The Washington times., 1917-03-26
SWEET CORN URGED
FOR HOME GARDENS
Department Also Advises More
Thorough Growing of Egg
plant ard Tomatoes.

Sweet corn and egg plant are eaten
This summer the Department of
Agriculture plans more thoroughly %
introduce these two commodities into
Eastern city gardens, and for this
purpose has issued a series of in
structions on their planting and cul-
tivation-also' the tomato. ~
According to department experts,
sweet corn, to be at its best, should
be eaten within a few hours after 1t
is picked, for its sugar, content disap-
pears rapidly after it is removed from
the garden. For this reason and be-
cause of its general popularity, 1t Is
an excellent vegetable to grow in
the home garden. 1t should be plant
ed on rich land and cultivated in the
same manner as field corn. Begin
ming as soon as the soil is warm, sue
cessive paintings may be made every
two or three weeks until late sum-
mer.. Another method of prolonging
the supply Is to>plant early, medium.
and late varieties. The seed should
be planted about two inches deep, in
drills three feet apart. and thinned to
q single stalk every ten or fourteen
inches.
The Best Varieties.
The varieties recommended by the
specialists in the department are:
For early corn Golden, Bantam, and
Adams Early. and for medium and
late varieties, Black Mexican or
Crosby's Early, Country Gentleman,
and Stowell's Evergreen. The last
named variety has the largest ears
and is the most productive.
Sweet corn should be planted on
rich land. The cultivation should be
frequent and thorough, and all weeds
should be kept down and suckers re-
moved from around the base OF the
plant.
Another fsvorite vegetable is the
tomato, which now forms one OF the
most important of our garden crops.
In the North ii is very desirable to
start the plants In a house or a hot
bed, and to transplant them once or
twice in order to secure strong and
vigorous plants by the time all danger
from frost is past. Pot grown plants
are especially desirable. and they may
be brought to the blooming period
by the time 1t is warm enough to
II the plants are not to be trained
but allowed to lie on the ground they
should be set about four feet apart
each way. II trimmed and tied to
stakes they may be planted in rows
three feet apart and eighteen inches
apart in the row.
should BE Hardened Off.
In common with all plants grown in
q house. hotbed, or cold frame, toma-
toes require to be hardened off be-
fore planting in the garden. By this
process the plants are gradually ac-
climated to the effects OF the sun and
wind. so that they will stand trans
planting to the open ground. Harden
ing off is usually accomplished by
ventilating freely and by reducing the
amount of water applied to the plant
bed. The bed, however, should not
become so dry that the plants will
wilt or become seriously checked in
their growth. After a few days 1t will
be possible to leave the plants uncov-
cred during the entire day and on
mild nights.
Eggplant is started and handled in
the same way as the tomato. 1t is.
perhaps, less widely known, but is
rapidly becoming a popular vege-
table. The soil best adapted for its
production is a fine, rich sandy loan,
well drained. The plants should be
set in rows three feet apart and two
feet apart in the row. Free culti-
yation is desirable, and the plants
should be kept growing rapidly. On
the other hand, many growers be-
lieve that fresh stable manue should
not be used for eggplants, and that
the land should not contain unfer-
mented vegetable matter to any large
extent. A dozen good healthy plants
should supply enough for the average
sized family throughout the season.