Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-19

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THE JOY OF PICKING POTATO BUGS.
ties of green peas, intended to bear in
successor, and spinach. ordered four
dozen tomato plants, three dozen cab
bage plants, Early York. Express and
Drumhead, and one dozen eggplants
The tomato plants to Justify their pic
torial regulations ought to rival sofa
pillows.
hired little old man who said he
knew all about gardening as he was
house painter by trade, but had given
that up on account of tpaintin collie. y
He had two foot rule, long string
and two pegs, and three tined garden
ing fork I had all the other neoessaries.
He took three days to get the ground
ready and then began to measure. He
stuck pegs and drew lines and marked
spots with his rule, but there was not
one straight line in the lot However, /
knew the plants from the weeds by their
wigwag lines.
He built up 10 hillocks and on the
apex of each planted five kernels of
corn. This should have been planted on
level with the ground, as found out
when strong wind blew it all fiat.
The hilling is done as the corn grows
and is to hold tup. Eventually it came
to maturity, and the silken tassels chang
ed from green to brown and the kernels
were as white as babies teeth.
The reformed house painter made
more hills on the opposite side, and in
these he planted lima beans. Three
giant sunf1ower seeds were put in each
hill with the beans. They grow high
and strong and faster than the beans
and afford a solid support. Flat beds
were laid out for peas, beans, okra,
parsley, lettuce, onions, radishes, car
rots, beets, spinach and knob celery.
More small mountains were raised to
accommodate watermelon and musk
melon and cucumber seeds. think they
all would have done better had they
been planted fiat and hilled up as they
grew. By this time the plot was full
save for the space left for cabbage, egg
plants and tomatoes. These three yege-
tables are transplanted about the first
week in June from the cold frames
planted one quart of onion pips and
one package of white onion seed. These
last transplanted later. The first were
used for early vegetable.
When all the seeds were planted,
there was nothing to do but wait with
patience. The sun shone warm and
clear and soon coaxed the tiny leaflets
out of the mold. Weeds were coaxed
too. I toiled early, late and between
times, wedding them out, weary and al
most despairing, but at last ] got them
all out. l would be so tired that could
hardly crawl into the house, but took
a fine appetite with me.
By and by the work grew easier, for
felt stronger. l could hoe and rake
and hill up like a real gardener. 1t was
a constant marvel to watch the seeds
burst their bonds and turn into living
plants.
Just as the lima beans and other ten
der plants were up there came cold
rain, followed by frost that killed
them all-okra, too, and muskmelons
-and the first week in June had to
plant them all over. After this rain the
sun shone warm and started millions Of
new weeds. fairly camped in the
garden, but at last they were all over
the back fence.
A Klondike miner could not feel
more delighted at finding lump of
gold as big as hat than did when
\ 1.ai,,
to eat. It was only three weeks from
the day they We're planted. In another
week lettuce began and beets were large
enough to nook in six weeks. had al
ready had several messes of ''greens, -
made of the tender leaves. Then baby
carrots, as large as finger, were ready
and served with cream sauce were deli
cious. In six weeks to a day from the
planting string beans were large enough
to cook and Lltil the 18th of November
the vines, like the widows cruise of oil,
were always full. We could not begin
to eat half the beans that grew.
The peas were large enough to eat in
the last of June. Taken from the vines,
cooked and eaten III less than an hour,
peas show unexpected delioiousness.
The button onions were good i'll soups,
salads and cooked with cream sauce.
In all / raised two bushels aud four
quarts of onions, about five bushels of
meas. more beans thaa | can tell and
barrels full of beets and winter carrots
snd turnips and great juicy tomatoes
50 many that gave them to friends to
can.
About the 1st of June the tomatoes,
eggplants and oabbages were transplant
ed just before rain. They never SEEM
ed to know they had been moved. Egg
plants are beautiful with large frosty
leaves, pale purple flowers and later
deep purple fruit. l had 1S fine speci-
mems of the fruit. There would have
been more had not my big dog trampled
on the vines and broken off the fruit
Dogs do not belong in gardens. The
yield of corn, in spite Of its downfall,
was great.
had many enemies besides cats and
dogs to contend WITH such as slugs and
worms on the cabbages, striped bugs on
the purple flowers of the eggplant and
the beautiful white bells which hold
the okra pods wrapped up like babies
until they are grown. The cucumbers
had to have regular doses of plaster of
paris and SCOT, Carrots, lettuce and
nsrslav were covered with anhis before