plantings
will be necessary. It is better to wait till* the ground
is soft and warm.
Preparation of Soil. --Turn over the earth to
make it loose, rake it level with a wooden rake,
and lay off the rows. Then take a piece of scant-
ling six or eight feet long, and lay it. along the line
of the row. , Tread this firmly into the soft earth,
making a crease not over an inch deep. If scantling
EDMAND'S EARLY BEETS
74
GARDEN STEPS
is not at hand, the rake handle will do, though it
does not give so much space for scattering the seeds.
Sow the seed, three or four to the inch, in this crease.
Now press the earth down firmly above the seeds
with the rake, or walk over the row. With the firm
PLANTING BEETS
Make the earth soft, then lay the strip of scantling, and tread it in, to
make a crease an inch deep. Cover and make the soil firm.
bed made beneath the seed by pressing in the stick,
and with trie soft earth pressed firmly about it from
above, the seed will not dry out if the weather is hot.
Before leaving the row, scatter just a little soft
earth over it, or scratch the surface lightly with the
rake. This leaves a thin dust mulch, which will
keep the top surface from drying out and cracking.
Width of Rows. If there is room in the garden,
it is easier to care for the beets in rows about
BEETS AND CHARD 75
eighteen inches apart. They may, however, be
placed as near as ten inches, if care is taken in
working among them.
CULTURE
Cultivating. As soon as the sprouts show plainly
in the rows, begin cultivating. The wheel harrow
will serve well, if the rows give room enough. Other-
wise, the potato-digger or a small rake is needed.
Keep the surface soil soft and fine, and work it over
after every rain as soon as the surface moisture has
drained away.
Thinning Out. As the beets get large enough to
pull for greens, thin them out, leaving them so that
they do not touch one another in the row. By the
next week they will have grown enough to be close
together again, and another supply of greens may be
pulled. Remember that the little beets now form-
ing are the best part of the greens and should never
be cut off.
It is not good practice to thin beets for the home
garden so that they stand two or three inches apart
in the row. That is necessary on farms, where the
whole thing must be done at one operation. In
the small garden, the beets should be thinned every
few days so that those left do not quite touch one
another. Thus one is provided with both greens and
fresh beets as they develop in size, while at the same
time rows are left intact, producing the maximum crop.
76 GARDEN STEPS
WINTER CROP
A bushel of beets in the cellar, to add their part
to the New England boiled dinner through the
winter, can be provided by planting a couple of
rows early in July. When the cold weather ap-
proaches, pull them, cut off the tops, and pile them
in the coolest part of the cellar against the wall.
Then get some sandy loam and cover them, letting
it work well down among the beets. Be sure that
the spot where the beets stand is dry.
BEET ENEMIES
There seems to be no important disease to protect
beets against at present. Cutworms are fond of
young beets, but there are usually so many plants
that the harm they do is small. If cutworms are
too numerous, sprinkle about some cutworm bait,
made as follows : one half cup of arsenate of lead,
mixed with two quarts of bran, and wet with water
sweetened with molasses. There is a small white
worm which gets into the leaves and spoils them for
greens. This worm does little harm when the
soil is well limed and rich ; but if the soil is acid,
and growth is slow, it may do considerable damage.
CHARD
A Desirable Addition to the Garden. --The broad
leaves and thick, white stems of well-grown chard
BEETS AND CHARD
77
would never lead one to suppose it was a member of
the beet family ; but the seed looks exactly like
beet seed, and the young plants are also similar.
This beet is not grown for the roots, but for the
thick, white stems and broad leaves.
Until it is well grown chard may be eaten as a
green, stem and leaf being boiled together till
tender. When the leaves and stalks develop to
full size, the leaves may be boiled for greens, and
the stalks cut in pieces and creamed, or served with
butter like asparagus. The flavor is somewhat
like asparagus, somewhat like oyster plant. Chard
gives such a constant supply of desirable food for
the table that no garden should be without it. It
is very easy to grow, having no disease and no in-
sect enemies that are likely to do it much harm.
A row of twenty
feet will be ample
for the ordinary
family, as a few
mature leaves make
enough for one
meal.
Lucullus Chard.
- From the ordi-
nary chard a new
variety has been
developed, which is far more productive than the
common plant. This is called Lucullus Chard. It
LUCULLUS CHARD, WELL FERTILIZED,
MAKES WONDERFUL GROWTH
78 GARDEN STEPS
grows to a height of two and one half feet and has
thick, heavy, cream-white stalks. The leaf is deeply
crumpled and free from fiber.
Culture. Chard requires the same rich soil that
other members of the beet family thrive in, and
should be planted at the same time, when the ground
is warm and the leaves starting on the early trees.
Seed should be planted rather thickly in grooves
made by pressing in the scantling or rake handle -
about five seeds to the inch. As the plants grow,
they may be thinned out and used for greens at
any stage. When they approach full size, they
should stand six or seven inches apart in the row.
After that no more should be pulled out. The larger
leaves should be cut, one by one, with a sharp knife,
an inch or two above the root. New leaves will grow
to take their places, keeping up a constant supply
till frost.
CHAPTER IX
THE CABBAGE FAMILY
THERE are several branches of the cabbage family
which are easy to cultivate in the home garden, easy
to store, and very valuable as food.
This group includes the standard cabbage early
and late in many varieties, the cauliflower, the
most delicate and delicious member of the cabbage
family, and Brussels sprouts.
CABBAGE
The cabbage develops a compact head formed of
the leaves, all of which is eaten except the outside
leaves. In most parts of the country there is an
early cabbage crop of varieties which are to be
eaten at once and which cannot be stored long. Later
in the season another crop is matured, which is
stored for winter use. In the extreme South, how-
ever, the season for cabbage is so long that the
early varieties may be seen growing almost every
month in the year, as this is one of the hardiest
plants and is little hurt by moderate frosts.
79
8o
GARDEN STEPS
Spring and Summer Cabbage. Several varieties
of early cabbage have proved good for the home
garden. The jersey Wakefield has a long, suc-
cessful record in all parts of the country, and it is
recommended everywhere. It has a rather small,
solid, pointed head. The quality is excellent.
The Copenhagen Market, introduced from the
Danish peninsula, is now also receiving much at-
tention. It is early,
and develops hard,
round heads of good
quality. It is rather
large for the average
family, some heads
weighing tenpounds,
and the flesh is per-
haps not quite so
sweet and delicate
as the Wakefield.
One fault of both
these is that, if they
are left in the garden, the heads will split soon after
they are ripe. This is unsatisfactory in the home
garden ; for one wants to have cabbages now and
then, not all at once, and they cannot be pulled and
stored long during the warm weather. This difficulty
has been well understood by specialists, and a new
cabbage, Mainstay-Early, appeared four or five years
ago, which so far has stood the test of time very well
COPENHAGEN MARKET CABBAGE
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 81
indeed. This cabbage has a small head, round
and solid, weighing from two to three pounds. The
flesh is white and crisp, similar in most respects to
the Jersey Wake field. The special value of the
Mainstay lies in its keeping qualities. It will stay
in the garden two or three weeks after maturity
without splitting,- and can be used for the table
when desired.
Planting Seed for Early Cabbage. -- The plants
for early cabbage should be ready to set out in the
field as soon as the ground is warm. They suffer little
from cold ; but there is no real advantage in trans-
planting them while the ground is cold and soggy,
as there will be no growth under such conditions.
In order to have sturdy plants ready for setting out,
prepare window boxes, or a space in the cold frame,
at least a month before the plants will be needed.
Have rich, light soil in the window box, three inches
deep. Make holes with a match about one fourth
of an inch deep, an inch apart, and drop two seeds
into each hole.
Cabbage seed sprout quickly and are usually of
vigorous growth. Where two sprout in the same
spot, it is better to cut one off. This gives the root
of each plant a chance to grow unhindered and
develop its full strength. If the young plants are
left close together, they will shoot up tall and
spindling, with little strength of root or stalk. Be
sure that free drainage is provided for all surplus
82 GARDEN STEPS
water, as too much water will have the same effect
as crowding. Everything possible must be done to
make the plant sturdy.
Hardening the Young Plants. As the weather
will still be cool when the cabbage plants are set
in the field, it is necessary to prepare them for their
new home. To take plants from a window box,
where they have had steam heat and protection
from all cold, and put them into the field suddenly,
where the night temperature may come danger-
ously near the frost line, is rather too much even for
cabbages. As the time approaches for setting out,
place the window boxes outdoors during the daytime
and raise the covers of the cold frame. This will
prepare the plant a bit for its new environment and
check its tendency to send up long, frail leaves.
Soil and Cultivation. -- To get the best results,
the soil for cabbage should be rich and worked over
till it is loose and fine. Nothing seems to do quite
so well as rotted dairy or stable dressing. If this
has been worked into the soil the fall previous, the
ground will be made perfect by scattering along
the rows a complete commercial fertilizer, two or
three pounds to each one hundred feet. If the dress-
ing cannot be obtained, use about five pounds of
commercial fertilizer to a one-hundred-foot row, and
work in well at the time of planting. Then work in
two more applications of two or three pounds each
while cultivating the growing crop. Be sure that
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 83
the soil is prepared a week or so before setting out
the plants, so that it may be loose and fine.
Setting Out. When the plants are ready for the
field, measure off the rows with the garden line,
letting them run about two feet apart, and plan to
have the cabbages about eighteen inches apart in
the row. Dig holes with the trowel four inches
deep, and remove sticks and stones so that there
will be nothing but soft earth about the roots.
Pour into these holes enough water to make the
earth moist, but not muddy. Set the roots of the
plant so that they will be well spread out, a little
deeper than they were in the seed box. Two inches
should be deep enough, but if the plant is tall it
may be set three inches deep, not more.
Some people use a dibble, or round stick, to make
the holes in setting out the young plants. This is
not so desirable as the trowel, for the inexperienced
gardener. There is constant danger of getting the
roots bunched together and damaged, in thrusting
them into the small holes. By opening a larger hole
with the trowel, one makes sure that the roots are
well spread out and free from objects that may ob-
struct their growth. Before putting into the ground,
trim off two or three of the outside leaves.
Late Cabbage. --The Danish Ball Head cabbage
is the leading variety for winter use in America.
This variety was perfected by the Danes, who lead
the world in cabbage growing and supply most of
8 4
GARDEN STEPS
the seed for this country. It forms very heavy,
solid heads, which develop well in cool climates, and
keep all winter. It
is, however, rather
lacking in tenderness
and delicate flavor.
There are other
varieties of fine qual-
ity, which develop
solid heads and keep
well. Among these,
the Savoy cabbage
SAVOY CABBAGE will give the home
gardener great satis-
faction. It has a solid head of delicate, white flesh,
and is free from the pungent flavor rather common
in cabbage.
Planting Late Cabbage. For winter cabbage,
the seed may be planted during June in a prepared
seed bed, or in the open field. If the ground is not
occupied by other crops when the time for planting
comes, it is best to start the seed in the place where
the plants are going to stay. In the early spring
there is little trouble in transplanting ; the weather
is cool and rains are frequent. In midsummer,
conditions are very different. The earth is hot
and the sun is hot; the weather may be hot and
dry for several days together. Under these condi-
tions it is not easy to transplant even cabbages, and
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 85
give them a good start. If they are already well
rooted in their permanent location when the hot days
come, they are indifferent to a drought and keep
right ahead.
If you plan to leave the plants where they are
sprouted, measure the rows three feet apart for the
large, late varieties, and plant four or five seeds in
each spot, a half inch deep and an inch or so apart.
These seed groups should be two feet apart in the
row. When the seeds sprout, thin them out, finally
leaving the strongest plant at each spot.
If on the ground you are to use for late cabbages
you have peas and other plants to be pulled out in
July, plant the cabbage seed in a small space, well
enriched and worked over carefully for a seed bed.
Do not sow too close ; sow thinly, a half an inch deep,
and an inch apart. Plan to have enough seedlings
to replace those which are lost in transplanting.
Don't forget the importance of giving the young
plants plenty of room, and of transplanting them
before they get tall and spindling.
When the plants are firmly rooted in the rows,
cultivate carefully and keep cultivating till fall.
In planning the cabbage crop, remember that the
ordinary family will not eat more than one good
head a week, on the average. Thirty or forty heads
should make an ample supply.
Cabbage Enemies. When the first leaves of
the cabbage develop, it frequently happens that a
86
GARDEN STEPS
small black fly appears also. This may be kept
away by dusting the plants early in the morning,
before the dew is off, with wood ashes, tobacco dust,
or fine, dry plaster. Do not put much on at one
time. If it cakes on the
leaves, it will fill up the
pores and do a good deal
of harm.
During warm weather,
the louse may also attack
the cabbage plants. He
gathers in little green clus-
ters near the base of the
leaves, and sucks the sap
that should go to the grow-
ing plant. Poison will not
do him much harm, because
he does not eat the leaves.
He thrusts his little beak
down into the veins of the
plant, where poison does
not go. Persian insect
powder, blown among the
leaves or sprayed on with water, will kill these lice.
Kerosene emulsion or whale-oil soap will also keep
them away.
The fly and the louse will prove only occasional
disturbers in the cabbage patch, but the little green
cabbage worm is almost always on hand and has
As the cabbage is "heading up"
and the use of poison is discon-
tinued, the stray worms may
easily be picked off by hand.
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 87
his best appetite with him. This green cabbage
worm came from Germany some years ago, and his
one ambition is to swallow everything in sight.
The cabbage worm grows very rapidly, and soon
fills his skin so full that it cracks and peels off,
while he crawls out in a brand new skin, much larger
than the old one, ready for another feast of cabbages.
Fortunately this ravenous creature is easily con-
trolled. Spray the plants with Pyrox, or arsenate
of lead, and that will be his final feast. There is
little danger from using this spray, as the heads
expand from the growth of the inner leaves, and
the leaves sprayed during growth will not be eaten.
It would not be wise, of course, to spray just before
gathering; but this is not necessary, as the worm
can do little harm to the grown plant, if it has been
well sprayed when growing. We might add that the
pretty, little yellow butterfly is the mother of all
these green worms. The more yellow butterflies
you catch, the fewer green worms will be left to
eat cabbage.
Clubroot. A disease called clubroot often de-
stroys cabbages, and when the plant is once in-
fected there is no way of curing it. The roots
become enlarged, and the plant becomes stunted.
The best way to fight clubroot is to change the cab-
bage patch each year, and also the eed bed. The
germs of the disease linger from year to year, and
may attack new plants growing in the same spot.
88 GARDEN STEPS
One might suppose that, with all these enemies in
the path, the way to a successful harvest would be
beset with dangers ; few gardeners, however, will ex-
perience much trouble in getting a good crop. The
cabbage fights hard for its own existence and, with
a little help, will thrive and develop safely.
Storing Winter Cabbage. If there is a furnace
in the cellar, it is quite likely that the cellar will be
too warm and dry to keep cabbage. If there is a
room away from the furnace, it may be satisfactory
to pack the cabbages in barrels there. Do not cut
off the roots. Leave a few outside leaves to pro-
tect the head, and pack closely together, roots up.
Cover the barrel with a bag to keep out the air.
It is not difficult to store them outdoors. You
may sink a barrel or box in the ground, below the
frost line, and put the heads in that, covering with
straw and earth. Keep out water as well as the cold.
Where you have a fair number of heads, it is more
practical to make a long pile of them and cover them
with earth. Trim off the outer leaves, lay them,
roots up, in a row, three wide at the bottom and
two on top. Then pile fine, loose soil over them,
working it well in between the heads. Be sure the
place where they stand is drained, so that water will
not lie about them. Over the earth, which should be
at least a foot thick in cold climates, pile straw or
corn fodder, which will keep the earth from freezing
very hard.
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 89
CAULIFLOWER
Cauliflower is not so easy to raise as cabbage, but
it is so much enjoyed by most people that the extra
effort to grow it is well worth while. For this plant,
the soil should be very rich and well filled with
humus, as success depends upon a constant supply
SNOWBALL CAULIFLOWER
of moisture at the root. In fact, the average gar-
dener has not had much luck in getting good heads
of cauliflower, chiefly for lack of the proper amount
of moisture.
Varieties. Lately a new variety has been de-
veloped in Denmark, the home of almost all valued
members of the cabbage group, which forms good
heads under the conditions which- prevail in the
ordinary American garden. This variety, called the
Dry weather cauliflower, is especially recommended
90 GARDEN STEPS
for that reason. Other good types are the Erfurt
and the Snowball, which produce well if given ex-
pert care.
Culture. As the hot, dry weather of the Ameri-
can midsummer is likely to spoil the heads which are
forming at that time, it is better to plant rather late
- some time in June. Then the heads will not be
forming until the hottest days are passed, and they
can get the benefit of the cool autumn rains. An-
other good reason for delaying this crop is the gen-
erous menu provided by the ordinary garden in mid-
summer. There is no lack of fresh vegetables then,
but in the fall the addition of a new dish like cauli-
flower will be welcome.
Cauliflowers may be planted by the method
used for cabbage and may be transplanted in the
same way. The seed, however, is very expensive,
and every care should be taken to waste none of
the young plants. Though the seed is small, it
sprouts quickly and has strong growth ; so no fear
need be felt in planting it in the garden, a half an
inch deep, if the soil is well worked and fine. Set
the plants two feet apart in the rows. They need
the same space as large cabbages.
When the white head begins to form, gather the
leaves together, so that they will protect it from the
sun and wind. Tie them in place with a soft string.
Do work of this kind in the afternoon of a fair day,
if possible. In the morning or on wet days, the
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 91
leaves are likely to be full of sap and brittle. In
that condition they will break, if bent over very
much.
Cauliflower cannot be stored very long, as cab-
bage can. The delicate white flesh will become dis-
colored, and the flavor will grow rather strong. It
will, however, stand the cold ; and the heads, if
covered well with the leaves, continue to grow in the
field after some nights of sharp frost. There is no
need to take them in until the weather is actually
freezing. If the heads begin to spread apart, pick
them at once, as they will soon spoil.
