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AGRICULTL**^E

THE(JiIN10R AGRICULTURIST

A Paper Issued Bi-monthly for the Junior Gardeners of California by the Chico State Normal School at Chico, Cal.

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Admitted as Second Class Matter October 23, 1912.

Vol. 5

Chico. Cal., January, 1917

7 r

No. 3

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Marking ufC rows.

Boys and girls, to date the following new clubs have been organized:

Secretary-treasuii r NuihIkt

Namo of club or teacher tu rolled

Pond Ruth Starr 8

Red Bluff D. E. Elder ..-. 174

Bakersfleld Mrs. H. Bender 40

Oakland Miss A. Sellander 51

Lassen Jessie Ford 4

San Leandro ...Guy Smith 143

San Leandro ...Anna T. Perdue 18

Nevada City ...Van Neher 23

Lebee Mrs. R. Colbertson.. l.'i

Orovllle ...Mrs. J. Mansfield 20

Name ..(■ ,-!u1p Nevada (itv Roeklin ...

Chico ..

Napa

Dixon Mrs. E

Arbuckle Miss O

Secretary-treasurer or teacher

(iraee Kramer ...

P. G. Jacobs

s. P. Robblns

Mrs. A. Love

P. Hay..

Cockcrlll.

Arbuckle J. P. Bums

Caliente Dorothy Falrchlld

Joiner Jewel Rober

Rosedale Mattie Palmer

We hope this number will increase rapidly during January and February.

Probably this is the last copy of the "Junior" that you will receive unless new enrollment blanks have been sent in since September, 1916, or new ones made out at once. Send for enrollment blanks.

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Proper way to thin out plants. Fig. 2.

PLANTING TABLE

Variety

Quantity of seed

for 100 feet of

row

Asparagus (seed) _ Asparagus (plants)

Beans, bush

Beans, pole

Beets

Bussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrot

Cauliflower

Celery

Corn

Cucumber

Danderlion

Kgg plant

Horse-radish

Kale

Kohl rabi .

Iveek

Lettuce

Muskmelon

Watermelon

Onion

Parsley

Parsnip

Peas

Pepper

Potato, Irish

Potato, sweet

Pumpkin

Radish

Hhubarb

Rhubarb roots

.Salsify

Spinach

Squash

Tomato

Turnip

lb.

1 oz. 50 About 1

8oz.

2oz.

4 oz. (2 pkts.)

I oz. (2 pkts.)

1 oz.

4 oz.

I oz. (2 pkts.) 1| lbs. per lOO hills

J oz. (2 pkts.)

i oz. (4 pkts.)

i oz. (1 pkt.) 70 roots

i oz. (1 pkt.)

h oz.

Joz. (3 pkts.)

i oz. (3 pkts.)

1 oz.

I oz.

I oz. (1 pkt.)

1 oz. (2 pkts.)

2 lbs.

i oz. (1 pkt.)

5 lbs. 75 slips

J oz. (2 pkts.) 1 oz. I oz.

33 plants 1 oz. 1 oz.

J oz. (2 pkts.) i oz. (1 pkt.) h oz. (3 pkts.)

General time of sowing where winters are cold ^_^

Early spring

Early spring ___

Late spring

Late spring :

Spring

Early spring

Spring

Early spring

Spring (rather late)

Late spring

Spring

Early spring in hot-bed

Spring

Early spring

Early and late spring

Late springi and early summer

Late spring

Early spring

Spring

Early spring

Early and late spring

Early spring in hot-bed

Late spring

Spring, S.

Spring

Early spring

Early spring and fall

Late spring

Early spring in hot-beds ..

Spring and summer

Adapted from C. C. Morse catalog.

THOUSANDS of boys and girls joined the California Junior Gardening Club last year. Together they planted home and school gardens. Together they harvested the crop. We do not know what became of all the beets, carrots, radish, daisies, pansies, and the like. Plants were kept at home, others were sold, given to the poor, used at school luncheons, and so on. Some boys and girls made enough from their gardens to buy a bicycle, a watch, a wagon, a pair of skates, several rabbits and chickens. A garden plot skilfully worked will easily pay $25.00 for the season. Try it.

THE SCHOOL GARDEN.

Urge your teacher to start a school garden for your class. Perhaps you like grammar, arithmetic, geography so well that you can spare no time to prepare a seed bed and to plant a few flowers and vegetables, or it may be that your school yard is filled with trees, shrubs and flowers.

The Chico State Normal School has seeds to send you, and this paper is sent you free. We ask only that you plant and care for the seeds.

VEGETABLES.

>winK about San > ADd Central >rnia

Crop matures (in about)

Depth

to plant

to April. T

to April

August, S

to Autjust, 8...

)und. S

ir— July to Aug. Lpr.— July to Oct

und, S I Early

anuary 110 days

Third sprinc 1"

Next spring S— 5»

46-«6 days |— 2*

75 days, up 1- 1—2*

65 days, up J— 2"

6 months - J"

90-150 days V

i-r

r

6 months J"

80-100 days 1—2*

120 days 1—2*

6 months I— i"

160 days, up— _ J*

8 months 4"

45 days V

4 months • J"

Late summer J*

65 days, up. _ J'

120-140 days 1—2"

120-140 days 1—2'

135-150 days J— 1"

Any time _ jk*

4 months k-Y

8 to 12 weeks 2—4"

130-150 days \"

to March, T.... July to September — 4—8*'

fto June, T,

to July 15th

to June 15th.—

June _

to April, T

to May

-April— July to Oct. lay— July to Oct.

to March

round, S

li to June

June

I to March _

round

' June

roimd, 8

to May

.fune

round, 8...

fiiarv to May. T. ary to Ai.ril... Mnrv to May... round, S....

(uno

I . to May, T. ^^^ ApriU 8..

I

3"

100-125 days 1-2"

80-46 days J'

Second spring J"

Next spring 3—4"

5 months _ |— 1'

40 to 45 days J— 1*

8. 65 and W. 150 days 1—2*

150 days \—V

eO-76 days

i-i"

"Garden culture" for han«l cultivation

fse the trench system in Irrigating. Fig. .?,

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PREPARATION OF THE SEED BED.

Plants need air, food, moisture, and warmth just as badly as you do. You must prepare your seed bed with these needs in mind. Spade and stir the soil well in order that air and warmth may enter and that plant food may become free for use. Work the soil thoroughly so that the tiny roots will touch the soil particles and yet have room to grow easily.

Planting. Mark off your rows with string or the edge of a board. Care- fully dig your seed trenches. Keep them straight. See the planting table for distances between rows, etc.

Do not sow seed too close together. If you do there will be many a back- ache later as you thin out the young plants.

Having sowed the seed, press the soil over the seeds by walking on a six-inch board placed over the mw This insures plenty of moisture and food for the tiny roots.

Irrigation. Dig into the soil an inch or two. Press a handful of soil together. Ouen the hand. If the soil particles cling together — if the indenta-

tions of the fingers are left the soil does not need water. If the soil is dry- beneath the top layer, irrigate. Figure 3 shows the right and the wrong way to irrigate. Use the trench method. The boy is in the right. The little girl knows better, but she was willing to pose for the picture.

Thinning. Although we have warned you not to plant seeds too close together we are inclined to think you will still do so. At any rate, it will be necessary to thin out the little plants. Do this soon after the plants come up. See the plant calendar. Figure 2 shows the proper way. Stand astride the row and pinch out the weak plants. One must be particularly careful in thinning out beets, carrots and radish. If two plants stand close together they wind about each other.

Harvesting and marketing. The harvest always rewards the faithful gar- dener. Here are some suggestions for the use of your school and home crop.

Vegetables and flowers taken home. All their lives your parents have been doing their best for you. What have you done for them? Here is an oppor- tunity. Take some of the best vegetable and flowers home as a gift.

Sometimes parents wish to buy their vegetables from the school garden. If you sell to your parents, charge the regular price and be sure that your vegetables are worth what you charge.

THE MARKET.

With a few boards arrange a place for the display of the garden's output. Ask your friends to come to the market for their vegetables and flowers, and deliver your products. Again be sure that your vegetables and flowers are worth the price. Good goods and "square" methods always pay. Some groceryman in your community might be glad to handle your output or rent you a portion of his window.

THE SCHOOL LUNCH TABLE.

In many schools there is a lunch room for the pupils, with a teacher in charge. A few flowers on the table would add to your enjoyment and we are sure that fresh, juicy vegetables would.

THE DOMESTIC SCIENCE CLASS.

The school board, if asked, would be glad to buy vegetables from you for the cooking class.

GIVE TO THE POOR.

A portion of your harvest might well be given to the needy. Why not have a big Thanksgiving and carry vegetables and flowers to those who need them most? A flower is always welcome. Think of your friends, and think of those who have no friends. People who make others happy are most happy.

THE SCHOOL GARDEN LUNCHEON.

Near the close of the term ask your teacher to let your class have a school garden luncheon. Prepare the vegetables and serve them as a class. Invite a few of your friends to partake of the luncheon. A nice menu card is a radish, turnip, or a beet done in water colors, afterwards cut out. Cornu- copias made of paper and filled with flowers placed at each plate make a pleasing gift to the guests.

EXHIBITS.

During the term ask your teacher to set aside one afternoon for a flower and vegetable show, or have the exhibit on luncheon day. Invite your friends and have a flower souvenir for each.

CONTESTS.

Contests may be undertaken and prizes given by the state for the best flowers and vegetables. If so, enter the contest and try your best to win.

O