The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1905-07-22
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Garden Troubles.

the experience of others may be
helpful.
Satisfy or vegetable oyster when
perfectly grown should have long,
smooth roots with few divisions, and
when not in this condition the cause
can be assigned to one OF two things.
Either the ground was not properly
prepared, or manure that was not per-
tectly rotted came in contact with the
roots. When making the ground
ready for this crop, it should be spad-
ed to depth of fifteen inches and
be we'll pulverized: otherwise in push
ing their way through the soil the
slender roots will be bent out of
shape and separated into many small
roots, which makes the crop almost
worthless.
Fresh manure in contact with the
roots has much the same effect, be-
sides causing rough condition of
the skin Of the roots.
Carrots sometimes cause much trou-
Bile by cracking open during the last
few weeks of their growth. This
poorly fitted for keeping during win
ter for home use, and they are fit for
nothing but feed for stock. The cause
of the cracking is too rich soil, which
makes them grow so rapidly that
when they have reached almost full
size long cracks appear lengthwise of
the roots. A safe rule to follow is to
plant carrots on land which has re-
ceived no fertilizer for year, but
which was put in the best of condi-
ton for the previous seasons crop.
Mushmelons sometimes prove al
most failure on account of the skin
cracking before the melons are fully
ripe. Left to themselves, the cracks
open wider and the melon generally
rots before fully ripened and the crop
IS lost. Even if they ripened up
properly they would only be fit for
home use, as they could not bear the
handling necessary to get them to
market.
The trouble usually appears when a
heavy shower follows prolonged
drouth, and the sun comes out hot
Immediately after. Though the crack
ing itself cannot be prevented, the
further effects can be to a consider.
able extent. Close watch must be
kept of the melons, and on the very
first appearance of cracking, take a
sharp knife and cut about half
through the diameter of the stem
which connects the melon to the
plne. Care must be exercised that
the stem is not bruised or cut too
Tar. This checks the growth some.
what, and hastens the process of rip
ening; as only melons which are al.
most fully grown are troubled in this
way, 1T is easier to remedy it. The
cracks will not grow any larger OF
deeper, and the melons when ripe are
in salable condition, ripening up per
fectly and with as fine flavor as I'M
der more favorable circumstances.
During the heat and drouth of mid
summer one often sees peppers, egg
plant and kindred vegetables which
seem to be making little growth and
the foliage begins to have pale sick
ly appearance. This is doubtless
caused by the lack of some element
in the soil, and unless this is fur
nished at once the plants cannot pro
duce a satisfactory crop. Usually the
following application will start the
plants into renewed growth: Take
unleached wood ashes and salt il
equal quantities, and, after mixing
thoroughly, sprinkle a handful of il
on the surface OF the ground around
each plant. Unless rain falls soon, il
is well to water the ground thorough
ly once, so that the mixture will be
dissolved and soak into the ground
> where the roots can have the bene
fit of it at once. The good results
will be apparent in very short time
and one application will be enough
for the whole season.
When early cabbage heads begin tc
crack open, unless attended to a,
once they are liable to be ruined. In
stead of cutting them all at once anc
,, endeavoring to use them in one way
or another try this plan: Take firm
hold of head that is just beginning
to crack, and give it a strong pull
not enough to pull it out of the
. ground, but sufficient to break of
some Of the roots; or push the heat
from side to side to accomplish the
same purpose
The head will stop growing a.
once, in order to let the strength O.
the plant go toward repairing the in
jured roots. In the meantime thu
cracks are not growing larger, so one
can use the heads as needed ant
there will be no waste.
The sickly wilted condition of Gu
cumber vines is often due to the dr.,
heat of the ground, which draws thu
life of the vine out of it. If a thicl
mulch of straw or litter be placed al
over the ground before the vine.
make much growth the trouble viii
be avoided by keeping the vines from
contact with the hot ground as vel
as the roots cool and moist.-Grac,
F. Barber.