Enemies. Cauliflower suffers from the same
enemies that attack cabbage, and it can be pro-
tected in the same way. The poison, however,
should not be continued long after the head begins
to form, as it would be likely to work inside the leaves.
What few worms appear after that can be picked
off before they have done much harm.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts are really tiny cabbages which
grow clustered about a heavy stalk. Each develops
a little green, compact head, about as large as a
tulip bulb. Brussels sprouts are planted and handled
the same as cabbages, and need the same room in the
garden, about two feet, in rows two feet or more
apart. |$g
The young plants are a bit more delicate than the
GARDEN STEPS
cabbage plant but, when
mature, even severe cold
does them little harm. Ex-
cept in the extreme northern
states, they may be left in
the garden till Christmas,
and cut off as needed. The
best way to prepare them
for the table is to boil them
till tender, and serve with
butter and salt, or vinegar.
There is little profit for the
amateur in growing sprouts
to sell. For home use, the
late planting is the best ; as
sprouts from seed planted
in June will mature when
other vegetables are going
by in the home garden.
The sprouts come mostly
at the base of the heavy
leaves, which grow along
the stalk. If these leaves
are carefully pulled off, nearly up to the top of the
stalk, it will give the little cabbages a better chance
to develop. 4
KOHL-RABI
Kohl-rabi is a member of the cabbage family
which has a habit of growth much like that of the
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
THE CABBAGE FAMILY 93
turnip. The edible part is a bulb which forms on
the stem just above the ground.
This plant is little known as yet in America, and
few have tasted it at its best, because the ordinary
kohl-rabi found in the markets is overgrown and
tough. If it is planted in rich soil, grown quickly,
and picked before the skin gets tough, it is very deli-
cate and desirable. It matures quickly, however,
and soon becomes tough, coarse, and stringy.
Varieties. - - The Vienna kohl-rabi, both the
white and the purple, is widely used for domestic
food. The White Vienna is about two inches in
diameter when at its best stage, and a pale green
color. The Purple Vienna is larger, has a dull red,
or purple color, and matures a bit later.
Culture. Plant in drills two feet apart or in a seed
bed, and handle like cabbage, setting out in rows two
feet apart and six or eight inches apart in the row.
Several plantings should be put in if kohl-rabi is
desired at its best. The first may be as early as for
peas or cabbage, and successive plantings may be
made every two weeks.
Kohl-rabi may be stored for winter use like tur-
nips, and for that purpose should be planted late
in June or early in July.
CHAPTER X
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS
CARROTS
As will be seen in the illustration, carrots may
be had in several different shapes, from the Golden
Ball to the Long Orange. Where the soil is partly
clay and tends to become hard, the short varieties
are to be chosen. The long types succeed only where
the soil is deep and light. As the- average family
does not eat many carrots, and as they do not
vary greatly in quality, one or two types for a season
should be sufficient. A fifty-foot row of the large
varieties will provide enough for the table during
the summer and leave a store for winter use.
Types. - The small round carrots, illustrated by
the Golden Ball, are the earliest. They are easy to
grow and hardy. When mature they are about an
inch and a half in diameter.
The Early Scarlet Horn is not quite so early as the
Golden Ball. It averages three inches long and is
about as large at the bottom as at the top.
A little later still comes the Oxheart, three inches
long and slightly tapering. This is a very profitable
94
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS
HORN
LI
varety
for the
home garden, as it grows
well in various soils and
locations and produces heavy crops.
The Chantenay and Long Orange are late
varieties, shaped as in the illustration.
The Long Orange does well only in light,
porous soils,
The Danvers Half-long carrot is prob-
J r LONG ORANGE
ably grown by market gardeners in this
country more than all the others put together. Its
habit of growth adapts it to almost all soils, and it
produces wonderful crops if given good soil and good
treatment.
Planting. --The soil for carrots must be prepared,
in general, the same as for beets, though it is pos-
sible to get fair carrots from soil where beets would
not do well. Work it over thoroughly in the fall
with two or three barrow-loads of dairy dressing, if
possible. If commercial fertilizer mu$t be depended
on, dig five pounds to the fifty-foot row well into
the earth, shortly before planting.
9 6
GARDEN STEPS
Carrots may be planted as soon as the soil is loose
and warm. The seeds are very small, but they come
up with astonishing vigor if the bed is well prepared.
The rows may be from one foot to three feet apart,
according to the space you have and the method of
cultivation you wish to use. When the soil is loose
and fine, lay off the
rows and make a
crease in the earth
by pressing in a piece
of scantling or the
rake handle, along
the marking line.
In this crease,
which should be
about half an inch
deep, scatter the
seeds thinly, four
or five to the inch.
With the garden
sieve, sift enough
rich, light soil over
the seeds to fill up the groove. Press this down
firmly to make a snug bed of earth. Then sift a
little soft earth above it, to keep the surface water
from too rapid evaporation.
Culture. - - When the carrots are an inch high,
cultivation should begin. Take care to avoid
covering the slender plants with dirt. At three
Carrots may be left close together and then
pulled as they increase in size.
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS 97
inches they should be thinned out so that they
stand an inch apart, or a little less, and the ground
about them should be worked over carefully with
a trowel, to keep it soft and free from weeds. About
this time it is advisable to scatter a pound or two of
fertilizer along the row, to keep the growth steady.
As soon as the plants begin to touch each other, the
larger ones may be pulled for table use. Keep
thinning in this manner during the summer, and
you will find that the row is practically full when
the time comes for fall digging.
As cold weather approaches, dig out the carrots
with the spading fork, working at right angles to
the row to avoid bruising the roots. Put them down
cellar, in the coolest part, and cover them with light,
sandy loam.
Hostile Worms. Cutworms sometimes deal havoc
in rows of carrots. They are especially active if
the weather is hot and dry. If they appear in force,
use the cutworm bait, made from bran and arsenate
of lead. A brilliant worm in yellow and black
appears on the carrot tops in summer. The worst
thing about it is the smell, as it does not hurt the
crop much under ordinary conditions. Do not
catch it in the bare hands, however, as it gives off a
brown fluid that smells for a week. Knock it off
with a stick and step on it.
9 8
GARDEN STEPS
PARSNIPS
Parsnip Seed. Parsnips are easy to grow and
care for when they are once well , started. Well
begun is more than half
done with parsnips. The
seed has little vitality at
best, and, unless it is of
the very first quality and
fresh, it probably will not
have strength enough to
sprout. Some kinds of
seed, if they are not all
used, may be kept over for
the second season and give
good results, though this
is not recommended. Pars-
nips, however, should al-
ways be purchased fresh
each year from a seed house
which thinks too much of
its reputation to sell last
year's seeds.
Varieties. If you have
no spot in the garden where
the soil is a foot deep, fine
and loose and full of humus, the wisdom of trying to
grow the common, Hollow Crown parsnip at all is
doubtful. This parsnip has a long, tapering root.
HOLLOW CROWN PARSNIPS
CARROTS AND PARSNIPS 99
If there is any clod of earth or stone in the way, it will
separate into several small roots and be of little value.
Fortunately there is a different type, the Offenham
Market parsnip, which will do well in the average soil.
The Offenham Market parsnip is shaped a good deal
like a boy's top. It has a heavy shoulder, being
frequently three inches across at the top, and its
short taproot has no difficulty in developing in
ordinary soil. The flesh is not white like that of
the Hollow Crown variety, but of a butter color,
and it is heavy in sugar. Even the large specimens,
weighing well over a pound, develop without tough
cores. Easy to prepare for the table, with little
waste, this parsnip has everything to recommend
it for the small garden. Parsnips may be boiled and
served with butter or cream ; they may be mashed
like turnip ; or they may be roasted with meat in
the oven.
Preparation of the Soil. Soil for parsnips need
not be so very rich, as they have all the season in
which to grow, and it is possible to make them
coarse by overgrowth. The soil must, though,
be soft and deep, free from stones, and well turned
over.
A couple of barrow-loads of dressing worked into
a fifty-foot row the fall previous, or eight pounds of
complete commercial fertilizer dug in shortly be-
fore planting, will be sufficient, if the soil was pre-
viously in good condition.
100 GARDEN STEPS
Planting. --In planting parsnips one has to choose
between difficulties. If the seed is put in too early,
the cold earth above it may hold it under till it rots.
If one waits till the earth is thoroughly warm, as
one does for carrots and beets, a warm, dry spell may
shrivel the seed and thus end its young life. The
safest plan for most localities is to plant parsnips
about a week before you intend to put in beets and
carrots.
Dig the row over thoroughly with the spading
fork and rake it level and free from lumps and stones.
Then make rows eighteen inches apart and, with a
sharp stick, open a furrow about one inch deep.
Into this drop at least two seeds to the inch and draw
the earth back firmly about the seed, preferably
with the hands. Rake over the top of the row care-
fully with the wooden rake, after sprinkling two or
three handfuls of commercial fertilizer above the
seed to help it start. If the season is dry, the row
should be thoroughly watered at least once a week
if it is possible to do so. It is better to water well
once a week than lightly twice a week. The rows
will probably need cultivation before the plants
show clearly. A few radish seeds, dropped here and
there in the row, will sprout quickly and serve as a
guide in cultivating.
The first leaves of the parsnip are light green and
shaped like the first leaves of the beet. They re-
semble very much the weeds about them. The
CARROTS AND PARSNPP3 --' ' Vi i'OTT
later, or true leaf, can be easily recognized. It is
shaped like a palm leaf fan, with sharply notched
edges. Nothing else in the row will be likely to
resemble it,
SPECIAL METHODS OF PLANTING PARSNIPS
If the ground where parsnips are to be planted' is
weedy, and the seeds are likely to be choked, it is
possible to sow the seed in the cold frame, and then
transplant to the rows. The long root makes it
easy to get them started in the new ground.
Be sure that the earth is soft and turned deep.
Then drive the bar down six or eight inches, making
the holes four inches apart. Fill the holes with
water. When it has soaked in, set the parsnips
carefully in the holes. Be sure that the fine end of
the root drops straight down its entire length, and
that the moist earth is gathered firmly about it.
Gardeners of long experience get fancy parsnips
by preparing the earth beneath the roots with a
bar. When the row is spaded and made fine, they
drive deep holes with a crowbar, four or five inches
apart. These are then filled with fine, rich earth.
At the top, the seeds are planted, two or three to
the hole. As the long taproots go down, they find
the passage clear below them, and extra smooth
roots are the result.
Culture. When two inches high, parsnips should
be cultivated carefully with a trowel and all weeds
^GARDEN STEPS
removed, while the plants are thinned to stand three
inches apart in the row. They need no further care,
except cultivation, to ripen the crop, and there is
no disease or pest which greatly disturbs the pars-
nip. If the web-worm appears, a spray of arsenate
of lead will dispose of it.
Storing. When fall sets in, dig what parsnips
you wish to use before the ground thaws in the spring,
and put them down cellar. Cover them with
earth near the carrots and beets. The rest may be
left in the ground and will be improved in flavor
after a winter in the garden. Be sure that water does
not stand over the row, so that it will freeze and
thaw near the parsnip tops, as it will rot them. A
thin mulch of leaves, directly over the row, will
shed the water.
All parsnips left in the ground should be dug as
soon as the earth thaws in the spring, as they soon
sprout and become unfit for the table. Roots left
in the garden will grow a great many seeds which
will be scattered about by the wind ; these, now
that you don't want them to, will sprout freely and
interfere with other crops. Parsnips growing wild
this way are considered poisonous.
WHITE PLUME CELERY
CHAPTER XI
CELERY
HAVE you a damp spot in the garden where a drain
runs out, or a low piece which is moist but well
drained ? If you have, you can grow good celery
there. It is not difficult to produce the best of
celery, if the land is rich and moist, but there is
little hope of a crop if both these conditions, are not
present.
CELERY TYPES
Each year the problem of celery growing becomes
easier for the amateur. Formerly this crop required
long, patient attention throughout- nearly a year.
The seed was sown in February, and the crop finally
stored away late in the following fall. New types,
103
104 GARDEN STEPS
however, have been developed, which mature more
rapidly and require much less care than the late
varieties formerly grown.
White Plume. One of the most hardy and
earliest varieties of celery is the White Plume. It
may be planted in the cold frame in April and will
be ready for the table by the last of August. It is
popular in many places because it is handsome and
easy to grow; but it has a flavor which is likely to
be strong, except under the most favorable condi-
tions.
Paris Golden Self-Blanching. Another type
which is equally hardy and nearly as early, with a
superior flavor, is the Paris Golden. This variety
of celery has large, sturdy, brittle stalks of excellent
flavor and of a light yellow color. The term " self-
blanching " does not mean, as one might suppose,
that the celery blanches of its own accord ; it means
that it blanches quickly and easily when properly
protected from the light and air.
Boston Market. We often see bunches of rather
short, stubby celery stalks in the stores, and are
surprised to find that these cost more than other
far more handsome bunches about them. This is
Boston Market celery, the most delicate and most
approved celery for the table. It requires a good deal
of care to bring it to perfection ; but it is worth the
trouble if one is in a position to take some extra
pains with this crop.
CELERY 105
Giant Pascal. For the ordinary garden, Giant
Pascal constitutes perhaps the most satisfactory
late variety. It is of stocky growth and forms
large bunches of thick, brittle stalks, which keep
well till late into the winter.
METHOD OF GARDEN CULTURE
For the beginner with small facilities for planting
early seeds, the celery plants which are for sale in
all seed stores during late June and early July
make the easiest' and most practical start for the crop.
Celery seed is very small, delicate, arid slow to ger-
minate. If the gardener wishes to grow his own
plants, however, the following directions will prob-
ably bring success if carefully followed.
Celery from Seed. In March, prepare a window
box with three inches of sifted, rich soil. This soil
must be light and full of thoroughly rotted dressing.
Earth which packs down when . wet will not do.
Moisten this soil, after it is smooth and firm in the
box. Then make creases across the box three inches
apart, by pressing in a stick about as large as a pencil.
These grooves should be no deeper than half the
diameter of a pencil.
Sow the seed thinly in these creases, five or six
seeds 'to the inch. Then sift over them just enough
of the lightest soil to cover them. This soil must be
kept moist, but do not use enough water at any one
time to wash the soil away. A good plan is to lay a
io6
GARDEN STEPS
piece of rough cloth over the earth and water that.
It may be left on till the seeds germinate.
Transplanting. Celery should be transplanted
twice. As soon as the young plants are large enough
to handle, they should be transplanted to another
box or to the cold frame, where they should stand
two inches apart each way.
Again, when they are four
or five inches high, and
warm weather has come,
they may be set in the
garden.
Unless celery is trans-
planted, it grows into a
very different plant from
that usually seen. Instead
of the thick nest of roots,
it develops a thin taproot
that has little strength to
support the plant ; and in
place of a large bunch of
heavy stalks, it produces a thin, poor group of tough
stalks, which are very slow in developing.
Setting Celery in the Garden. When the plants
are large enough to set out in the garden, scoop out
shallow trenches four or five inches deep, piling
between them the earth that is removed. The
trenches will need to be three feet apart in order to
allow space for handling this earth. Four feet be-
TRANSPLANTED CELERY PLANT
CELERY 107
tween them will not be too much if there is plenty of
room in the garden. In the bottom of the trench,
work in two inches of well-rotted dairy dressing.
Mix the manure with the soil very thoroughly.
Set the plants carefully in the bottom of the trench,
six inches apart. Open a hole with the trowel large
enough to accommodate the whole root without any
crowding.
Importance of Plenty of Water. As soon as the
plants are set, they must be watered. Of course
water must not stand about the roots ; but the earth
may be kept moist all the time without harming the
celery. Planting in trenches makes it possible to
use a little water to very good advantage, as it can-
not run off into the surrounding land. If it is pos-
sible to lay a few irrigation pipes in these trenches
when setting the plants, a constant source of water
will be supplied to the roots.
Banking. As the plants grow above the top of
the trench, the earth should be drawn back gradually
till the ground is level once more and six inches of the
stalk is covered with earth. Later on, when the
plants stand eight or ten inches above the level,
more earth should be drawn about them.
Work about the celery plants when the earth is
dry, as wet soil is hard to handle and may turn the
stalks yellow. When banking the stalks, gather
the tops carefully in the left hand, holding the
stalks close together. Then draw up the earth with
io8
GARDEN STEPS
a trowel, till the branches are covered up to the top
leaves and held firmly in place. Later banking,
as the stalks grow higher, may be done with the hoe,
as the earth will keep the stalks together.
DISEASES
Celery is quite free from diseases and insect pests
in most localities and in most seasons. There is a
blight which attacks the growing plants sometimes.
The best plan is to plant
the hardy varieties which
have proved able to resist
the blight, or, if necessary,
to spray with Bordeaux
mixture, which will hold it
in check.
STORING CELERY
The early varieties, White
Plume and Self -Blanching,
do not keep very long,
though with care they
should stay in good condi-
tion till Christmas. Pascal
and Boston Market will keep
all winter. When cold
weather comes, take the
bunches from the rows
carefully, with a spade or
BOSTON MARKET CELERY
CELERY
109
shovel. Loosen the earth beneath the roots, so that
they will come away unimpaired. Pack the bunches
close together, upright in a box, and place in a cool
cellar, covering them with fine earth up to the
branches.
If this earth becomes dry, the stalks will shrivel,
but you must not water the leaves and stalks or they
will rot. A few holes may be bored, low down in
the box, and water may be poured in by tilting the
box over to one side. This will moisten the earth
without wetting the leaves.
