The Springdale news., 1916-04-28
ORCHARD AND GARDEN CROPS
No. 6. Orchard and Garden Crops.


BY J. S. Knox, Extension Horticulture
list, University of Arkansas.
Plan of Garden-Few of us realize
the importance of some definite plan
to follow in our garden work. We
plant the garden in a haphazard fash
Ion, without any reference to the
kind of plants, time they are to oc-
cupy the soil, and the space they re-
quire in growing. Gardens that are
planted in the above way can never
give as good results or as much
pleasure as the ones that are carefully
planned before the planting season
comes on, and then carrying out the
plans made. There is generally a
time during the winter when the av-
erage farmer is doing very little, and
this Is the proper time to make a plan
for the garden that is to be planted
during the spring and summer.
Arrangement of Plants.-The plants
should be arranged in the garden ae-
eording TO the length of time they are
" o1IupS the SOlly DIS We'll ds dGiOFu-
ing TO the kind of culture they re-
quire. Plants like asparagus, rhubarb
and the various kinds of berries gen.
orally occupy the soil for number
of years, and for this reason they
should be placed TO one side (prefer-
ably the north of the garden. They
are then out of the way in eultivating
the annual plants which are not such
high growers generally. After the
perennial OF long season crops have
been cared for, we may begin the
planting of the short season crops as
soon as the season opens Plants
like beets, radishes, lettuce, peas, cab
bage, etc, can be planted very early
in the season, and as soon as danger
of frost is past we can plant the ten
der vegetables, such as tomatoes, egg
plant, peppers, sweet corn, squashes,
cucumbers, etc.
Companion Cropping. - Sometimes,
especially where the space is limited,
it is desired to get as many different
kinds of vegetables as possible from
that small area. In this case we may
make use OF what the gardeners see
fit to call companion cropping. It
consists in growing two or more crops
In the same row at the same time or
Of planting other vegetables in be-
tween the other rows. For example,
II We have cabbage planted in rows
three feet apart and eighteen inches
apart in the row. we may put hill of
lettuce between each hill of cabbage
anlthen sow row of radishes or tur-
= thc row ase erons
! nips between ~se q Or. This. :. s ~
could be removed before a grts... a aes
of damage had been done to theN-
bage, and in this way We have three
kinds of vegetables where only one is
commonly grown. This, however. is
very hard or exhaustive on tho soil. f
and SO heavy fertilzing is essential. f
Succession Cropping - Here is
where so many of our gardeners fall
down on the gardening business ev-
cry year. IF we expect TO have fresh
vegetables all through the summer we
must make different paintings of the
same vegetable For example. we
plant crop of beans in latter Apri! y
and these begin to bear in June, and
probably last for three weeks or
month and then all is over: but if we
make one planting in latter April and
another about three weeks later, and
so on through the growing season. we
can have beans for several months
that have been picked from the vines
in our own garden. With some of the
early maturing vegetables we can
grow one crop and harvest II and then
grow second crop on the same soil,
but this method is not to be recon-
mended if it can be avoided, because
of the increased chance of the last
crop being attacked by disease and in.
seets more severely.
Use of Hot Beds-The farmer who
desires TO grow his own plants should
construct a hot bed similar TO the one
described in Farmers Bulletin 255.
The hot bed is especially useful in
starting plants like cabbage, tomatoes
egg plants, peppers, etc. and after the
plant shave been grown it can still
be used as cold frame. The ma
nure used in constructing the hot bed
will still be good to use as fertil-
izer on the garden. In fact. it has
only rotted while in there, and if il
has not been allowed to remain over
wet it should still contain most of Its
fertiliNng value. Crops like lettuce
and radishes are often grown to ma
turity in old hot beds,
For further information kindly
write to the Extension Department
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville