Arizona republican., 1901-02-15
SPRING VEGETABLE GARDEN
February Timely Hints For Earn CTS
 No. 27.

While there is m time of the year when it is not possible to have some vegetable or vegetables growing and furnishing something for tha table in southern Arizona. the spring is the season of the year when vegetables are grown most easily. Spring begins here during tlc later part of January or during early February. During the first ten days of the latter month, more vegetables may b. planted with a req sOrablc hope of a successful outcome, throughout most of southern Arizona, than during any other Ten days If the var. Ih'S Who contemplate growing their own vegetables should, if they have not already done 90, begin work on the vegetable garden as so n after tle receipt of this bulletin, as practc- able The longer the work is delayed the less chance here w.ll be of success.
 For the spring garden, a warm situa- tion and soil should be s lected. If the latter is not already rich in decayed vegetable matter. a heavy dressing of wcll-u-Ucd stable manure should be given. The mpnur1 should be turned under wnen the soil is as moist. from irrigation or from Iain. as possible. Af- ter being thoroughly narrowed and, if clods are present. rolled, the soil will he ready for seeding.
 The piece of land selected may be di- vidc1 into sections. each being devoted to vegetables that should be sOwn at the -lmc time and .n a similar manner. The sections may be situated end to end in the direction the irrigating wa tr is to run, or they may be side by side. In either case, il will bc well to leave between thcm space to walk upon when irrigatlng. cultivating, or gather ing the vegetabl c. In deciding he di- rection in which the water is to be run the fact should be kept in mind that too much fall is as undesirable as too l.ttle. A slope of two or three inches to tn hundred feet is about right for mos. vegetables.
 BCets lettuce. parsn.ps, carrots, peas IGiishCs, S..rIrh and turnips should be s1wn as early in February as possible. Dur Ing nest winters in most parts of southern AriZ ma seeds of several of in ye vegetables will germinate readily at this lime of the year without irriga- tion if sown in moist soil. This is es- pecially true of bscts, parsnips and peas. the size of thc seeds making it possible to cover them sufficiently to prevent the soil drying out before ger imitation occurs. Seeds of these veg ctables may he sown in level ground and not furrowed for irrigation until thc plants have attainld l considerable size This method may also be pursued with radiShgS, spinach and turriis, if the soil Is fairly rctcntivc uf moisture and thn weather not too warm and dry. In the case Of the smaller seeds. such as that of carrCtS and lettuce, it will be safer to provide an irrigating furrow before the seed is planted, and SOW the latter along the margin of it.. Water can then be run through the furToW and the soil, about the seed thereby mOistenei The radish and Eurnip seed should germnate within four t1l eight days; the beets lettuce. peas and spinach within seven to twelve days; the carrots and parsinps in about two weeks or a llttl, more.
 or some of the above vegetables it is important that varieties adapted to the region be SorNn. Of beets, all varieties thrive here, the ones most commonly acvn being the Bool Turnip and the Long Blood Of carrots. Danvers Half Long the Ox-heart, and ths Short Born