A SCHOOL GARDEN OF ONE EIGHTH or AN ACRE
CHAPTER XII
SWEET CORN
SWEET CORN takes more room in the garden, for the
amount of food it produces, than any other plant
which the amateur is likely to cultivate. At best,
one cannot get more than about eight ears to a hill ;
and the hills need to stand at least three feet apart
when producing at that rate. Nevertheless, every
effort should be made to grow as much sweet corn
as the garden can possibly accommodate, for it is
safe to say that no one knows the real qualities of
this vegetable until he has eaten it fresh from his
own garden. Gathered while the dew is still wet,
and kept cool till dinner time, it more than pays
for the toil expended upon it and the room it takes.
KINDS TO CHOOSE
Golden Bantam. It is fairly easy to choose the
first corn for spring sowing in the home garden, for
the Golden Bantam has today out-distanced all
competitors. There are several varieties of corn
which ripen earlier than the Bantam, but if one will
compare them as to quality, he will be only too
SWEET CORN
in
When pearls of dew are on the blades,
And russet tassels greet the morn,
Then wander through the glistening glades,
And pick the corn.
glad to wait a few days and have the Bantam corn.
Since corn takes a great deal of room and requires
some care, it seems unprofitable, where room and
labor count, to plant the commonplace when the
best is at hand.
112
GARDEN STEPS
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN CORN
Golden Bantam is a
pale yellow when ready
for the table, deepening
to an orange yellow as
it matures. Its flavor
so far surpasses that of
other corn, that many
grow nothing else for
the home patch, plant-
ing for several crops, a
week or two apart. The
stalk is short and slight
and bears usually two
ears, one good ear and
another rather smaller.
There are now many
strains of this corn
offered by seedsmen.
The general effort is to
produce a larger ear
which will retain the
flavor of the Bantam.
At present, it looks as if
this effort would be suc-
cessful.
Later Varieties.
After the Bantam corn
come many varieties,
which ripen in their
SWEET CORN 113
season. By choosing well, one may plant all his
corn in May and have it ripen week by week, from
the last of July till September, according to variety.
Then a last planting of an early sort, like the Ban-
tam, about the fourth of July, will give one more
picking after the late May-planted varieties are
finished.
Crosby, a second early, large, white corn, is a
favorite everywhere. Potter's Excelsior and Coun-
try Gentleman are excellent later varieties of strong
growth. Country Gentleman has uneven rows of
very deep, sweet kernels ; but it passes its best
stage rapidly and soon becomes rather tough. For
a last sowing, StowelPs Evergreen is a variety which
ripens in early September throughout the northern
states. Its habit of ripening gradually makes it
especially worth while for the home garden.
PLANTING CORN
Inadvisability of Starting in Cold Frame. A
good many articles on corn planting speak of start-
ing the seed in window boxes and cold frames and
then transplanting to the field, but it is hard to see
much use in this, for several reasons. Early corn
does not tend to rot in the ground so much as beans
do, if the weather is wet and cold. The sprout is
fully as delicate as the seed, and if the weather is
safe for the corn to appear above ground, it will
usually do so. If set out, the small blades are very
114 GARDEN STEPS
sensitive to cold ; and even if set expertly, they will
lose strength at the slightest chill and be slower than
field-planted corn, put in later. Besides this, only
the most expert can transplant corn. From the
nature of the root growth, one can see that it is a
delicate operation to get those hair roots from one
bed of earth into another without damage. Any
one interested may try it, but good results are hardly
to be expected.
When to Plant the Early Crop. For the first
early crop, it is safe to put in the seed as soon as
the first green appears on the trees. See that the
earth is worked over well and fertilized somewhat.
The first application need not be very heavy. If
stable or dairy dressing has been plowed in, that is a
good preparation. Satisfactory results will be ob-
tained if ten pounds of complete commercial fer-
tilizer to each twenty-foot square is scattered about
and raked in at planting. As the roots are feeding
near the surface, the fertilizer need not be worked
deep into the soil. Poultry droppings are especially
good for corn. A barrow-load to each twenty-foot
square is good for a start.
Rows or Hills. There are two distinct methods
of placing the corn in the field. It may be placed in
hills, two or three feet apart each way, or it may be
planted in rows, about three feet apart, leaving the
stalks eight or ten inches apart in the row. Gar-
deners get good results either way, and some very
SWEET CORN 115
successful growers use the latter method. However,
a consideration of the root habit of corn, and of
the advantage in ease of cultivation, would swing
the balance in favor of the " hill " method, for the
home garden.
Let us state here that when " hills " are spoken of
in garden books, a real hill or round of earth is
frequently not intended at all. It really means a
spot where a group of seed is planted, and where the
earth is prepared especially to receive them. No
progressive farmer today piles up banks or mounds of
earth about his corn. He measures off the spots
where the seed is to be planted, hoes out the stones,
and that spot is called a hill.
It is much easier to make use of a stony piece of
ground by preparing hills three feet or so apart, than
by preparing rows ; and corn will do very well on
a stony piece, if it is thoroughly harrowed.
Pollen and Its Work. Another consideration of
importance here is the pollen and its work. The
pollen of. the corn is made in the feather-like blos-
soms at the top. Just at the time when the silk
in the ear is at its best, the pollen ripens and falls
from the top blossoms in a fine yellow dust. Every
grain of corn in the ear has a thread of silk running
from it to the outside air. If the pollen falls upon
this thread, the kernel of corn develops. If pollen
does not reach the thread at the right time, the ker-
nel at that point on the ear does not develop. One
GARDEN STEPS
often finds ears of sweet corn with several kernels
missing; sometimes half the ear is not filled out.
In certain cases, where
the silk has been hurt or
taken away, no kernels
develop.
Now, if we have a
long row of corn, and a
spell of windy weather
comes about the time
the pollen is dropping,
it is clear that most of
this pollen may be blown
to one side ; conse-
quently the ears will be
poorly developed. If
the corn is planted in a
compact group, the pol-
len which is scattered
from one stalk will fall
on its neighbor, adding
much to the prospect
of good ears.
Danger of Mixing
Varieties. --This leads
to one more hint. As
this pollen flies so easily from one plant to another,
any special variety of corn you wish to preserve
must be kept by itself. Many managers of large
The pollen drops from the blossoms
above to the tasseled silk, as it appears
on the ear.
SWEET CORN 117
canning factories provide corn seed free to those
who grow corn for them, rather than let the .farmers
try to save their own seed, and thus run a chance
of getting it mixed. Different varieties of corn,
grown together, will surely mix, and it would not
be wise to save such seed. This is true of many
garden plants. There is little seed from the garden
that can be used to advantage. Beans and tomatoes
are notable exceptions to this rule.
Depth of Planting. Corn should not be planted
over an inch deep, unless the soil is very light and
tends to be dry. For the Bantam corn, make hills
two and a half feet apart ; for the larger sorts, at
least three .feet. Scoop out the earth an inch deep
with a hoe and drop about ten kernels, leaving half
an inch between each seed. Then cover with the
hoe and make the earth firm. If this is early in
the season, and frosts are still possible, a wise gar-
dener will go over the row ten days later and drop a
half dozen kernels next to each hill. Then if any-
thing happens to the first sowing, the "other one is
ready to take its place.
CULTIVATION
Habit of Growth. In handling sweet corn one
will have much greater success if he understands a
little about its habit of growth. As soon as the
sprout appears, long, threadlike roots run out in all
directions, an inch or two under the surface ; while
GARDEN STEPS
one large root, the taproot, leads down from the
point of the kernel, often deep into the ground. These
surface roots are, at some stages of growth, larger
than the sprout, and will at all times, under favor-
able conditions, be fully as long as the stalk above
CORN ROOTS ONE MONTH AFTER PLANTING
These roots run out forty -two inches from the stalk, about three inches
under the surface. Deep cultivation will injure them. This picture
shows in a remarkable way how corn roots range for their food.
them. These delicate surface roots are hunting
everywhere for food, often six or seven feet away
from the parent stalk which they are providing with
nourishment.
Knowing this about these roots, one may be sure
that all the food supply in the corn patch will be
SWEET CORN
119
used, if the earth is kept in proper condition.
There is no need of putting fertilizer near the hills.
In fact, to encourage this root network to spread,
it is better to scatter it about in the rows rather
evenly. Potatoes, beans, peas, cabbages, and many
other plants like to have their main food supply
near at hand, but corn has
a different habit.
The fact that these roots
lie just below the surface
warns us also that corn
must not be cultivated too
deeply, just an inch or two.
At the same time, the earth
must be kept soft and mel-
low always, or the sun will
bake the ground and rob
the roots of their nourish-
ment.
Thinning Out. As the
sprouts get up a couple of
inches, begin to thin them out, planning to leave
not over four of the Bantam varieties or three of
the large corn, in each hill. Leave an extra
sprout until the plants are a foot high in case
some may be hurt or eaten. In thinning the
sprouts, give a sharp pull away from the hill, to
avoid lifting and loosening the soil about the other
roots.
CORN is NOT JUDGED BY THE
HEIGHT OF THE STALK
The plant on the left is heavier
and better than that on the right.
120
GARDEN STEPS
Fertilizing. When the corn is well started, an
application of commercial fertilizer, about two
pounds to the twenty-foot square, or nitrate of soda
in about the same quantity, will keep up the growth.
This should be done again later on as the ears are
filling out, to insure a
constant supply of nour-
ishment for the growing
crop. If you have poultry,
nothing is better for grow-
ing corn than to scatter
about the droppings
whenever the roosts are
cleaned.
Side Shoots. When
sweet corn gets about
two thirds of its growth,
distinct side shoots ap-
pear near the root. No
ears will develop on
these ; and they will rob
the bearing stalks of
much needed nourish-
ment if they are left.
As the stalks near maturity, go through the rows
once or twice and pull away these side shoots. Be
careful not to drag on the roots in doing this. A
sharp downward pull will strip them clean away.
If necessary, hold the main stalk with one hand
TAKING SIDE SHOOTS FROM
SWEET CORN
Bend down the shoot, turn it side-
ways, and pull it off clean.
SWEET CORN I2i
while taking off the shoot. The ears grown on
stalks treated thus are much superior to those where
the side shoots are allowed to grow.
CORN ENEMIES
Smut. Corn has no disease that causes much
trouble in the garden patch, except smut. This
appears in large bunches about the stalk, with silvery
skin and black contents. It is common in most
places, but seldom is so prevalent as to do great
harm. As the smut appears, it should be cut off
and burned, as it will be likely to spread if left
about.
Cutworms. The cutworm may, if the season is
hot and dry, do a great deal of damage to the young
corn, one worm cutting down several stalks in the
same night. Cutworms are about an inch long and
have a brownish gray color. They are seldom seen
above ground in the daytime, as they bury themselves
half an inch under the soil when morning comes.
When a young plant is found cut off just above the
ground, by digging up an inch of the soil you will be
likely to find the worm within a few inches of the
injured plant.
If a piece of ground is infested with cutworms, the
safest method is to mix a half cup of arsenate of lead,
in powder form, with two quarts of bran. Then
wet the whole with water sweetened with molasses,
and drop in spoonfuls about the rows of young
122 GARDEN STEPS
plants. The worm much prefers the sweetened bran,
but one meal is always enough. Apparently, birds,
dogs, and cats know that this is poison, for there is
no record at hand to show any danger from its use
in this way.
Corn Worm. --There is also a corn worm, a lively
fellow, with brilliant yellow stripes down his black
back, who eats the silk from the young ears. These
worms do not often appear in such numbers as to
dp great harm before they are detected and picked
off. A spray of arsenate of lead will check them if
they become too numerous.
Crows and Blackbirds. Some gardeners have
been driven almost to despair by the crows, which
perch on near-by trees waiting impatiently for them
to go into the house. The crow has almost super-
natural skill in locating the kernels of corn where
they have been dropped and sometimes cleans up
a whole patch before it has sprouted.
The Yale University Department of Agriculture
made careful investigation on this point and reported
that if the patch were cross harrowed, after the corn
was planted, the crows would be able to find very
few seeds. Apparently the crow recognizes the spot
which has been stirred to put in the kernels, but if
all the earth has been stirred, he is at fault. The
corn itself will not be moved at all by the spike, or
hackney harrow, as has been amply proved.
Washing the seed corn in a weak sulpho-naphthol
SWEET CORN 123
solution, a teaspoonful to a gallon of water, just be-
fore planting, will also be pretty sure to spoil the
crow's appetite.
White rags tied to string about the field, or to
sticks, will make crows and blackbirds more wary,
if they show a tendency to pull off the tender shoots
of the sprouting corn.
WHEN TO PICK CORN
It takes some practice before one can tell, by feel-
ing, just when corn is ready to eat. For the beginner,
the safest way is to examine it now and then, soon
after the silk turns brown and shrivels. By pulling
the envelope apart a bit, you can see for yourself
just how ripe it is. Do not examine it at the top,
but about two thirds up. Frequently the ear is
ready when the top kernels have not developed.
If it is not ready, push the husk back over the open-
ing to keep out the air. Usually, when corn is ready
to pick, the husk becomes quite thin, and the kernels
may be felt distinctly with the fingers.
CHAPTER XIII
CUCUMBERS
IT is interesting to read the notes on cucumber
culture which come from different parts of the coun-
try. In some places, a few seeds stuck into the
ground will grow, with little care, into prolific vines.
In other places, success with this plant comes only
to the most expert. In New Hampshire, for in-
stance, cucumbers have no serious enemies and,
with a little cultivation, will grow luxuriantly.
In Rhode Island, only the* most experienced and
careful gardeners can get enough to pay for the room
and labor required. In some other parts of the
country also, cucumbers require more care than they
did years ago.
This plant, like others in the vegetable kingdom,
seems to acquire, after many years' growth in one
locality, an increasing number of enemies, which
make successful cultivation more and more difficult.*
If you have had a failure with the crop, don't be
discouraged. Cucumbers may be grown in most
places with proper care ; they call for certain con-
ditions which it is usually possible to supply. There
124
CUCUMBERS 125
is no greater satisfaction than in taking up a task
which requires skill and care and proving your
power to accomplish results.
KINDS TO CHOOSE
White Spine. One cucumber, the White Spine,
stands easily at the head of any general list. It is
ARLINGTON WHITE SPINE CUCUMBERS
hardy, of strong growth, and produces handsome,
large fruit, which is almost always free from the
puckery taste formerly so frequent in cucumbers.
All dealers have strains of this variety which have
proved of special value in their respective localities.
For general table use, it would be hard to find
another to take its place.
126 GARDEN STEPS
Varieties Specially Adapted for Pickling. For
pickling, the Boston Pickling, the Green Prolific,
and the Green Cluster are all recommended. These
are early sorts which may be planted for the general
pickle supply, along in the early summer, even as
late as July, except in the northern belt. The
Japanese Climbing Cucumber is a type which climbs
on any support that is provided. This has fruit of
the best quality and, as the vines are off the ground,
it seems to be less affected by blights than other
varieties.
It would be a good plan to test out a hill or two
of each of three or four varieties. The seed is inex-
pensive ; and in this way you may find one type
which succeeds in your vicinity, where others do not
do well.
PLANTING
Two Crops. Cucumbers are very sensitive to
extremes of both cold and heat. The lightest frost
in the spring will spoil the young plants, and the
hot, dry weather of midsummer is likely to hurt the
mature vines. For this reason it is best in most
localities to plant an early crop, which may die out
in midsummer, and a second crop, which will be
maturing after the hottest days have passed.
As partial shade is good for cucumbers in July
and August, it would be well to plant a few hills in
the rows between the late corn. These vines will
have sun enough during the middle of the day, but
CUCUMBERS 127
are given partial shade to keep them from drying
out in hot spells.
Starting in the Window Box. For the earlier
crop, seeds may be planted in the cold frame if de-
sired. Pots or baskets may be used, but, as the
young vine is not easy to transplant, a piece of sod
is the best place for its early growth. Cut pieces of
sod about four inches square, invert them in a win-
dow box or in the cold frame, and thrust into each
four or five cucumber seeds an inch apart. When
the weather is suitable, these sods may be placed
in the hill without disturbing the roots in any
way.
Preparing the Soil in the Garden. When the
trees are well covered with foliage and warm weather
has set in, prepare the hills in the garden. If there is
a part of the land which is more moist than the rest,
choose this for the cucumbers and melons, avoiding,
of course, ground which is not well drained. The
hills should be as large as the circumference of a barrel
and four feet apart each way. Scoop out the earth
to a depth of about six inches, and remove the stones.
If you have well-rotted dairy dressing, mix that with
the earth which is to be returned to its place, two or
three shovelfuls to a hill. If you have dressing that
is too fresh and lumpy to mix well with the earth, put
it in the bottom of the cavity. Wet it and stamp
it down thoroughly. Then replace the earth till it
is about level with the rest of the ground. Mix a
128
GARDEN STEPS
handful of commercial fertilizer with the earth on
the top of the hill, to start the seeds.
Sowing the Seed. When the earth has been re-
placed and firmly packed down, till the edges of the
hill are on a level with the soil around it and the
center is slightly higher, scatter ten or fifteen seeds
An old well bucket, sunk in the ground, provides water through the
dry spells for several hills of cucumbers.
about an inch apart. Sift over these a half inch of
soil, rounding it up towards the center. Make this
firm with the shovel. Then sift a thin layer of earth
on top for a dust mulch. This will make a hill
nearly two feet across, well fertilized, with a crown
rising about two inches above the surrounding level.
Do not make this mound, or hill, much higher than
CUCUMBERS 129
that, or the water will drain away too fast and leave
the young plants dry.
A Simple Method of Irrigation. If the summer
in your locality is likely to be hot and dry, a very
simple and effective means of irrigation may be pro-
vided by placing an old pail or keg in the ground in
the center of the square formed by four hills. The
bottom should leak freely, so that the water may be
absorbed into the earth and find its way as needed
to the roots of the near-by vines.
