Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-05-14
ORCHARD AND GARDEN CROPS
NO. 6. Orchard and Garden Crops. By J. $. Knox, Extension Horticultur- lst, University of Arkansas. "':

No. 6. Orchard and Garden Crops.
 By J. s. Knox, Extension Horticultur-
 =, ist, University of Arkansas. ''': l Plan of Garden.-Few of us realize
 the importance of some definite plan l to follow in odr garden work We
 plant the garden in haphazard fash
 Ion, without any reference to the
 Kind of plants, time they are to oc-
 cupy the soil, and the space they re- qulre, in growing. Gardens that are
 planted in the above way can never give as good results or. as. much pleasute 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-
 craze 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. sti Arrangement of Plants.-Fhe plants
 should be arranged in the garden; ;,ac-
 cordirg to the length of time they, arre to occupy the soil, as well as.'Iaccord- ing to the kind of culture they re- quire. Plants like asparagus, rhubafb and the various, kinds of berries gen
 orally occupy the soil for a 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 cultivating the annual plants which arc not such high growers generally. After the perennial or 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, 1t 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. If we have cabbage planted in rows thfee feet apart and eighteen inches apart Tn the row, we may put hill of lettuce between each hill of cabbage and then SOW a row of radishes or tur- nips between the row. These crops could be removed before great deal of damage had been done to the cab 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 the soil, and so heavy fertilizing is essential.
 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 plantings of the same vegetable. For example, we plant a crop of beans in latter April, 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 DO 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 tho early maturing vegetables we can grow one crop and harvest it and then grow a 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- sects more severely.
 Use of Hot Beds.-The farmer who desires to grow his own plants should construct 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- iser on the garden. In fact, it has only routed while in there, and if it hes not been allowed to remain over wet it should still contain most of its fertilizing value. Crops like lettuce and radishes are 9ften grown to ms. tupity in old hot beds. zA.sis .s, .ys{s \
 For further information ,Iktnd1y write to the Extension Departm1ut, 1 University of Arkansas. Fayetteville. 1
 Beware of the oily-vo!ced tree asec,, !