DEPT. PRACTICAL GARDENING PRACTICAL GARDENING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS HELPFUL HINTS FOR THE HOME GARDEN COMMON MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM BY HUGH FINDLAY, B.S.A. PBOFESSOB OF HOBTICULTURE IN THE JOSEPH 8LOCUM COLLEGE OF AGBICULTUBB, BYBACUSE UNIVERSITY, 8YBACU8E, N. Y. AUTHOB OF "HOUSE PLANTS, THEIB CABE AND CULTDBE" ILLUSTRATED D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON 1918 V COPTHIQHT, 1918, BT D. APPLETON AND COMPANY r , , » „ ,.• •V* : :/; .-; ; •: : Printed in the United States of America DEDICATED TO MY FEIEND HON. JOHN T. ROBERTS WHO LOVES THE ART OF GARDENING, AND WHO FEELS THE HEART THROB OF THE SOIL 415314 FOREWORD This book is prepared primarily for those practical lovers of Nature who wish to add to the world's great store house more vegetables and fruits. There have been several books written on the scien- tific treatment of the vegetable and fruit gardens and also the large commercial tracts of land devoted to the production of these crops for market. This book is con- structed with the view of aiding the home gardeners in the fundamental principles involved in growing a few varieties of vegetables and choice fruits. The scientific principles, as far as they may be applied in a practical way to a small garden, have by no means been left out, but they have been put in a language that is not technical. The general advice is applicable in any section but the dates of putting these principles into operation vary according to the latitude and altitude of your section of the country. The gardener must also be governed by the variation in seasons. All the problems that may confront several gardeners who may live as neighbors cannot be considered in a single book or any number of books. Each individual gardener must try out the soil, seed and methods advised and carefully consider the results, then formulate rules for himself individually to follow. The cultural requirements, the more common insects and diseases, with the latest method of their control, vii FOREWORD have been expressed in a simple language from prac- tical experience. The object of the book is not only to aid the gar- dener in supplying the table with fresh vegetables dur- ing the spring and summer months, but to aid in the growing and storing of vegetables and fruits for the home to be used during the non-producing winter months. I am especially indebted to Mr. E. C. Dinturff of the College of Photography, Syracuse University, for his valuable aid in securing and developing illustrations. Also to Prof. Albert E. Wilkinson for his cooperation in permitting a reprint from "Home Vegetable Garden- ing/' Series No. 2, Cornell Reading Course as found on pages 66-68, 76-95. My thanks are due to the Macmillan Company for permission to reprint from pages 106-108 of "Bailey's Farm and Garden Rule Book/' pp. 62-65, 69-74, and also to the United States Department of Agriculture for suggestions in the selection of varieties, Bulletin No. 485, and for drawings, Figs. 68, 69? 70. The following magazines have been kind enough to allow me to reprint from the Author's original. Mother's Magazine, Figs. 21, 22, 23, 82, 51. Coun- tryside, Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 42, 45, 57, 60, 61, 62, 63 and pp. 52-53, 320-378. Gar- den Magazine, Jan., Article by Adolph Kruhm, Double- day, Page & Co., N. Y., pp. 88-95 and Fig. 1. American Agriculturist, Figs. 71, 72, 73, 74. Rural Life, Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. I am indebted to many "Back- Yard" gardeners for in- formation contained in this book. Syracuse, N. Y. HUGH FINDLAY. CONTENTS CHAPTEH PAGE I THE THREE TYPES OF BACK YARD GAR- DENS 1 II THE SOIL AND How TO MAKE IT . . . 11 III FERTILIZERS AND How TO USE THEM . . 24 IV TOOLS AND How TO USE THEM ... 57 V PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN ... 54 VI THE HOTBED AND COLD FRAME ... 96 VII GAINING TIME IN EARLY SPRING . . .110 VIII THE POTATO 119 IX PEAS, THEIR CARE AND CULTURE . . .135 X ROOT CROPS — EARLY AND LATE . . .141 XI SALADS AND GREENS ALL THE YEAR ROUND 148 XII THE ONION AND KINDRED PLANTS . . 160 XIII WARM SEASON CROPS . ., .,,... 169 XIV VINE CROPS . . . ,. . . . . .185 XV CELERY AND CELERIAC ....... 195 XVI CABBAGE AND KINDRED PLANTS ... . . 204 XVII RHUBARB AND ASPARAGUS 212 XVIII VEGETABLES NOT COMMONLY GROWN . .221 XIX KEEPING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS OVER WINTER ,« :-"\ 228 XX THE STRAWBERRY ., ,., M ,„ M „ , CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXI SMALL FRUITS AND How TO GROW THEM 250 XXII THE GRAPE ...... . . 264 XXIII THE APPLE TREE . .... . * * . , . 273 XXIV PEARS, CHERRIES, PLUMS, PEACHES, AND THE QUINCE 289 XXV INTENSIVE GARDENING . . - . . . . 303 XXVI COMMUNITY GARDENS . »' .. . . . 310 XXVII WHAT TO Do MONTH BY MONTH . . . 320 INDEX ... . 379 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE 1. — Daylight saving and the gardener .... 3 2. — Part played by power and temperature in growth of plant 12 S. — Clay soil from a well-tilled garden . . .16 4. — Garden loam best soil for general gardening . 16 5. — Sand. Note lack of any humus .... 16 6. — Muck soil with undecayed vegetable matter . 16 7. — Right way to spade 39 8. — Wrong way to spade 40 9. — Right and safe way to leave tools . . . .41 10. — Wrong dangerous way to leave tools not in use 42 11. — Correct way to use hand-cultivator ... 44 12. — Tiring way of using seeder 45 13. — Efficient way of handling rake 46 14. — Inefficient manner of raking 47 15. — Diagram of a hotbed 97 16. — Broken bits of pots put in to insure proper drainage 112 17. — Seed sown in divided flat . . . . . .112 18. — Sifting sand and loam over the seed . . .112 19. — Pressing soil round seed to hasten growth . . 112 20. — Glass and paper used to prevent evaporation . 114 ILLUSTRATIONS PAG* 21. — Early summer squash ... ,. ... ... 4., ,., k.. 114 22. — Glass used to hasten growth of cucumbers .. ,. 114 23. — Home made plant protectors ^. ..... 114 24. — Young cabbage plants protected by strawberry boxes . .... 116 25. — Transplanting lettuce. Making hole with two fingers 116 26. — Firm pressure of soil round roots of young lettuce 116 27. — Seed potatoes saved from best producing hills 124 28. — Leave one to three eyes in each piece of potato 124 29. — Flat divided into sections and well-drained . 124 30. — Seed potatoes well covered with soil . . .124 31. — Three weeks gained by starting potatoes in a flat 128 32. — Cucumbers started early in a strawberry basket 128 33. — Kohl Rabi the size of a baseball, ready for use 128 34. — Swiss chard, one of the easiest greens to grow 138 35. — The American Wonder Pea, a good wrinkled variety , *i; . .. . . . ... 138 36. — Dwarf curled Scotch Kale. A very nutritious green . . . * . 138 37. — Rust proof Wax Beans. Very good variety for home garden '.'"?• «' ; . . . . . . .138 38. — A flat full of thrifty lettuce plants 2x2 inches apart . . . .^. ... . '. ' . 150 39. — Thrifty lettuce plant before and after pruning leaves ......... . ,„ t. 150 40. — A mature plant of loose leaf lettuce . .„ . 150 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE 41. — Two heads of lettuce of different kinds ... . 150 42. — Multiplier onions before and after cleaning for table 162 43. — Onions grown from transplanted seedlings . 162 44. — Loosening head of cabbage to prevent cracking 162 45. — Early Snowball cauliflower ready for kitchen 162 46. — Raking surface of soil before sowing seed . . 177 47. — Pressing soil down with rake to aid germina- tion . . , . 178 48. — Tent of pole beans sheltering lettuce in hot weather 180 49. — Drying beans on pole for winter use . . .180 50. — Smut in corn waiting to be cut out and burned 188 51. — Squash bores at work in stem of squash vine 188 52. — An okra seed pod ready to harvest . . . .188 53. — Summer asparagus divided to show white flesh 188 54. — Packing soil round celery plant to protect heart 200 55. — Blanching rolls partly and entirely placed over celery ........... 200 56. — Celery blanched by boarding and packing soil 200 57. — Lettuce planted amongst asparagus to get shade 214 58. — A. Asparagus right for cutting. B. Stalks too old for cutting 214 59. — A thrifty row of thick stalked rhubarb . .214 60. — Good type of ventilator for storage . . .230 61. — Tomato vine ready to hang in cellar or store in attic . 230 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE 62. — Beets too closely cut, too small, and just right for storing . . .""*' *'. . . . .230 63. — Box and celery plant both ready for packing for winter 230 64. — Diagram of vegetable pit with ventilator and straw i . . . . . 231 65. — Currant cuttings showing callus formed dur- ing winter • • 256 66. — Two cuttings of the currant 256 67. — Two sucker cuttings and root cutting of black- berry • ,*«, l,..^fe 'I*. :*•:' . 256 68. — Unpruned grapevine trained by 6-arm renewal system -«„ -::>. • » , . 267 69. — Pruned grapevine trained by 6-arm renewal system ; . . . 268 70. — Pruned and unpruned vines in successive years 270 71. — Various devices for protecting fruit trees . .276 72. — Bad crotch and threatening wire .... 276 73. — Photograph of badly planted tree .... 276 74. — A fine root system in tree . , » '. .> * . 276 75. — Garden record on file at garden headquarters 314 76. — Sign to protect war gardens . >, . ,, . 318 PRACTICAL GARDENING CHAPTER I THE THREE TYPES OF BACK YARD GARDENS The prosperity of any country depends not alone upon its great manufacturing plants or extensive farm- ing but upon the productiveness of every back yard garden. THERE are three types of back yard gardens; the city garden with its very limited space to cultivate and in many in- stances unfavorable conditions to exist in; the village or suburban garden with more space de- voted to the raising of vegetables, fruits and flowers, having less unfavorable conditions with which to cope ; and finally the rural garden where the space is not limited, with usually a fine loam soil and an adequate supply of manure available, free-air drainage, sunshine and moisture in abundance. 1 PftAGTICAL GARDENING With any of the three types of gardens, the keynote of success depends not alone on the location, soil, moisture, sunshine, or plant food available, but also upon the intelligent and per- sistent effort of the individual to make the most of whatever type of garden he may have. In any one of the types, the aim should be to keep a continual assortment of fresh vegetables for the table during the summer and to find out the varieties that will thrive best in his own soil and climate. Whenever possible a sufficient sup- ply of late crops should be raised in order to supply the table during the entire year. THE CITY GARDEN Just because there are many problems that confront the city garden there is no argument for not having one. If the gardener will only study the limits of his given space and allow his better judgment to guide him, the smallest plot may not only furnish exercise out of doors and a large degree of pleasure but also a sup- ply of fresh vegetables for the table. One of i BACK YARD GARDENS the most difficult problems that confronts the city gardener is the matter of shade. The houses are usually so crowded that the space is A-M- JOLY AUGOST SEPTEMBER. - *> »3 SI ^ 435 430 4.45 5.15 5.30 545 6" 615 6.30 6.45 P-M 5- 5.15 330 545 630 645 7- 715 730 745 a- PRESENT RISING TIME Daylight Saving and the Gardener Let every gardener campaign for the Daylight Saving reform. Setting forward the clock for one hour during the summer months would give the average businessman an appreciable time for the garden in the evening, with- out sacrifice of morning light. Daylight Saving would mean millions of better, more productive gardens. FIG. 1. — Daylight Saving and the Gardener. not only limited, but the vegetables and fruits and especially small fruits, like currants, are shaded a large part of the day. If by chance you may locate your garden in a place where 8 PRACTICAL GARDENING you have the choice between the morning and afternoon sun, by all means select the morn- ing sun. The air is usually free from dust, the plants fresh after the night's rest and moisture, and the direct rays of light are of greater value to plant growth. The problem of air drainage and gases is of vital importance. Fresh air is as necessary to the growth of plants as it is to the health of any human being. The only suggestion that can be made is to eliminate the cause of the evil. For instance if the gases come from the furnaces of a mill, get in touch with some one in power and have the chimney made higher. The difficulty in controlling stealing from city lots must be left wholly with the authori- ties and the owner. The remedy that has cured this disease of the mind in several locali- ties is the application of practical cooperation. Let every one, children and all, have gardens even though they have to travel a mile or more to get them, and the pride of ownership will 4 BACK YARD GARDENS develop a sense of civic pride which will cure the evil of thoughtless stealing. Dogs and cats running over the gardens is another problem that may be met by construct- ing a close mesh wire fence about the garden and planting tall peas, tall growing tomatoes, grape vines and small fruits along the fence, training the plants over it. In this way the fence is a support to certain crops and it does not spoil the looks of the garden or give an im- pression of unfriendliness. This practice may be followed in any garden, city or rural. If there is any one type of garden where intensive gardening should be practiced it should be in the city garden. The soil should be kept busy producing all the time, and just as soon as one crop is removed another should have been started between the ripening crop. It is not always practical to start early crops in flats in the kitchen window for transplanting because the plants are seldom healthy. Buy such plants as tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, celery, etc., and transplant these be- 5 PRACTICAL GARDENING tween the rows of ripening radishes, lettuce and other quick growing crops. Little considera- tion is given to the soil, especially in the city, and usually the plot back of the house is the poorest type of soil but this may be changed by the application of horse manure secured from the city stables. THE VILLAGE OR SUBURBAN GARDEN A village or suburban home is not complete without a garden and the one grave danger is the poorness of the soil, especially if a thought- less contractor happens to skin off the surface soil to fill in some hole near the house. This happens more often in the suburban garden than the village garden. At any rate, if you are contemplating building, make sure that you stipulate the treatment of the soil on which you are to have your garden. While the village and suburban gardens are of moderate size they are usually much larger than those of the city and they are blessed with fresh air, sunshine and sufficient moisture. 6 BACK YARD GARDENS Some of the best managed and most beauti- ful gardens are found in the villages or subur- ban districts. This may be due to the possibil- ity of securing manure from the city stables, streets, and, in the case of the villages, from a farmer. Wherever possible, keep a compost heap in the making so that a fresh supply of food may be applied at the needed time. The owner, in looking after the details of the garden, usually sees to it that there is an abundant yield of high quality vegetables for the immediate table use during the spring and summer and a sufficient supply of cabbage, cel- ery, squash and roots for the winter. This may also be partly true of the city garden if properly managed. One of the worst and commonest enemies of the gardens near the country is the rabbit. He may be kept out by the use of a close mesh wire, embedded in the soil at least two inches and high enough to keep him from jumping over. 'A trench may be dug about the garden, the wire made secure on strong posts, and the soil I PRACTICAL GARDENING replaced. This will prevent the rabbit from burrowing under the fence, which may also be made beautiful as suggested in a previous par- agraph. Powdered arsenate dusted on the lower leaves when they are moist will destroy the rabbits, but it is not generally recom- mended. If in both village and suburb the owners of property will cooperate the entire commun- ity may not only be made productive but beau- tiful. Organize a garden club, get practical men to suggest the places in which to plant such permanent crops as asparagus or rhubarb and also trees and small fruits, and to give talks and demonstrate the planting and culture of annual crops. One man may be successful in raising strawberries, another apples, and still another root crops, etc. Get acquainted and exchange experiences; it is the best indication of progressive, practical gardening. THE RURAL OR FARM GARDEN The rural or farm garden varies in size from 8 BACK YARD GARDENS a hundred by two hundred feet or less to one- half an acre or more. There are two general requirements, and the first is to have the garden near the kitchen. The housewife and the far- mer look after the kitchen crops after work hours, and if it is close to the house it usually receives more attention. The second require- ment is a fence to keep out calves, chickens and other farm animals, as well as rabbits and woodchucks. The soil is usually good, and there is always plenty of manure available to aid in changing the physical conditions and to enrich it. It is almost always plowed instead of being spaded. Horse cultivation is practiced, therefore the space between the rows is from three to four feet. Economy in labor is one of the most impor- tant factors in the rural garden; but if the farmer were to consider the money value of the fresh vegetables used during the growing sea- son and the vegetables stored away for winter, he would find that his quarter of an acre was 9 PRACTICAL GARDENING more profitable than any other strip of land of the same size on his farm. The four principles to be considered in any Home Garden are (1) a sufficient supply of vegetables and fruits for summer and winter, (2) a continuous succession of crops that keeps the soil producing throughout the growing sea- son, (3) economy in labor and especially culti- vation, (4) maintenance of the productivity of the soil by the proper application of manure. If these are carefully considered and practiced all soils may be made to produce. CHAPTER II THE SOIL AND HOW TO MAKE IT The soil is alive. Treat it as you would a living thing. Prepare it for its life's work and get acquainted with its good and bad characteristics. In other words, make a friend of the soil. NO matter what your soil may be, clay, loam, sand, or muck, you may have a garden and raise certain varieties of vegetables successfully. There are several points of preparation that must be considered before the planting operations begin, and one of the most important is drainage. No soil that has standing water on it can support the growth of vegetables, because the air is shut out and disease and decay are common where there is excess moisture. If your lot is low and there seems no place to run the tile, dig a hole four feet in diameter and ten feet deep in the center 11 PRACTICAL GARDENING of your garden. Fill this to within three feet of the surface with stone and run the tile about twelve inches below the surface of the soil, SAND THE SOU TEXTURE LOAM CLAY TEMPERATURE 57 P MUCK TO r MOISTU MOISTURE 40 F DISTURB 48 P DRAINED F NO DRAINAGE WATER-HOLDING POWER OF 100 POUNDS OF SOIL FIG. 2. — The water-holding power and temperature vary according to the texture of the soil and both play an important part in the growth and the time the plant matures. slanting the tile so that it empties against the stones. Cover the top of the stone with stiff clay for about twelve inches and the remaining 12 THE SOIL two feet with garden loam. This blind drain, as it is called, will take care of the surplus water and there is no unsightly pool to spoil the looks of your garden. In order to get the best results from your garden, the type of soil and its treatment as well as the varieties of vegetables best suited to the various kinds of soil should be con- sidered, also the methods of treating the soil at different seasons of the year in order to get the highest production should be given care- ful attention. Don't try to work the soil too early in the spring or directly after a heavy rain. When- ever the soil is worked it should drop freely from the spade or "scour" of the plowshare. All soils should be made fine, not only on the surface but from eight to ten inches in depth before planting. Many gardens fail because the soil is poorly prepared. The soil is the bed in which the seed gives birth to new life and is finally the home of the plant. In order to have quality as well as quantity it is neces- 13 PRACTICAL GARDENING sary to make this home comfortable for the plant by supplying moisture, air and sufficient food for growth. The foundation of success in gardening is therefore the proper prepara- tion of the soil before planting. The sod should not be stripped from the surface of your new garden. It is the most valuable kind of fertilizer, in that it not only adds plant food but changes the texture of the soil. Turn the sod under early in the spring so that it has a chance to decay before planting the seed. If the sod is turned over and the rough, large clods are left exposed to the elements, both the air and moisture will hasten decay and after a week the soil may be made fine in order to proceed with the garden operations. The more decaying plants you can incorporate into the soil in the form of straw in manure and sod, the better chance the plants have during a drought, for this humus acts like a sponge in holding the mois- ture and if the surface soil is kept fine the moisture does not escape. 14 THE SOIL The ideal location and the ideal soil are exceptional, but we may approach the ideal by working for it. The southern slope is the best for early vegetables, since it gets the early morning sun and if the soil is of a sandy formation it warms up quickly. The northern exposure with a clay loam is best for late crops in that it keeps cool, and this is important for such crops as cabbage. A flat strip of land is not at all objectionable and, if treated prop- erly, it may be made to produce regardless of the original type of soil. Clay. There are three different types of clay — blue, yellow, and red, and no one of them is desirable if very stiff. If a heavy coating of straw manure is applied late in the fall and the soil is left in the rough clods after plowing or spading, the frosts and snows work wonders. The elements break up this stiff soil and early in the spring the soil is again worked over and made fine. Adding well de- cayed manure in the fall is not generally ad- vised because the available plant food will be 15 KEY To PLATE I FIG. 3. — Clay soil. This sample of clay was taken from a well tilled garden. Rough as it may seem, it is in fair condition for planting. FIG. 4. — Garden loam. Rich in humus and plant food. The best soil for general gardening. FIG. 5. — Sand. Note the lack of any humus. FIG. 6. — Muck soil. Note the blackness of the soil and the vegetable matter not yet decayed. PLATE I FIG. 3. FIG. 4. FIG. 5. FIG. (j. THE SOIL dissipated and lost by spring, but the con- tinual freezing and thawing of rough straw manure and the clods of clay will change the texture of the soil and make it very produc- tive. Straw manure also prevents clay soil from running together and puddling in low places. Work the decayed manure into the first three or four inches of surface soil in the spring. Coal ashes are not generally advisable even though they are sifted very fine. There is little or no plant food in them and if they are used in excess the soil dries out quickly and the plants suffer during the months of July and August. On the other hand, some clay soils have been benefited by the use of a little ashes and air-slaked lime, worked into the soil in the fall. Clay soil is cool and usually rich in plant food but it is only made available by continual cultivation, by the exposure of the soil par- ticles to the elements and by adding horse, sheep and cow manures. 17 PRACTICAL GARDENING A loose clay loam is by far the best soil for cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and endive. If the clay is loamy and supplied with sufficient plant food, it may raise almost any garden crop except sweet potatoes, musk- melons and watermelons. Garden Loam. Garden loam is by far the most desirable type of soil in that it usually contains considerable humus. The particles are fine and therefore the air gets into it, so it may be worked early in the spring and a short time after a rain. It is always bene- fited if left in the rough during the winter and heavily coated with manure in the spring. Have the soil free from stones and made as fine as possible. Do not neglect to cultivate often, simply because the soil is loose. All varieties of vegetables and fruits do well on a well prepared and well kept garden loam. Sand. Sand is the poorest type of soil on which to make a garden for two principal rea- sons. First, it lacks plant food and secondly, it cannot retain sufficient moisture. Never- 18 THE SOIL theless, if the sand is not too rough, it may be made to produce by applying three to four inches of horse manure where straw has been used for bedding. Work this into the sand in the fall and make another application in the spring, and after a few years there will be added sufficient humus to make a really good garden soil. Nothing is better than to sow a crop of clover where there is sufficient plant food and moisture to support it, and this is usually possible the third year after applying manure to the sand. After the clover reaches a height of six inches, spade or plow it into the soil. The clover supplies some of the much needed nitrogen as well as humus. A sandy loam is the best soil for early crops of peas, beets, radishes, or string beans, and is especially adapted to sweet potatoes, musk- melons and watermelons. These crops may be aided by the use of commercial fertilizers and a continual application of water during the dry months. Muck. Muck soil is seldom found in home 19 PRACTICAL GARDENING gardens but it is sometimes introduced. It is a common mistake to think, because the soil is black, that it is rich in plant food. Of course, muck is rich in nitrogen because it is almost wholly made up of decayed and de- caying vegetable matter which supplies avail- able nitrogen if the soil is properly drained, and cultivated; but it lacks the other two neces- sary chemicals, phosphoric acid and potash. These, however, may be supplied as advised in the following chapter. Muck soil is especially adapted to the cul- ture of lettuce, onions, and celery. The three principal practices to be considered in hand- ling muck are to drain, to supply needed food, and to cultivate frequently. The Compost Heap. Where plants are started early in the spring in the greenhouse, hotbed, or in pots or boxes in a sunny window, good soil is needed and this is usually hard to get because of the weather. For seed, the compost soil is not necessary, but for trans- planting from the seed bed into pots, straw- 20 THE SOIL berry baskets or flats, soil properly mixed with manure is invaluable. The soil for seed flats may be kept in the cellar, shed or tool house, thawed out and made fine when needed. Wherever the compost heap is to be started, the location must be well drained. Secure sod on which clover has been grown, when- ever possible, but any sod may do. Invert the sod, grass side down, and build up about six inches of sod, then six inches of well de- cayed manure and again six inches of sod and garden loam. With each application of manure add a liberal amount of bone meal. After the pile has reached a height of four feet, cover it over with inverted sod and al- low it to stand for two or three months, then chop up the sod and mix the soil, sod and manure. Turn the pile over at least three times before using, and then you will be sure to have mixed the fertilizers and soils equally. Early in the spring is the best time to make the compost, after the grass and clover have 21 PRACTICAL GARDENING reached a height of two or three inches. By August or September the soil may be mixed and put in a place where it may be had be- fore the frost and snows have passed. Do not allow the compost heap to dry out but never use dish water to wet it down. The lye from the soap and the grease in the water are both objectionable. Never mix garbage with soil. It has a tendency to make it sour and is also slow to decay. If the soil is a clay formation or a little sour, as shown by the growth of moss on it, add a little lime to the layers of soil but do not add lime to the manure. Many gardeners who have only a small space, construct a compost heap in the fall and use it as a top dressing on the soil in the early spring. Sometimes, when a load or two of manure may be had in the fall and you have no place to keep it, a compost heap is most advisable. The fertilizers are retained in the soil and a large per cent, of the gases set free by decomposition is retained by the moisture. 22 THE SOIL Wherever wood ashes are available, these may be scattered on the layers of soil. DO'S AND DON'T'S IN MAKING THE SOIL Don'ft Don't try to raise plants where the soil is poorly drained. Don't strip the sod from the surface of a new garden. Don't add a great quantity of ashes to the soil. Don't smooth the surface of clay soil in the fall after digging or plowing. Don't try to work the soil when it is wet. Don't rob the soil; apply manure each year. Don't expect crops suited to a sandy loam to grow well in clay. Don't fail to add humus and plant food to sand. Don't let the soil get so dry that the plants wilt. Don't think because the soil is black that it is rich. Don't fail to get acquainted with the needs of your soil. Don't throw dish water or garbage on the compost heap. Do's Drain the soil if necessary. Add humus in the form of manure to all soil. Plow or spade from six to ten inches in depth. Apply water only when necessary and do not puddle the soil. Work the cultivator. A dust mulch on the surface of the soil will help to retain the moisture. Work with the soil, in the soil, and for the soil and you will get results. CHAPTER III FERTILIZERS AND HOW TO USE THEM A comfortable home, food, water, fresh air and sun- shine are as necessary to plant growth as they are to the health and happiness of any human being. SCIENTIFICALLY, we recognize at least ten elements necessary for plant growth and the maturing of a crop. The three most important of these may be secured from the soil, air and water. These three elements, which must be present in any soil in sufficient quantities and in an available form to insure success, are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potas- sium. No one of these may be left out or the crop will suffer, if indeed, it matures at all. The important points to consider are the various soils and what they lack and the differ- ent crops that need these three elements in certain proportions in order to produce a maxi- 24 FERTILIZERS mum yield. This plant food may be secured from different sources. Tillage alone will not render sufficient available plant food to ma- ture a perfect crop in the average soil, there- fore the direct application of plant food in the form of animal manures, green manures, or commercial fertilizers, is necessary in every well managed garden. Stable manure is without doubt the most valuable source of plant food for all soils and all classes of vegetables. Stable manure, if added each year, will not only be a continual source of plant food but will change the physi- cal condition of the soil, while commercial fer- tilizers may show marked effects quickly but are often disastrous if wrongly applied. Few gardens are large enough to grow a crop of clover or other plants, which may be turned under in one or two years, though this man- agement is one of the most valuable sources of plant food as well as a benefit to the texture of the soil. Fresh manure, especially where the animals 25 PRACTICAL GARDENING have been bedded with straw, is good to apply in the fall, plowed into the soil, with the ridged furrows left for the elements to work on. Well decayed manure may be applied to the same soil, from a thin scattering to two inches over the surface, and worked into the first four inches with the digging fork or disk har- row. The young seedlings come in direct con- tact with this source of plant food at the be- ginning of their growth, which is very impor- tant especially with early crops. Horse manure is loose in texture and one of the best manures for the vegetable and fruit garden, providing straw has been used for bed- ding. Manure mixed with shavings is objec- tionable. It is slow to decompose and in some cases the turpentine and resin in the chips of wood have a decidedly bad effect on the soil. Horse manure mixed with bone meal, dried blood or tankage is made more valuable as a lasting supply of plant food. If the manure from young horses, fed oats and bedded in straw, is kept moist and applied 26 FERTILIZERS to the soil when it is partly decayed, the tem- perature of the soil is sometimes raised three degrees, which means a rapid growth of early spring crops like beets, lettuce, radishes, peas, etc. Horse manure which separates in thin sheet- like layers and has a gray appearance, should never be used. Manure in this condition is "burned" and the food value is lacking. Manure should never be left in a pile out of doors over winter. If a shed is not available make a compost heap, and if both are impossi- ble cover the manure pile with soil so as to prevent the loss of ammonia. Cow manure is very valuable, even though it is not as heating as horse manure. It is a slow-acting manure and especially valuable for cabbage. In fact, well decayed cow manure applied near the time of planting will be of great value to any crop. Liquid manure is made from fresh cow manure and water. The stock solution may be made in a barrel by mixing the fresh manure 27 PRACTICAL GARDENING with water and allowing it to stand for three to five days. During this time the fermentation will cause a thick scum to form on the surface which should be removed. The solution should be stirred at least once each day during this period and always before using. The liquid should look like a weak tea which may be made by diluting the stock solution with water. Al- ways keep a lid on the barrel so as to prevent insects from breeding in the solution, as well as to keep in the odors which practically dis- appear after a few days. No manure is so cheap or so valuable as liquid manure for a crop of maturing strawberries, peas, beans and other vegetables and fruits, if applied just be- fore a rain or watering. The rural and subur- ban gardens are best situated for the construc- tion of a liquid manure tank, while the city gar- dens must necessarily depend on some other source for fertilizers. Hog manure is sometimes applied, espe- cially in the rural home gardens. It is slow in action and generates very little heat. It 28 FERTILIZERS is foul and is not generally used. It also en- courages general root diseases, such as the club root of cabbage. Sheep manure decomposes and heats rapidly. It contains a great amount of nitrogen and may be obtained at any seed house, pulverized and dry. A little of this fertilizer, scattered along a row of onions after they appear above the ground and worked into the soil just be- fore a rain, is most valuable. A teaspoonful, applied to each hole and mixed a little with the soil before head lettuce is transplanted, will quickly give results. Also, a little applied to hills of corn will show a marked effect. In fact almost every vegetable will respond quickly to sheep manure, and it is strongly advised if used sparingly because it is available, easy to handle and inexpensive, compared to commercial fertilizers. Hen manure is one of the most valuable of all animal manures, since it contains a large per cent, of potash, phosphoric acid, and ni- trogen. No manure can equal it for onions. 