The Delaware farmer., 1883-09-07
CULTIVATION OF SPINACH.

! Hundreds of acres are IN its season devoted Il
. the cultivation Of this vegetable IN the neighbor
/ hood of New York City fer the supply OF its mar
kets. Coming in the early spring after the long
winters dearth Of green vegetables it is particu
I larly welcome, and is always in demand, and al
wavs meets with ready sale. Some of tht
market gardeners even grow it in frames undel
glass sashes, aud find it a very remunerative
crop during the dead of winter; others are very
careful to cover it with salt hay or similar ma
tera and hus are able to market it from the
open ground. 1t is a crop that is peculiarly
adapted to Delaware, on account ofthe mild win
ter climate; it is as easily grown as potatoes and
yields double to treble the profit that they do,
and comes off the ground in ample time for a sue.
ceeding summer crop.
1t will grow in almost all soils, butin light san.
! dy soils it soon runs to seed in the spring
and therefore has TO be early gathered The
warm lOamy soils in Delaware are peculiarly
well adapted to its growth. As the main object
in cultiyating it is TO obtain large, succuent
leaves the soil can scarcely be made too rich for
it; indeed it were folly to attempt to grow 1t on
poor land.
If stable manure is used it should be well rot
ted, and spread broadcast, but if artificial man
ures are used they may he drilled in; in either
case they must be literally applied.
The seed is preferably sOwn in drills, twelve to
sixteen inches apart, although some SOW it
broadcast, but this requires a larger quantity of
seed, and the crop is not so readily gathered.
ASOut New York it is sOwn dunng the whole
month Of September, but in Delaware the sow.
ing might be continued until the middle of 0eto.
Der. It should be sown from one to two inches
deep. II Itvegetates in from ten to fifteen days.
From seven to eight pounds OF seed are required
to the acre the quantity depending upon the dis.
tance apart OF the drills. When sown broadcast
double the quantity of seed will be required
When sown for home garden purposes, ,one ounce
of seed is considered sufficient for one hundred
and fifty feet of drill. The seed is good for two
or three years. but in crops like this. were its
value consists in the quantity Of leaves produced,
the fresher the seed the better, as it produces |
stronger growth.
The only cultivation spinach needs after the
seeds come up is to thin out the plants with the
hoe to distance of from eight to twelve inches
apart. But some Of the lately introduced Varie.
les will require a greater distance as the leaves
ire much larger than the older varieties. The
,rOp must be kept scrupulousy clean of weeds
~ twice or thrice hoeing before hard frost sets
n. After this occurs, it is usual about New
fork to put a slight covering of salt hay or pine
,Oughs over the drills, not so much to protect It
rom cold, as from the effects OF alternate freez-
ig and thawing, and the drying effects of the
rinter winds which destroy the edges of the
.aves and iDjure its appearance when marketed
" winter use. N
II the plants attain sufficient size before win
n sets in, some of the crop may be gathered y
lring that time, but as general rule it is best G.
let it have a spring growth. It then starts
lrly into growth, and the bulk produced more
AN makes up for any difference In price. In
elaware it should be ready for market from
e 18th of March to the Ist of May. After the
tier date it Will begin to run to seed, when It =
comes unsaleabIe. The practice with some
arket gardeners, who market it in winter, is to
we pit dug IN the shed in which they pre- ,
re their vegetables for market. Into this pit ~
~ throw the spinach, lightly sprnklingt it with 70,
tier, and covering the pit with boards. They 8