INSECTS AND DISEASE
In some localities cucumbers must be protected
against both bugs and blight. In all localities bugs
must be expected. Fortunately, one or two simple
remedies are at hand which will make it possible
to protect cucumbers from these various enemies.
Flies and Beetles. As soon as the first leaves of
the cucumber appear, they are usually attacked by
a small, black fly, or a yellow-striped beetle, or both.
In fact, where growth is slow, the beetle may become
impatient and meet the new sprout halfway up.
If the plot is small, the most satisfactory way to
protect against these is to bend a wire or supple
branch, thrusting the ends into the earth at each
side of the hill. Over this a piece of mosquito net-
ting may be thrown, and earth gathered on the edge
to hold it in place. This netting serves the plants
in a double sense. It keeps the flies and beetles
130 GARDEN STEPS
away, and it also tempers the extremes of heat and
cold to the sensitive sprout. It keeps it warmer at
night and breaks the direct rays of the midday sun.
If the netting protectors are not convenient, the
plants may be sprayed with arsenate of lead, or
Pyrox. Pyrox is the most convenient form of spray,
as it is easily mixed and will soon be needed as a
defense against the blight. It is worth while also
to plant a few radish seed in the hill with the vines.
These will sprout first and will attract the main
offensive of the fly army, as flies usually prefer the
radish plants.
Blight. Where wilt and blight are to be feared,
spraying with Pyrox must begin as soon as the true
leaves appear and the plant begins to run. A light
spray only is needed. The small hand-sprayer
mentioned among the tools may be kept loaded for
use and handy. Be sure that the foliage is kept
protected by a thin covering of this blight preventive.
CULTURE
When the plants are well sprouted, begin to thin
them out, weakest first, leaving not over four to
mature in each hill. The screens may be taken off
as soon as the plants begin to run, as the spray will
then effectually protect the vines from insects. The
soil between the rows should be kept deeply stirred
with the wheel harrow or cultivating fork, and the
hill-s should be carefully turned over with the trowel at
CUCUMBERS 131
least once a week. This cultivation should be kept
up till the vines cover the ground. Then any weeds
which persist in crowding in may be pulled out as
OXE GIRL'S CUCUMBER PATCH
you gather the cucumbers. Always take the great-
est care in working about the plants, as they are
easily hurt and do not recover well from injuries.
132 GARDEN STEPS
The amateur will understand that the screen of
netting must always be removed before the plant
begins to blossom. The cucumber bears a little
cluster of blossoms here and there along the vine.
Some of these are male, and some are female, blos-
soms. The cucumbers grow only from the female
flowers. These must be fertilized with pollen from
the male flowers before fruit can develop ; and the
bees, which fly from one blossom to another, are
depended on to do the work. They pick up, on their
hairy legs, the pollen from the male blossom, and
when they call next door on the female blossom,
they leave some pollen behind them. Of course,
if the screen is left on, the insects cannot approach
the blossoms.
GATHERING CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers must be carefully watched as they
mature and picked at just the right time. If they
are left a day or so too long, the change is very
rapid. The skin and seeds become hard, and the
flesh quickly gives place to the ripening seed. Usu-
ally the fruits show a cream white at the blossom
end as they approach the best stage for picking.
In a day or two, this white turns to yellow, a sign
that the seed is ripening. Take a short knife or a
pair of scissors, each morning while the vines are
cool, and cut the cucumbers that are ready. Do
not pull them away or twist them off.
CUCUMBERS
133
Cucumbers gathered in the morning and stored
in a cool place will keep fresh and sweet for some
days. If they are gathered in the heat of the day,
they do not readily regain their crispness.
It is very easy to hurt the vine, and it will stop
bearing soon if much disturbed. Any fruits that are
left to ripen will seriously check the growth of others.
If well tended and nourished, the vine will, in many
localities, go on bearing till frost.
A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY AND His ONE SIXTEENTH OF AN ACRE
GARDEN
CHAPTER XIV
LETTUCE
THERE is no excuse for any one who buys his let-
tuce at the store during the summer season. Let-
tuce may be grown with complete success in the
tiniest garden. Even the flat dwellers may have it
also. A window box, fastened outside the wall,
will support a surprising amount of the best, if rich
earth is used. Lettuce, of all plants, should be grown
at home; for salad greens may become, instead of
a delicious addition to the hot weather menu, an
actual danger, if they have been wilted and exposed
to dust. Lettuce, once wilted, is edible lettuce no
longer ; water can never restore it to good condition.
VARIETIES
Multiplicity of Kinds. --The beginner may well
be confused by the long list of names under this
head in the seed catalogues. Fifty varieties and
strains may easily be counted, each of which is
good according to its kind ; but all are not de-
sirable from the standpoint of the beginner. Some
134
LETTUCE
135
call for experience and special conditions, to insure
even partial success.
Three types of this plant show marked differences
in habit and appearance :
Head Lettuce. Head lettuce, like the Simp-
son, Tennisball, and Big Boston, must be carefully
handled. The young plant must be grown in rich,
light seed beds, with plenty of root space. It must
then be transplanted
under equally good
conditions, in order
to secure satisfactory
heads. The amateur
is frequently disap-
pointed with lettuce
of this type, as it
has a tendency to
grow rank and
stringy, if anything
interferes with per-
fect growth. It has a plain leaf, which is not desir-
able for food until the heads are formed.
Loose-Leaf Lettuce. Loose-leaf lettuce, so
called, is pretty sure to yield enough edible leaves
to repay the efforts of the youngest beginner. The
seed may be sown in drills, and the leaves eaten as
soon as they are big enough ; or it may be started
in the seed bed and transplanted. The leaves of
most plants of this variety are of good quality as
BIG BOSTON LETTUCE
136
GARDEN STEPS
soon as they are large enough to pull. The Grand
Rapids and Hanson lettuce are good examples of
this type. The Grand Rapids has a deeply crimped
leaf which is good while young, growing rank and
coarse without forming a head, as it matures. The
Hanson, which will probably be found nearer to
the ideal for the
home garden than
any other, has a leaf
somewhat crimped,
with notched edges.
It grows quickly
into crisp leaves,
which are edible at
once. It will then
develop large, solid
heads of the finest
quality if given
plenty of room and
proper care. Let-
tuce of this habit,
edible from its first
month on, greatly prolongs the table supply from a
single planting, and gives the inexperienced gardener
a sure reward for his trouble.
Romaine. Besides these two common varieties,
there is a lettuce of a still different type, the Romaine,
or Cos lettuce. This is not seen much as yet in
this country, but it is found always in the markets
HANSON LETTUCE, JULY FOURTH
LETTUCE 137
of southern Europe during the summer months.
The special advantage of this type is that it forms
crisp, firm heads in the hot season, when other
lettuce quickly goes to seed. It is, however, not so
easy to handle as the loose-leaf lettuce, and should
be tried by the amateur as an experiment. The
Cos lettuce grows in tall, compact heads, and is
rather firmer and heavier in texture than the other
types.
Colored Lettuce. Most of the common varieties
of lettuce are light green in color, but all seed houses
carry crimped types which have edges colored in
bronze, or golden brown. These are usually of good
quality and vary little from the general type which
these special strains represent.
PLANTING
Sowing Seed in the Window Box. - - To get good
plants in the cold frame, or in the window box, at
home or at school, prepare two or three inches of
soil, made light and rich with well-rotted manure.
Lettuce seed is very small, but it is pretty sure to
sprout and thrive. It should, therefore, not be put
in too thick. When the earth is fine, firm, and
level, sprinkle the seeds here and there over the sur-
face, leaving a half inch between each seed. Then
sift over this just enough rich soil to cover it well ;
a quarter of an inch is enough. As this may easily
be kept watered, there is no need to press it down.
138 GARDEN STEPS
If you plan to eat this lettuce as soon as it is large
enough, it may be planted rather closer than half an
inch and the leaves pulled here and there as they
grow. Such plants, however, which have been
crowded when young, will develop little root growth,
and will not be suitable to set out in the row for
heads. When plants for setting out are desired,
they must have plenty of room, at least two inches
each way, as soon as they begin to grow.
Transplanting. In setting out, allow about six
inches in the row and have the rows from one foot
to two feet apart. For general garden work, a foot
is rather narrow space to work in. Mark off the
rows and dig holes three inches deep with the trowel,
removing all stones. Be sure that the earth all about
the holes is thoroughly moist. Fill them with water
and let it soak in a few minutes. Then take up as
much earth as you can with the lettuce roots, and
set the roots in the hole so they will be spread out.
Gather the earth firmly about the roots, press down
with the fingers, and scatter a little dry earth loosely
over the spot, to keep the surface soft and hold 'the
moisture in.
Before leaving the plant, nip off the larger outside
leaves. Remember that the root is not able at first
to draw much nourishment from the new soil about
it. If it tries to support all the leaves it was sup-
porting before, these leaves must suffer from -the
change. If only part of the leaves are left for the
LETTUCE 139
roots to feed while they are getting hold, they can
probably do it fairly well. The plant, as a whole,
will not be greatly retarded.
In pulling the heads, take the largest first, here
and there in the row, leaving room for the others to
develop to their full size.
Sowing in the Garden. A most satisfactory
way for the amateur to provide the family with let-
tuce from the home or school garden, is to sow it
in drills as soon as the soil can be worked fine and
loose. For this purpose, Hanson lettuce surely
has no superior. Lettuce is hardy, and the seed
can be planted soon after the frost is out of the
ground. Do not take too much space. Twenty-
five feet in drills will provide amply for a family of
five. Make the soil soft and rich, with well-rotted
dressing of some kind. It is hardly possible to get
the soil too rich with stable or dairy dressing. Let-
tuce is largely water, and without a constant sup-
ply at the root, it cannot make fair growth. The
dressing sucks up water like a sponge, arid holds it
where the roots can readily get it. If commercial
fertilizer must be used, mix five or six pounds
thoroughly with the soil in the twenty-five-foot row,
and use a pound along the row every two weeks or
so, after the plants are started.
When the soil is worked fine and raked level,
make a crease along the row, not over half an inch
deep, by pressing a strip of scantling or the rake
140 GARDEN STEPS
handle, into the earth. Into this, scatter the seed,
thirty or forty to the foot. Sift over the seed just
enough fine soil to cover it completely, and make
it firm with the rake or shovel. Then add a light
sprinkling for the dust mulch.
Thinning Out. When the young plants are
about three inches high, they are ready to .use.
Take a strong table knife, and drive it under the roots
in the row where the plants stand thickest. Lift
out the little plants, roots and all, shaking the earth
from the roots back into the row. This leaves an
open space of freshly turned up earth, about an inch
wide, for the other plants to spread in. By doing
this here and there, where the plants are thickest,
they are kept from crowding as they grow, and at
the same time the earth is kept soft. If you try to
pull out these extra plants with the fingers, you will
leave more than half the roots in the ground, to
choke the growth of the other plants. Gradually
widen the spaces between the plants until they stand
five or six inches apart. Then these last plants, if
a heading variety like Hanson has been used, will
form good heads to complete the crop.
Lettuce for Succession. To keep the supply of
lettuce constant, additional plantings should be
made. It will be found, however, that about three
lots will satisfy the family, unless the fondness for
this plant is unusual. No ordinary care will produce
good lettuce during the hot days of midsummer,
LETTUCE 141
Shade must be provided then, to keep the plants
edible. A good plan is to plant an early crop ;
then a small row three weeks later. In most places
this will keep up the supply into July. During mid-
summer there will be so many other good things from
the garden that lettuce will not be missed. A sow-
ing late in July will give a fresh crop for fall.
Shade for Lettuce in Hot Weather. If lettuce
is wanted during hot weather, it should be planted
in a shady spot, or shaded with a lattice. The Cos
lettuce may be used for the hot-weather crop. This
grows in a tall, erect head. The outside leaves
should be gathered and tied together with a soft
string, or strip of rag, in order to blanch the leaves
and make them crisp.
ENEMIES
Lettuce is one of the few garden vegetables which
is troubled by no disease, and by no worms or in-
sects, when once well started. The cutworm is,
indeed, fond of it ; but he can do little harm to the
lettuce bed if some of the cutworm bait, arsenate of
lead and bran with sweetened water, is dropped in
spoonfuls between the rows.
CHAPTER XV
ONIONS
BEFORE a gardener decides to grow onions, he
should look over his land. Onions positively must
have rich, fine, soft earth, free from stones. Onions
also require sufficient care to keep them free from
weeds at all times and
to insure soft, open soil.
If you can supply this
much, you can grow
onions as well as any
one. There is no trick
to it, but constant atten-
tion is necessary to get
a good crop.
VARIETIES
The onions most suit-
able for general home
RED GLOBB ONION S^ens are the globe
varieties, like the Dan-
vers and the Red Wethersfield. These are hardy and
develop solid bulbs, which keep well and have a
142
ONIONS 143
desirable flavor. The Prizetaker, a very large yellow
onion, often sold in the stores as the Spanish onion,
may also be grown ; but it is not wise to try to grow
it from seed, except in the southern states. In the
South, the flat white onion is a great favorite. It is
very early, having the mild, sweet flavor which has
given the Bermuda onion its great popularity.
THREE METHODS OF GROWING
Onions are planted in three ways : from seed, from
sprouts, and from sets. The sprouts are the young,
green plants, six weeks or two months old, which
are transplanted to the garden like cabbages. The
sets are tiny onions, grown the fall previous, and
planted like tulip bulbs, instead of seeds. All
three of these methods are used successfully by
gardeners in all parts of the country.
GROWING ONIONS FROM SEED
Preparing the Soil. In growing onions from seed,
pick out a smooth, fertile spot and work over the
ground thoroughly. Unless you have dressing which
can easily be broken up and mixed with the soil,
it is better to use commercial fertilizer. Ten or
fifteen pounds to the twenty-foot square should be
worked into the soil a day or so before planting. It
is safer to turn the ground over twice, several days
before planting, if possible. This will help greatly
144
GARDEN STEPS
in the control of weeds, which is frequently a serious
problem in growing onions.
Importance of Good Seed. Many failures in
onion culture are due to poor seed, or to seed not
suited to the location. Try not only to get seed
from reliable people, but seed that others near
FIELD OF DANVERS GLOBE ONION GOING TO SEED
you have proved good. If in the South, get seed
from southern people who understand onion grow-
ing; follow the same plan in other parts of the
country.
Time of Planting. Onions take little damage
from cold. They should be planted as early as
possible ; a frost will do them no harm. In the
southern states, they may be planted in the fall ;
ONIONS
then they ripen rapidly when the growing season
arrives again.
Sowing the Seed. When the ground is ready,
rake the surface smooth and fine, measure off the
rows with the line, twelve or fifteen inches apart.
Sink creases with the scantling or rake handle, as
the onion seed needs a solid bed beneath it, in case
the weather is hot and dry. Into the crease, about
an inch deep or a trifle less, sow the seed thinly.
Onions are fairly easy to transplant, and it is a good
deal easier to set them in,
here and there, to fill up
a gap than to pull out a
large number of plants.
Three seeds to the inch
is enough. Sift half an
inch of soil over the seed
and make it firm, finishing
with a light dust mulch.
Thinning Out. As
soon as the sprouts are
three or four inches tall,
thin them out, leaving the
plants about two inches
apart. Use a small trowel
for this work. Loosen the THINNING THE QNION
earth carefully on both
sides of the row, turn it over to expose weed roots to the
sun, and then pull out extra plants with the fingers.
146 GARDEN STEPS
Cultivation. No further care need be taken,
except to keep the earth soft and loose about them
throughout the season. This means a good deal of
hand work, as the weeds quickly choke onions if they
get in among them.
SPROUTS AND SETS
Growing Sprouts in the Window Box. Onion
sprouts may be grown in a window box, or, in many
places, can be purchased from seed houses. To
grow the sprouts, the best plan is to make with
matches little holes, an inch apart each way, in the
window box soil and drop one or two seeds in each,
a half an inch deep. The soil, of course, should be
light and rich. If the seed is crowded in the box, the
roots will be tangled and weak, hardly fit to set out.
Setting Out. --When the sprouts are four inches
high, the onion bed should be prepared as for seed.
The sprouts should be set three inches apart except
for the larger varieties, which may be four inches
apart. The rows are easier to work in if there are
fourteen or fifteen inches between them. In set-
ting the sprouts, be sure the earth is soft and moist
and the hole large enough so the roots will not be
cramped. Gather the moist earth firmly around
them with the fingers.
How to Plant Sets. By far the easiest and most
satisfactory way for the beginner to raise a few
onions for home use is to plant a quart or two of
ONIONS
sets. These are tiny onions, already partly grown.
They may be put in as soon as the bed is ready in
the spring, and require no care after planting, except
cultivation. They are buried two inches deep,
three or four inches apart in the row, and soon sprout,
growing to a large size and maturing six or seven
weeks before seed-planted onions would ripen.
WHITE ONION SETS
Enemies. Reports from various parts of the
country show that the onion is still free from enemies
which greatly endanger the crop. The thrip, a
little insect that punctures- the leaves and sucks the
sap, can be controlled by kerosene emulsion. The
cutworm, which will attack young onions, can be
poisoned with cutworm bait the arsenate of lead
and bran mixture.
148
GARDEN STEPS
The root maggot sometimes does a good deal of
harm, especially if the crop is growing slowly.
To keep the maggots from spreading, pull out and
burn plants which are dying. At the same time,
sprinkle a little nitrate of soda or fertilizer about the
rows to stimulate growth.
HARVESTING ONIONS
Drying. As the onions ripen, the tops begin to
turn yellow and dwindle. When this happens, pull
the bulbs and lay them along the row. Do this in
dry weather. They should be thoroughly dry be-
fore they are packed up,
and this will take five or
six days, at least. If the
sun is hot, gather them in
little heaps after the first
day, so that they will not
be too much exposed.
Onions, as well as pota-
toes, sunburn if left ex-
posed too long in one
position.
