South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-22
Vegetable Gardens

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table gardens as one means of keep
ing down the grocery bills, il is well
TO remember at the outset that the
| undertaking is one which calls for
continuous perseverance. Many
amateur gardeners fail because, aft
er getting things planted, they seem
to consider that their work is prac-
tically done and that the vegetables
can be left 10 shift for themselves.
This is not true, as many have
proved from sad experience.
If you have never tried a small
vegetable garden before. said Miss
Patten of Simmons college. Boston.
in a recent lecture, a pretty good
plan is to attempt just about half
what you think you can do. Don't
| be disappointed. either, if every
thing you plant isn't a success. When
one vegetable proves a failure, don't
spend lot of time trying TO remedy
conditions TO the neglect of the rest
o. the garden. 1t is better to sacri-
fee one thing than TO have the en-
tire garden unsatisfactory.
Amateurs need TO be reminded.
|
first year or two. Avoid planting
such vegetables as eggplant, cauli-
flower. celery and peppers. Don't
try raising winter squashes. 1t is
better to omit even radishes, for
radishes are a luxury. But, in case
you have children helping you with
the garden, perhaps il will be better
to have a fey radishes. after all,
for it takes only three weeks to
produce a crop and, as a rule, chill
,lren get impatient waiting for crops
that take longer than that
1t is not wise to try tall growing
crops on a small area. Usually
dwarf varieties of the taller vege-
tables can be found which Will prove
more satisfactory. Take peas. for
example. There is no better early
pea than the dwarf variety. known
as the American Wonder. The pods
are small but the pea is delicious.
and the plant is most prolific. The
Mott Excelsior is also a good early
peas. For a later crop. try the
Dwarf Champion of England. Early
peas can be planted as soon as you
are able to work the ground Plant
the seed one and one-half inches
deep. Early peas can be planted
several times in succession, and a
good rule is to wait till the first are
four inches high before planting the
next crop. A rule which says TO
plant them every two weeks is not
to be relied upon, because of varia-
tons in weather.
Between the rows of early peas
you plant corn a little later. OF
dwarf corn, one of the best varie-
ties is the Golden Bantam. Cucum-
+, bers can be trained on chicken
wire, and a fence can be utilized for
| cucumberS, summer squashes or
| beans. Among dwarf beans, the
| Stringless Green Pod is the best.
| Dwarf beans never should be picked
] until the dew, has dried off them.
| if you would avoid having them in
| fected with rust. If you try lima
! beans, be sure to try a dwarf va
riety.
To get the best results with to-
matoes, it is better TO start them in
flower pots and transplant, setting
the plants as low in the ground as
possible. Those which are pur-
chased at stores are likely to be tall
and lanky and should be set lower
in the ground than those raised at
| home. Don't give tomatoes too
much fertilizer in the beginning: it
is better TO give them none until the
first fruit is set. For Early toma toes
try the Comet, or Chalk's Early
Jewel; for the main crop try Old
| Stone.
AS the plants grow. cut off all side
! branches, leaving just the main
stalk. Tie this main stalk to a pole
with cotton Irvine or rags. Bamboo
poles are expensive but an economy
in the long run, because they can be
used season after season. The
Irvine should be cut in even lengths
and be left long enough so that the
plants can be tied somewhat loosely
to the poles.
OF the summer squashes, perhaps
none is finer than the COcozelle. If
you wish 10 have cabbages, try the
Early Jersey Wakefield. planting
I them about two feet apart. If you
| leave the heads after the first plants
| have been used. you can get a sec
ond crop. Kohl-rabi is another eX-
| cellent vegetable TO be little known
as yet. at least in New England, one
| trial should convince the maker of
the small vegetable garden Of its
general satisfactoriness. AS for let
tuce, a vegetable that every house
holder should try TO raise. one Of the
best varieties is the Black Seeded
| Tennis Ball. This viii keep on pro-
ducing right through the summer,
if il is kept shielded from the sun