The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-03-23
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 STARBUCK1

For woman amateur, a salad gar
den is safe experiment. 1t need not
take much room and the results are
fairly sure to be satisfactory. Besides
giving variety TO the table and whole
some interest to the gardener, 1t is in
itself a 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. 1t is, however,
tender and of fine flavor, while its col
or gives it value for use with other
salads. In the garden the great dark
heads are very effective, glowing in 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 and 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
cress, which can be used with lettuce
or by itself. 1t is also, for certain
dis $. more delicately effective gar
nish than parsley.
Cress comes to maturity very early,
and IL 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 rs soon
rs they appear and when the stems
get too tough for use pull up the plants
aDd make second sowing in July.
In fact, three crops may be counted
on il 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.
Radlshes can be sown every two
weeks during the summer. The later
crops must be we'll watered and should
be pulled as soon as they are large
enough for good bite. Late-growr
radishes seem TO get wormy more read
fly 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 withou
the CHASTITY chill of the ice chest, tina
they are well worth the space they re
quire and are also worth the trouble
Sometimes the cucumbers need {
good deal Of looking after in the earl.
stages. The young plants even befor'
blossoming, often turn yellow and 1
not attended to soon dry UP and die.
The malady is caused by a tiny in
sect which attacks the under side o
the leaves. The remedy is simple.
Sprinkle the leaves thoroughly witt
red pepper, taking care TO pepper wei
the under side. One or two applica
tons will be sufficient.
alltt TIC OiOSSOtlAo appear tti iAcNN
OF squash-bug variety sometimes |
found on the vines. This, however, /
easily discovered and disposed OF
Keep cucumbers we'll watered and
the earth cakes, loosen il.
All these salads except the cucun
Der should be sown in rows unless tn
garden is very small. In that cas-
make an outside border for lettuce
not forgetting 10 thin out re1entlesSI
as usual, when there are four leave
above the ground.
Sow an inside border of cress whic
need never be thinned except as ii
used. Put the cucumbers In each CO
ner and sow the rest in rows as tn
space allows.