The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-21
Small Crops.


There are a few crops rarely found in the
farmers garden, and yet they are easily grown,
and among the most valuable and, if 1t was
known how easily they could be grown, they
would certainly be more common. The crops
to which | especially refer are spinach, aspara-
gus, celery and Hubbard squashes. The first
may be grown almost as early grass 1t is
perfectly hardy and may be sown in September
and covered with leaves, straw or evergreen
brush, and will live through the winter; or it
may be sown as early as the land can be worked
in the spring 1t furnishes excellent greens, and
is out of the way in time for other crops to be
grown on the same land. single row thirty
feet long or a bed three feet by ten, will supply
a large family. 1t is ready for use as soon as
the leaves are large enough, and can be used till
| it blossoms.
Asparagus is one of the earliest vegetables
grown, and is nutritious and palatable. When
once started bed will continue in bearing for
many years, and will give large returns for little
labor l doubt if any other garden crop equals
it in this respect, and yet not one farmer in a
score grows it. In starting bed 1t is better to
buy plants than to sow seed, as a year will be
gained by their use. A row ten rods long, or its
equivalent, will supply an ordinary family. The
cheapest and best way to prepare to bed Is to
pillow out dead furrow as deep as possible, and
manure it heavily, and then pillow back the earth
until it is level Then tOpdress with fine
manure stretch line and set two feet apart,
two plants in place. Give thorough cultivation
and cover in winter with manure, and do not
cut till the second spring after setting. It is
best to remove the manure and pillow or spade,
so as to loosen the earth in the spring and then
replace the manure again. 1t may be so
thoroughly mulched as to require cul-
tivation, and the asparagus will be all the
better for it. 1t will push I'D through any
amount of manure. Asparagus can be used for
several weeks, until peas, beets and early beans
are fit for use, and then the cutting should be
discontinued In the fall after the stalks are
killed by frost they should be removed, and the
bed protected.
Perhaps one farmer in a hundred grows eel
cry, and most of those who do not grow it think
that to produce it there is some skill or sleight
| of hand required which only city gardeners
possess. 1t is as easily grown as parsnips, and
may be planted as close, and need not be put i'll
trenches or banked up in great ridges. Close
! planting, say foot apart each way, will
| enable 6ne to grow family supply on small
| piece of land which they afford to make
extra rich, and the plants will grow taller and
make longer stems than if planted wider.
To blanch the celery it can be taken up
and buried in trenches, or it can be set in
barrels in the cellar and covered with an
old carpet In either case the roots should be
| well covered with earth If it is pitted the
! trench should be dug narrow and about as deep
the length of the stalks, and the plants packed
in standing nearly perpendicular and as close as
possible. Some old boards can be leaned A shape
to protect them, and then the earth raised above.
If sawdust can be had | prefer it to earth. as
much less of it will keep out the frost, and it is
mucn cleaner ana easier TO move IN winter. 1t
is best to put part of the crop in barrels and part
in pits for later use. Celery seed should be
sown early in May in some shaded spot where
the land is clean and rich and the plants thinned,
so as to make them grow stalky. They may be
transplanted to where they to grow from the
middle of July to the middle of August. have
grown a family supply for two years in my
sweet potato bed after the season for plants was
over. l have grown the plants and had them
large enough to put out.
Until about five years ago l had never sue
ceeded in growing Hubbard squashes, but ! now
succeed with them every year ] plant them
| among my early potatoes. find that they will
bear quite late planting, and the bugs that are
usually so hard on them do not disturb them
when planted in this way. 1 usually plant about
the middle of June, but last summer did not
plant until June PC, and had an excellent crop,
well matured l manure the land heavily on
which / intend to grow squashes, and this does
not hurt the potatoes any; and when I first begin
using potatoes | take pains to dig the hills near
est the squash vines first A full crop of squashes
can be grown without missing hill of potatoes.
In making the squash hills it would be necessary
to lift the potato vines and lean them away from
the spot where the hills are to be made. Make
the hills in every fourth middle, as the squash
vines will cover the ground when planted quite
wide