Storing. When they
are well dried, clip off
about half the top. Do
not remove the roots,
nor the rough outer skin.
They must be stored
DANVERS GLOBE ONIONS FIFTY
DAYS AFTER SETTING our
SPROUTS
ONIONS
149
where it will be dry, airy, and not too light. A dry,
well-aired cellar is the best place, as they can be kept
cool there, without danger of frost. Place them in
crates or in small piles, where they may have free
ventilation at all times.
VEGETABLES GROWN BY A SCHOOLBOY ON ONE EIGHTH OF
AN ACRE
CHAPTER XVI
PEAS
THE first thing to plant in the open ground, when
spring arrives, is the pea. The pea has wonderful
endurance and vigor. Even a sharp frost can do
it little harm*.
Some people plant peas in the late fall to get an
early crop. This works well almost everywhere in
the temperate zone, with the sweet pea, grown for its
flower ; but the garden pea does not flourish so well
after a winter in the ground. There is a good deal
of testimony to show that it does not pay to plant
peas, hardy as they are, before spring has fairly
come and the winter frost is out of the ground.
KINDS TO CHOOSE
Plant at least two varieties of the pea as a staple
crop, frequently trying a third sort, to be sure noth-
ing good escapes you. The majority of experienced
gardeners give little space to the smooth varieties,
planting only wrinkled peas. There are smooth
peas that come a few days before the wrinkled peas,
but they are of poor quality compared with the
PEAS 151
others. Peas take up a good deal of room in the
garden and need much fertilizer to make them do
well, so it seems unwise to give up much space to a
variety that has small value.
Extra Early. --The extra early peas are quick to
mature and develop the pod promptly, as the vines
are short and so demand little strength from the
root for their development. The Nott's Excelsior
represents this variety well, which also includes
excellent peas in the Little Marvel and the Little
Gem. Both the Nott's Excelsior and the Little Gem
have many strains, which are given various names
in different places. The Little Marvel is a recent
addition which is much praised, but not widely used
as yet.
For the first early peas, there are few that do so
well in different localities, under varying conditions,
as the Nott's Excelsior. It is of sturdy growth,
with short, stocky vines which need no support.
It produces a generous crop of rather small, well-
filled pods. The flavor and quality are excellent, and
the pods are so well filled that two quarts will pro-
vide peas for a family of five.
Second Early. After the extra early peas, there
is a group which ripens a few days later. This
variety, of which the Gradus, the McLean's Ad-
vancer, and Thomas Laxton, are good representatives,
has vines growing nearly three feet high, which need
supports to ripen the crop to the best advantage.
152
GARDEN STEPS
They have large, well-
filled pods, and peas of
superior size and flavor.
Because of their quick
growth and large crops,
these peas are found in
the gardens of experi-
enced farmers every-
where.
Main Crops. For
the main crop of later-
season peas, we have
those like the Cham-
pion of England, Mar-
rowfat, and Telephone.
These may be had in
the dwarf strains, but the standard climbing va-
rieties are usually planted. They develop large,
bushy vines, sometimes six or seven feet high.
The Telephone represents this group well. It is
hardy, of strong growth, and is without a superior
as a table delicacy when cooked twelve to fifteen
minutes and served with a little butter. This pea
grows to a height of five or six feet and bears great,
heavy pods, often containing seven or eight peas.
If well fertilized, and grown where the soil is not
too dry, this type of pea will continue to bear for
nearly a month, as it sends out a remarkably strong
root growth.
GRADUS PEA
PEAS 153
PLANTING PEAS
Soil Best Adapted to Peas. Peas grow well in
heavy, moist soil that is not suitable for some other
vegetables. However, the land for peas, as for all
vegetable plants, should be drained and free from
standing water. Nothing is quite so good as dairy
dressing for peas, and it is worth while to get it if pos-
sible.
Fertilizing. When dairy dressing is at hand, be
sure the ground is soft and fine ; then open furrows
about eight inches deep. These should be three
feet apart for the Nott's Excelsior type, and four
feet for the climbing types. Into these furrows
throw a liberal layer of dairy dressing, to cover the
bottom of the furrow. If you can spare it, put in
a wheelbarrow load to twenty feet, since peas are
great feeders and need nourishment during the
hot days of July when the crop is ripening.
Here is one case where dairy dressing may be
used that is rather fresh, as peas seem to do well
with dairy dressing at any stage. Stable dressing,
which contains straw and horse manure, is more
likely to develop heat, which will hurt the seed;
so fresh stable dressing should not be used in the
rows.
Sowing. Over the dairy dressing, draw an inch
or two of earth. This should be trodden firmly into
the trench, leaving it about five inches deep. The
154 GARDEN STEPS
peas are then sown, fairly thick, about a quart to
one hundred feet of row. The earth is again drawn
back over the peas to a depth of about two inches,
'and made firm above them.
In case dairy dressing cannot be secured, make the
ground rich with poultry droppings or commercial
fertilizer. Do not place either of these in the row
with the peas, for they are likely to burn the tender
plants as they find their way to the surface. Scat-
ter about two wheelbarrow loads of poultry drop-
pings, or ten pounds of commercial fertilizer, to each
hundred feet of row, working them thoroughly into
the earth before opening the furrow.
Whatever fertilizer you may use, it is a good plan
after planting to sprinkle a little commercial fer-
tilizer, or nitrate of soda, over the row above the
peas. Sprinkle it on about as thick as you would
put salt on mashed potato. This gets quickly to
the first small roots and helps the sprout along until
the roots are tapping the main source of supply.
Cover peas gradually as they grow. In using
dairy dressing, the furrow is opened deep enough to
admit putting the manure well below the peas.
Of course this deep furrow is not necessary when
fertilizers are worked into the soil. In that case,
the furrow is opened to a depth of only about four or
five inches. In either case, two inches of earth is
drawn over the peas when first planted, and this
leaves another inch or two of earth to draw about
PEAS 155
them after they have grown five or six inches high.
By this method the roots are well covered with the
moist earth, and when the hot days come, they keep
cool and free from the effects of the hot sun, which
is quick to dry the vines if the roots are not well
covered and protected.
Thinning Out. When the peas are up an inch
or so, it is time to thin them out. Crowding is
responsible for many poor crops of peas. Thin out
the dwarf peas so that they stand about an inch
apart, and the tall ones so that they stand about an
inch and a half apart. Pull out the weaker sprouts
first. It may take some courage to thin them out,
but it pays in the end.
Protection from Birds. Blackbirds are fond
of pea vines when they are young and tender. Some-
times they will nip off the sprouts and spoil a long
row in one early breakfast. A white string, stretched
above the row, with white rags tied here and there,
will usually keep them away. Small flags, made
by tying a strip of white cotton cloth to a stick,
stuck along every fifteen or. twenty feet, will serve
well also. If there are many blackbirds about, it
is a wise gardener who takes this easy precaution.
It is a little too late after the birds have been there.
CARING FOR THE VINES
The dwarf peas need no further care, except cul-
tivation to keep the earth soft and free from weeds.
i 5 6
GARDEN STEPS
The blossoms form in about four weeks, and the peas
ripen quickly after that. The season for peas
begins, in the southern states, early in May, and they
are picked in August along the northern belt. Be-
cause of its fondness for cool climates and moist
earth, the pea is most delicious and profitable in those
states where the summer days are not extremely hot.
Supports for Climbing Peas. For the tall peas, a
support must be provided on which the vines may
NOTT'S EXCELSIOR PEAS IN FRONT, TELEPHONE PEAS
ON BRUSH
Some vines were eight feet tall. The white lines show the string put
up to keep crows away.
climb. The great mistake usually made at this
point is in having this support too low and too weak.
Remember that under favorable conditions the tall
PEAS i 57
peas will grow into large, bushy vines, sometimes
six feet high.
There are three satisfactory ways of providing
supports for the vines of tall peas :
Twine Supports. Stakes about seven feet long
may be driven every five or six feet along the row,
and strong twine strung between them. This has
the advantages of being inexpensive and easy to
get in any locality. Some farmers in Maine, who
make a specialty of Telephone peas, use this method
on large patches. Take in the twine at once, when
the crop is gathered, and put it away for the next
season. If cared for in this way, it will last many
years.
Chicken Wire. Chicken wire may also be used
successfully. In using this, the stakes may be placed
ten feet apart, as the wire will sag very little between
the stakes. Be sure to have the bottom of the wire
fastened so that it cannot sway with the wind. A
man who had a splendid garden planted some climb-
ing peas along chicken wire. They grew well and
promised much. Then they began to die. He could
find no trace of bugs or worms and was much
mystified. One day he found that the wind had
blown the wires back and forth till they had nearly
pulled the roots out of the ground.
Brush. Where it can be obtained,, the brush
support will prove the best method in growing tall
peas. The brush shoots out its branches in all di-
158 GARDEN STEPS
rections and keeps the vines apart, exposing each
leaf to the sun and air, at the same time shading
the roots a little as the vines grow. The leaves
need sun. The roots need protection from its hot-
test rays.
Take strong bushes, preferably wild cherry or
gray birch, seven or eight feet high. Trim the
bottoms for at least a foot. Then make holes with
a bar along the lee side of the row about two inches
from the seed, and thrust the brush down a foot or
more firmly into the holes till the first branches
touch the ground. If the earth is gathered about
these bushes firmly, they will stand the weight of
the vines when they are grown, even in a high
wind.
The bushes are placed on the lee side, that is, the
side towards which the prevailing wind blows.
When the trellis is placed thus, the wind will blow
the vines toward the brush instead of away from it,
as they grow. If there is little summer wind in
your locality, or no prevailing wind, then put the
brush on the side toward the sun, as the sun draws
all growing things to itself.
The distance the bushes are placed from each other
depends upon their size and the way their branches
are arranged. The larger ones might be two or three
feet apart, and smaller ones stuck in between.
Something must be provided for each pea vine to
cling to and climb on.
PEAS
159
PICKING PEAS
It does not pay to pick peas before they are fairly
well filled out, as they are wasted in that way. You
can soon learn to tell, by a gentle pressure of the
thumb near the lower
end of the pod, whether
the peas are large enough
to pick. On the other
hand, it is unwise to
leave them on the vines
to dry, as that will tend
to check the growth of
the peas forming at the
top of the vine.
In taking the pod from
the vines, be careful to
use both hands. Hold
hand
pea, to
PICK PEAS WITHOUT PULLING ON
THE VINES AND SAVE THOSE
COMING LATER
the vine with one
just above the
save the tender branches
from being torn. Re-
member the new peas which are coming above those
you are picking, and give them a free chance to
mature.
FOLLOW CROPS
As soon as the crop of peas is harvested, pull out
the vines, put away the supports you wish to save
i6o
GARDEN STEPS
for the next season, and dig over the ground for a
crop of something else. Bush string beans, turnips,
cabbage, winter beets, lettuce, and other quick grow-
ing plants may be put in the same rows. If the
peas have been well enriched, two or three pounds
of commercial fertilizer for each hundred feet of
row will be sufficient for the second crop.
THIS BOY GREW THESE VEGETABLES ON ONE TWENTIETH
OF AN ACRE
CHAPTER XVII
PEPPERS
AMERICANS who travel in European countries al-
ways speak of the appetizing flavor that those people
can give to simple dishes. This is due to the use
of aromatic herbs and
plants, which are little
used as yet in America.
Among these, the sweet
pepper plays an impor-
tant part. The Italians
are especially fond of
peppers and have bred
varieties of unusual size
and quality. We should,
ourselves, learn the use
of the sweet pepper,
which grows easily in
almost any garden. It
may be eaten raw in
salad, or stuffed and
baked.
LARGE BELL OR BULL NOSE PEPPER
161
162
GARDEN STEPS
VARIETIES
There are several types of pepper which may be
grown successfully in any good garden land. The
Large Bell, or Bull Nose pepper, is seen very often
in the market. The fruit is large, and the flesh is
thick, being rather
less pungent than
most varieties. The
Squash pepper,
which is much used
for pickling, is very
hardy and matures
quickly. Itis shaped
much like a tomato,
growing on short,
dwarfed plants. The
SQUASH PEPPER Italian and Chinese
Giant are both much
grown in warm states. They are very large and
have the mild flavor required in sweet peppers.
GROWING FROM SEED
Pepper plants, as well as seed, are for sale in most
large towns. The plants, though slow in starting,
are very hardy and easy to grow in the window
box. A very small box allows room enough. Put
into a small, shallow box three inches of rich, light
soil and make it level and firm. Then punch holes
PEPPERS
163
with a match, a half inch deep, an inch apart each
way. Into each hole put two pepper seeds and
cover over. Keep the soil moist.
The seed will not sprout for nearly two weeks,
so do not think it is dead if it is not up with other
seeds. When it comes up, save the best sprout in
each spot and let them grow till over an inch high.
Then set in another box, two inches apart. When
the weather is warm, set them out two feet apart each
way. Peppers are much stronger and produce more
when they are transplanted in this way. They may,
however, be planted in the garden during May and
thinned out in the row.
No disease or pest is likely to attack peppers, and
when once started, they usually develop a good crop,
no matter what the season may be.
A SCHOOLBOY'S HALF ACRE
CHAPTER XVIII
POTATOES
POTATOES are not difficult to grow, but skill in
choosing the seed and handling the crop makes a
big difference in the results. For a long time people
grew potatoes and were usually satisfied to get a
fair crop. They did not bother to compare methods
and results with others. They had new ground to
plant, and were, therefore, quite free from the
Colorado beetle (potato bug) and the blights, which
make potato growing more of a problem to-day.
Of late years, however, the papers sent out by
experts have aroused the attention of thoughtful
farmers, and they are studying the methods and
results of those who produce large crops, in order
to improve and increase their own production.
EARLY POTATOES
Varieties. There are several varieties of the
potato, well represented by the Rose, the Cobbler,
and the Delaware, which are known as early potatoes.
They are hardy, quick-growing sorts, which with-
stand cold well and may be planted soon after the
164
POTATOES 165
frost is out of the ground, ripening a good crop
several weeks before the main winter crop is ready.
IRISH COBBLER EARLY OHIO GREEN MOUNTAIN
Planting. In planning for the early potatoes,
choose the best and warmest part of the plot reserved
for this vegetable, and use a little more fertilizer
than is given the regular crop, to insure a quick start
and steady growth.
Raising Extra Early Potatoes. Potatoes are
usually costly until early fall. It is, therefore,
worth while to get some started extra early, so that
they will be ready for digging in August, a fortnight
before the regular early crop is ready. To do this,
start fifty or sixty pieces of seed, about enough for
a fifty-foot row, in the house. Start them about
two weeks before it is safe to put potatoes in the
ground.
Take a box about one foot wide by two feet long,
which fits well into a sunny window. Line it with
newspaper, to keep dirt from sifting through the
cracks. The box should not be water-tight. Put
1 66
GARDEN STEPS
one inch of sandy soil in the bottom. Then place
in the box the seed of Early Rose, or any other early
potato, with eye up, side by side in rows, and cover
with another inch of sandy soil. Keep the earth
moist. This is an in-
teresting experiment to
try in school.
Keep this box in a
sunny window. By the
time the ground in the
garden is warm, strong
sprouts will be shooting
up through the thin cover-
ing over the seed. Pick
out the warmest and most
fertile spot in what is to
be the potato patch, work
POTATO SEED READY TO COVER the ground over well, fer-
tilize it properly, and
open a furrow about four
inches deep, long enough
to plant the pieces about ten inches apart.
Lift the seed from the box carefully with the small
mason's trowel, and press firmly into the row with
the sprout up. Draw enough earth over the sprouted
seed to cover the pieces about two inches deep, but
do not press the earth much above them, or you
may break the sprouts. When the plants are about
six inches high, draw the rest of the earth about them.
WITH SAND, AND SPROUT IN
THE WINDOW
Enough here for a forty-foot row.
POTATOES 167
With careful attention, these should grow very
rapidly and should supply the table with potatoes
long before the regular crop is ready.
LATER POTATOES
Advantages of Raising Late Varieties. It is
generally wiser to depend for the main crop upon
the later standard varieties, which are well rep-
resented by the Green Mountain, Gold Coin, and
Carmen. There are several reasons for this :
In the first place, there is no hurry about getting
the seed into the ground, so planting can be left
till all danger of frost is over. This is important,
as the potato is sensitive to cold.
The standard potatoes, planted after warm weather
has come, are in less danger of attacks from the
Colorado beetle, or potato bug, which now inhabits
nearly every part of the land. Having a strong
and rapid growth, they overcome accidents and
natural obstacles with greater success. It is a well-
founded opinion that the later potatoes are more
free from blight than those planted before them.
This is probably due to the fact that the plant is
exposed a shorter time, and the microscopic spores
which cause the blight get less chance to find a
lodging in its foliage. It is generally true that the
stronger and more rapid the growth of the plant,
the more certainty there will be of a generous
harvest.
i68
GARDEN STEPS
POTATO SEED
How to Choose Seed. For the home garden
the Early Rose and the Delaware make an excellent
combination, but there are other good potatoes
which may do well in your locality. Find out who
has a reputation for big crops of potatoes near you.
Ask him what he plants, and where he gets his seed.
His advice may be well worth following.
Experiments carefully completed in the East
show that potatoes grown from seed bought in north-
ern localities yield almost double the crop produced
by seed grown a few hundred miles farther south.
Yet many farmers still strive to save money by using
their own seed, and wonder
why their crops are not better.
Formalin Treatment for Po-
tatoes. Scale is found in
many parts of the country.
It forms on the skin of the
tubers, making them rough
and ugly. It also reduces the
vitality of the plant. By
POTATO SCAB washing the seed in a solution
of formalin one can protect
them from this disease. Powdered sulphur is also
used, but the formalin treatment is simple and more
sure.
