The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-05-31
Summer Gardening.


that are unsurmOuntable so far as
many lines of vegetables are concern
ed. 1t is not advisable to try to start
lettuce, beets, cauliflOwer and some
others during June and July, undess
you can give them partial shade. In
most parts of the South we are liable
to heavy showers during the middle Of
the day, then the clouds pass away ex-
posing the wet plants to the direct rays
of the sun, and the process of "Scald-
Ing goes on. A framework over small
portion of your garden, covered with
the branches of small tops of the scrub
oak makes an excellent shade and pre-
vents this scalding. Moist ground I'M
der such a shade will give a good sup
ply Of many kinds of vege tables dur
ing the summer months, that would
not otherwise be grown.
Some farmers plant largely in the
garden in the spring, and then they
seem to think that the seasons opera
tons in that line are done. This is not
as it should be. Keep on planting. Fol
low one crop with another. Keep your
soil busy, and your table supplied dur
ing just as much Of the season as you
can. Some of the crops are off the
planting. 1t is just as we'll to keep your
land busy growing vegetables as it is
to have it busy growing weeds.
We know that family gardening is
profitable, even under unfavorable con-
ditions. We have in mind a family
garden on one of the highest sand hills
of Florida The land on which it is
situated is almost pure sand. The gar
h ind off
It's owner has no horse or cow to fur
nish manure and depends on the drop
pings from this small flock Of poultry
for his fertilizer supply. He buys no
commercial fertilizer, yet out Of that
garden comes over $50 worth Of sup
plies for his table, besides what he
gives away to his neighbOrs. He keeps
ON planting, following one crop with
another and keeps his ground occupied.
This almost barren piece Of ground
is producing at the rate of $3.50 per
acre annually. Is it not time for some
of the half bale to the acre of four
cent cotton growers and some Of the
frozen out orange growers Of Florida
to stop and think little bit over these
things? To be sure, the produce of
these family gardens is not to be con-
sidered as a cash sale crop, yet it is
a. crop that saves you a store bill, that
comes out of the sales Of your cash
crops. If you can reduce your store bill
$50 to $1OO in a year it means that
much less to pay out of the proceeds
of your sales of your staple crops.
There is no acre on your farm that will
give YOU so great return for time and
money spent as the one devoted to the
garden If you have a surplus above
your needs it is usually salable In the
nearest village or town. This Is an
old story, yet it will bear repeating,
and it will bear some good solid think
ing.
Many readers of the Ruralist think
their gardening operations are hnlsned
for the year. In the great Central
South they are not half done, If we
live up to our opportunities. KEEP
ON PLANTING. In the Central South
almost the whole line of garden vegeta-
bles can be planted yet and for the
next two months In Florida and
along the Gulf Coast eggplant. pepper
pole and lima beans Of all KINDS can
be planted in the open, while Dusn
SQUASH, cucumber, tomato, lettuce
radish. turnips and. muskmelons can
be grown successfully under the par
tial shade described above. Ii you
cannot readily obtain the oak brush
and have a supply of old grain SACKS,
they will make suitable covering ana
break the direct rays of the sun Whlcn
is the object of the shading. Ola
Homestead and Lazy Wife pole beans