Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-03-23
Suggestions For
Vegetable Growers

Jersey is particularly interesting and
profitable beeause of our excellent soils
and because of our nearness, to large
markets. The retail prices of vegeta-
bles are so excessively high that the
consumer is frequently forced TO buy
less Wholesome foods, a large majority
of which ale not produced within Il
state. Therefore, the purpose of these
weekly items will be TO bring timely
and helpful suggestions to the home
vegetable gardener, to the commercial
growers and to the house wives. Ii the
latter know when the heaviest sup
plies of the New jersey grown vegeta-
bles will be on the market they will
know when to buy these vegetables TO
best advantage. Thus, the gro wing of
vegetables of New jersey, whether
private or commercial, can be made
even more interesting, efficient and
successful than it has been.
The first thing for the prospective
vegetable grower to consider il the a.
mount aud kind of soil available. Here
is the first and, at the same time, one
of the fundamental suggestions in this
series of weekly articles; start with less
ground thanyoucan manage rather than
with too much. The planting is only
the beginning Of the work. The test
comes during the summer when WEEDS,
insects aud dry weather fight against
US. Just as long as we are able to keep
our vegetables In fine growing condi-
ton, we will enjoy our work and will
be proud to show our neighbors our &C.
COM lishments but, on the other hand,
if we make the paintings too large,
part of them may be neglected SO that
pride in the whole proposition Is lost.
Success is encouraging; therefore, cul-
given especially for those easy growing
crops which are comparatively easy 10
grow and yet produce heavily. The
culture Of the following crops will be
explained in the succeeding weekly
instaliments ofthese notes, taking them
up in groups according to their time OF
planting:- spinach, lettuce, peas and
onions; radishes and beets; beans and
summer crookneck squash; and Swiss
chard, cucumbers and New Zealand
spinach. The growing of some Of our
common vegetables will moi be advo-
Gated In these notes because they may
have certain Municipalities or charac-
teristics which make success with them
more uncertain even with the expert
enced grower. However, any questions
addressed to the State Agricultural
College, New Brunswick, N. j., will
receive personal attention by the speci-
alist In vegetable growing.
Asparagus Is easy to grow, provided
thrifty, one-year old roots are set eigh-
teen inches apart in rows four and a
half feet apart. The rows are made
from six to twelve inches deep, de-
pending upon the soil and the locality.
When the young plants are first set
they are covered with two or three in
ehes of soil until they get strong
enough to come up through the full
layer of soil. When one hundred roots
are three years old, they should pro-
duce enough asparagus for a family of
five. Complete directions on the grow
ing of asparagus may be had free by
writing to the New Jersey Agricultural
Experiment Station for their Circular
No. 81. C~auliflower, cantaloupes,
sweet potatoes, winter squash and wat
er-melons have features which make
them unfit for the home garden or
even the inexperienced trucker with
out considerable ad vice from the more
experienced farmers oil from the State
Agricultural College.
Greatest success in the growing of
vegetables in the home garden or on
the farm can be had only by following
systematically a well thought out plan.
Now is the time to make such a plan.
Make an outline map of different
plots to scale. On it indicate the loca-
tiOh anu 0h4OQht " GULL NNkClhDlC ~
be grown, proper date of sowing or
setting, companion and succession
crops and the directions and location
of each row and distance between the
rows. The first thing that you will
learn is that you have to provide space
especially for those crops that you like
Darticularlv we'll With suoh a nIan
you will be able TO order just the kind,
variety and amount of seed you need.
Write at once to the State Agricultural
College for their free Extension Bull
letin No. 2 on "The Home Vegetable
Garden" unless you already have Que.
In it there is a very complete chart
giving the variety and amount of seed
required for a 100 foot-row, probable
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