Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-06-15
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Endive should be used as soon as
blanched. Blanchlng may be accom-.
plished by tying the leaves together
as soon as the plants are well grown.
Kohl-rabi must be used while ten
der, This may easily be determined
by cutting the thickened stem which
constitutes the edible portion. II
tough and stringy, 1t Is too old.
Muskmelons.-Color, size and gener-
al appearance serve as guides In tell
Ing when they are ready to pick. They
should not be allowed to remain on
the vines until dead ripe. as they are
past their prime when fully ripened.
Watermelons.- Rlpeness Is deter
mined by sound, and by the general
appearance. ripe melon when struck
with the hand gives duh sound,
which Is readily recognized after
few trials.
Okra should be gathered while the
pods are very young and tender and
while the seeds are still soft.
Onions may be pulled and used as
bunch onions when the bulbs are from
a quarter to half inch In diameter.
If for boiled onions the bulbs may be
any size.
Parsnips are not used until late In
the autumn when the ground Is froz-
en-. Freezing improves their flavor; In
fact, II is not considered advisable to
use them as a summer vegetable. Size
Is Of small Importance. but those from
ia TO inches In diameter are consld-
cred best.
Peas are ready for picking as soon
as the pods are well filled and while
the peas are still green, yet before Ell.
ther the peas become hard or the pods
whltish or yelloYish. Peas should
not be gathered when too young, and
If too old will be Of poor quality.
Peppers may be gathered at any
time until they begin to turn red. For
some purposes they are allowed to RI
pen, but usually are picked green.
Early potatoes may be used at any
time during their growth. An old
time 'ule Is TO begin digging them
when they have reached the size Of n
hens egg. II Is advisable to begin u.s.
ing them when they have reached this
size, digging the supply from day to
day as needed, allowing the bulk OF
the crop to grow until needed or until
they mature. Late potatoes should
be allowed to grow until the vines die
or are killed by frost.
Sweet potatoes are Of poor quality
unless allowed to reach maturity. The
simplest test Is to break one Of the POI
tatoes. If drops of water collect on
the broken surface the crop is not ma
ture. This crop grows until froyt
kills the vines, but 1t is permissible TO
use them quite while before the
end Of the growing season.
Radlshes may be used as soon as
large enough. A common practice IL
to begin thinning them as soon as large
enough. They should all be used while
young and tender.
Satisfy is grown and handled In the
same way as parsnlps and the same
rules may be followed in its use.
Summer Aquashes are ready for use
as soon as large enough. They. how
ever, should not be picked when very
small, as when young they are watery
and of poor quality. AS soon as the
shell hardens they are too old for to.
bic use.
Winter squashes should be allowed
10 grow until the vines die or until
frost kills them, but the squashes
should be stored before being frosted.
Tomatoes should be picked when full
~ ripe, but should not be allowed TO
remain on the vines until soft II Is
not good practice to pick them while
partly ripe. as the flavor is injured by
this practice.
Turnips for greens may be used as
soon as the foliage Is large enough TO
Justify picking; II for the roots, when
the roots are from IA to 2 inches in
diameter. When planted as late
summer crop for roots for storage,
they should be allowed TO grow until
hard freezing occurs. Those from to
3 lhckes in diameter are best. Larger
ones may be used for stock feed.