29 PRACTICAL GARDENING Of course, it must be handled with great care and applied very sparingly. It is not an easy matter to apply hen manure on account of the moisture in it, but if kept in a dry place, mixed with a limited amount of sifted coal ashes or dry soil and pulverized as much as possible, it may be scattered along the rows of growing vegetables, or applied to the hills of beans or corn. COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS All stable manures must undergo a change in decomposition or fermentation before the food is available for the plant, while many of the commercial fertilizers go into solution quickly in combination with water and are im- mediately available as food for the plant. The slow growth of beets, lettuce and other crops often develops fiber and the vegetable is tough or woody, while a little application of nitro- gen, in the form of nitrate of soda, would hasten the crop and prevent the growth of the woody fiber. Also late crops may often be 30 FERTILIZERS successfully matured by the use of commercial fertilizers before the frost checks all growth. Nitrogen may be secured in the form of ni- trate of soda and is valuable according to its availability. It is a leaf builder and should be applied sparingly just before a rain as it is readily soluble. In dry weather a furrow may be drawn close to the growing plants, one or two inches in depth, and a little of the nitrate of soda scattered in it; then cover the furrow as you would seed. The mositure from the soil will dissolve the soda and the plant soon makes use of it. Nitrate of soda may be dissolved in water, one ounce to one gallon of water, and applied sparingly before watering the garden. The salt in crystal or liquid should never come in contact with the foliage. If it does and the sun is bright, the leaves will burn and turn brown in blotches. There is one exception to this and that is cabbage. Nitrogen may be secured in dried blood, ground fish, tankage, bone meal, cotton seed 31 PRACTICAL GARDENING meal, and Peruvian guano, but for the quick- est and best results nitrate of soda is the best source of this most valuable fertilizer. There are no rules as to the frequency of ap- plication, as it all depends on the health of the plant and the desired results looked for, but one thing that must be remembered is that fer- tilizer must be applied in very small quantities. If the leaves of peas or beans or other plants are turning yellow before the crop has matured the crop is calling for nitrogen. Any fertilizer containing available nitrogen is especially valu- able for lettuce, endive, celery, onions and other stem or leaf crops. Phosphoric acid if lacking in the soil will cause the crop to mature slowly and may in some instances cause a complete failure. This is the ripening element and may be secured in raw or steamed bone meal, rock phosphate, or Thomas slag, all of which vary in the available phosphoric acid. The rate of application de- pends on the character of the soil, sandy and muck soil usually requiring more phosphoric 32 FERTILIZERS acid than clay or garden loam. It is always better to apply it with care, watch results, and keep a record for reference. A good gardener must know the needs of his soil as well as the varieties of plants best suited for his location. Potash is often lacking in sandy and muck soils. In fact there are few soils that do not need it, especially where such crops as turnips, carrots, parsnips, and radish are grown. This element is the skeleton or fiber builder of the plant. There are four principal sources from which it may be secured, muriate and sulphate of potash, kainit, containing about twelve per cent potash, and wood ashes, containing from four to six per cent potash. The muriate of potash is considered the best for fruit crops and for general purposes in the vegetable gar- den but the sulphate of potash has long been considered the most desirable for potatoes. Unleached wood ashes are doubtless the cheapest and easiest source of potash to secure and may be applied freely to the soil without 33 PRACTICAL GARDENING doing any harm. Wood ashes, with a little Paris green mixed into them, may be dusted on cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins to pre- vent the striped beetle and at the same time enrich the soil. Kainit is sometimes used freely on root crops and asparagus. Lime is not a fertilizer but it is important in the growth of vegetables since it is better for all vegetables to have the soil slightly alka- line rather than acid. Lime favors the growth of micro-organisms which are beneficial. It changes the physical condition of the soil, makes certain types of plant food available and promotes the decomposition of vegetable mat- ter. A little lime each year, applied in the early spring, will benefit especially soils of a clay formation. Sand is also benefited by the use of lime, which has a tendency to hold the loose particles together, and in this way the sand retains more moisture. From fifteen to thirty-five Ibs. per square rod will sweeten a sour or acid soil and aid it to be productive. 34 FERTILIZERS POINTS ABOUT MANURES WORTH KNOWING Never apply fresh manure to growing crops. Never allow animal manures to be exposed to the open air. An appreciable amount of plant food is lost in the form of gas. Manure from young animals is better than manure from old animals. By applying coarse, fresh manure to the soil and plow- ing or spading it under, leaving the soil in the rough, you can change the texture of the soil. The rate of applying any manure depends on the texture of the soil, the need for plant food, the kind of food available in the soil, the age of the manure, and the requirements of the crop. If stable manure is supplemented with commercial fer- tilizers, less stable manure is necessary. Mix bone meal and a very little coarse salt to horse ma- nure to make it more valuable as a plant food. Never scatter nitrate of soda on the foliage. There is less danger in applying too little commercial fertilizers than in applying too much. Never try to substitute lime for any fertilizer. It is not a fertilizer. Never leave the lid off the liquid manure barrel. Frequent cultivation will make the plant food in the soil available. Plants, like children, cannot stand over- or under- feeding. Know the food values of manures and only apply them when needed. 35 PRACTICAL GARDENING THE PLANT FOODS Select one fertilizer from each group and work it well into the soil PLANT FOOD NECESSARY FERTILIZER OR SOURCE AMOUNT PER SQUARE ROD HINTS Nitrogen — Leaf builder Nitrate of Soda 2 Ibs. Apply before a rain For solution, especially for plants (Let>- tuce) 1% Ib. to 14 gals, water. Potash — Stem builder Kainit Sulphate of Potash Wood 1 Ha'd As^s }-f sy2 ibs. 2 Ibs. Apply freely Very difficult to secure Buy early Phosphoric acid — Fruit builder Ground rock acid phosphate Dissolved bone Basic Slag 5 Ibs. 2 Ibs. 5 Ibs. The dissolved bone meal is considered the best. Make your own se- lection CHAPTER IV TOOLS AND HOW TO USE THEM To use a hoe or rake properly is an art as well as a science. THERE is a great variety of tools adapt- able to pruning, spraying, planting, transplanting, and cultivating, but a few good tools put to the proper use in the right way will be sufficient for most of the practical back- yard gardens. One tool may be used for sev- eral different kinds of work in the garden. For example, the rake may be used to smooth the surface of the soil preparatory to sowing the seed, covering the seed, cultivation, and raking the ripe onions into rows to dry. It is just as important to know how to handle tools properly as it is to know the proper depth to plant seeds. A crop may be spoiled by the wrong method of cultivation. Beets partly matured may be destroyed if the beet is injured 37 PRACTICAL GARDENING by the scuffle hoe, which is used to cut the weeds off below the surface of the soil; or the roots of corn may be partly destroyed by a deep, close cultivation with the Norcross weeder. Never select combination tools such as rake and hoe in one. Why lose energy by carrying a hoe about all day when using the rake and vice versa. The metal put in these combina- tion tools is usually very poor and the work that should be done well with an implement suited to the work, is poorly done with these "get more for your money" tools which are ex- pensive even when given away. The same argument holds good in pruning saws. The saw with teeth on both edges is known as "The wrath of God" saw and should never be used. This double edged tool, if used in a crotch to remove one of the branches, bruises and injures the other. Get good tools, the work will be done bet- ter and the results in growth and appearance of the garden will be marked. You save energy and the tools last longer. 88 TOOLS FIG. 7. — The right way to spade. In this position the force of the whole body goes into the operation through arms and foot^ spading becomes easy instead of tiresome, and good results are sure to follow. The Spade or Spading Fork. The large steel spade is not necessary if a strong, well constructed spading fork may be had. The prongs should be straight and fastened by two 39 PRACTICAL GARDENING FIG 8. — The wrong way to spade. Notice the posi- tion of the foot. This method is tiresome and develops serious pain in the instep. The spade should be forced into the soil, not by the foot but by the whole body. steel plates on the upper and lower side of the short handle. In using the spading fork, do not strike the freshly turned clods, especially if they are stiff clay, with the back of the 40 TOOLS prongs, strike the soil with the outer prong in order to pulverize it and there will be less danger of breaking the handle. Hoe. There is no garden implement in FIG. 9.— "Safety First/' The right way to leave the rake and hoe. which there is a greater variety of forms than is found in the hoe. The combination hoes and rakes should always be discarded. It is not necessary to buy a large hoe for gen- eral purposes, for the light square blade hoe may be used not only to destroy weeds but also to make furrows in which to plant seed. Keep a medium sized flat file with you and keep the hoe sharp. If the soil is a little moist and it sticks to the blade, strike the back of the hoe lightly on a stone and the jar will clean off the soil. If you desire more than one hoe, the large 41 PRACTICAL GARDENING or heavy hoe is useful for a heavy hoeing. The half -moon light hoe is best for general pur- poses. The scuffle hoe is most useful in light soil to destroy weeds just as they are breaking FIG 10. — The wrong way to leave the rake and hoe when not in use. through the soil. The Warren hoe is especially useful in drawing furrows. The potato hoe made of four strong prongs is useful for dig- ging potatoes but the spading fork may be used to better advantage with less loss of energy. For general purposes one light hoe will answer the need of the average home garden. Weeders and Cultivators. The Norcross weeder is the best implement for general culti- vation and weeding in a small garden. Every garcjeuer should own one. The soil is made TOOLS fine by the proper use of this implement in cultivating between the rows of vegetables very early in their growth. It may also be used in stirring the soil to a depth of two inches before sowing the seed or transplanting. The double and single wheel cultivators are valuable not only because they are used to de- stroy weeds and cultivate the soil but because they save energy and time. There are several adjustable parts to each implement, such as a small plow, cultivators of various shapes, and hoes. A garden of one half an acre or more is sufficient land to make such an implement most useful. In using it, stand up to the handles and take short steps, forcing the culti- vator forward with each step or drawing it toward you, then backing it a few inches before the next step is taken. There are many types of hand weeders, but the Eureka, having three steel prongs, bent like fingers in the act of scratching, is consid- ered one of the best. It is light and often used to stir the soil as well as destroy the weeds. 43 PRACTICAL GARDENING The Yoder's hand weeder is similar in form only that it is larger, with four fingers and a longer handle. The Excelsior weeder has five Fio 11. — The right way to push a seeder or hand- cultivator. Stand up to the machine and push it with your body, not your arms. More force and less fatigue. short fingers and is excellent for surface cul- tivation. Both the Hazeltine and Lang weed- ers are made of a flat piece of metal formed to 44 TOOLS make a flat blade with the tip turned up. The knife or blade is forced below the surface and close to the plant, cutting off the young weeds. FIG 12. — The wrong way to push a seeder or hand- cultivator. It is almost impossible to control the direc- tion of the machine and the operator tires quickly. Seeders are used only in large gardens but may be bought with the cultivator attachments. The seeder and cultivator cost about $12, but it is money well invested. 45 PRACTICAL GARDENING Bakes differ in size, number of teeth, shape and closeness of teeth and also in length of teeth. The best garden rake is made of solid FIG. 13. — The right way to hold a rake. The body is free to do its share of the work and the arms have perfect control in forcing the teeth of the rake into the soil. steel, fifteen and one-half inches in width, with sixteen curved teeth two and one-half inches in length. The handle should be white ash 46 TOOLS and from five to six feet long. The rake is valuable not only in preparing the seed bed and in covering seed but also for cultivation in FIG 14. — The wrong way to hold a rake while raking the soil. Compare the position of the hands with those in Fig. 13 where all of the rake handle is in use. forming a fine dust mulch over the surface by breaking up the particles of soil. 'A Garden Line is necessary to any well ar- 47 PRACTICAL GARDENING ranged garden and is best kept on a galvanized metal reel which may be bought for from 50^ to $1.50. A strong hemp line will last for many years if kept dry. If wrapped on the reel wet it will knot and warp. If the rows are long, spring the line by lifting it some dis- tance from the reel or peg and let it spring back into position. In this way the line if kept tight will not catch on stones and soil and cause the furrow to be crooked. A Watering Can is valuable especially in the early spring for watering the seed beds as well as the young transplanted seedlings. A gal- vanized can holding about twelve quarts is a fair size. There should be two adjustable sprinkler ends, coarse and fine. For watering individual plants, such as cabbage, both of these may be removed and the spout used, but care should be exercised not to dash the soil away from the roots or to puddle it. In using the watering can get the water to the roots; sprinkling the surface of the soil means nothing to the plant and often causes the soil to bake. 48 TOOLS Spraying equipment for the control of in- sects may be simple and inexpensive yet effec- tive. If there are only vegetables and small fruits to spray, a brass hand atomizer holding from one to two quarts of spray material is large enough. For fruit trees a compressed knapsack or bucket sprayer holding from five to ten gallons is best. The Bidwell air sprayer, fitted with the Winkle-mist nozzle will cost about $15.00 while the Auto spray with nozzle costs only $7.00. The Deming Knapsack Sprayer, copper tank holding about five gallons, costs about $14.50. For the home garden orchard any of the Iron Age, Simplex or Paragon barrel sprayers are satisfactory. They range in price from $20.00 to $35.00. Always strain the liquid, keep the nozzles clean and wash out the pump before storing the sprayer for winter. Pruning tools should be made of the best steel, kept clean and always sharp. The saw is the most important for large trees. The two-edged saw should never be 49 PRACTICAL GARDENING used in cutting off a limb, especially in a crotch. While removing the one limb the upper teeth are injuring the other limb. A good saw for small limbs should be twenty-four inches long, three to four inches wide at the butt, with five to seven teeth per inch. If the saw gets gummy clean it with kerosene. Before doing any pruning in the spring have the saw sharp- ened and reset. Next in importance in the pruning equip- ment are the pruning shears. Never buy a cheap pair of shears; the steel is poor and the blade does not keep an edge, therefore the work is done poorly. Either the French or Swiss pruning shears are good, costing about $1.75 per pair. The Telegraph or Water's pruners are most unsatisfactory since the operator is too far away from his work to see what he is doing. If the pruning shears tear, but do not cut clean, have them sharpened and also have the nut on the side holding the blades together tightened. 50 TOOLS TOOLS FOR A LARGE GARDEN In the preparation of larger gardens a good surface plow should be used first, then the disk harrow, and the land finally smoothed with a spike tooth harrow. If clods are to be broken up there is nothing better than a heavy wooden planker. Before the seed is sown the land is rolled but for the average city or suburban garden not all of these operations are possible. TOOLS FOR OPERATING THE HOME GARDEN Spading fork $1.00 Hoe (7 inches) 60 Rake (steel bow) 15 teeth 70 Double wheel cultivator 5.00 Single garden reel, 120 ft. Italian hemp 1.60 Auto spray (galvanized iron) 5.00 Galvanized Watering Can (12 quarts) 80 Hand Weeder 25 Total $14.95 A garden trowel which is sometimes useful in trans- planting (25^) and also a hotbed soil thermometer ($1.00) may be added to the above list. But few home gardens have hotbeds though they are most valuable and highly recommended. 51 PRACTICAL GARDENING TWENTY RULES FOR HANDLING TOOLS 1. Don't hang up a dirty tool. Clean it. 2. Put each tool in its proper place. Get the habit. S. Don't leave soil or manure in the wheelbarrow over night. Oil the wheel if it needs it. When not using the sides, lean them upright against some object. Don't forget where you left them. It looks careless. 4. Don't buy a heavy hoe, so that it will last for years. Use a light hoe and save your back. Good judg- ment. * 5. Do not chop weeds with the hoe. Keep the blade close to the surface of the ground. Save energy. 6. Don't buy combination tools. They are hard to handle and often made of poor steel. You can use only one tool at a time. Why carry others with you all day? Common sense. 7. The hoe and rake should be held firmly with the right hand over the handle. Balance the instru- ment with the left hand and take short strokes with both tools. For raking grass or hay, shift the right hand to the underside of the handle. The best practice. ^W* 8. Do not injure vegetables, such as beets and carrots, with the hoe. If you do, the wound will show on harvesting the crop. Sins will out. 9. Don't bend the body too far forward while raking or hoeing. Stand erect. 10. Stand up to, and between the handles of the wheel cultivator or mowing-machine. Push the imple- 52 TOOLS ment with your body, not your arms. Save your strength. 11. Test the seeder before using. Gage it properly by running it over a clean board or paper to observe distribution of seed. Never leave seed in the planter over winter. Shows neglect. 12. Oil the mowing-machine at least five times each day, if used ten hours. Clean the blades before put- ting the machine in the tool house. If the blades click adjust the blade screws before using. Don't lose time or strength. 18. While in the garden, always leave the teeth of the rake and the edge of the hoe turned down while not in use. Safety first. 14. Use a digging fork to cultivate shrubs and peren- nials. A spade cuts too many roots. Think be- fore using. 15. Keep the hatchet and the ax sharp. Protect the edge with a leather cap. Good sense. 16. Rub a little linseed oil over the steel part of each implement before storing it for the winter. Rust is waste. 17. If the pruning tools are gummy or dirty, clean them with kerosene. Clean tools equal efficiency. 