The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-09-28
The Winter Garden.

usually just get large enough to win
ter, and will be better for spring use
than that sown earlier.
We try to have large plot of spin
ach, for all that we cannot use at home
finds a ready sale. To make a ton of
spinach fertilizer we mix 900 pounds
Of acid phosphate, 900 pounds of cot
tonseed meal and 200 pounds of mu-
riate Of potash. We use this at the
rate Of about GOO pounds per acre on
strong garden land. Our standard mix
ture for truck crops is 900 pounds of
acid phosphate, 700 pounds of cotton
seed meal and 400 pounds Of muriate
Of potash, but leafy plants like cab
bages, spinach, ETC., need a fertilizer
high in ammonia, and hence for these
we change the proportions. The only
winter crop Of leafy nature to which
we apply the last-pamed mixture is
lettuce, but Of late We have varied this
and make it 800 pounds Of acid phos-
phate, 800 pounds Of dried blood and
400 pounds Of mnriate of potash. This
is the result of many years Of expert
menting in the growing Of lettuce in
frames in winter. We found that cot
tonseed meal encouraged the growth
Of the damping-of fungus in the
frames and we get higher percentage
Of ammonia with the dried blood.
The winter lettuce crop is now the
most important one grown by market
gardeners in the South Atlantic States.
Most Of our growers use cotton cloth
on their frames and some have es-
tablished expensive steam plants, and
run steam pipes through the frames.
While cloth is cheaper at the start
than glass, the glass is, in the long
run, cheaper, and no steam heat Is
needed II one has straw or burlap mats
to cover the glass on extreme cold
nights. I use mats made six feet
square made of burlap with waste wool
quilted between. These are used only
in the most severe weather, and mats
that have been in use four winters
look still as good as new. By their aid
I keep frost ont entirely, and do not
need the great expense of steam.
With cloth the grower is at times
obliged to keep the cover On several
days and the plants suffer from lack
of sunshine, while the glass admits
the sunshine and they grow sturdy and
strong.
l have found that the best winter
lettuce demands a liberal amount Of
we'll rotted horse stable manure to
be used in addition to the fertilizer,
for we have found that the best lettuce
cannot be grown with manure alone
nor with fertilizer alone. 1t is chiefly
the misunderstanding nature Of the
rotted manure that aids in the solution
of the fertilizers used.
We make our first sowing Of lettuce
the last Of August, and then another
late in September and third sowing
is made in one of the frames after the
first crop of lettuce has been cut out
in January. The August sowing can
usually be headed in November with
out the help of frames. The second
sowing is set in the frames the last Of
October and is cut out during the
winter, when plants from the same
sowing that have been left in the open
ground are used for replanting and a
part Of one frame as we have said is
used for sowing seed. The,plants from
this sowing are for setting in the open
ground the first of March for the last
spring crop.
Those who are growing lettuce for
winter should always have an abund-
ant water supply, for it is often essen
tial to irrigate the beds in our dry fall
weather to get the seed to germinate,
and when glass is used it is equally
important to have a supply for water
ing the frames so as not to be depend
ent on the rainfall.
Another winter crop in which we
take lively interest is the winter
radish crop. For this crop we use the
Rose Colored and the White Chinese.
This is heavily fertilized with the
first mentioned mixture Of 81, and
four parts of acid phosphate, cotton
seed meal and potash at rate of 1000
pounds per acre, and the seed is soWn
in rows one foot apart in Septem-
ber on very mellow and warm soil. AS
soon as large enough to handle, they
are thinned to two inches in the rows,
and as the weather gets cold the rows
are we'll mulched with fresh straw
manure. We thus are able to pull
good solid radishes all winter through
till the early radishes sown in the
frame are ready for use.
In part of our frames we take but
the one crop Of midwlnter lettuce.
We then again fertilize the frame
and sow seed of radishes and beets
late in January in rows crosBwlse
the frames just wide enough apart 10
work with hoe three inches wide.
For this crop we use Of radishes the
French Breakfast and the White
"Just So." one Of the prettiest OF
turnip radishes. OF beets. we find FOR