Any clean receptacle which will hold water enough
POTATOES 169
to soak a peck of potatoes at a time will serve. An
empty butter firkin will be large enough. Into this
put seven gallons of water and four ounces (one half
cup) of formalin. Put the potatoes, whole, into a
clean bag, arid soak them two hours in the solution.
Spread the potatoes out to dry, and do not let them
touch bags or boxes where potatoes have been
stored.
Cutting Potato Seed. Select for seed medium-
sized potatoes which are well shaped, true to the type
of the potato you are planting. A round potato,
though even and pretty, would not be true to the
Early Rose type. Even if the price is high, seed
potatoes cost so little more than table potatoes that
it is worth the small extra expense to plant only
perfect ones, using the others for the table. Like
breeds like. If you plant a seed from a poorly
shaped potato, that is just what you are likely to
dig from the hill.
If you examine a potato, you will find that on
one end, where the little stem was, there are no
eyes. At the other end there are several eyes, close
together. On the sides there are usually four or five
more. Plan to cut the potato so that each piece
will have one or two good eyes and a solid piece of
flesh. The best way is to stand the potato on a
board, with the eye end up. Cut down between
the best two eyes in the end, taking care to divide
the eyes on the sides as evenly as possible. One
170 GARDEN STEPS
can usually get from four to six seed pieces from
a medium potato. Do not divide a piece having
two eyes, unless you can have with each eye a
good piece of flesh, cut to the center. The chances
of getting a good crop are much less if only a small,
thin piece is left with the eye.
PLANTING POTATOES
Choice of Fertilizer. Commercial fertilizer, pre-
pared especially for potatoes, makes the best fer-
tilizer for potato ground in general. It is easy to
procure in most places and can be depended on.
Dairy or stable dressing, unless it is old and well
rotted, is not satisfactory. It tends to produce
conditions in the soil favorable to the development
of scab, which makes the skin rough and ugly.
Last year, a truck farmer on Long Island took the
author over his immense potato fields and showed
him the results of different fertilizers he was using.
He was not only searching for the best fertilizer in
general, but for the best fertilizer for each particular
piece of ground.
The best for his light, rather sandy soil was guano,
a pulverized manure from South America and islands
in the Pacific. This guano is supposed to be chiefly
the manure from sea birds, that gather in thousands
on the rocky coasts ; but it is difficult to say just
what it is composed of now, as the bird deposits
have been pretty well exhausted. The commercial
POTATOES 171
fertilizer which he used gave excellent results also.
Poultry droppings are almost as good as guano.
Preparing the Soil. Scatter a wheelbarrow load
of poultry droppings over about five hundred square
feet, and work it into the soil before planting the
FURROW THROWN ON POTATO Row BY HAND PLOW
The seed is planted in a furrow four inches deep. It is covered two inches
deep at planting. Three inches more is readily thrown against the vines, when
they are well started, by the hand .plow.
seed. Later, after the sprouts are up, scatter as
much more along between the rows, and work it
into the soil as the plants develop. This will even-
tually be drawn up about the plants, and they will
get the full benefit of it without the danger to the
tender sprouts which would be incurred if the
droppings were placed too near them at first.
172 GARDEN STEPS
The safest plan, in using the commercial fertilizer,
is to open the row an inch deeper than you intend to
plant the seed. Then scatter the fertilizer along
in the row, with a swinging motion of the arm,
covering about four feet with each handful. Run
the garden wheel harrow through this, to mix the
fertilizer with the soil before planting. After the
row of seed has been covered, scatter about a pound
of fertilizer along each hundred feet of the row. This
soon washes down and helps the seed in getting a
good start.
Planting Seed. After having prepared furrows
four inches deep, lay the seed in, with the .eye up.
Remember that the sprout is anxious to get into the
sunlight, and that the roots will not grow until it
does. When the eye is up, the sprout can get out
the shortest way, and the crop is earlier and better
for it.
Do not draw all the earth back into the furrows at
first. A covering of about two inches is enough to
start with. After the sprouts are about six inches
high, draw back the rest of the earth about the
sprouts.
Caring for the Plants. As soon as the potato
begins to sprout, the potato beetles gather to the
feast. It is very easy to satisfy their appetites with
a little arsenate of lead, or bug death. Arsenate of
lead may be applied dry or wet, mixed according to
the directions in the chapter on poisons. For small
POTATOES 173
patches, it is very handy to use the lead in powder
form, or the bug death.
A convenient way is to take a tin, like a cocoa
or baking powder tin, which holds about a pound,
and punch holes in the bottom, making a big salt
shaker out of it. It takes only a few moments to
cover a long row of potatoes with this, shaking a
little of the powder over each plant.
Lice on Potatoes. Frequently lice appear in
the hot days of midsummer and threaten the
potato crop. Fortunately these little creatures
seldom do great harm after all, and it often
happens that just as they seem most dangerous,
they disappear almost in a day.
A lady came in great anxiety to a gardener.
" Oh, dear ! First the lice attacked my potatoes,
and now little spotted red bugs are on the vines.
What shall I do ? "
"Just give those little red bugs my address,
madam," he said. "They are lady bugs, after
the lice, not the potatoes. They will be welcome
here."
Protection from Blight. Beside the bugs, there
is the early and late blight to look out for in growing
potatoes. This blight comes from a tiny spore,
which lodges in the foliage and, under favorable
conditions, increases with great rapidity, floating
from plant to plant, and often destroying a large
patch in a short time. The whole plant becomes
GARDEN STEPS
diseased, and the tubers soon rot under the
ground.
The safest way to insure plants against this blight
is to mix a blight preventive with the poison you are
using for bugs. Bordeaux mixture is a standard
protection. Pyrox and other specifics of like nature
t ^ _^ provide a combina-
tion of poison and
blight preventive,
which enables the
gardener to apply
both with one dose.
For the gardener
with a compara-
tively small patch,
it would be easier
and just as effective
to use some stand-
ard combination like
Pyrox, since it comes
in a convenient package, is easy to handle, and is
not very expensive.
There is no safe way to offer a time schedule for
spraying or powdering for bugs or blight. The
first dose should be given soon after the sprouts
appear. After two weeks, enough new foliage will
have come to demand another application. How-
ever, if it rains soon after the first application and
the mixture is washed off, one should not wait
RESULTS OF POTATO BLIGHT
POTATOES
two weeks, especially if the weather is hot and
muggy.
A good plan is to mix a little arsenate of lead into
whatever preparation is used. It always does good
and the white powder shows clearly on the leaf.
GOOD-BY TO THE HlJMUS
The furrows of this potato patch run up and down hill. The vines are well
hilled up. With every heavy rain each furrow becomes a little river, taking
the water and the humus from the soil. Furrows should run across the slope.
When this is gone, it is a sign that the plants need
more attention.
Keep up the spraying or powdering till about the
last of August. The potatoes are then well set,
and there is little danger of loss from insects or blight.
Do not neglect to keep the bugs off the plants dur-
ing the summer, whatever you do. Through its
leaves the potato plant gets a large amount of
i 7 6
GARDEN STEPS
nourishment from the air, in the form of nitrogen.
If the leaves are damaged, the plant suffers ; if
they are hurt very much, the plant dies. The to-
mato, which looks so much like the potato, does not
care a bit how many leaves
are taken off. It will
cheerfully send out new
ones and keep on growing
fruit. The potato foliage,
however, must be care-
fully guarded until the
season is over.
Cultivation. - - It has
been the custom to gather
a hill of earth about the
plants, as the potatoes
grow. If the season is
wet, this is a good plan,
especially if the soil is
damp where the potatoes
But where
the soil is well drained
and mellow, it is more
convenient to keep the
rows flat, so that the wheel harrow can be run
through them easily. In August, it is well to draw
a little earth about the plants, and let them ripen.
Deep hoeing and cultivating should be completed
before blossoms appear on the vines, for these give
HUMUS STAYS IN THE SOIL
These potatoes are planted across are planted,
the slope, and hilled only an inch or
two. The level cultivation keeps the
soil soft and porous, holding all
moisture.
POTATOES 177
notice that potatoes are setting on the roots, which
may be easily broken off by too close cultivation.
After that the weeds may be kept down by light
cultivation.
STORING POTATOES
Unless the ground where the potatoes grow is wet
and heavy, they may best be left where they are till
freezing weather approaches. Then take the fork,
or potato digger, and carefully remove them from
the row. Set aside for immediate use those which
are wounded or bruised. Do not mix them with the
perfect ones.
Dig potatoes on a fair day and leave them beside
the row till they are dry. At the same time, in
places where the sun may be hot, see that they are
not exposed too long to its rays, as they turn brown
and are hurt by sunburn.
When they are ready, put them down cellar.
They keep well in bags, in bins or boxes, and in piles
on the floor, if the floor is dry. Do not have them
piled very deep, as they need air circulating through
them. They keep well all winter without further
attention.
CHAPTER XIX
RADISHES
A LUMBERMAN once discharged a cook, complain-
ing that he was so useless he couldn't boil water
without burning it. Radishes are so easy to grow
that even this man might have succeeded. They
sprout almost overnight,
in hot weather, and form
an appetizing addition
to the slim menu of the
spring season. There
are many varieties, most
of those offered by re-
liable houses being well
worth planting.
THREE GENERAL
GROUPS
Radishes are divided
into three general
groups : spring radishes,
small types that grow quickly and soon pass their
best condition ; summer radishes, of slower growth
178
SCARLET GLOBE RADISH
RADISHES 179
and much larger size ; and winter radishes, grown
in the summer and early fall, to be kept through
the winter months. The latter are large types,
little grown in this country as yet, but much found
in the gardens of southern Europe and Asia.
SPRING RADISHES
Planting in Cold Frame. --The spring radish is
usually sown first in the cold frame. It may be
planted in rows, or scattered broadcast. For the
cold frame, it does well if scattered broadcast on a
piece of well enriched soil about two feet square.
The seeds should be no nearer one another than about
a half inch. Over the seeds sift a half inch of light
soil. This must be kept moist by watering, so
there is no need to pack it down about the seeds.
Radishes sprout so quickly that weeds will give little
trouble. When the bulbs are large enough to use,
keep pulling them out to give the others more
room.
Satisfactory Varieties. Both round, turnip-
shaped radishes and long varieties may be grown in
this way. However, the long radishes seem to be
giving place more and more each year to the round
type, which is more perfect in growth and less likely
to be peppery. The French Breakfast radish, of
bright scarlet, with a white tip and of olive shape,
and the Crimson Giant, a large, round, red radish,
are both widely used and deserve their popularity.
180 GARDEN STEPS
Later Planting. When the weather is warm,
a row of radishes may be put in when planting the
carrots and beets. A twenty-foot row will provide
plenty, unless you wish to leave the plants two or
three inches apart. If this space is given, they will
be a bit earlier and more perfect perhaps. Profes-
sional market gardeners sow them rather thickly,
six or eight seed to the inch, and thin out as they
get large enough to pull. This crowds them some,
it is true ; but the crowded ones seem willing to wait
their turn, and in this way the crop ripens gradually,
instead of all at once.
Preparing the Soil. --The soil for round, spring
radishes must be rich and light at the point where
they are growing. It need not be very deep, nor
much enriched with dressing. Nitrate of soda or
commercial fertilizer, a pound or two in the twenty-
foot row, mixed into the earth three inches deep,
will give good results. If a handful of nitrate of
soda is dropped into a gallon waterpot of water,
and the growing plants are sprinkled with the solu-
tion, it will stimulate rapid growth.
SUMMER AND WINTER RADISHES
When the hot weather comes on, the small spring
radishes no longer do well. The large summer
types, like the Stuttgart and Strasburg, supply the
demand during the season. Later still, the winter
radishes, such as the White Chinese, or Japanese
RADISHES 181.
varieties, may be gathered and kept well into the
winter, in a cool cellar. These radishes should be
planted in rich soil during June or July. They are
planted in drills and handled like spring radishes,
but they must be given plenty of room, three or
four inches, in rows fifteen inches apart.
. The White Chinese, which is the same in general
as the California Mammoth White radish, will grow
to a foot in length and nearly half a foot through,
with crisp, delicate flesh. It is excellent to mix
with salads.
A RADISH PEST
The only pest which harms radishes much is the
root maggot. This does more harm to the long
varieties than to the round types, and frequently
spoils a crop. If the maggots are numerous, plant
other crops in that spot and move the radish row to
a new location, turning the earth over thoroughly
twice before putting in the seed. The richer the
earth and the faster the growth, the less chance the
maggot will have.
CHAPTER XX
RHUBARB
HAVING once enjoyed rhubarb, young and fresh
from your own garden, you will not be without it
again. Rhubarb of the same quality simply can-
not be bought in the markets. It is the earliest
gift from the garden in the spring, pushing out its
crisp, acid stalk at the first invitation of the sun.
Being very easy to plant and care for, rhubarb should
have a place in every home garden.
The Limurus, often called Cherry rhubarb, is
the most desirable variety. It has red stalks, when
properly shaded, which are of the finest quality,
and which grow two feet long when well enriched.
PLANTING
Growing from Roots. Rhubarb should be grown
from roots. It may be grown from seed, but this
will take a year or more longer than when grown
from roots. The roots cost little and produce edible
stalks within a few weeks. Spring is the best season
for setting out the roots ; but they may be put out
in the fall successfully, if that is more convenient.
182
RHUBARB 183
Preparing the Bed. It is much better to have
the plants in a group, than in a row. Nine hills,
four feet apart each way, will provide the ordinary
family with plenty for daily use and for canning.
By planting in a group, one gains the advantage
of the shade of one plant for its neighbors, which
LINN/EUS RHUBARB IN PERFECT CONDITION
Many stalks in this bed weighed two pounds each. A quarter of a
ton has frequently been cut in one day.
not only makes the stalks longer and better, but keeps
the weeds thoroughly in check.
Prepare the bed with the greatest care, if you want
fruit of the first quality. The best way is to dig out
the top soil for a foot, at least ; two feet is not too
much. Return the richest part of this soil, free
from stones, with stable or dairy dressing, in layers
of equal amounts. Set in the roots so that the
crowns come about two inches below the surface.
1 84 GARDEN STEPS
These will rise gradually and be just at the surface
after a year or so.
CARE OF PLANTS
When to Pull Rhubarb. - - There seems to be no
good reason for waiting a year to pull rhubarb, as
frequently advised. Good-sized roots, set in the
CUTTING AND WEIGHING RHUBARB
spring in rich soil, seem to suffer little harm if used
that summer ; though it is not wise to draw too
heavily on them the first year.
As the stalks develop, the crimp in the leaf
straightens out. Judge by this in pulling, not by
the size of the stalk. When the leaf is smooth, the
stalk is passing its best condition. Reach well
down to the ground, take firm hold, and pull with a
RHUBARB 185
slight twist sideways. In cutting off the leaves, an
inch or so of the " toe " should be left on the stalk.
It keeps better in that way.
Do not throw the leaves down in a pile to rot ;
they breed thousands of flies. They are relished
by poultry, and some should be thrown to the hens.
The rest should be returned to the patch, scattered
among the hills, as soon as they wilt.
Importance of Shade for Stalks. Never pull so
many stalks from one hill that you leave it bare.
Always have enough leaves to shade it, as this en-
courages the others to shoot up into the sunlight
above them, making them twice as long as they
would otherwise be, greatly improving the quality
by the rapid growth, and deepening the color.
Stalks grown on the edges of the hill will frequently
be pale green, short, and tough, while those in
the center are bright red, long, and crisp.
Rhubarb may be pulled at any time during the
summer when needed, if care is taken to leave
enough always to form a complete shade over the
patch. As the season advances, the stalks come more
slowly, and not a great deal can be pulled at one
time.
As the white blossoms appear, cut them off.
These should never be allowed to ripen at any part
of the season, for they greatly weaken the roots.
Fall Care. In the fall, put several forkfuls of
dressing about each hill ; also put garden trash, such
1 86
GARDEN STEPS
as dead bean vines and tomato vines, over the
crowns. Do not cover the crowns with dressing,
or with heavy, dense matter. The open vines will
protect them, without shutting off the air. In the
spring, to obtain early stalks, put some fresh dress-
ing around the hills and place barrels, with bottoms
knocked out, over the crowns.
A THRIVING SCHOOL GARDEN
CHAPTER XXI
SQUASH
SQUASHES, in many parts of the country, are very
easy to grow. They lend themselves so readily to
ground unsuited for fine cultivation, that they are
a most desirable choice for all small gardens which
have odd corners. A place that has been filled in,
an ash pile, or a steep bank, will do as well to grow
squashes on as the level garden plot, if the hill where
the seeds are planted is carefully prepared and well
enriched. There are two distinct types of squash
suited to garden culture : summer squashes, which
do not keep long after they are picked ; and winter
squashes, which are gathered in the fall, to be kept
and used all winter. Some seedsmen are now of-
fering squashes which combine the qualities of both
these types ; but they are not largely grown as yet.
SUMMER SQUASH
Summer squash, if planted early in the cold frame
or window box, may be placed on the table early in
July. It is very sensitive to frost and to cold, damp
weather ; so it must either be protected during the
187
SUMMER SQUASH, READY TO SET IN THE GARDEN
This sod was dropped twice while being photographed, was planted, dug up
and photographed again, and continued to nourish. The roots were protected
by the tough sod.
188
SQUASH
189
cool spring days, or planted after warm weather
has set in.
Varieties. - - There are two varieties of the sum-
mer squash which are found generally in garden
plots : the early Bush squash, both white and yellow ;
and the Crookneck, which starts with a bush habit
and grows into a short
vine as it develops.
Besides these, there is
the Vegetable Marrow, a
summer squash widely
used in England and
now being recom-
mended in America.
The Bush squash is
a favorite in southern
states, where it is called
the " Patty Pan." It
has smooth white or
yellow fruit, shaped like
a thick button, and
weighing a pound or
more according to variety. This squash is easy tb
grow, ripens quickly, and, on account of its bushy
habit, takes little room in the garden. The flesh
is, however, rather flat and watery when cooked.