18. Stamp the handle of each tool by burning your name into the wood. Know your own. 19. Don't forget and leave tools in the garden over night. Never leave the plow in the furrow for a week. Forget to forget. £0. Sweep the tool house at least each Saturday. Be clean. CHAPTER V PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN r 1 1HE plan of the consumer's garden will A differ as the individual tastes differ, but a loss of time and money will be avoided if the garden is well thought out before the planting season arrives. The assortment and continuous supply of vegetables will depend largely upon the amount of land available as well as upon the method of planning and planting. Of the two types of garden practices, intensive and exten- sive, the intensive is by far the more important and, in most cases, is necessary if the desired results are to be obtained. The intensive method of gardening, if properly planned and executed, is considered the best in suburban and city gardens especially, because the entire effort and interest is concentrated on a small 54 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN plot which may be heavily fertilized and culti- vated more often than the extensive garden. The man who plants whatever he likes when- ever he -happens to think of planting, and who buys his seeds as he needs them, is sure to come to grief before the season advances far. He often orders more seed than is necessary, plants some of his crops too early or too late in order to get the best results, and he never follows the intensive method of gardening by starting in a succeeding crop before the first crop has fully matured. A good time to begin planning the home gar- den is in January or February. Obtain seed catalogues from several reliable firms and make up your list, send your order in early, and state the time you wish the seed to be delivered. Let the seed firm keep the seed as long as pos- sible for they have conditions in which to store seed, while a few days of dampness or warmth in a steamy kitchen may spoil such seed as let- tuce and radish. In ordering early you are never disappointed in having your seeds when 55 PRACTICAL GARDENING you want them and there is seldom a mistake in filling the order, because the clerks have time to do their work carefully, while in the rush sea- son mistakes often occur. There are firms which make a specialty of certain varieties of seed, such as corn, peas, etc. Better results are obtained if such seed, full of vitality and true to name, is secured from these special firms. In going over the catalogue, select varieties that will mature at a stated time, such as early peas, corn, beets, etc., for early plant- ing, then follow with the mid-season and late varieties. With most of our vegetables the most edible stage is just before full maturity is reached. Therefore, plan to replace these crops by starting other crops to be trans- planted between the rows, or even by planting the seed before the maturing crop has been removed. It is just as important to plan for quality as it is to arrange the crops in order to have quantity. For the best planned garden it is necessary to understand the influence of temperature on 56 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN the quality and maturity of certain vegetables. For instance, it is impossible to raise radish, cabbage, turnips, and other such crops in a high temperature, while it is equally impos- sible to raise a good quality of corn, beans, cucumbers, and such tender crops in a low temperature. Vegetables are therefore classified as "hardy" and "tender" according to their de- gree of growth and quality in certain tempera- tures. Cabbage is considered a hardy veg- etable because it endures a certain amount of frost and the quality is best if grown in a cool climate and soil, while the tomato may be called "tender" because it is destroyed with the first frost and the quality is poor if the season is cool. The crops may be arranged accord- ing to the temperature desired for the best results. THREE GROUPS OF COOL-SEASON CROPS The first group consists of leaf lettuce, mus- tard, early peas, kohl-rabi, cress, radish, tur- 57 PRACTICAL GARDENING nips, early spinach and early beets. These are planted as soon as soil is fit to work. These crops mature best with an abundant supply of moisture throughout their growth which is pro- vided by the frequent spring rains. They also mature in a short period of time before the heat of summer sets in. If the seed of this group is sown late in the summer and a sufficient supply of moisture is applied during the germinating period several of these crops will mature in the fall. The second group consists of head-lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage and mid-season peas. These vegetables do best if started early, when the nights are cool. Late cabbage may be planted in July but this group makes its best growth in the autumn and after the first light frost. Early celery, if started in April, will mature before fall, providing sufficient mois- ture is available during the first part of its growth and throughout the entire season. All of these crops, though started early, endure the summer heat. 58 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN The third group consists of what is known as "long season crops," or those making a strong root growth during the cool, moist spring, en- during the summer heat, and maturing in the summer and autumn. This group includes carrots, parsnips, salsify, beets, leeks, onions, early potatoes, Swiss chard, kale, New Zealand spinach, parsley, Brussels sprouts and upland cress. The two common garden perennials, as- paragus and rhubarb, are also included in this group. TWO GROUPS OF WARM SEASON CROPS The first group consists of those vegetables with a sufficiently short period of growth to enable them to mature during the warm weather; sweet corn, cucumbers, string beans, muskmelons, watermelons, squash, Lima beans, pumpkins, okra, all of which should be planted after the soil is warm. While these crops need the spring rains yet they will not grow successfully if planted when the soil is 59 PRACTICAL GARDENING cold and the atmospheric temperature is low. The second crop includes tomatoes, egg- plants, peppers, and sweet potatoes. All of these vegetables do best in a high temperature. On account of the long period of growth neces- sary to mature these crops, they must be started under glass (greenhouse, hotbed or a well lighted window) . The moisture supply should be considered in planning the garden. If part of the garden is moist all season, such crops as potatoes, beans or peas should not be planted in such soil, while cabbage, celery or onions do their best in a moist cool soil. Moist soil does not mean a wet soil, for no vegetable will thrive where the water becomes stagnant. If radish and lettuce are planted during a drought they not only lose their flavor and crispness but they seldom mature suffic- iently to make them worth while for table use. In planning your garden consider the mois- ture content of the soil in reference to its use 60 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN in aiding germination, rapid growth and the maturity of the plant. Rows running north and south get the sun on the east side of the plant in the morning and on the west side in the afternoon. But as a matter of fact, practical gardeners are not so particular how the rows run on level ground so long as the sun is not shut off from the plants by tall objects such as a well, trees, or shrubs. The following list of vegetables and the names of satisfactory varieties may be of aid in making your selection of seeds from the cat- alogues. Other varieties may be just as satis- factory and each gardener is advised to work out for himself those varieties best suited to his soil, climatic conditions, and individual taste. PERENNIALS Asparagus. — Strong, well-developed, two-year-old roots of Argenteuil, Palmetto, or Conover's Colossal. Horse-radish. — Sets of Bohemian. Rhubarb. — Linnaeus or Victoria. 61 PRACTICAL GARDENING Artichokes. — Green Globe — which is cultivated for its flower heads being cooked as asparagus — is the variety most commonly desired. If the edible part wanted is the root, Jerusalem is the variety to use. Plant the latter variety one foot apart in the row, and the former three feet apart. ANNUALS Beans, all dwarfs, Green Snap. — Six Weeks and Giant Stringless Green-pod Valentine are very early. Beans, all dwarfs, shell. — Dwarf Horticultural, The Goddard, and Bush Lima. Beans, all dwarfs, yellow, or wax. — Wardwell's Kidney Wax, Golden Wax, Stringless Refugee Wax, and others are good. Beets, early. — Crosby Egyptian, Early Eclipse. The former is very desirable. Beets, late. — Edmond's Blood for a standard, Detroit Dark Red of a deep, blood-red color. Brussels sprouts. — Long Island and Danish are very good. Cabbage, early. — Early Jersey Wakefield, Early Erfurt. Cabbage, late. — All Seasons, Danish Ball Head, Volga, Drumhead. Extra Choice Drumhead Savoy is a very fancy cabbage. Cabbage, red.— Red Dutch, Red Rock, Red Erfurt. Carrots, one-half long. — Danvers One Half Long, Chan- tenay One Half Long, Ox-heart. Carrots, long. — Danvers, Long Orange. Cauliflower. — Snow-ball, Erfurt. Celeriac. — Apple Shape. 62 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN Celery, early. — Golden Self-blanching. Celery, late. — Self -blanching, Winter Queen, Kalama- zoo, Boston Market, Giant Pascal. Chard, Swiss. — Order by name only, or variety Giant Lucullus. Corn, early. — Metropolitan, Adam's, Cory, Aristocrat. Corn, mid-season. — Quincy, Market, Golden Bantam, Black Mexican, Country Gentleman. Corn, late. — Stowell's Evergreen, some of the mid-season varieties planted later. Cucumbers. — Arlington White Spine, Davis, Cool and Crisp, Fordhook. Eggplant, early. — Black Beauty, New York or Long Island Improved, Black Pekin. Endive. — White Curled, Batavian. Kohl-rabi.— Early White or Purple Vienna. Leek. — Giant Carentan, American Flag. Lettuce, forcing. — For forcing in hotbed, Hittinger's Forcing. Lettuce (head). — Belmont Mammoth, Salamander, Big Boston, All Heart. Lettuce (loose leaf); — Grand Rapids, Early Curled Simpson and Silesian. Lettuce (Summer). — Hanson Improved and Iceberg. Lettuce (Cos). — Kingsholm Cos, Paris White Cos. Musk-melons. — Rocky Ford, Jenhy Lind, Gem, Miller Cream, Hackensack. Onions, yellow. — Danvers, Southport, Prize-taker, Australian Brown. Onions, red. — Wethersfield, Danvers, Southport. Onions, white. — Southport. 63 PRACTICAL GARDENING Onions, top. — Plant in the fall, harvest in the spring. Multiplier and Egyptian. Parsnips. — Hollow Crown. Peas, early, dwarf. — Surprise, Gradus, Alaska, Gem, Eureka, Nott's Excelsior. Peas, mid-Season, dwarf. — Thomas Laxton, American Wonder, Early Morn, Admiral Dewey, Abundance. Peas, late, Dwarf, Telephone. Champion of England is a tall grower on mellow soil. Substitute the Dwarf Champion for better results in the very small gar- dens; yet there is no better yielder on the market than Champion of England. Dwarf White Sugar. Peppers. — Chinese Giant, Ruby King, Red Cayenne. Potatoes, early. — Bliss Triumph, Early Rose, Early Northern, Early Ohio. Potatoes, late. — Carman 3, Rural New Yorker, Sir Walter Raleigh, Irish Cobbler, Green Mountain, State of Maine. Pumpkins. — Sugar, Quaker Pie, Cashaw. Radish, early. — Cardinal Globe, Crimson Giant, French Breakfast. Radish, summer. — Beckert's Chartier, Icicle. Radish, winter. — Long Black Spanish, Celestial, Long White Spanish, Scarlet China. Salsify. — Sandwich Island, Long White. Spinach. — Giant Thick Leaf, Long Season, New Zealand. Squash, early .—White Bush, Crook Neck. Squash, late. — Hubbard, English Marrow, Boston Mar- row, Delicious. 64 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN Tomatoes. — Earliana, Bonnie Best, Chalk's Jewel, Model, Ponderoso, Stone, Champion. Turnips, early. — White Milan, Purple Top Milan, Snow- ball. Turnips, late. — American Rutabaga, White Rock, White ARRANGEMENT OF GARDEN The question now arises, how to arrange the vegetables in the above list so as to have all or most of them in the garden. It is a consider- able task to plan for so many varieties of veg- etables. However, by the interplanting of crops and by successive cropping — two of the principles followed in intensive methods of vegetable production — it is possible to include most of the annuals in a plot twenty-five by thirty-five feet and the perennials and annuals in a plot fifty by sixty feet. In many of the small gardens the hotbed and perennials are omitted, the main object being to produce the maximum amount of vegetables in the mini- mum space. 65 W & J*S* s* .v£J .v£J?>>tiS >, bl >. si >. >» t» >, ? *• fl^bi"?. {*>•>> § >»§ a. 8 §£? Miti^S aS* g 9-3 iji 3 B sllmSiJl ^fflaMlJjiMBliffillli H P^ "§i- 88SSS • * • :88 • • -SSSS S'S * : • -2 • • -SSS'S * • -82 F^ H K) G^ CQ d> W bf .O x^-- «•'•• —v «."rf .... • • • hH h-t O a 3 <3 a ° * i1010 r i ! »« a— - — » — * «w I "'II * * * IO lQOl^**"*l "**^*Qlo i-^rHrH^^ • . • -rHrH • • • rH ^ rt „ ^ r-< • • • • r-t • ^ Jj >?»liitili i i i iti»i ' * 'SSBSSS • : : •.§ • • %n*J3 : : :£.§ .It: : ill: :§ : : : : : :i : : : : : : : : :I :^S : : j : : j J yifiir;:^. iiiiiliiiilniig ag!ii,ii! titumin 67 A* — CARLY CARROTS* LATC CARROTS g- 2 LATC SVttT CORN — 3 Sl^/SS CH4R.D <* WP-SEASOA/ SlSFer CORN LATC SQUASH £ r*RLY sot/ASHj" J- 5&NACH £. 6 SP/MACH • 7 ^fx4/a:r s^ttr COR/V * aerwet* /xwr /J TO/VATOfS irrr< 'ucr BCTWCCN PLAHTS" _ OMON SffPLtf ~ / 7- /4 j£ARiy BfffS LA 7F/- — jr. 2O 3ALS/fY£ —^ 2/ S/y/MC/J — j= — 22 MX 8EAMS- -~ 24 GRttM ff&WS -~T 2 er LATF crtf/?r' 20' 3/ M/0-S£ASOA/ PEAS rvtiowp ffr iATf C£LttY" 20' 32 ' LATE PEAS rouovep er IATS CA0BA6£— 20- -33 IA7F P£AS rouowfo sr LATC CABBAGE- *34—£AALY CCL£f?y rouo\*>£D er IATZ ruftMf>$' .jj- CVCl/MB£R$- •JG • LETTUCE* /-oiLOwrp BV MNTCR ftA£>/$H — AT f££T SO (STH- 68 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN DATES FOR SOWING OR SETTING KITCHEN-GARDEN VEGETABLES IN DIFFERENT LATITUDES Lansing, Michigan Average of 4 and 5 years Bean, bush May 16 Bean, pole . ., May 30 Beet . . April 20 Broccoli May 10 Brussels sprouts ,. May 10 Cabbage, early, under glass March 15 Cabbage, late May 20 Carrot May 7 Cauliflower, under glass March 1 5 Celery, under glass March 18 Celery, in open ground May 20 Corn May 19 Cucumber May 23 Eggplant, under glass. . ., March 15 Kale May 9 Kohl-rabi May 9 Lettuce May 5 Melon , May 30 Okra May 15 Onion April 17 Parsnips May 7 Peas . . .( April 15 Pepper, under glass March 16 Potato , May 3 Pumpkin May 31 Radish ...... ..i April 26 69 PRACTICAL GARDENING Salsify . . .„ May 7 Spinach . ., - April 10 Squash ; May 28 Tomato, under glass. . ,(. ....... March 13 Turnip , April 1 5 Boston (Rawson) Asparagus .About the end of April. Bean, bush About the first week in May. Bean, pole From about the middle of May to the first of June. Bean, Lima About the first of June. Beet About the middle of April. Borecole, or kale About the middle of April; plant out in June. Brussels sprouts In March or April in hotbed. Cabbage Transplant the last week in April or the first in May. Carrots Last of May or first of June. Cauliflower From the first of May until the first of July. Celery The first week in April to the second in July. Corn, sweet About the first of May. Cucumber . .,.. For the first crop, about the mid- dle of March. Eggplant About March 15 in hotbed. Endive June or July. Kohl-rabi May or June. Okra About the tenth of May. Peas ....During the last of April up to the first of May. 70 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN Pepper Put out of doors about the first of April. Radish . .; From the first of April to the mid- dle of June. Spinach . .About the first of September. Tomato About the 25th of May set plants outdoors. Turnips, for fall use. .Any time from July 1 to August 20. Watermelon ....... .About the middle of May. New York (Henderson) Plants to sow from the middle of March to the end of April. Thermometer in shade averaging 45 degrees. Beet Cauliflower Parsley Carrot Endive Peas Cress Kale Badish Celery Lettuce Spinach Cabbage Onions Turnip Parsnip From the middle of May to the middle of June. Ther- mometer in the shade averaging 60 degrees. Bean, bush Bean, runner Nasturtium Bean, cranberry Corn, Sweet Okra Bean, Lima Cucumber Pumpkin Bean, pole Melon, musk- Squash Bean, scarlet Melon, water- Tomato 71 PRACTICAL GARDENING Norfolk, Virginia Months in which different crops are planted or sown, or set out in the open air. Kale and spinach Sown during August, September, and October. Cabbage The seeds are sown in August and September, and the plants are transplanted in the open air in November and December. Onions , Sown in August, September, Jan- uary and February. Leeks . The same as onions. Lettuce Sown in September and January.. Radish • Sown in every month in the year. Peas December, January, February, March, April, August, and Sep- tember. Beans March and April. Eggplant April and May. Tomatoes April and May. Squash April. Cauliflower March and April. Potatoes February, March and July. Sweet potatoes May. Beets ...... .February and March. Corn .April, May, June, and July. Oats September, October, November, December, February and March. Millet June and July ; after potatoes. 72 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN Grass seed.. September, October, November, February, and March. Carrots ............ .February and March. Celery April and May- Cucumbers April. Watermelons April. Canteloupes ....... .April. Peanuts May. Georgia (Oemler) Asparagus . .1 .From December 1 to the middle of March. [Bean, bush From the first to the middle of March. Beet . . Through November and Decem- ber. Cabbage From the first of October to the 15th. Transplant about No- vember 1 and later. Cauliflower .From May to September. Cucumber About March 1 to the 1 5th. Eggplant To prick out, about the middle of January, otherwise ten or fif- teen days later. Lettuce About the middle of September. Onion About January 1. Pea . . .About December 1. Potato The first of February. Radish ..,. From Christmas to the last of February. 73 PRACTICAL GARDENING Spinach From September 10 until October 15. Squash .About the last of February up to the middle of March. Sweet potato In cold frames, about the first of January. Tomato About January 1. Watermelon. About the 15th of March. TENDER AND HARDY VEGETABLES Vegetables injured by a slight frost, which should there- fore be planted only after the weather has settled. Ail kidney, Lima, and common Beans Corn Cucumber Eggplant All melons Okra Pepper Pumpkin Squash Sweet potato Tomato Vegetables which, when properly handled, will endure a frost. All onions Parsley Parsnip Pea Radish Rhubarb Salsify Sea kale Spinach Turnip Asparagus Bean, Windsor, Broad or Cauliflower Celery Corn salad Horse Cress Beet Endive Borecole Horse-radish Broccoli Kohl-rabi Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrot Kale Leek Lettuce 74 w PH § o U •£ 3 .2 Q S3 3S I II SSSSSSS •* O i-l 1-1 r-l iH rl w> • : 76 Mia ;io 9 to w "5 10 W5ia >> ^ >. ! vl ^ ^ >> »H t." « P.P. h h >> >> ^* p' >• ftp, ««ftp.* II 3 i 7.7 I 3 S I S a S •s .3 .a .a .a .a .a o P ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ «?« 2 e !._ o 5 * G a a a^? s 3 3 s P >-5 "~5 "-S >-5 *^ 2 5 W llfl IPI a 0,3 at « a> v n> *-< ea aj 15 pq^npQcqMWQ 78 O O •2 5-5 - a ££ a i 55 £ ««. 0,0.0.0.^ § 8 ? ? <-• « co-co I QQQ e*~ •"a > o -c S.a D r> ?s» iO f i : : : : : .ii * l::^f* i : : :-=5 :S« . . . g^ »_* ;m iiiiii!!! 5 O a^fl O ooywws .79 !! ^g •V^ ;«, -j :** : ••.&* Oo IftlOr-. ooo 11 o g ^ : 11111 &11111 ill 111111 l «i w o-a W.S „ 80 is 2 yj 05(aOT«03BQ«MOOWCQ^C6(«^OQ»CQoaOQCfiOQ^CC^a3cQOQaiWWMOQ oo'O 00 00 W O £.di^itftf^?tfdi«trii?M4i^fiflft£ft«a^rtM^tfrtrt^4iAflt«atfflk^?O£j|£ *s |pii||ii2i|§S|i«i|«^^^^e^s««epQop9S^peo 1233232332222322 o22 O " to £ * fl « £2 ^ «« ..op . « II n-^- -ww«^Mr,-H wm^^l^iSil"^*! « - ci.2" 2*vi.2".2" 2".2* 2* .2' 2* a' 22 2* 2 .22 °" 2 a-2 a a 2 ° 2 c<5 .22 2 | 333333322.222222d22.2.222««3222233d3333 33 0 & a, ~ * g co co eo co ^ oo co co'* coeocoeocoeo cocoio"* co:o^Scowso2 w r-. 222222223222222232233322233333233333 333 .-i ,.« otcoeocococNjco" coco ciOiwcoojoi^wwco ^eocoeo wcoco 1 * * * i * ' d . . . . I ' o i 5 : ~ " " OT: §i ^S-S sag 81 33333^2222222 s ' C>* O CO -«JJ CO lO t- i-i i-i O O C PJ •* O* C r-i I-H ri C*i CO t-i 1-1 r-c O U3 C r-< MMM 5 **111*S5'S3 23 33 333 3 1 W w fM II 5 oo'S •£'£•£•£ o'E S d 'Cfe ft P n:r 00 KM S3 Ha 1 1 4 5o5 Seoqqeqqc* co SSSc* S5 SSSoooSooSooq r1-*Tl OJCO P-S !; iliifci; I Ijii SSB«,»»| I Sf a . lei iHa-yi! I HI! f ^J4fl o5Qja>OO^ rt cS^'coCX Q- |P?83 ^ GARDEN 110 BY 200 FEET — Continued 1 1 •- *HH 0 ^ III gsS 1 S* 111 ||.2 .2 o .^^ ^eoeo_-"1 ^ " °* ^ ^ .1 Thinning TJ . °.2'c3 • ! 00 fl »« oo t»o&oo'0' gg isis gi is £ £ g ££ SS ££«£££ OO QQ OQ ft A Q O « ••* •* cceo ^S « - gagg W«H OJW W^2 P-* O"C!«O (jj "S 0-sl.s - § & 10 10 r- r-l £ ^ ^r ^2 a> . ® ® c ^ * .^ .. . ® c ~ fl fl ax- p.^ j:? .1? fl ^3 sa 33=)3;33 rH*» »-:|-5 ."-3^ «~5 >-* f) 1-3 Transplanting ®«n x^. N 0 0* 0« CO i-l ri • TH^ietCJC* r-4 •** ** ' • • • r-l • • Q P " " " : • : : :II=II ' 'I' * -1 Vegetable :S :: : :••::::•:: : : • : : : : : : s* !.!.m. ^ . ' . . p . . . . 