Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-05-11
Weekly suggestions For
Vegetable Growers

Society New BrunsWick)
The commercial vegetable growing
industry in New Jersey should have
the support of every In the
ttste. Prosperous agricultural com
munities make possible and support
the industries of hundreds of towns in
this little state. The home vegetable
garden is frequently of economic value,
especially when the cost of all food
stuffs is excessively high. The writer
urges every TO learn just
when the local growers will have their
portant vegetables. For instance,
New Jersey products are in season as
follows: Asparagus, lettuce and spin
ach, May and June; straw berries and
peas, June; tomatoes, cabbage, string
beans, onions, af er July first. The
products produced locally are of most
excellent quality and usually the prices
are very reasonable. A large portion
of the retail price goes to the producer.
If the consumers ineist upon using
those things which are shipped a thou
sand miles they must expect TO pay for
special non%-returnable pa ok az es,
freight, carriage. brokerage, commis-
sions, expressage, retailers profits
aud last of all receive stale vegetables.
sumner know ahead of time what he
will have to offer. Fol instance, the
local peach crop promises to be the heav-
lest New jersey has vel known. Ship
ments will be ready about August first
with the heavy crop of Elbertas for an
ming about the last week in August.
THE HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN
Many thousands of home gardens
have beer started all over the state for
the first time. In too many instances
the soil is not in good condition. FIRE.
quently it is shaded or hampered with
roots from nearby trees. However,
many gardens will produce abundantly.
One most excellent thing will result
from this garden campaign; people will
learn 10 eat vegetables because they
will better realize what is being pro-
duced locally. If they get twQ ripe to-
matoes from their garden they will
taste so good they will want a half peck
from the huckster.
NEW ZEALAND SPINACH
This is n of the most recently In
PRODUCED crops which furnishes an
abundant and continuous supply of
delicious greens from June to Septem-
Der. The soil should be enriched and
after 1t is prepared for planting wood
ashes or lime may be spread upon it
and raked in. These materials are e.
peeially beneficial to this crop. The
seeds are usually planted in hills two
feet apart, placing foul to six seed per
hill and covering them one inch deep.
AS the spinach grows it will spread
all over the ground just as cucumber or
melon vines do. The tender ends of
the vines are nipped off about four
inches long. The vines branch out and
a new set of tender tips will be ready
to pick two weeks later, SO hat a con-
tinuous supply is available all summer.
RADIsHEs
Many of the REQ varieties of Iadishes,
if planted now, will become soft and
pithy before they are ready to eat. Vari-
cites that do especially well when
planted in May are the White Icicle
aud the White Strassburg. They
should stand at least an inch apart so
that they may develop good size.
PARsNlPs
Parsnips should be planted only OF
loose rich soil. The seed is usually
planted in rows IA inches apart, using
about 20 seeds to the running foot. A
very few quiek-gro wing radish seed
may oe sowed with the parsnip seed.
They are covered one half inch deep.
Parsnip seed usually requires about
three weeks for termination; therefore,
the quick growing radishes will mark
harvested before the parsnips need the
room. One great advantage in grow
ing parsnips is that they produce heav-
lily and may be left unprotected where
they %grewuntil the ground thaws outin
late winter or early spring. Thus they
will be available next March when the
food shortage is expected.
CUcUMBERs
Cucumbers require a rich soil reten-
tive of moisture. Many growers are
able to bring this crop to the producing
age and then find that their vines soon
die. This can be overcome 10 a large
extent by providing ideal growing C b :
ditions at all times. The ground should
be thoroughly enriched with manure
insects should be kept off at all times