Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-03-09
MAKE A SALAD GARDEN
Results Are Fairly Sure to Be
Satisfactory.
Small Plot Will Produce Sufficient Sup
ply for All Summer--Lettuce Is
Greatest Standby, With
Curly Cress Next.
CBy MARY sTARBucK3

icy MARY STARBUCKD
For woman amateur, a salad gar
den is sefe experiment. 1t need not
take much rsom and the results are
fairly sure to be satisfactory. Besides
giving variety TO the table and a whole
some interest to the gardener. ii is in
itself thing of beauty from start to
finish.
A plot fifteen or twenty feet square
will supply salad through the whole
summer for a large family and also
yield occasional gifts for the neighbor-
bors.
OF course, lettuce is the great stand
by and there should be two or three va
rieties, one of them russell colored.
This particular kind does not head up
as most of the others. Ii is, however,
tender and of fine flavor, while it's col
or gives it value for use with other
salads. In the garden the great dark
heads are very effective, glowing III the
sunshine like FURNISHED copper.
Lettuce should be sown at least
twice during the season-first in April
or May, and again the last of June.
The second crop must be carefully
watched and thoroughly watered from
the time it first appears. If the earth
gets dry aud hard it must be loosened
about the tender plants until the leaves
spread sufficiently to keep it moist.
Next TO lettuce in value is the curly
h
or by itself. 1t is also, for certain
dishes, more delicately effective gar
nlsh than parsley.
CresS comes to maturity very early.
and if let alone will sow itself and pro-
duce a second crop by the last of Au-
gust, but better results are obtained
by cutting back the blossoms as soon
as they appear and when the stems
get too tough for use pull up the plants
and make second sowing in July.
In fact, three crops may be counted
on if one wishes to take the trouble
One planting of parsley is sufficient
1t never fails, grows abundantly and
lasts tender and green until the heavy
frosts come.
Radishes can be sOwn every two
weeks during the summer. The later
crops must be well watered and shouhl
be pulled as soon as they are large
enough for good bite. Late-grown
radishes seem to get wormy more read
lily than those sown in the moist soil of
the early spring.
Cucumbers take a good deal of room
but are so delicious eaten from the
dewy vines, tender and crisp without
the CHASTITY chill of the Ice chest, that
they are we'll worth the space they re-
quire and are also worth the trouble.
Sometimes the cucumbers need 81
good deal of looking after in the early
stages. The young plants even before
blossoming, often turn yellow and If
not attended to soon dry up and die.
The malady is caused by a tiny in
sect which attacks the under side Of
the leaves. The remedy is simple.
Sprinkle the leaves thoroughly with
red pepper, taking care TO pepper well
the under side. One or two appiica-
lions Will be sufficient.
After the blossoms appear an insect
of squash-bug variety sometimes is
found on the vines. This, however, is
easily discovered and disposed Of.
Keep cucumbers well watered and if
the earth cakes, loosen IT,
All these salads except the cucum-
Der should be sown in rows unless the
garden is very small. In that case
make an outside border for lettuce,
not forgetting to thin out relentlessly
as usual, when there are four leaves
above the ground.
Sow an inside border of cress which
need never be thinned except rs it is
used. Put the cucumbers in each cor
ner and sow the rest in rows as the
space allows.