1 1 3 ilfllfM*1! fdf 1 i sJ! ^ ^ So M>^t3-a)f-5^gflja)aia>--g o* g ^ ^£3 •J3 ^.w g- 2 § §11 E'i'l'i'i « ^ 'I'l'^Js ^ S 1 M^ 84i §§ to jo E^Sjo Hj O 02 ^3 OQ O o oo^ o^ o O O JlMO 1 IO ""I* " ^ ^ *O o S °P 3 10 to ,5 I S I III 111! JtflJtlJ ^rt •p.£ j! p, C M^ ^ m ^ CD ^ ' • • £? : * b •::::*& >, t&Sb & ;;; |:;| i::::i| 2 ?> Sgfi 1 O2 Oi ^ 05 C/3 0 0 1 1 • • • « • -0 a ft fiQ^P A & & ... . . 2 «0 2 ia ,S«.S43 A : : : <° : :<* : : : :.s Ci '*CO rJ.COCO^ S 8 CO « 0 l-l : : : * : :A : : : : : :* »n JO fl T ° to to to , . ... *::§ ::::::§ : ; : ^ i :*•* : : : : i :•-» o o Ji V M s M g 5-s fl w 1 1 ! s >, :§ .3 5 £ I s, I u: ll h to if . pO « PEI 10 « to fl fl « " 01 S ot . S _-s -s w ' 1 1 j ll HI K- | 5 § 2 |l- I § S. ,3 . : i ; ; s- •s £ s, a K 3 4 ijj 2 ** ? I * .2 -c* « S r"^ d II ill 111 ilii t» .W *^ o> !a ri J « oo * * & a ^ tq W M O I i.k S, !U1 s- scc ) I 01 M I JN I C* r-1 :»- ^ 5 .1 §? f '§•« I .f 1 3 H W H 03 W EH M oo Garden plan 40 x 60 feet. Vegetables for All the vegetables suggested may those discarded Dates arranged for New York City and 86 * 1 JS 8 * £ § 5 o 8 « >» § i i * ^ 8 & « I I $ g I I 1 « « .4 8 2 3 5 & I I * III M i « !ttmKlHds Aver. Variety Name 1? if w a s -* 13 f* Av. per vine Length inches yield for 15 ft. row Prolific Extra Early Little Marvel 64 60 5 7 2% iy2 Five Eight 3 3 8 qts. 8 qts Button's Excelsior . Thomas Laxton . . . Blue Bantam .... 62 72 78 80 4 6 6 g 1% 3 1% 5 Six Seven Six Eight 4 4 4 414 10 qts. 9 qts. 8 qts. 8 qts Quite Content .... 84 87 6 6 5 2 Eight Six »8 4% 10 qts. 8 qts British Wonder . . . Potlach 85 86 5 g 2 2% Ten Ten si 9 qts. 12 qts Dwarf Champion . . Royal Salute 88 90 7 5 3* 4 Seven Ten 3% 4 10 qts. 9 qts WHO'S WHO IN SWEET CORN The average packet will sow 30 feet of row. A packet of an extra early sort and a pint each of an early and midseason variety, plus a packet of a late kind contain enough seeds for repeated sowings in the home garden of a quarter acre. Variety Name Ready for use days Color Length of ear inches Number of rows Early Dawn 75 White g Earliest Catawba 80 White g 80 while young Yellow g Howling Mob 85 White g 12 14 rows Crosby's Twelve Rowed . . . 90 93 White White 6 g 12-1 4 row* Seymour's Sweet Orange.. Country Gentleman .... 93 95 Yellow White 8 10 10-12 rows Golden Rod 95 Yellow g Golden Cream 96 Yellow g gu a 93 s MO ?5 1} ll QC]K .55 5 1 1 1 irrr? I Q !0 I (0 94 $ lv •0 X ^ ^ >- -}• - QW AR F . PEAS 8. Early potatoes (P) planted as soon as the soil is ready to work. Wrinkled peas sown between the rows. (Dwarf.) 307 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE INTENSIVE GARDENER (Continued) fl •X -I — B^VRLY CARROTS OR ^*J LJL 4. Early celery (C) transplanted from the hotbed, early carrots or transplanted beets planted between the rows. |s ^RADISHES-- ij j ji i ji... .V^c-tf™ EC — ^~C 5. Early corn (E. C.) planted in June. Cucumbers (C) started in strawberry boxes transplanted be- tween the hills. Squash and pumpkins are planted in a similar manner but from seed planted at the same time as corn. A row of radishes may be planted between the rows. 308 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE INTENSIVE GARDENER (Continued) K •onioit i , ,..._, 40--—* * -IT £- L — L — ^L — L_t 6. Tomatoes transplanted and staked. Lettuce plants set between the tomato plants in the rows. Onion sets for bunch onions, planted between the rows. CHAPTER XXVI COMMUNITY GARDENS ONE of the most useful of gardening or civic improvements may be carried on by groups of citizens in community gardens. In a few cities this effort has been stimulated by civic pride and public spirited organiza- tions, and the gardens, having been supervised by a practical gardener, have reached the high- est degree of success. The gardener in charge should be paid a good salary so that he may be expected to devote all of his time and interest to this work. The hit or miss, unschooled and unskilled directing of garden work has been and will always be a failure. There are in every city, town and village, vacant lots which grow up to weeds each sum- mer and are only breeding places for insects and disease. These lots if used for gardens in 310 COMMUNITY GARDENS which both flowers and vegetables may be grown, will not only improve the appearance of the property and be of later utility to the real estate man, but will become a real source of income for the home gardener. Make your home yard tell the most in thrift, personal interest, beauty and attractiveness not only to your neighbors but to visitors. This one touch of neatness and productiveness may have a lasting influence on generations to come and be far-reaching in communal effort. In order to do this there must be thrifty per- severance and the carrying out of certain prin- ciples. These community gardens may be organ- ized and operated through the Farm Bureau, Grange, Men's Clubs, Women's Clubs, civic improvement organizations, schools, and even through the local Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. In all instances the best results are realized when the garden project is backed by cooper- ating organizations rather than by some public spirited individual. A practical, working 311 PRACTICAL GARDENING chairman should be in charge of all the work and of the various committees on securing the land, distributing the lots, buying seed, pre- paring the land, and publicity. If the garden work is extensive it should be put in charge of a practical gardener worthy of his hire, who should be consulted in reference to the advis- ability of using certain soils and treatment of the preparation for the soil. His advice must be sought as to how, when, and what to plant, the general culture of crops, the control of in- sects and diseases, if they appear, the best method of harvesting and storing vegetables. Much depends on the gardener and his ability to stimulate, cooperate and work with and for the people. The gardens should be inspected and demon- strations arranged for each week and a daily report kept and handed to the chairman at the end of each month. Securing Land. Have one or more repre- sentative people visit the owner of a certain tract of land and present the garden project. 312 COMMUNITY GARDENS State the possible income to worthy citizens. If the land is for sale, a beautiful garden will attract more attention than a plot of weeds. The land is improved by cultivation. It is a practical and inexpensive way to advertise. One year of gardening may encourage the building of homes and hence the possible sale of the land. It is not always necessary to use these argu- ments to a public spirited land owner. He sees the true value of having the land used and so there is seldom any difficulty in securing the land free. After the public realizes that lots may be had there is more often a lack of lots than of applicants. Distribution of Lots. Here again the gar- dener is wise in cooperating with the head of church, or school, or neighborhood group re- ceiving these little farms of, say fifty by one hundred feet. The applicant signs the record blank (Fig. 75), under the statement, "I hereby agree to plant and properly care for 313 en O & A & I c V •s 314 COMMUNITY GARDENS garden No. — ." He then deposits $1.00 to pay in part for plowing, etc. Having de- posited one dollar he seldom backs out of his contract. The remaining expense of about $1.50 he agrees to pay within four months. Buying Seeds. The gardener in charge may draw up a series of garden plans, giving the amount of seed and best varieties adapt- able to climate and soil. These plans should always be on the intensive method of planting. If the gardeners wish, they -may band together, order their seed early from a reliable firm, and by buying it in large quantities the seed is ob- tained much more reasonably. The price of the seed should be listed and the buyer sign a contract to take the seed at the stated price when it arrives. Deal with the seed firm in your home town and have the firm deal direct with a reliable seed house. This is a home project. Patronize home industries. Preparing the Land. The success or fail- ure of community gardening depends much on the type and preparation of the soil. If 315 PRACTICAL GARDENING the land is in weeds or grass, plow it early in the fall or spring. Get the public works de- partment and livery stables to donate manure for this worthy, local effort. If necessary, get some firm or wealthy individual to donate a car load of manure secured from some near-by city. Scatter this over the surface of the soil and disk it into the first 3 inches of soil. Here the gardener should have full charge and au- thority to exercise his best judgment. After the land is prepared, stake it out and place a label on each plot with the applicant's name and address so that, should he or she fail to keep the weeds down or follow the proper planting, the gardener loses no time in get- ting in touch with the owner. This label is also an aid in showing the owner's efforts to advantage. Each applicant should be allowed to exercise his own individuality in his method of planting and culture but where utter neglect occurs it should be remedied at once so as not to disorganize the entire scheme and cause complaints. Paths two feet wide should be ar- 316 COMMUNITY GARDENS ranged for between each two gardens. Use as little land for paths as possible. Publicity. The local newspapers may run a series of timely articles written by practical gardeners. A column of questions and an- swers also might prove an aid. Avoid extreme methods and freak attempts at gardening. Get the noted men in your community back of this effort and have their names appear at times, as well as the names of those less prom- inent but successful. Start a garden contest through one of the papers, prizes being offered by local firms or individuals. A well organ- ized contest stimulates wholesome rivalry be- tween different community gardens and gar- deners. Have a bulletin board at every community garden where the gardener may post the vari- ous important notices and garden suggestions. Care of Tools. In some of the large gar- dens where there are from twenty-five to one hundred and fifty small plots, a tool house is located near the center of each group. Each 317 WAP GARDEN PROTECTED THRCM PATRI01 ISM FIG. 76. — The sign that kept tHe tempted from stealing the vegetables grown in the community gardens. It also stimulated a desire for greater production. 318 COMMUNITY GARDENS gardener storing tools in this house should have a key, so that he may get his garden equipment at any time. Each gardener should own a set of tools and be instructed how to care for them and keep them in shape in order to get the greatest efficiency with the least amount of effort. For example; the hoe should be kept sharp and polished, especially if it is to be used in destroying weeds. Flag Pole. Near the bulletin board or on some prominent mound, a flag pole should be raised and on bright days the flag should be spread to the breeze. The American Home is the noblest institu- tion we possess and the flag should float over this garden which bears witness to the coop- eration of individuals of all nationalities work- ing side by side with one common interest — a cooperation from which we may rightly ex- pect unselfishness, a greater sense of commun- ity responsibilities and stronger national and civic pride. CHAPTER XXVII WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH f MHE following suggestions are for the A latitude of New York City. For every hundred miles north or south subtract or add from five to eight days. JANUARY THE VEGETABLES Catalogue. Send to all the reliable seed houses for their catalogues. Select varieties suitable to your soil and climate. Inspect the tools and order new tools to replace broken ones or parts to repair old ones. Garden Plans. Take a careful measure- ment of your garden and draw a planting plan to scale. In ordering your seed make allow- ance for companion and succession cropping. Plan for a new strawberry bed every two or 320 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH three years. Make plans for intensive gar- dening. It is better to concentrate your ef- forts on a small space than to make a partial failure of a large area. Fertilizers. Order stable manure now. There is no objection to spreading it over the snow if it is partly decayed. Well rotted ma- nure will give better results if held over and applied a few days before planting. Buy your fertilizer now so you may have it on hand early in the spring. Hotbeds. Save straw horse manure. Do not let it dry or expose it to the elements. It should be covered. Repair sash by replacing cracked or broken glass and painting the wood. Early Cabbage and Cauliflower. Cabbage and cauliflower plants in frames should be kept just above freezing. Remove the snow from the hotbeds and ventilate on sunny days. The sash should be opened for a few minutes each day unless on stormy days. Plants grow spindly and sickly if left in the dark and warmth too long. 321 PRACTICAL GARDENING Flats. Make new flats in order to have a supply on hand. The size may vary but 15" x 18" x 3" is convenient. Flats are easy to carry to the garden at the time of trans- planting. The plants are removed and imme- diately placed in their permanent location without exposing the roots to the air or sun. Wood Ashes. Save all wood ashes. Place them in a dry place and use them on the potato land several days before planting in the spring. FRUITS AND BERRIES Visit your orchard frequently and especially after a heavy fall of wet snow. Take a stout stick with you and lift up the limbs with it to shake off the snow. Never pull down the limb. It is usually weighted down to the breaking point and any additional weight or movement will break it off close to the trunk. Pruning. Prune peach trees on warm days. Cut out all cross limbs and thin out the head. Plums and cherries may also be pruned. If large limbs must be removed paint the 322 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH wound with white lead. Never leave stubs sticking out, cut the limbs off close to the trunk and twigs close to the branch. This is a good month to thin out the currants and gooseberries. Take out old wood and es- pecially dead branches. Cut these off close to the soil. Planting. If you are planning to set out a few trees in the spring order them now. Buy the trees from a reliable nursery near you. Trees shipped from the south to the north are cheaper but they seldom thrive in the northern climate and often die the first winter. Never deal with agents or buy a cheap tree. Insect Eggs. In going among your trees keep a watch for insect eggs. In destroying one cluster of twenty-five to one hundred eggs you have removed a possible danger which, if allowed to develop, might strip the tree of foliage in the early spring. On bright days the rough bark on the apple tree might be scraped off. This practice does not necessarily benefit the tree but in removing the scaly bark 323 PRACTICAL GARDENING the insects are exposed and are destroyed by the first dormant spray. Inspection. Make the second inspection of the fruit cellar and root cellar. Pick over the fruit carefully and remove all apples or pears that are fully ripe. FEBRUARY THE VEGETABLES Onions. Sow the seed in flats the latter part of the month. These may be placed in the hot- bed or greenhouse. The seed is slow to germ- inate and if kept in a cool place the plants will grow slowly. These onion seedlings may be planted in the open in April, in rows one foot apart and two or three inches apart in the row. Transplanted seedlings usually produce very large winter onions. Celery. Sow the seed of White Plume or Golden Self -blanching celery. Keep in a moderately warm place. Shade the seed bed and keep it moist. After the seed germinates give the plants sunlight. After the seedlings have produced two or three leaves transplant 324. WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH two inches apart each way, in a rich loam. These plants will be stocky for very early spring planting. Never rush the plants by keeping them in a warm place. After they have been transplanted keep them cool. Early Vegetables. The last week of this month sow the seed of early cabbage, cauli- flower, leeks and kohl rabi. Transplant the seedlings and keep them in the cold frames until the last of March and during April. Give the seedlings fresh air and sun. Keep the soil moist but never wet. Water all seed beds and seedlings early in the morning so that the foliage and excess moisture may be dried before night. Start a few extra early tomatoes. Keep the plants in a sunny place where the night tem- perature does not drop below forty degrees Fahrenheit. Seed. If your garden seed arrives this month keep it in a dry cool place out of the reach of mice. A tin box or can with a few holes punched in the lid is ideal. 325 PRACTICAL GARDENING Stakes. Paint the garden stakes used for tomatoes, etc. FRUITS AND BERRIES Sharpen and clean the pruning saw and shears. Inspect the plum and cherry trees and re- move all black knot and "mummy" plums. The black knot destroys the branches of the tree and should be cut out about 1 or 2 inches below the infected part. The "mummy" plums spread the fruit rot and should be burned. Spray Material. Buy a stock of lime sul- phur, Bordeaux Mixture, ar senate of lead and flowers of sulphur. Tobacco dust may also be bought at this time providing it is kept in a tin can or box. Lock away all poisons. MARCH THE VEGETABLES Seedage. Sow the seed of lettuce, toma- toes, eggplant and peppers under glass. 