In many parts of the country it is fast giving place
to the Crookneck type.
The Crookneck squash is long, with a tail which
ARLINGTON SUMMER CROOKNECK
SQUASH
190 GARDEN STEPS
frequently curls half round, and its yellow skin is
covered with warts. It does not ripen quite so early
nor fruit so fully as the Bush squash, but three or
four hills will provide an ample supply for the
average family. It is superior in quality, having a
rich, buttery flavor when boiled and mashed ; it
is also excellent when cut into slices and fried.
The Vegetable Marrow is found in several differ-
ent types of vine and in various shapes and colors.
Those from England are usually light green or
whitish in color and shaped like large cucumbers,
while Italy sends one which is a mottled green.
They are delicate in flavor if picked while young,
and are of hardy growth.
Planting Summer Squash. For the early vines,
summer squash should be planted in the window box.
As squash vines die quickly if their roots are hurt,
sods are the best to plant in. Cut sods about four
inches square and place them in the box, grass side
down. The older they are, the better, so long as
they are firm. Then open holes with the finger and
push in three or four seeds, a half inch deep and an
inch apart. By the time the garden is ready, these
will be well up and the second leaves will be out, if
the sod is kept warm and well watered.
If the seeds are to be planted in the garden, wait
till warm weather is assured. Then pick out some
place where other plants might have difficulty.
Dig up spots four feet apart, about two feet square,
SQUASH 191
and remove all lumps and stones. Make the earth
here rich with compost, or well-decayed dressing of
any kind. If you have no dressing, the squash
must be planted where the soil is itself loamy and
rich, as it is not possible to get good results by en-
riching poor ground with commercial fertilizers ;
too much nitrogen will drive the plant to vines rather
than squashes. One is not likely, however, to get
the hills too rich with rotted manure, or compost.
In England, vines are started right in the great heaps
of dressing, and produce wonderful crops. A half
barrow-load is not too much for a hill, if the earth
is poor. If commercial fertilizer must be used,
mix two handfuls in the hill. Get some ground bone
at the butcher's and mix in a pound of that a little
later as the plants are starting.
The surest way of getting a quick start is to bring
the hill up to a level with the surrounding soil and see
that the dressing is well mixed in and trodden down.
Then scatter a dozen seeds _ over the spot and sift
half an inch of soft, light loam above them. Make
this firm and sift a thin dust mulch above it. If a
heavy rain comes before the seeds have sprouted,
it will be likely to pack down and crust over this
dust mulch. In that case, sift another dust mulch
over the surface of the hill to keep it soft and moist.
Culture. When the sprouts appear, they should
be gradually thinned out, leaving not over two
strong plants to a hill.
192 GARDEN STEPS
Keep the earth about the hills well stirred, till it is
covered with the foliage. After that the weeds which
struggle to the light can be easily pulled out by hand.
As the blossoms appear, remember that on this
plant, as on the cucumber, there are male, or stam-
inate blossoms, which bear no fruit. These are the
flowers that appear on the long stems. The female
blossoms must be fertilized by the pollen from these
before they produce fruits.
Watch the squashes as they develop. They must
be gathered before the skin and seeds get hard.
It is not easy to judge by the size, as some ripen
before they have grown very large. Try them with
the thumb nail. If the skin is too hard, it will re-
sist the pressure. Such squashes should be cut off
and discarded, for, if left on the vines, they will
draw greatly on the roots for nourishment to ripen
their seeds.
As summer squashes demand a good deal of water,
a practical method for the home or school garden is
to plant four hills in a square, four feet apart. An
old pail or keg, with holes in the bottom, may be
sunk in the center of the square and filled with water
during dry weather. This supplies the moisture
from below and draws the roots down toward the
cool, moist subsoil. Summer squashes thus wa-
tered, if they are well nourished, and if none are
allowed to ripen, will keep on producing good fruit
till killed by a heavy frost,
SQUASH
193
WINTER SQUASH
Varieties. In the northern states, the Hubbard
squash is planted more than all others for winter
use. This is offered in various strains. It is hardy,
produces heavy crops, and keeps well all winter. It
HUBBARD SQUASH
is of excellent quality, both for eating as a vegetable
and for making pies.
In the southern belt the Hubbard squash does not
seem to thrive in many locations, and there the
Boston Marrow is largely favored. It grows and
fruits quickly, seems to enjoy hot, humid climates,
and keeps well. The squashes are heart-shaped and
colored a warm orange red. The flesh is deep yellow
194 GARDEN STEPS
and, while not so thick as the Hubbard, is of excel-
lent quality.
Planting. --Winter squash does not need early
planting, except in the northern states. It is de-
sirable to have the crop maturing as cold weather ap-
proaches, as it is not easy to keep, through the win-
ter, squashes which have ripened during hot weather.
Moreover, the late planted squash makes more
rapid growth, and is better able to overcome insect
enemies, which become less troublesome as the
season advances.
In all except the northern states, winter squash
may be planted as late as the first of July, with
good chances for a crop. Land where early crops
have been grown may thus be used for winter
squash. The hills should be prepared as for sum-
mer squash, but, as the vines run twenty or thirty
feet, the hills must be six or eight feet apart.
It is often suggested that squashes be planted in
the corn rows ; but this is not good practice, except
where the corn land is extremely rich. The squash
vine is a greedy feeder, and corn roots have very good
appetites themselves. To feed both properly will
not be easy. Moreover, the vines will be in the way
of the harrow as soon as they get started. It is much
better to put the squashes by themselves. They
may be placed in rough spots and odd corners where
fine cultivation is difficult. If a piece of land gets
beyond control, and weeds choke early crops, as
SQUASH 195
frequently happens during a wet spring, make the
hills and plant the squashes there. The big squash
leaves will soon cover the ground and master the
weeds, producing a good crop, and greatly improv-
ing the land for the next year.
Culture. - - The squash crop is easy to handle,
as there is little to do after the vines start, except to
keep the ground well worked till the leaves cover it.
Plant ten or a dozen seeds in a hill and thin out the
plants, leaving not over two. In planting squash,
put in a few radish seeds also to tempt the black
flies or striped beetles from the squash plants. If
these winged pests are too numerous, the screens
may be used, as planned for cucumbers. If the soil
is rich, the big squash sprout usually grows quickly,
in spite of their attacks.
If the vines are running rather long, as the growing
season advances, cut off the ends. This will give
the fruit more strength for growth, and will keep the
vigor for the new squashes rather than for more vines.
Gathering Squashes. Squashes are not hurt
by a light frost, but it is just as well to have them
under cover when frost is expected. Cut them from
the vines, leaving the stem of the squash in its place.
Do not cut it shorter than three inches. They may
then be placed on a sunny piazza for a week or two.
Throw an old blanket over them, if the night promises
much frost. Then, when the fires are started in the
house, put them in a dry, warm place where they can
196 GARDEN STEPS
have plenty of air. A cellar usually is not suitable,
though if it is dry and airy, it may do. Placing
them in a back room over the kitchen or in the attic
of a well-heated house should preserve them in good
condition the winter through.
ENEMIES
There is no general disease which is likely to attack
the squash vine. If a humid spell in certain localities
tends to develop wilt, a light spraying of Bordeaux
would be required.
The Vine-Borer. - - There is, however, a worm,
the vine-borer, now prevailing in many parts of the
country, that makes squash culture a precarious
task unless the greatest care is taken to fight it.
The vine-borer has not as yet reached the northern
states in numbers, but seems to be on its way.
The grubs live in the soil and do not make themselves
known till the plant is well started and full of promise.
Then the leaves wilt, yellow spots appear, and in a
few days the luxuriant vine lies dying on the ground.
A close examination of the stem down near the earth
will disclose a small hole. If you slit the stem above
this hole, you will probably find the whitish worm in
the tunnel he has made. He cuts across the veins
of the plant and sucks out the sap as it comes from
the roots.
This pest is especially dangerous to the vines,
because it is usually too late when he is detected.
SQUASH 197
However, it is possible to grow the vines in spite
of the vine-borer, if care is taken.
If this enemy is numerous in your locality, pre-
pare for him before you see him. Camphor, or black
pepper, sprinkled about the roots of the growing
plant while it is still small, will tend to drive him
away. Supplement this precaution by a good deal
of arsenate of lead, or Pyrox spray, with the hand
sprayer, when you are spraying cucumbers and other
plants. Put this spray all round the stem, close
down by the roots. It will kill the worm before he
has done much harm, if he tries to eat his way
through it. Later on, the flies developed from
these grubs evidently lay their eggs at spots along
the vines near the juncture of the leaf stems.
These eggs soon hatch, and the grubs work in from
these spots. Fortunately, however, if the vine is
well nourished, it will by this time be so large that
these late grubs cannot kill the plant.
If, in spite of this care, the vine suddenly begins
to wilt, examine the stem, locate the hole, and slit
the vine just above it with a thin knife. In this
way, you can get the slug and kill him. If the vine
is not greatly wilted, cover the wounded stem with
earth, and it may recover. But if it is too feeble to
save, and yellow spots have appeared, pull it out
and burn it. Kill every slug you can.
Beetles. Besides the vine-borer, several kinds of
beetle attack squash vines ; but, as they work usually
198 GARDEN STEPS
on the leaves, they seldom do much harm. The
striped beetles which often attack young leaves
and fruit may be kept away by arsenate spray, or
by tobacco dust, sprinkled on the leaves in the
early morning. The large gray beetles, often called
squash bugs, gather in large groups beneath the
leaves later in the season. In the morning, when the
beetles are cold, the leaves on which they have con-
gregated may be removed and the beetles destroyed.
If a shingle or piece of board is laid on the ground
near the vines, these bugs will creep under it in large
numbers on cool nights and may be killed in the
morning.
Squashes, like most other plants, depend upon
sturdy growth for strength to overcome their enemies.
If they are weak and stunted through lack of proper
care, the most anxious protection will hardly make
them a success. If they have a good start, and
plenty of nourishment, they will overcome their
foes and ripen their fruits.
PUMPKINS
Pumpkins have the general habits of the winter
squash, but require very little care. They arc
easily planted by dropping a few seeds here and
there among the late corn. They are quick to
grow, seeming to draw little nourishment from
the soil, and requiring hardly any help to ripen a
full crop.
SQUASH 199
Kind to Choose. - - There are several varieties of
pumpkin, but most of them are not properly garden
plants, as they are better fitted for stock feed than for
human beings. The small sugar pumpkins, however,
make good pies and are much esteemed in that form
by many. The Winter Luxury is a pumpkin of this
type that is well recommended.
Planting. It would hardly seem wise to give
much space in the small garden to the pumpkin,
but usually there are hills of sweet corn, here and
there, which do not get well started. A few pumpkin
seed, four or five, planted half an inch deep at such
places, will grow well and will not take up valuable
room. Leave the two best plants after they are well
started, and pull out the rest.
Pumpkins have no enemies that trouble them
much, and are picked and stored in the same way
that squashes are handled.
CHAPTER XXII
SPINACH
Varieties. --Various names are given to varieties
of spinach, which are much the same in growth and
characteristics.
All Season spinach is especially recommended,
because of its tendency to keep fresh and tender
without going to seed, during hot weather. It grows
close to the ground and has heavy, crumpled leaves
of the best quality.
Victoria is another type which remains in good
condition for some time without going to seed.
It. has the " savoy " leaf, and is much esteemed for
its excellent flavor.
Perhaps the most satisfactory variety for the
home garden is New Zealand spinach. Other types
ripen so that the whole crop must be gathered to keep
it from going to seed, but New Zealand spinach
sends out large shoots, or branches, which may be
nipped off from time to time. When the plant is
trimmed, it promptly sends out new shoots, keep-
ing up a rapid growth all summer long. The
end stems and leaves are soft and fleshy, but the
SPINACH 201
thicker stems should be discarded as the hot weather
comes on.
Cultivation. --In regions where the winter is
not especially severe, spinach may be planted in the
fall. The young plants are covered lightly with
straw or other light litter and are ready to make
rapid growth as soon as the ground melts in the
spring.
Prepare the ground thoroughly and enrich it well.
Barnyard dressing is especially valuable for spinach.
Sow the seed in rows about a foot apart, possibly
a little more. The seed sprouts well and should not
be sown thicker than two or three to the inqh.
As the plants get an' inch or so high, thin out,
leaving them two inches apart. When these plants
have developed so that they crowd, they should
again be thinned out, leaving them at least four
inches apart. These plants are suitable for table
use. If the plants grow well, they will be crowding
again before long, and again they should be thinned
out and cooked.
The larger sorts, like the New Zealand spinach,
need plenty of room, at least a foot each way. Never
let the New Zealand variety grow rank and coarse.
Keep the shoots pinched back, whether you need
them for the table or not, otherwise they will soon
become tough and fibrous.
CHAPTER XXIII
TOMATOES
ONE of the most profitable plants for the small
garden is the tomato. It is easy to plant and care
for, is free from disease,
and is easily protected
from enemies among the
insects and worms. A
dozen plants do not
take up much space,
but, if well developed
when set out, will pro-
vide the family with
plenty of tomatoes, and
give them some to can
besides. The green
tomatoes left on the
vines in the fall make,
when pickled, a great
addition to the winter
bill of fare. The to-
mato can be served in
so many ways and is
such a favorite vege-
A TOMATO CLUB GIRL
202
TOMATOES 203
table, that it should be chosen among the very first
plants for the small garden.
KINDS TO CHOOSE
There are three important kinds of tomato, all
of which are desirable in the garden : the early
tomatoes, represented well by the Earliana strains ;
the general crop of red tomatoes, among which the
Stone has a very wide demand ; and the Dwarf Cham-
pion^ known as a pink tomato, a medium early.
Earliana. There are many strains of the Earli-
ana tomato, widely recognized as the best tomato
for an early crop. It is of strong growth, resists
cold fairly well, and bears a very good crop of excel-
lent fruit. The color is bright red, the shape gen-
erally good, and the flavor rather acid, but pleasant.
It does not bear very heavily, and the tomatoes are
inclined to be small ; but it is worth while to have
some plants which ripen early.
If you live in the northern belt of the United States,
this is the variety you will have to depend upon
for your main crop. Tomatoes are hard to ripen
where the nights are chilly. The very earliest
strains are none too hardy in the northern states,
where the season is short and cool.
Stone. - - The Stone tomato has a national repu-
tation as a variety for the general crop. It has an
extremely strong growth and continues bearing till
frost. The fruit is round and smooth, having a
204 GARDEN STEPS
good flavor and solid flesh. Many strains of the
Stone tomato have been developed to suit local
conditions. There is usually some gardener in
every locality who has developed a strain which gives
him great satisfaction, and it is a good plan to
get your plants from him.
Dwarf Champion. -- The dwarf tomatoes, called
pink tomatoes in the market, have been gradually
growing in favor, and today are found in almost
every state. Both the names " dwarf " and " pink "
are rather misleading. The color is not really pink
but rather a dull crimson. Neither the vines nor
the fruit, as the strains are developed today, are by
any means dwarf. They class among the largest.
At about the end of the first month out of doors the
vine stands as a stiff, compact bush, which may be
the reason for calling it a dwarf.
As soon as the fruit forms, however, these stalks
will break down and lie upon the ground if they are
not supported, and the vines will extend several feet
in all directions from the parent stalk. These pink
tomatoes are excellent for eating raw. They are
very solid and cut into firm slices. The flavor is
much less acid than that of the red tomato, and on
this account many people prefer the pink variety.
PLANTING THE SEED
Home-Grown Seeds. --Tomato seed from any
reliable house will prove satisfactory. You may,
TOMATOES
205
however, find some strain near home which makes
you ambitious to plant that particular kind. There
are not many cases where it is advisable for the ama-
teur to try to save his own seed, but the tomato is one
plant which is easy to propagate successfully from
home-grown seed. You can tell at once which plant
is doing the best for you, and can pick the best speci-
mens from this plant for your next crop. When the
fruit is fully ripe, take out the seed, soak it a day
or so in water, shake it, and clean it in a sieve,
spread it out to dry
on a newspaper, and
put it away in an
envelope, plainly
marked.
Preparing a Win-
dow Box. It is
easy to plant to-
mato seed at home
or at school. Such
planting is especially
useful in school to
stimulate interest, as
this seed is planted
about the last of
February in the temperate belt, and it awakens the
thoughts of the children to the spring that is ahead.
Put into a box, about ten inches by twelve or fifteen,
three inches of rich, light earth. This earth must
READY FOR THE FIELD
A dozen Earlianas, grown in window boxes.
206 GARDEN STEPS
be prepared according to the directions given in
the chapter on fertilizer. Ordinary earth from the
garden is not suitable. It will be likely to pack
down in the box, and the seed will have little en-
couragement to sprout.
Drainage. Be sure to provide drainage, so that
the water will not stand in the box. If the joints
are water-tight, holes must be made in the bottom.
If care is used in watering the earth, little water will
run out; but if the children are to handle the seed
box, a tray to catch the surplus water had better be
provided. This may be bought for the purpose, or
any flat pan will serve well enough. The prepara-
tion of these boxes gives an excellent exercise for
the manual training hour.
Planting. -- When the earth is ready, with a match
make little holes an inch apart and one fourth of an
inch deep. Into each of these drop two seeds. This
should be done about eight or ten weeks before it is
time to set the plants in the garden.
Transplanting. --If two seeds sprout in the same
place, it is wise to cut off the smaller plant, letting
one little plant grow in each spot. When they arc
two inches high, either transplant to a hotbed if
you have one, or get another box and set out the
plants in the two boxes, two inches apart. Pots
are sometimes recommended for this purpose, but
they make a great deal more work than a box and
seldom bring as good results.
TOMATOES 207
When the young plants are set out in this way,
moved from their first sprouting place, the result is
to strengthen the root growth a good deal, while
the top is made more stocky and shorter. It will
be an interesting experiment for the schoolroom to
take a plant which has been transplanted, wash the
earth carefully from the roots, and compare the root
growth with that of a plant which has always grown
where it first rooted.
SETTING OUT IN THE GARDEN
When the leaves are half grown on the maples,
it is time to set the tomatoes in the open ground.
For these plants you may use the poorer part of
the garden plot, as tomatoes do well in sandy or
gravelly soil, and it is comparatively easy to prepare
the soil about each plant to suit its needs. As the roots
are already well grown, the nice cultivation required
for the smaller plants is not needed for tomatoes.
Preparing the Soil. With the spading fork, dig
holes about a foot deep and two feet across, and
make sure that the stones are removed. Then mix
a shovelful of well-rotted dairy dressing, or a handful
of commercial fertilizer, thoroughly with the earth,
as it is put back into the hole. Too much fertilizer
will grow vines instead of fruit. See that the soil
is well moistened.
Paper Collars. Before setting in the ground,
strip the lower leaves from the stalk and wrap a
208
GARDEN STEPS
piece of newspaper about four inches wide around
the stalk, just above the root. The plant should be
protected for at least two inches above the level of
the earth. This will cost nothing, will take but a
moment, and will save the plant from cutworms,
which are especially fond of young tomato plants.
A HALF ACRE OF DWARF CHAMPION TOMATOES
The plants now stand erect like potatoes. In another month they
will be sprawling on the ground.
Depth of Planting. - - The root of the tomato plant
should be set about four inches deep. Remember
that air is an important element that must get
freely to the roots of most growing plants. If they
are set too deep, the air cannot get to them, and
growth is seriously hindered. If the stalk is over a
foot high and inclined to be spindling, set it so that
the root is about four inches deep, and the top
TOMATOES 209
slants upward at an angle. In this way the stalk
is well covered and protected, though the root is
not down too deep. New roots will form along the
slender stalk and give added strength to the young
plant.
SPRAYING TOMATOES
While you are out with your spray pump or pow-
der box, it is a good idea to give the tomatoes a light
spraying with Pyrox or some combination of like
nature. It is not likely that any serious attack will
be made on the vines, but they do at times suffer
from blight. The year 1916 was very wet and
humid in the East, and many tomatoes were hurt
by blight where blight had not been known before.
The flea beetle also attacks the leaves, turning them
yellow, and sapping the vine of much strength.
Then there is a huge green worm which will chew a
preposterous lunch out of a plant here and there,
if there is no poison. It is worth a great deal to
know that your vines are in good health and insured.
VINE CULTURE
Supports for Tomato Vines. - - There are two
methods of culture for tomato vines which give good
results : tying to trellises or stakes, and allowing
them to run on the ground. In some places, where,
the climate is moist and hot, it will probably be
safest to tie them to trellises or stakes. To do this,
2IO
GARDEN STEPS
a support of some kind
must be provided for
the tomato to run
upon. Stakes may be
driven close to the
plant. Then one, two,
or three stalks may be
tied with bits of tape
or rag strips, and
trained to climb up
the stake. This post
should be strong and
at least five feet high.
For general crops, at
least three stalks
should be left. Then
the shoots, which con-
stantly start off in all
directions, must be
trimmed back every
few days, leaving the
strength of the roots
to go into the fruit,
which is growing along
the main stems.
A more convenient
way for the ordinary gardener is to make a low fence
along the row of plants, leave most of the sprouting
branches, and tie them up to the wire or laths which
TOMATOES, TRAINED ox SMALL
POLES, PRODUCE A GENEROUS CROP
TOMATOES
form the rails of the fence. Where two rows of toma-
toes are placed four feet from each other, this fence may
be made of pieces qf scantling with laths tacked on.
Tying up Tomatoes Means Work. Although
the method of tying up and trimming back the vines
appeals to many people who grow tomatoes, and
may be necessary in certain humid climates, it calls
for a great deal of work and attention when other
crops are also calling for help. To tie up properly
and trim even a dozen plants is no small job in the
hot midsummer days.
Allowing Plants to Run on the Ground. Ex-
perience in several different states shows that under
ordinary conditions there is no bad result, and much
advantage, from letting the vines run on the ground.
As the branches grow out and begin to drop to the
earth, give the plot a thorough harrowing, three or
four inches deep. Then sprinkle lawn clippings
about them to form
a mulch and let the
vines run at will,
moving the branches
so that they do not
interfere with each
other.
As the vines in-
crease in length,
place pieces of sod
with the grass side
A SOD PLACED ON TOMATO VINES
CAUSES THEM TO ROOT AGAIN AND IN-
CREASES THE CROP
212 GARDEN STEPS
down, about fifteen inches apart on the vine. The
sods should be about three inches wide, and six
inches long, just heavy enough f to hold the vine in
place. New roots will form under the sod, and the
vines will gain so much added strength that the crop
will be practically doubled ; the vines will thrive,
even in the long, dry spells which are frequently
encountered in August just as the fruit is ripening.
PICKING
Do not leave the fruit on the vines to ripen. It
is better to pick it as soon as it is turning pink and
put it in a dark place. If you want the fruit as
soon as possible, have the temperature warm where
the tomatoes are kept, as warmth will ripen them
more quickly. If they are coming on as fast as
needed, it is better to keep them cool. A box or a
drawer in the pantry answers well.
Advantages of Ripening Tomatoes in the Dark.
By picking the fruit in this way a good deal is
gained. As the chief drain on a plant comes in
ripening the fruit and seeds, the more we can save
it from this drain, the greater strength it will have
for developing the fruit left on the vines and for
setting new tomatoes. If well cared for, the plants
will continue to blossom and form fruit till checked
by the cold.
By gathering the fruit before it is ripe, you get it
in better condition, for stray bugs or worms may
TOMATOES
213
take a bite as it gets riper, and a crack may come
here and there.
Tomatoes ripen more evenly in a dark place,
and the flesh is firmer as well as more free from
tough spots and streaks. When you have tried this
method once, you will
not care to use any
other.
Green Tomatoes. -
Watch the weather as
the season for frost ap-
proaches, and get the
green tomatoes under
cover before they get
nipped. Then you can
enjoy ripe tomatoes
well into the winter.
Pick out the small ones
and those of poor shape,
for pickle. The rest
should be put in a
drawer or box where they will be cool, but not frozen.
The cellar is a good place, as the temperature is
likely to be even there. By the time the last one
is eaten, it will be almost time to get out the window
boxes again for the next crop.
GIRLS ARE ESPECIALLY FOND OF
TOMATO CULTURE
CHAPTER XXIV
TURNIPS
ONE of the easiest vegetables to grow in the home
or school garden is the turnip. It is so quick to
sprout and so rapid in growth that it satisfies the
demands of those gardeners who want to see quick
returns for their labors. Turnips will grow on al-
most any soil, but the quality of the crop will
vary according to the soil where the turnips are
planted. If table turnips of the best quality are
desired, have the soil rich and fine as you would for
any table crop. Quality depends on quick growth ;
quick growth depends on soil and culture.
Kinds to Grow. --There are several kinds of
turnip which do not vary greatly as to flavor. The
White Milan and Early Purple Top are both flat
turnips of rapid growth and white flesh. They are
well suited for summer turnips. The Purple Top
Strap Leaf is another white-fleshed turnip of good
flavor, a little later in ripening.
Beside the white, early turnips, there are the
yellow sorts, called Swedes or Ruta Bagas. These are
much larger than the white turnips, usually have
214
TURNIPS 215
yellow flesh, and are extremely solid. They keep
well through the winter and are much favored in
the north.
Culture. Turnips for immediate use may be
planted as soon as radishes or beets, or when the
ground is soft and mellow. Those for winter use
should not be planted till July, as long growth will
make them tough.
Make the ground soft and fine. If a crop has al-
ready grown there, add a pound of commercial
fertilizer for each twenty-foot row and rake it in.
Sow the seed thinly, not more than two to the inch.
It is quick to sprout and of strong growth. In the
spring, plant it in furrows a half inch deep, making
them a full inch deep when the sun is hot in July.
Cultivate to keep the soil loose and the weeds out.
When the plants are two inches high, thin out, leav-
ing them four or five inches apart.
The turnip family is not likely to suffer from any
pest or disease.
When the frosty days approach, gather the crop
and put it down cellar in a cool spot. It keeps bet-
ter if covered with light loam or sand. Frost does
not hurt turnips, if they are to be used right from the
ground, but they keep better if untouched by frost,
CHAPTER XXV
CANNING AND DRYING
CANNING
EVERY family that has a garden should have a
simple canning outfit to go with it. There is al-
ways a surplus of many crops, which, if they are not
canned, are wasted and lost. Food is too important,
too costly, to allow a bit of it to go to waste. When
the simple methods of canning are carefully followed,
the vegetables and fruits which are put up at home
are superior to those offered in the stores. One
knows just what goes into the cans and has the
great satisfaction of making the garden last the
year round.
The outfit needed for successful canning is not ex-
pensive, and most of the necessaries are found in every
household. The use of tin cans is not practicable
in the home. Tin cans cost a good deal and may be
used once only. They require a special soldering
kit, and it takes skill to solder the covers properly.
Glass jars cost a little more than tins, but they are
clean and sweet and may be used year after year.
216
CANNING AND DRYING 217
The cold pack method of preserving vegetables in
jars is so simple and so sure of success, that this is
recommended for all the products of the home or
school garden.
UTENSILS NECESSARY FOR CANNING
. The utensils needed for canning are most of them
already present in the kitchen. Paring knives,
spoons, measuring cups, bowls, and kettles are
already at hand. A large boiling kettle, however,
preferably of agate ware, holding at least ten quarts,
should be provided before the season begins. Glass
jars of the lightning type, having glass covers that
snap on, are the most desirable containers. Pint
jars are large enough' for many of the smaller fruits
and vegetables. Quart jars are best for beets, to-
matoes, and .the larger fruits and vegetables. For
these jars new rubbers of good quality should be
obtained, It is dangerous to use old or stiff rubbers.
To fill the jars easily and keep the contents in
good condition, get a funnel with a wide mouth,
which fits into the top of the jar. With this, all
small vegetables can be poured directly into the
jar.
Any utensil large enough to hold the jars, and
water to cover them, will serve as a boiler, or steri-
lizer. Sterilizers of all sizes and prices may be
purchased. A wash boiler is frequently used, while
a galvanized washtub is excellent, if provided with
21 8 GARDEN STEPS
a cover. One tub set above another will make a
satisfactory cover.
In the bottom of the sterilizer a rack must be
placed, to keep the jars from resting flat on the bot-
tom and coming into direct contact with the heat.
This may be of wooden slats, or of chicken wire.
With a hook of some kind to lift the jars from the.
boiling water, such as a button-hook, or a wire fork
bent over at the points, and a wire basket which
fits into the large agate kettle, the outfit is complete.
Jars Funnel
New Rubbers Bowls
Spoons Large Kettle
Paring Knives Wire Basket
Measuring Cups Sterilizer
Rack
GENERAL METHOD
Prepare your jars by washing them carefully.
Be sure that a new elastic ring to fit each jar is at
hand. Be sure that your covers fit all jars before
you fill them. Place the sterilizer on the stove, with
water enough to nearly cover the jars, and let
this water be warming while you prepare the mate-
rial to be canned. Be sure that the different tools
needed are on hand.
String Beans. Have the beans as fresh as pos-
sible, and take every precaution to have them young
2ly
220 GARDEN STEPS
and tender. Tough fibers are very noticeable in
string beans when they are canned. Wash them
thoroughly. Beans may be canned whole, but most
families will find it more convenient to cut them in
pieces, ready to serve direct from the cans.
Boil the beans in the large kettle for fifteen min-
utes. While they are boiling, warm the jars in
warm water and place them near at hand.
Pour off the boiling water from the beans and
rinse them in cold water in the wire basket. Then
pack them into the jars. Shake down well and
fill to the top.
Add one level teaspoonful of salt to each quart
jar, one half teaspoonful to each pint.
Fill the jars 'with boiling water, remembering that
the glass must be warm when the boiling water is
poured in.
Put the rubber ring in place and set the cover on
the jar. Draw up the upper wire across the cover
to hold it in place, but do not snap the spring wire
down.
Put the jars in the sterilizer and boil an hour and
a half.
After an hour and a half of boiling, take the jars
from the boiler, snap the cover springs down, and
stand them upside down to cool. Be sure they do
not stand in a draft while cooling.
The jars may be tested next day to see if they are
perfectly sealed. Loosen the spring and raise the
CANNING AND DRYING 221
jar by the cover. If the cover loosens, examine the
jar and rubber and try to make a perfect seal. These
beans should be sterilized twenty minutes before
snapping the spring again.
Store the jars in a dark, cool place, free from frost.
If you put them in the pantry, be sure to think of
the jars if the family leaves home in the winter. If
the furnace fire goes out they will freeze and burst.
The cellar is the safest place.
Tomatoes. Select ripe, sound tomatoes, and
scald about two minutes to loosen the skin. Dip
in cold water to arrest all further cooking, remove
the core and skin. Many recipes advise packing
tomatoes whole. They will always shrink in the
jars while sterilizing, if packed whole, and leave a
space at the top of the jar. It will probably be
found better to mash them into the jar. Add one
teaspoonful of salt to each quart jar, and fill the
space in the jar with tomato juice obtained by
crushing and straining the inferior tomatoes. Pro-
ceed as directed under beans, boiling about twenty
minutes.
Asparagus. Cut the stalks to fit the jars and
proceed as directed under beans. Boil one hour.
Beets and Carrots. Wash them clean, boil ten
minutes, remove the skins, and treat them the same
as beans. Boil one hour and a half.
Cauliflower. Remove the solid head and sepa-
rate the small sections. -Place them in cold water
222 GARDEN STEPS
for a half hour to make them crisp. Boil five min-
utes, dip in cold water, and place in jars the same as
beans. Boil one hour.
Corn. Boil the ears ten minutes. Dip in cold
water. Then cut the corn from the cob. Do not
pack the jars quite full, as corn is likely to swell.
Fill the jar with boiling water. Salt as for beans
and all vegetables. Boil three hours.
Spinach, Chard, and Other Greens. Wash the
greens thoroughly in plenty of water and boil in the
large kettle for fifteen minutes. Pack tightly into
the jars, add salt, and hot water to fill the jar com-
pletely. For the rest, proceed as directed under
beans, and boil one hour.
Peas. Shell, and can by the same method used
for beans, but do not fill the jars quite full of peas,
as they swell in cooking.
DRYING
A great deal is being written and said at present
about drying vegetables instead of putting them up
in cans or glass. It should be remembered in this
connection that drying is by no means a new idea.
It was formerly the chief method of preserving the
fruits and vegetables for winter use, and was given
up almost entirely in the eastern part of the country
when glass jars became common.
The change from drying to preserving in jars or
cans was not made without good reason, and those
223
224
GARDEN STEPS
reasons are mainly as important today as they ever
were. T*wo points are important in preserving food
by evaporation : first, the food must be dried thor-
oughly by slow, even evaporation ; second, it must
be kept free from worms and insects.
Drying by the natural warmth of the sun and
air in the eastern states is a difficult problem. Dur-
DRYING VEGETABLES BY MEANS OF AN ELECTRIC FAN
ing many weeks in the summer the humidity is
high, and frequent showers are to be expected.
This means that food must be watched, carried in
and out from sun to shelter, turned over to avoid
sweating, and kept on hand for many days before
it is fit to store. The present summer (1917) has
seen quantities of food spoiled because of continued
damp weather. Drying by means of artificial warmth
CANNING AND DRYING 225
in the manufactured dryers is much more satis-
factory, but this is cumbersome in the home, and
some drying outfits have been condemned by fire
commissioners as dangerous.
Keeping food free from worms and insects during
the late summer and fall months will be found
equally difficult. To so protect food that eggs of
insects will not be present is practically impossible.
To keep these from hatching, in any states except
the most northerly ones, is extremely difficult.
On the whole, we should advise against trying to
store much food by the drying process until a care-
ful test has been made under different conditions.
Full directions for drying and storing various veg-
etables under the conditions prevailing in different
locations can always be obtained from local com-
mittees. It is plain that these conditions would
vary much in the North, West, South, and East, and
instructions given without knowledge of local con-
ditions would only be misleading.
The best plan in most states is to put up food in
jars, sealed until needed. The flavor is always much
better, no further preparation is needed at the time
the food is wanted for the table, the work is usually
about one half, and the danger from spoiling is less
than half. Drying in the far West and in other
states with proper climatic conditions, will prove use-
ful, but elsewhere canning methods will be preferred.
SEED REQUIRED FOR A FIFTY-FOOT ROW
Asparagus, one ounce.
Beans (dwarf), one pint.
Beans (pole), one half pint.
Beets, one ounce.
Brussels sprouts, one fourth ounce or less ; one
ounce grows about 5000 plants.
Cabbage, one fourth ounce. If planting outdoors,
about twice as many should be used as in seed bed.
Carrot, one half ounce.
Cauliflower, one tenth ounce.
Celery, one sixth ounce.
Corn, one fourth pint.
Cucumbers, one ounce to fifty hills.
Kohl-rabi, one fourth ounce.
Lettuce, one sixth ounce.
Onion seed, one fourth ounce.
Onion sets (small), one quart.
Parsnips, one fourth ounce.
Peas, one pint.
Peppers, one tenth ounce.
Potatoes, two quarts.
Pumpkins, one ounce, enough for garden use.
Radish, one half ounce.
Spinach, one half ounce.
Squash, one ounce, enough for garden use.
Tomato, one ounce of seed will produce at least 3000
plants. Two dozen plants, enough for the or-
dinary garden.
Turnip, one fourth ounce.
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