326 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH The last of the month if the soil is fit to work, sow wrinkled peas, spinach, and onion seed in the garden. Early Potatoes. Keep them in a tempera- ture just above freezing to prevent sprout- ing. A few seed potatoes may be started now if placed in small compartments in a flat. The soil should be rich. Transplant in April. ^Asparagus and Rhubarb. Dig in the win- ter mulch about the crown of the rhubarb plants. Also fork up the asparagus bed to a depth of two or three inches, digging in what remains of the winter mulch after applying a free amount of bone meal. Early Roots. The seed of parsnips, turnips, and carrots may be sown the last of the month. The light frosts of April will not injure these seedlings. Hotbed. March with its changeable weather causes the gardener to keep a watch on the hotbed. A few hours of bright sun- shine beating down on the unventilated hotbed 827 PRACTICAL GARDENING may cause a weakening of the plant. Also over ventilation and a few hours of cold wind with a dark sky may chill the plants. Keep the hotbed plants stocky and healthy. FRUITS AND BERRIES Pruning. With the first warm days, start to prune the apple trees. Do not over prune by cutting out the center of the tree and form- ing a nest-shaped head. Thin out the branches so that air and sunshine may reach all parts of the tree. Use only sharp tools and paint all wounds over, one and one-half inches in diameter. Grafting. If your apple tree is not a de- sired variety, cliff graft the head. Cut off a limb one to two inches in diameter, split it so as to allow the wedge-shaped scion to fit tightly in the opening. The scion should be the previous year's growth from the desired variety. Cut the scion wedge shape at one end, starting the cut on each side of a bud. Leave three buds to a scion. Place the lower 328 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH bud out, in fitting the scion into the split branch. Have the growing tissue of both scion and stock fit closely together. Cover all wounded parts with grafting wax. Graft one-third of the tree each year until it is com- pleted. Planting. The last of March is an ideal time to plant fruit trees providing the soil is in good condition. The earlier the tree is planted before the buds start the better chance the tree has of establishing itself. Cultivation. Dig a plow under the mulch around blackberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries. Keep the soil well cultivated from March 30 until blossoming time. Strawberries. Remove the protection mulch from the plants and spread it on the space between the rows and dig it in. Re- move surplus runners. Cultivate freely until June. Spray. Spray the apple, pear and plum with a strong solution of lime sulphur while the trees are dormant. A solution with one 329 PRACTICAL GARDENING part lime sulphur to eight parts of water is effective in controlling the San Jose scale. APRIL THE VEGETABLES Greens and Rhubarb. Remove the straw from the spinach or dandelion beds. If a severe frost threatens, cover the plants over night. Rhubarb roots may be planted two to three feet apart in rows five feet wide. The soil should be very rich and the roots planted five inches deep. Dig in cow manure and bone meal around the old plants. Asparagus. This is the month to set out asparagus plants. The roots should be placed a foot apart, the rows three and a half feet apart; plant four inches deep in rich soil. Do not cut asparagus from the new bed for three years. The old bed should have a liberal ap- plication of decayed horse manure and coarse bone meal dug in early in the month. Culti- vate between the rows and apply coarse salt to the rows. 330 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH Preparedness. Have on hand arsenate of lead (poison) for chewing insects, hellebore as a dust poison, flowers of sulphur to dust on roses and sweet peas infected with mildew, whale-oil soap to spray roses. Keep a watch- ful eye on the hotbeds, especially where the flower annuals are located. Have a bag of bone meal and sheep manure available for later use. (For sale by seed stores.) Frames and Equipment. Prepare the cold frames so that they may be used the last of the month to harden plants before shifting thrm to the field. Look over your tools. Repair and test the seeder and repair berry crates and baskets. Labels, stakes and the general gar- den equipment should be placed in order now. Vegetable Seeds. After all danger of hard frosts has passed, plant onions, carrots, beets, endive, kohl-rabi, leek, peas (smooth seed), radish and turnips. Protect early cabbage from the cutworm by placing wood ashes around the stem or by wrapping a small piece of paper about it. Celery, eggplant, peppers, 331 ' PRACTICAL GARDENING tomatoes and lettuce seed should be sown in the hotbed. The Hotbed. A close observation must be kept of weather conditions. With the alterna- tion of clouds and sunshine, the sash of the hot- bed must be closed or opened. Never allow the cold rain to beat in on the young plants. Ventilate early in the morning by lifting the sash one to five inches at the highest elevation of the hotbed. Later in the day the sash may be drawn down at the bottom of the hotbed. Close the sash about three or four o'clock in the afternoon on bright days, so that the soil may be warmed before the night sets in as the hotbed retains much of this heat. Observe carefully the frost records of previous years. Keep mats near and use them on threatening cold nights. The Soil. Don't be too ambitious to dig or plow your garden before the soil is in condi- tion. It should never be wet or cake as the clod is turned over but should fall apart. If you have a clay soil add a little lime to 332 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH sweeten it ; do not use ashes. Apply from two to three inches of well rotted cow manure or horse manure to your garden before digging. Food and humus are both necessary for suc- cess. Chicken manure should be used spar- ingly. Coarse or fine bone meal is a fine addi- tion to stable manure. The plant food is lib- erated slowly from decaying bones. If you observe standing water in various places in your garden, have it drained. Nothing is of more importance. Plants will not grow with wet feet, and the soil in such moist places is usually sour. Pests. Watch for the tent caterpillar on apples, cherries and plums. This insect, in the larva stage, builds tents in the crotches of limbs and appears as soon as the buds start to open, devouring the foliage and sometimes the tender stem. Spray the foliage with a poison, arsenate of lead — three parts to fifty parts of water — and place it where the insect eats. The poison should be applied after the foliage is dry and with a spray machine — hand or 333 PRACTICAL GARDENING power. Do not burn out the nests. This practice always injures the limbs. Remove the tent in the evening with a swab dipped in kerosene. Do not leave the insects on the ground or they will crawl back into the tree ; burn them, Keep a diary. Start with April to keep a garden diary. Keep a record of the tempera- ture morning, noon and night. It will be val- uable to you next year. Make notes on the germination of seeds in the hotbed, date of transplanting, date of harvesting and general remarks. There is nothing more essential in gardening than to be business-like, to know the when, where and how of every plant grown. Spend your spare moments in your garden library. Intelligence is the only sure road to success in garden-making. Clean up all rubbish and on rainy days paint stakes, labels and other garden acces- sories. FRUITS AND BERRIES Burning and Spraying. Burn all brush or 334 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH primings. The brush pile harbors codling moth, flathead borers and other insects. If the buds have not already started, spray every part of the tree with a reliable brand of lime sulphur — one gallon of the stock solution to eight gallons of water if it has not been done before. A late spray of this strength is the best control for San Jose scale and oyster- shell scale, many of which are out from be- neath their protective covering. This dor- mant spray will also control the scab. Planting. If you have not already planted your fruit trees, heel them in as soon as they arrive. Plant them into their permanent place as soon as possible by digging a large hole and placing the top soil where it may be easily se- cured to fit firmly about the roots. Do not cramp the roots. Be careful not to mix the varieties on unpacking the bundles. Standard varieties, such as Baldwins, Kings and North- ern Spies, should be planted forty feet by forty feet, with smaller varieties, such as the Wag- ner, between as fillers. Mix the varieties in 335 PRACTICAL GARDENING such a way that they bloom about the same time, which simplifies the practice of spraying. Also study the flowers to see whether they are self-fertile or self -sterile. Pollination is im- portant in crop production. Pruning. The apple should be pruned be- fore the buds start. Remove all water sprouts (young, straight shoots growing from the branches) . Remove all suckers (shoots grow- ing from below the surface of the ground). Prune so as to prevent the crossing of limbs. Remove dead wood and sufficient branches to allow a free circulation of air. Do not over- prune. If the trees have been neglected in the past, take three or four years to shape them. Smooth the wounded edge of large limbs with a sharp knife so as to aid the healing over by, the growing tissue (cambium layer) . Do not cut the edges on an angle. Have all pruning tools sharp. The peach and cherry do not re- quire much pruning after they come into bear- ing. Remove all dead branches. If a peach tree is inclined to have a bad attack of the yel- 336 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH lows (the leaves turning yellow and drop- ping), remove the tree without touching oth- ers, to prevent infection, and burn leaf, branch and root. Don't take any chances ! Berries. Cut back all dead wood and head back the blackberry and raspberry to a height of three and one-half feet. If the canes are thick, thin them out before tying. Start to cultivate as soon as the frost is out of the ground and the soil is not too sticky. This is the rainy month, therefore do not be too ambi- tious to cultivate the strawberry patch. Run the cultivator between the rows before fitting the straw under the edge of the plants to pre- vent the rain from splashing soil on the fruit later in the season. MAY THE VEGETABLES Don't Hurry. Don't be too anxious to plant out tender varieties of vegetables until all danger of frost has passed. Start your liquid manure barrel to working. Don't cul- 337 PRACTICAL GARDENING tivate when the soil is wet, but never fail to cultivate when the soil is friable after a rain. Hardy Vegetables. For a small garden, buy plants free from disease, thrifty, stocky and true to name. Plant out cabbage (Early Jersey Wakefield), cauliflower (Early Snow- ball), lettuce (Big Boston or Early May King) , celery ( Golden Self -Blanching) , Brussels sprouts (Long Island Improved). Keep a succession of plantings of peas every two weeks. As the season advances, plant the pea seed deeper, from one to four inches. Various Crops. Feed the parsley liquid manure and cultivate regularly. Don't pick off all the leaves and expect a good growth. Sow carrots and parsnips in a deep soil ; beets, turnips and radish as catch crops between rows of celery or late cabbage. Transplant onions from the coldframes into muck soil enriched with horse manure. Plant on cloudy days. Cut, but never pull, the seed-stalks from rhu- barb later in the season. In pulling out the seed stalk, the heart is injured. Feed rhubarb 838 -WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH liquid cow manure. The last of the month, north of New York City, risk a few hills of sweet Corn (Golden Bantam) . Hotbeds and Cold Nights. Harden off all plants to be transplanted to the open by in- creasing the ventilation and decreasing the moisture. Before transplanting, preferably on dull days, soak the soil with water, so as to have it adhere to the roots. On still, clear nights, protect the plants outside that might be injured by frost with paper, boxes, glass protectors or flower-pots. Remove these early in the morning, to prevent scalding. Potatoes. Plant your late potatoes the last of the month. Cultivate the early varieties which show growth above the ground. Start to spray with Bordeaux Mixture, to prevent the early blight. Especially spray the leaves that are close to the soil. FRUITS AND BERRIES In the Orchard. Go among your apple trees at least three times a week. The success 339 PRACTICAL GARDENING or failure of your crop depends to a large ex- tent on your treatment of the trees during this month. Spray the apple tree if you have not already done so as directed in April. Sepa- rate the branches of young trees by the use of shingles, wedging them into the crotches, or by strong twine tied in such a way as to pull the branches apart. Use a piece of rubber to prevent bruising the bark. Clean cultivation should be practiced in many orchards. Be careful not to bark the trees with the imple- ment used. A beehive is of the greatest bene- fit in an apple, peach, cherry or plum orchard during the flowering season. Blackberries, Raspberries. Cut all canes striped with an orange rusty growth (rust). Spray with lime sulphur, 1-40. Keep the plants free from weeds. If the plants are badly infested with rust, secure new stock and plant a new bed in another part of the garden after all of the old stock has been burned. Currants and Gooseberries. Spray with % lb. arsenate of lead to 5 gallons of water 340 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH for the currant worm, which devours the young, tender leaves. Do not neglect spray- ing even though the plant is in full bloom. Defoliating the plant means a loss of the crop. If the worm appears after the fruit is formed, dust with hellebore or London purple. Strawberries. Cultivate until the flower opens, then stop and spread straw or grass un- der the leaves and flowers. The dust from cul- tivation often destroys the fertilization of the flower and causes a poor crop. Mulching early will aid in retaining moisture, and keeps the soil from splashing on the berries during a rain. It requires about 600 barrels of water to develop an acre of strawberries. JUNE THE VEGETABLES Fresh Every Hour. Sow every two weeks so as to keep the table supplied with beans, peas, radishes, beets and corn. As the sea- son advances, such seeds as peas should be sown deeper, but the furrow should never be 341 PRACTICAL GARDENING more than four inches deep. Telephone, Brit- ish Wonder and Champion of England are de- sirable late varieties. The soil should be rich and at least twelve inches deep for carrots and parsnips, and the seed should be sown one- fourth inch deep. After the young plants ap- pear, thin them to four inches apart in the row. Late varieties, like the Long Orange Improved and Chantenay carrot, and the Im- proved Hollow Crown parsnip are fine keep- ers. These varieties may be thinned to five inches apart in the rows. For early and late fall use plant out late cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and celery. For late crops sow celery and cabbage seed out of doors. After June 25, sow rutabagas and winter rad- ishes for fall and winter use. Mid-season and Late Corn. The best medium-early corn is Stowell's Evergreen; it should be planted in a rich, deep soil. The most satisfactory late varieties are Black Mexican, Late Mammoth and Country Gen- tleman. Even though the Golden Bantam is 342 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH an early variety, it may be sown later than any other variety and will ripen late in the fall. The ears are short but what is lost in size is made up in sweetness. Potatoes. Every small garden should raise a few potatoes. Such crops as lettuce, radish, early peas, and the like, may be planted be- tween the rows, which should be three feet apart. Carman No. 9, Rural New Yorker and Green Mountain are satisfactory medium and late varieties. Do not apply fresh stable manure to the soil before planting; both have a tendency to encourage potato scab (scabby skin) . The seed (piece of potato with one or more eyes) should be planted fifteen to eight- een inches apart in the row and six to eight inches deep. As soon as the potato appears above ground, watch for the beetle. Spray early with Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of lead. (Preparation may be bought at seed store.) Squash and Pumpkins. Winter and sum- mer squash do best if planted after the soil is 343 PRACTICAL GARDENING warm. One ounce will plant fifty hills. If you get the seed in by June 1, you will have a fair crop by September 30. The soil should be rich and the seed may be sown between the hills of early corn. Pumpkins may be grown in the same way and need about the same soil. Cucumbers and Tomatoes. Give the cu- cumbers, started a month ago in your hotbed, free ventilation, plenty of room and a liberal supply of moisture. Dust occasionally with tobacco dust. Stake and tie up tomato plants. The fruit forms better and ripens sooner. After the fruit is well formed, pinch back the foliage so as to expose the tomato to the sun. All side shoots should be kept cut off. Asparagus and Lettuce. Stop cutting asparagus about June 30 and allow the plants to grow so that food may be stored in the roots for the next year. If the asparagus beetle appears, dust the plants with hellebore while the dew is on them. Scatter salt in the rows and cultivate between the rows. If you wish tender lettuce, especially the loose-leaf variety, 344 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH shade the plants with cheesecloth. This prac- tice also tends to keep the plant from running to seed. Keep the roots moist but the tops dry. Onions. If the root maggot appears, re- move the infected plants and destroy them. Dig a little lime and tobacco dust into the soil. Shift the onion-bed next year. There is no successful remedy for this pest. Pests. Protect cabbage, cauliflower and other plants from the greatest of garden ene- mies, the cut-worm. Mix bran mash and Paris green and place a little close to each plant. Destroy the currant worm with arsenate of lead (one-half pound to six gallons of water) and spray when the foliage is dry. Protect the cucumber plants from the striped beetle by dusting the plants with air-slaked lime, tobacco dust and arsenicals in flour form; it will be safer to cover each hill with a box cov- ered with muslin or screened with mosquito netting. Cultivate. Keep the garden well culti- 345 PRACTICAL GARDENING vated. A dust mulch means no weeds, more moisture, healthier plants and finer bloom. Thin out all plants so they may have room to develop. Crowding shows poor judgment on the part of the grower and develops only weak, sickly plants. Keep the scuffle hoe busy while the weeds are small. Then the soil is not robbed of moisture or plant food. FRUITS AND BERRIES Spray with lime and sulphur (1-40) to which is added three pounds of arsenate of lead. This spray should be applied three times during the month to keep in check the tent caterpillar, codling moth and apple scab. If the red bug is found on the Pound Sweets, spray with "Black Leaf 40." Do not get the spray on painted buildings. Better Frwt. Thin pears and plums so that they have room to develop perfectly. When fruit is thinned, the strength that would naturally go into the seed of the fruit that is removed, goes into the fruit buds for next 346 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH year instead. The practice eliminates "off years." Mulch. If the orchard is in sod, keep the grass cut close and scatter it under the outer tips of the limbs where the water drips from the foliage. That is where the feeding roots are, and decaying grass mulch makes a fine food. If the orchard is under cultivation, keep the harrows working and form a fine dust mulch. Disease. If the tips of the branches turn black and the leaves dark brown, cut these off one inch or more below the diseased twig and burn. If fire blight (dark, dried blotches) appears on the pear trees, cut out the diseased bark and swab the wound out with corrosive sublimate (1-1000). If there are any trees or hedgerows of hawthorn or an old blighted pear tree in the community, have them cut down and burned. After removing the disease, sterilize the knife with the above solu- tion each time to prevent infection. Berries. Mulch the strawberry plants with 347 PRACTICAL GARDENING dried grass from the lawns, or straw, so that the soil is kept moist and the berries clean. Water freely so that the moisture reaches the roots. Apply a little nitrate of soda on rainy days. Never cultivate when the plant is in bloom. Mulch the cane fruit plants with well decayed horse manure and cultivate freely. JULY THE VEGETABLES ^Asparagus. Stop cutting the asparagus and apply on each row a liberal application of bone meal. Cultivate between the rows. If weeds appear in the row, scatter on a little salt. Squash and Melon. If the fruit is set, pinch back all side growths. Be careful not to injure the foliage or bruise the fruit. In lifting or shifting the position of the squash or melon, the fruit-stem is often injured, which seriously impairs the development of the fruit. Apply a little wood ashes or some other form 348 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH of potash to the soil, work it in and water the plants freely. Transplanting. Plants developed from seed sown in the open in June should be shifted to their permanent places — such plants as cab- bage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, endive and late tomatoes. Whenever possible plant on rainy or cloudy days. If the day is bright plant after sundown and water each plant freely. Corn. Golden Bantam corn planted not later than July 10, on a rich soil that retains sufficient moisture will mature in time to give you sweet corn in the fall. Succession and Companion Cropping. A! maximum yield should be the chief aim of every garden. As the early crops are being removed, the question arises, "What may I do with the land now?" Intercropping may be followed successfully by using a little care in arranging the winter crops, even though all of the early vegetables have not been harvested. Care should be exercised in cultivating and 349 PRACTICAL GARDENING harvesting the first crops so as not to check the growth of the later crop, for every day of this later growth is at a premium. These five principles are necessary in fol- lowing the practice of intensive gardening: (1) Know the best time and method to plant each crop. (2) Know the length of time it takes for each crop to mature. (3) Under- stand the spacing of the plants so they may develop perfectly. (4) Know the control methods in battling with insects and disease that appear on many of these late crops. (5) Have a general knowledge of the amount of moisture and the best food suited for each crop. The early cabbage is ripening now; inter- crop with lettuce or winter radish. It takes early cabbage about twelve weeks, lettuce five weeks, and winter radish about eight weeks to mature from seed. For winter use, intercrop early peas or cabbage with beets, carrots or parsnips. Remove early beets and plant late cabbage. 350 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH Sow a crop of dwarf early peas between the rows of late turnips. Follow early lettuce, radish, peas and beets with late celery. At a space of every eighteen inches remove a plant of early wax beans and place a late cab- bage plant. After the beans are past bearing remove the plants and give special attention to the late cabbage. Between the hills of sweet corn plant Hubbard squash (winter). After harvesting the corn, cut off the stalks close to the surface of the ground and spread out the squash vines. Give the rows a vigor- ous cultivation in order to loosen the soil and kill all weeds before spreading the vines. After digging the early potatoes, work into the soil a free application of bone dust, and plant late celery, cabbage or Brussels sprouts. After trimming the tomato plants by remov- ing part of the leaves and all side growths, plant late cabbage or lettuce between each pair of stakes. Add a little well decayed manure, bone meal or sheep manure to each hole. Work the fertilizer into the soil before 351 PRACTICAL GARDENING planting. After the first frost in October remove the tomato plants and give special at- tention to the late cabbage. Cabbage often starts to head after the first light frost. Cultivation. One hour early in the morn- ing may save you five hours' work five days later. Stir up the soil in the cool of the morn- ing, and the weeds are well baked before noon. Do not wait for weeds to appear before cul- tivating. A rake or Norcross weeder are the best weapons for destroying the weeds as soon as the weed seeds germinate; by persistent work a dust mulch is formed which aids in holding the moisture. The air, sunshine and dew also act on the soil and liberate plant food. Cultivation is even more necessary to the growth of plants during this month than dur- ing the earlier months. Watering. July is the month when the plants call with their green tongues for water. If you refuse to listen and act, the plant suf- fers and wilts. Any check given especially to vegetables and flowers means a certain per 352 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH cent of loss in fruit or bloom. In watering get the water to the roots. Do not dash the water against the soil; this not only helps to harden it but often exposes part of the plant's roots. Water in the evening and the moisture works its way into the soil aided by the dew. Watering in the morning has a tendency to bake the soil, and the sun evaporates much of the moisture. If the foliage is wet and the sun high it is often burned. Garden Efficiency. July demands your time, energy and watchful eye. Stick to your trenches and keep the weeds out. Don't even let them have a start. Kill them at birth. Check all insects before they do damage. Chewing insects are controlled by poisoning, sucking insects by dusting their bodies. If you have only a few hills of potatoes and the potato beetles appear, pick them off and de- stroy them. Control disease by using some form of a preventive like Bordeaux mixture. Always burn the diseased parts or the entire plant. Answer the call for water, but water 353 PRACTICAL GARDENING the garden only when it is absolutely neces- sary. Too much watering in July will tend to develop weak plants and invite infection. Supply a well balanced and wholesome diet for them. Our success or failure in this war depends to a large extent on the efficiency of the war gardens. A vacant lot means na- tional waste. July 1, is not too late for a crop of late potatoes to be planted. The United States expects every gardener to do his duty. FRUITS AND BERRIES Cherries. Don't allow cherries to spoil on the trees. The decayed fruit only spreads the molds that cause decay on later crops. Never pick the fruit when it is wet with rain or dew. Apples. Stop cultivation and sow a cover crop of clover, turnips, winter wheat, etc., so that the roots may be protected during the win- ter. This should be done before July 15. If you have a sod mulch under your trees, cut the grass and spread it over the soil where the water drips from the foliage. This is 354 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH where the feeding roots are located. In or- der to produce all standard size apples, leave only one apple to develop on a spur. Peaches and Pears. Watch for the little pile of sawdust at the base of the peach tree. Follow the hole made by the peach borer un- til you discover the grub. Then destroy it. The wound will soon heal over and is of less damage than the work done by the borer. Thin the pears and remove all twigs or branches infected with fire blight (wilted brown twigs). Burn all infected prun- ings. Pruning. Prune out all suckers and water sprouts. If a diseased limb is to be removed be careful not to have it come in contact with healthy limbs. All diseased wood should be burned. Strawberries. The old strawberry bed should be well manured and plowed under. Plants that have borne for more than two years are not worth keeping. Shift the potted runners to their permanent bed before the last 355 PRACTICAL GARDENING of the month. Exercise the greatest care not to cover the heart or crown bud. AUGUST THE VEGETABLES Late Peas. After removing summer beets, turnips or other early crops, cultivate thor- oughly and work in a little well decayed ma- nure. A little bone meal added to the manure is a lasting plant food. Rake the soil very fine where the furrow is to be drawn and plant the seed in a trench 3 to 4 inches deep. Pack the soil firmly over the seed with the back of the rake. Do not soak the seed in water be- fore planting. The most satisfactory varie- ties for late planting are Early Morn, Pros- perity and Little Marvel (dwarf). Beans. Sow string beans twice during the month but not later than the 15th. The kid- ney, wax and even bush lima beans will ma- ture before frost if the plants are kept grow- ing vigorously. The soil should be rich not only in plant food but in humus so that it may 856 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH retain moisture. After the beans are dropped in the furrow, a liberal supply of water may be added and the seeds then covered. This is best done in the evening. The best two varie- ties for late planting are, Early Valentine (green podded), and Refugee (yellow podded) . Lettuce. Start a new seed bed in some shady place. Allow the plants to develop three or four leaves and then wet the bed thor- oughly before transplanting to the open, where the soil should be very rich in plant food, es- pecially nitrogen. This is best supplied in the form of well decayed horse manure. The faster lettuce matures the more tender the foli- age will be. One of the best varieties for fall is the Grand Rapids (loose leaf). Many of the smaller plants may be transferred to the hotbed later in the season. Onions. If you find that the onions are not developing a bulbous growth at the base of the leaves, add a little nitrate of soda and water the onions freely in the evening. If the tops 357 PRACTICAL GARDENING are turning brown and the bulbous growth is well developed, pull or rake out the onions; let the leaves dry. Clean off all dried material before crating the onions for winter. Early Celery. Early celery should be ma- tured sufficiently by August 10. The best method of blanching at this season is by the use of boards. Lay the boards flat on the ground and place one edge near the plant. Lift the board into position and stake it so that it can not shift. Celery banked with soil during the hot weather has a tendency to de- cay at the heart. Keep the late celery growing and well watered. Cantaloupes and Watermelons. Place a shingle, piece of broken flower pot, or flat stone under the fruit so that it may ripen evenly throughout. A little weak liquid cow manure, best applied just before a rain, will help greatly in the final development. If the musk- melon breaks away from the stem and the stem end is a little soft, the fruit is ripe. If there is a crunching sound when you give a 358 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH quick downward pressure on the side of the watermelon with both hands the melon is ripe. Do not break the skin. Keep the melon in a cool place for two or three days and the flavor is improved. Pests. If the aphis (green fly) puts in its appearance on any of the tender growths, such as lettuce, dust the foliage with tobacco dust. The cabbage worm may start in early on the winter crop. Sprinkle a little white hellebore, one ounce to a gallon of water, or a little pow- dered ar senate of lead on the cabbage plants. If the foliage of the asparagus is disappearing and you find short furrows eaten out of the tender growths, dust the plants, when the dew is heavy, with powdered ar senate of lead. The asparagus beetle is not hard to control if checked in time. Cabbage aphides are con- trolled by tobacco dust or a tobacco solution. These insects are usually found on the leaves close to the ground and on the under side. Cultivation. Keep the hand cultivator busy this month. Some of the best crops are pro- 359 PRACTICAL GARDENING duced during a dry season, all on account of diligent cultivation. It may seem useless to stir the soil that appears loose but there is nothing more valuable to the garden in August than a dust mulch. Gardens that are culti- vated every day during the dry period show a marked increase in production and many times weeds are destroyed by this means before they reach the surface. FRUITS AND BERRIES Strawberries. Potted runners if shifted to a permanent bed this month will yield a crop next year. The soil should be a sandy loam with a liberal amount of humus incorporated. On removing the plants from the pots loosen the tips of the roots so that they may spread and come in contact with food and moisture. Be careful not to bury the crown of the plant in transplanting. Apples. Pick the harvest apples before they are dead ripe. They have a better flavor and keep longer. If by chance you have failed 360 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH to destroy all the codling moths you will find many small apples on the ground. Rake these together and destroy them. This is the month when the fall web worm is at work. If you find bunches of leaves, brown and loosely webbed, remove and burn the leaves which con- tain nests. Spray the tree with one half pound of arsenate of lead to ten gallons of water. Currants and Gooseberries. Cultivate thor- oughly and add to the soil a liberal amount of bone meal. The lack of moisture through neg- lecting to make a dust mulch may materially decrease the crop for next year. If the cur- rant aphides are found on the underside of the leaves, spray with Black Leaf 40. The first indication of this pest is when the leaves begin to turn yellow. SEPTEMBER THE VEGETABLES Keep Up the Fight. You have battled through the trying month of August, you have 361 PRACTICAL GARDENING held the trenches and made some advances but your success in this campaign for production hinges on your action during September. Keep the cultivator busy; strike down the ad- vance of the fall weeds ; keep in check the fall insects and be prepared for the first attack of frost. Celery. Keep celery growing vigorously. Apply weak liquid manure water at least once each week. Water the plants freely after each application. One tablespoonful of ni- trate of soda dissolved in one gallon of water applied in the evening will also stimulate growth. Boards are by far the best means of blanching celery but soil is often used. As the plant is reaching full growth, begin to bank it. Winter Squash. Squash should be harv- ested before the frost discolors the skin. Squash vines and other vegetable growths not used should be dried and burned so as to de- stroy insect eggs and disease. Asparagus, Asparagus shoulcf be given 362 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH special attention the latter part of the month. Clean out all fall weeds and apply a free ap- plication of coarse salt. If the beetle is de- stroying the foliage, spray with arsenate of lead, one tablespoonful to a pail of water. Do not cut the tops until after the berries are red and never apply the winter protection of ma- nure until after the frost has come to stay. Cabbage. If the head has started to form and the green worm is destroying it, sprinkle in a little fine salt. Poisons are not recom- mended after the cabbage starts to head. Keep the soil well cultivated. If the head be- gins to crack, push it over on its side or raise it a little by placing both hands on the under side close to the stem and lift it loose on the soil. By doing this a number of the feeding roots are destroyed and the head stops crack- ing. Peas. Make at least one sowing of early dwarf peas the first week of this month. If the weather is favorable there will be two late crops of fine quality peas. 868 PRACTICAL GARDENING For the Hotbed. Parsley plants should be potted in a rich soil for winter use. A few plants in the corner of the hotbed or green- house bench will supply flavoring and garnish during the winter. Seed of both head and loose leaf lettuce, if sown early in September, will make sturdy plants for the hotbed the last of the month. Get the hotbed ready at least four or five days before transplanting lettuce or other crops. FRUITS AND BERRIES Blackberries and Raspberries. Keep the berries free from weeds ; cultivate well between the rows and cut old canes off close to the ground. Do not mulch the soil with manure until it is well frozen. This late mulching will not cause disease to infect the cones. Gooseberries and Currants. Work a little wood ashes into the soil to help ripen the wood and buds. Cut out old branches if the plant is too compact. Take cuttings of these fruits 364 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH the last of this month, pack them in moist sand in a cool place, and they will be in good condition for transplanting early in the spring. Apples. Cut the grass and rake it under the tips of the limbs. It not only makes a fine mulch but it also prevents, to a large extent, the bruising of windfall apples. If the orchard is cultivated it is not too late to sow a cover crop of peas and rye or corn and rye. Clean out hedge rows near the orchard which are only breeding places for rabbits and insects. Storing. See that the fruit cellar is well aired, and thoroughly cleaned. Place a little clean dry straw on the shelves before storing the apples. Potatoes may be stored on the floor and apples on benches in the same cellar. Pad the basket with burlap or some material like it before picking apples. Do not break or pull out the stem or break off the fruit spur while picking. Never store a bruised apple. 365 PRACTICAL GARDENING OCTOBER THE VEGETABLES Potato. Dig the potatoes before the ground is frozen. Sort out the bruised ones and use them first. Small potatoes may be boiled and fed to the chickens. Do not store the small, immature tubers with the ones selected for table use. Throw out all potatoes that are diseased except those that may have a little scab on the skin. Expose the tubers to the air and sun long enough to have them dry be- fore storing. If piled while wet there is dan- ger of soft rot. Do not allow the potatoes to be exposed to the sun for several days. It has a tendency to spoil the flavor and in some cases the tuber becomes poisonous. Late Celery. Before digging the celery, prepare the cold frame in which it may be stored by digging out the center so that after the plants are set close together, there will be a space of six inches above the plants to the top of the frame. Pack a little sand about the roots as the plants are set and protect the tops 366 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH by placing boards, hotbed sash, or a storm window on the top. Ventilate each clear morning, but make sure that the plants are protected from severe frosts. On very cold nights cover the boards or frames with leaves or straw and place a few branches on this litter to keep it from blowing away. Celery that is hilled and left in the row should also be covered with leaves and straw. If the air is not allowed to circulate through the plants on bright days, the plants soon rot. Lettuce. The Grand Rapids variety may be transplanted to the hotbed the first week of this month. Keep the temperature between 45° and 55° F. The soil should be one-half decayed manure and kept moist. Care should be exercised not to get water on the foliage while watering the plants. As the plants ad- vance lift up the lower leaves and scatter a few tobacco stems* under them to check the green aphides. Thrifty plants should mature in about four weeks. Ehubarb and 'Asparagus. Both of these 3671 PRACTICAL GARDENING crops should have a heavy mulch of manure before the last of the month. Fall grass and other weeds should be removed from the as- paragus bed before covering the plants for win- ter. Storage Pit. This is the month to pit or store beets, carrots, parsnips, salsify, rutabaga and turnips. All root crops to be used during the winter should be removed from the garden before the soil freezes. A Fall Drive. If your garden has been overrun with quack grass this is the month to spade or plow it. Leave the clods in the rough so that the winter weather may have a chance to destroy the roots of this much hated weed. This practice also destroys many in- sects that have hibernated in the soil. FRUITS AND BERRIES "Fruit Harvest. Pick Baldwins, Northern Spies, and Rhode Island Greenings before the hard frosts set in. A light frost does not in- jure these varieties. Never pick them on wet 368 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH days or when the dew is on the fruit. Apples should be dry before storing. Use the wind- falls first, make jelly out of the defective apples, and store only the best. Handle the fruit as you would eggs. The late varieties of pears should be picked before they are fully ripe and stored in a cool, dark cellar. Pick out the ripe ones two or three times each week. Ventilate the fruit cellar on clear, warm days. Pure air is very essential in keeping fruit. The Apple Tree. If you have not already placed wire guards about the trunks of your young trees this is the month to do it. Just as soon as the clover and other green food dries, the rabbits and woodchucks begin to skin the young apple trees. Strawberries. This is the last call for mulching the strawberry bed. Allow the foli- age to ripen thoroughly before mulching with manure, but do not allow the soil to be frozen more than a half inch in depth. 369 PRACTICAL GARDENING Blackberries and Raspberries. All of the old wood should be cut out and burned. A thorough cleaning of the berry patch this month will be appreciated next spring when other things demand attention. NOVEMBER THE VEGETABLES Seeds and Seedlings. Sow the seed of New Zealand spinach in furrows 12 to 15 inches apart and one inch in depth. Protect the seed by covering it with some form of litter. Re- move this in early spring and the seedlings will appear above the ground before the soil is ready to work for other crops. Risk a sowing of wrinkled peas (Button's Excelsior or Thomas Laxton) . Have the soil rich and mellow. Sow the seed three inches in depth. It is not too late to set out multiplier onions. They will make an early start in the spring and follow the sets planted in September. Plants for Next Spring. Cauliflower and 370 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH cabbage plants should be put in the cold frame or hotbed, protected from the frost, kept alive but not growing. Keep the temperature low, the air pure and the soil moist. Plants held over in this way will reach maturity very easily in the spring if set out in a rich, warm garden loam. Storage. Celery may be lifted and stored the last of this month. It may be packed in boxes providing holes have been made about two inches from the bottom and all around the box in order to admit air. It may also be stored in a cool cellar on the floor. Cabbage should be pitted out of doors be- fore the hard frosts set in. Tie the leaves of the cauliflower together near the top, lift the plant root and all, and stand them, root down, in a little soil in the root cellar. Asparagus and Rhubarb. This is the month to set out new beds of these perennials in the South. They are both gross feeders. The soil should be made rich. The asparagus 871 PRACTICAL GARDENING should be set in rows three feet apart and the roots planted twelve inches apart in the row. The crown should be 6 to 8 inches below the surface. The crown of the rhubarb should be four inches deep and the plants set three feet apart. Cover these plants with a mulch of manure. Clean up. This is the month to clean out the weeds before the seed drops. Pile these partly dried weeds in your garden and burn them. Do as much this fall as possible. .The spring work will demand your attention and time. Be sure that the tools are clean. Rub a little linseed oil on the metal parts to pre- vent rusting. Lime. Apply a little lime to the soil es- pecially if it is a clay type. Fall spading or plowing is highly recommended. FRUITS AND BERRIES Timely Warnings. If the limbs of your low-headed apple trees are heavy and in a pos- sible line of snow drifts, nail two strips of 372 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH wood with a single large spike two feet from the top. Open these strips scissor fashion and brace up these limbs. Guard against the splitting of bad crotches in the same way. Tent Caterpillars. Look especially on the young branches of your three- to five-year-old trees for clusters of tent caterpillar eggs. Pick them off and burn. Spring Planting. This is the month to dig the holes for next spring's planting of apple trees. Place the sod in one pile, the fine top loam in another, and the subsoil in the third. Fill the hole with manure and allow it to re- main one winter. In the spring, lift out the manure and place it in a fourth pile, loosen up the soil in the hole, place a little of the fine soil in the bottom and set the tree. The fine soil is then fitted about the roots followed by the partly decayed sod, then the bottom soil, and finally what remains of the manure is scattered on the surface of the soil around the tree. Cane Fruits. Mulch all cane fruits. They 373 PRACTICAL GARDENING have a shallow root system and need winter protection. Stored Fruit. Pick over the fall varieties of apples the last of the month and remove all specked fruit. The late varieties will not have to be handled until January. DECEMBER VEGETABLE GARDEN December's tasks in the vegetable garden may seem less urgent but they are nevertheless just as important as the work done in April or May. South. In some sections of the country, this month is truly an open month and the soil easy to work. Low wrinkled peas, New Zea- land spinach, endive, early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, and white potatoes are sometimes planted the last of the month and mulched. They get an early start and are shipped north five or six weeks before the northern crop is ready. Asparagus and Rhubarb. This is the month 374 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH to force both of these perennials. Thaw the roots out gradually and finally pack them in flats or under the greenhouse bench covering the crowns of both with from one to two inches of soil. They should be grown in a tempera- ture of from forty-five to fifty-five de- grees Fahrenheit. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Lettuce. Set out the last planting of let- tuce '( Grand Rapid), the early part of this month. Cover the hotbeds with mats and shutters to keep out the cold. Ventilate on bright days. Storage Vegetables. Keep a close watch on the vegetable cellar. Remove all vege- tables that have started to decay. Add a little more soil to the out of door pits in order to keep the frost out. Pick over the potatoes for the first time and cover them with a little soil or burlap bags. Ventilate the storage house very often. On very severe nights place a lamp in the cellar. Always ventilate a little the following morning. 375 PRACTICAL GARDENING FRUITS AND BERRIES Hedge Rows. There is no better month to clean out the hedge rows of wild cherry and plums. In doing this, the breeding places of the tent caterpillar are destroyed. Also the dreaded disease, black knot, should be cut out and burned. Orchard. Clean up the wood, branches, etc. from the orchard and burn. The old wood pile of apple logs is an ideal place for insects detrimental to the orchard to hibernate in. Keep a close watch on your young trees. If you have neglected to protect the trunk from rabbits, wrap a strip of tar paper or wire two feet wide around the base of the tree and tie it firmly. Snow Injury. Brace up the lower limbs of the low-headed trees to prevent their breaking down with the weight of snow. Grapes. This is a good month to prune the grape vines. Leave two to four buds on each cane which is to become a leader. There 376 WHAT TO DO MONTH BY MONTH should not be more than six leaders to a single vine. It is not necessary or advisable to remove the old bark. If new vines are to be planted make the cuttings now. Leave three buds to each cutting, pack these in sand, two buds be- low the surface. Early in the spring, trans- plant to the garden. Tree Surgery. Tree dentistry should be done early in the fall or late in the spring, so that the concrete may properly set. Concrete work that is done when there is frost will usu- ally be brittle and scale off. Brace the branches that form bad crotches, so as to pre- vent splitting. STUDY Plan to take a short winter course in Horti- culture in the State Agricultural College or by correspondence at home. It is not so much the value of the certificate which is received at the end of twelve weeks' study but the value of systematic study, answering questions and 377 PRACTICAL GARDENING the habit of working out garden and orchard problems. Keep the best garden magazines on your study table. Make your Christmas gifts practical by giv- ing your friends a graden or orchard book, or products resulting from your garden. There is no limit to the production of crops on the mental soil. INDEX Acid phosphate, 161 Advantages of companion cropping, 303, 304 Air slacked lime, 17 Ammonia, sulphate, 27, 161 Annuals (varieties), 62, 63, 64, 67 Apple, general culture, 273-278 variety, 278-279 planting, 280-281, 334 cover crops, 282, 283 insects, 285, 287 diseases (apple scab), 286 pruning (see by month), 365 Application of fertilizer, 82 Arrangement of garden, 67 Arsenate of lead (pow- der), 131, 331 Artichokes, culture of, 224-226 Ashes, coal, 17, 30, 101, 257 wood, 23, 34, 33 amount, 22 Asparagus, culture of, 217, 220 Insects and diseases, 219, 220 summer, 227 ^x.. Back yard gardens, 1 Bags, paper (use of), 272 Beans, broad, 179, 181 lima, 179, 181 pole limas, 181 dry shell, 181, 182 varieties of, 182 string or snap, general culture, 176— 178 varieties, 178, 179 Beets, culture of, 142, 143 Bisexual, See strawberry, 245 Blackberry, culture of, 263 379 INDEX Blackberries, varieties, 263 Blights, cane (currant) , 254 potato, 132 Bone meal, 21, 31, 32, 35, 251,253 Brussels sprouts, culture of, 209, 210 insects, 210 Burlap, for cold frames, 106 Burned manure, 27, 101 Burning, See by month, 334 Cabbage, culture of, 204- 206 pests of, 206-208 Cane, of currant, 253 ' of blackberry, 263 Canvas, cold frame, 106 Carrots, culture of, 143, 144 Catalogues, use of, 55, 56, 217 Cauliflower, culture of, 208, 209 Celeriac, culture of, 202, 203 Celery, culture of, 197* 201 Celery, diseases and in- sects, 201, 202 Cellar, root, 233, 234 concrete (use of), 233 inspection of (month), 324 storing (month), 865 Chairman, community gar- dens, 312 Chart, soil, 12 Cherry, general culture, 293, 295 varieties, 295 insects, 295, 296 diseases, 296 Citron, culture of, 194 City garden, 2 problems, 2 location, 3 drainage, 4 stealing, 4 fencing, 5 intensive gardening, 5 early crops, 5 practice, 5, 6 soil and manure, 6 Civic improvement, see "Community gar- dens," 310 Clay, soil, 15, 18, 332 light, 250, 262 380 INDEX Clover, 19 Cold frames, 96 advantages, 96 use of, 96, 98 construction, 105, 106 purpose, 106 hardening plant, 106, 107 Collard, culture of, 222, 228 Combination tools, 41, 52, 58 Commercial fertilizers, 25, 29, 35 Community gardens, 310, 312 securing land, 312, 313 distribution of lots, 313, 315 garden record, 314 buying seed, 315 preparing land, 315, 317 publicity, 317 care of tools, 317, 319 flag pole, 319 Companion cropping, 303, 305 Compost, for currants, 251 heap, 20 location, 21 construction, 21 Compost, treatment, 21, 22 Concrete, for hotbed, 99, 233 Corn (pop), 175, 176 (sweet), culture of, 173, 174 varieties, 175 diseases, 175, 176 (salad), culture of, 157, 158 Corrosive sublimate, (treat- ing seed), 121 Cress, Upland, culture of, 155 Cropping, successive, 67, 305, 309 companion, 303, 305, 349 Crops, vine, 185-194 cool season, 57-59 spring, listed, 109 warm season, 59, 61 long season, 59 catch, for hotbed, 105 cover, 282, 294 late, 29 interplanting, 55, 67 root, 141-147 various, 338 Cultivation, tools for, 53 by month, 352 Cultivators, 43 381 INDEX Currant, culture of, 250- 253 pests, 253, 254 diseases, 254 propagation, 254, 255 varieties, 255, 257 Dandelion, culture of, 153 Decomposition, 30, 34 Depth to plow, 23 Diary, 334 Diseases, Apple scab, 286 Anthracnose (bean), 178 Asparagus rust, 220 Black Rot (celery), 202 Blight (potato), 132 Brown Rot (cherry), 296 Cane Blight (currant), 254 Cucumber Rust, 187 Club Root (cabbage), 208 Dampening Off (celery), 201, 202 Downy Mildew (grapes), 271 Downy Mildew (onion), 167 Fruit Rot (tomato), 172 Leaf Curl (peach), 301 Diseases, Leaf Spot (to- mato), 172 Pear Blight, 292, 293 Pear Scab, 292 Root Gall, 261 Scab (potato), 122 Smut (corn), 175, 176 Yellows (peach), 301 of trees, 347 Dish water, 22, 23 Dissolved bone, 300 Drainage, 12 blind drain, 13 of hotbed, 99, 101 of flat, 110 See "grape," 264 Dried Blood, 26, 31, 161, 284 Drive, fall, 368 Dust, tobacco, 139, 140 Earthworm, 100 Efficiency, in garden, 353 Egg plant, culture of, 182, 183 insects, 184 Elements (necessary), 24 Endive, culture of, 155-157 varieties, 156 Enemies, birds (of cherry), 296 382 INDEX Sparrow (English), 139 dogs, 5 cats, 5 rabbits, 9 woodchucks, 9 See insects Excavation, of hotbed, 100 Extensive gardening, 54 Family tree, 277 Fermentation, 28, 101 Fertilizers, 24 application of, 32 elements necessary, 24 stable manure, 25 horse manure, 26, 27 cow manure, 27 liquid manure, 27, 28 hog manure, 28, 29 sheep manure, 29, 253 chicken manure, 333 commercial, 30 nitrogen, 31, 32 phosphoric acid, 32, 33 potash, 33, 34 table, use of, 36 bone meal, 21 wood ashes, 34 Fiber, developed, 30 builder, 33 Flat file, 41 Flats, 110-113 Size of, 322 Forcing, vine crops, 113 See "flats" Fruit harvest, 368 Fruit stored, 273 Fruit trees, planting, 334 Garbage, 22, 23 Garden, three types, 1 plans, 65, 66, 68 planning, 55, 320 tools for home, 51, 831 arrangement, 67 table of planting, 69-74 loam, 18 practices, 54 city, 2 village, 6 Community, 310 Record, 314 contest, 317 Gardening, Extensive, 54 intensive, 54, 307 Garlic, culture of, 165 Germination, in hotbed, 103 hastening, 111 See weakened, 113 Ghirkins, culture of, 226, 227 383 INDEX Gooseberry, culture of, 257, 258 varieties, 258 Grafting, apple, 828 Grape, culture of, 264, 271 pruning, 266, 270 varieties, 269, 271 diseases, 271 insects, 271 Greens, Salads, 148-159 Ground fish, 31 Guide, month by month, 320-378 Hardening plants, 117 by month, 339 Hardy vegetables, 74 Hedge rows, 376 Horse-radish, culture of, 146, 147 Hotbeds, advantages, 96 use of, 96, 98 diagram of, 97 construction, 98-101 filling (manure), 101, 102 Soil, 102 thermometer, 102, 103 ventilation, 103, 104 protection, 104, 105 catch crops, 105 Hotbeds, planting table, 107, 108 transplanting, 108 care of, 327, 332 Humus, 19, 23 Insects, breeding, 28 avoiding in hotbed, 98 Aphide (green fly), 359 Asparagus beetle, 219, 220 Black fly (Brussels sprouts), 210 Celery caterpillar, 202 Codling moth, 287, 292 Cherry fruit fly, 295 Colorado potato beetle, 131, 184 Currant borer, 253, 254 Currant worm, 253 Cut worm, 194, 345 Flat-head borer, 286 Flea beetle, 131 Green cabbage worm, 206, 207 Grasshopper, 202 Pear slug, 296 Plum curculio, 295, 298 Rose beetle, 250 Round-head borer, 286 San Jose scale, 292, 285, 286 384 INDEX Insects, Scurvy scale, 285, 286 Stem borer, 191 Striped cucumber beetle, 187 Thrips, 167 Intensive gardening, 54, 303, 350 methods, 67 Interplanting, 67 Intercropping, 67 of strawberry, 248 June drop, 801 Kainit, 33, 34 Kale, culture of, 210, 211 Kohl-rabi, culture of, 221, 222 Land, securing, 312 preparing, 315 Leaf curl, 301 Leeks, culture of, 164, 165 Lettuce, culture of, 148, 149 varieties, 149, 151 Lime, 17, 33, 34, 35 Liquid manure, 27, 28, 35 Lists, apple trees, 278, 279 Loam, 18, 21, 262 London purple, 131 Lots, distributing, 313 Manure, 35 "burned," 27 green, 25 animal, 25 horse, 19 fresh, 26 decayed, 15, 17, 26, 251 stray, 15, 17 chicken, 333 Market, 109 Mildew, 331 Moisture, 60, 98 Moss, 243 Mowing machine, 53 Muck, 19, 20 Muriate of potash, 33, 300, 161 Mustard, culture of, 153, 154 Nitrate of soda, 30, 31, 248, 252, 300 Nitrogen, 31 Norcross weeder, 38, 42, 198 Okra, culture of, 223, 224 Onions, culture of, 160- 163 385 INDEX Onions, varieties, 164 enemies, 166, 167 diseases, 167 Orchard work, 339, 365, 376 Paint, 284, 326 Paris green, 34, 131, 207 Parsley, culture of, 158, 159 Parsnips, culture of, 144 Paths, 316 Peach, general culture^ 299, 302 varieties, 302 diseases, 301 Pear, general culture, 289, 293 varieties, 290 insects, 292 diseases, 292, 293 Peas, culture of, 135 varieties, 136, 137 enemies, 139, 140 Peppers, culture of, 184 Perennials, 67 Pests, 253, 333, 345, 359 Peruvian Guano, 32 Phosphoric acid, 32, 252 Planning the garden, 54- 57, 65-68, 306 Plant foods, 25-30 Planting, dates for, 69-74 Spring, 280, 281, 373 table for hotbed, 107, 108 Plaster (house), 265 Plum, general culture, 296, 298 varieties, 298, 299 insects, 298 diseases, 298 Pollination, 277 Potash, 253 muriate, 33, 161 sulphate, 33 Potassium sulphide, 255 Potato, culture of, 119, 123, 125 hilling, 125 seed, 120, 121 treating, 122 varieties, 122, 123 early crop, 125-127 late crop, 127 fertilizers, 127-130 insects and diseases, 131, 132 harvesting, 133 Sweet, 133, 134 Propagation, 359 currant, 254 386 INDEX Pruning, 38 tools, 38, 49-50, 53 root, 98 grape, 266-270 pear, 291 peaches, 301 currant, 251, 252 Cherry, 294 raspberry, 259 apple, 281, 285, 328, 336 Quince, general culture, 302 varieties, 302 Radish, culture of, 141, 142 Raspberry, culture of, 258-261 varieties, 261, 262 Rhubarb, culture of, 212, 217 Rock phosphate, 32 Root crops, listed, 141-147 Root gall, 261 Rural gardens, 1-10 Rust, 53 Rutabaga, culture of, 146 Salads, 148-159 Salsify, culture of, 144, 145 Sand, 18, 19 Sash, 98-101, 104 Scale, 285 Seeder, 45, 53 Seedlings, 96, 98, 105 Seeds, ordering, 55 selection, 61, 315 Shallots, culture of, 165, 166 Slope, 15 Slugs, 207, 208 Sod, 14, 21, 251, 280 Soil, chart, 12 types, 11 drainage, 11—13 preparation, 13 treatment, 13-15 clay, 15-18 garden loam, 18 sand, 18, 19 muck, 19, 20 sour, 21, 22, 34 Do's and Don't's, 23 Spraying, 286, 287, 292, 295, 329, 334 equipment, 49 Squash, culture of, 189- 191 Storage, vegetables, 228, 235, 236, 365, 371, 375 out-door pits, 229-232 cellar, 232-234 387 INDEX Storage, attic, 234, 235 fruit, 236-238 Strawberry, culture of, 239-249 soils for, 240-242 varieties, 245, 246 cultivation, 247, 248 intercropping, 248 Straw mats, 104 Suburban gardens, 6-10 Succession cropping, 305 Suggestions, month by month, 323-378 Sulphate of ammonia, 161 Sulphate of potash, 33 Sulphur, flowers of, 139, 331 Tags, 282 Tankage, 26, 31 Tar paper, 100 Temperatures, 27, 56, 57, 60, 102 Tender vegetables, 74, 98 Thermometer, 102, 103, 106, 108, 117 Thinning, 285 Thomas slag, 32 Thrift, 31J Tile, 12, 101 Tillage, 269 Tobacco dust, 139, 140 Tomato, culture of, 169- 171 diseases, 172 varieties, 173 Tools, 37-50 cost of, 51 rules for use, 52, 53 house, 53 care of, 317-319, 326 Transplanting, 1 07-1 1 5, 334, 349 Trellises, 136 Turnips, culture of, 145, 146 Ventilation, hotbed, 103, 104 cold frame, 109 Village garden, 6 Vinecrops, 185-194, 266- 270 Watering, 23, 111, 118, 352 Watermelon, culture of, 191, 192 Weeders, 38, 43, 44, 198 Weeds, 98, 310 Whale oil soap, 331 Wood ashes, 23, 33, 34 Yellows (peach), 301 388 (2) VC 61952 415314 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY