Evening star., 1919-03-16

If you want a little friendly rivalry
in the best of all early garden crops
get your peas planted couple OF
days earlier than your neighbor. and
keep the plants growing rapidly. If
it is desired to hasten sprouting soak
the seed peas in water overnight. so
they will swell and Serminate quickly.
1t may be that you planted peas IN
your garden, if you had one, last
summer. Peas may be planted on
the same ground year after year If
the plants are healthy. In fact, it is
of advantage to do this, because the
ground becomes full of certain bac-
terra which are of benefit to the
plants Prepare the ground eight
or ten inches deep. if possible:. mark
out the rows three feet apart and
then scatter we'll rotted manure or
fertilizer into them and work it into
the soil with hoe or cultivator. Then
deepen the row into a trench four or
five inches deep aud drop in the seeds
about one inch apart, using pint
to IS or 100 feet of row. Cover the
seeds with two inches of soil and
press down with the hoe. AS the
plants grow hoe or cultivate the
earth into the trench until it is full
The one great crop to fill up the
chinks in the place where hunger
makes itss>1f felt is the Irish potato
No other garden crop can be used
in so many wa"s or be such 4 sue
cessfUl backbone supporter. Go in
as heavy as your space will permit
on potatoes. You can plant the seed
as early as the ground can be put
into condition. Prepare the ground
as deeply as possible without turning
three inches deep and about thirty
inches apart. Use we'll rotted manure
or fertilizer. but not coarse manure
Have the hills fourteen to eighteen
inches apart. according to the rich
ness of the ground. Cover the seed
pieces about four inches deep.
Seed potatoes should be sprouted
before they are planted. To do this
spread them in warm place in full
light. Short. stout sprouts will start
These must be handled carefully, so
as not to break them off in planting.
The best size of seed to plant is
about one and one-half ounces, either
for small potatoes or for cut pieces.
Usually the cut pieces should have
two eyes, unless they would be too
large: in which case cut to one-eye
pieces. When the cut pieces have
if they have two or more eyes. Plant
as soon as cut
When the first warm days of spring
come mess OF nice, crisp, fresh gar
den greens is about the fastest food
that can be set on the table. Wild
mustard already has been mentioned
in these columns; also kale, lettuce
and spinach. More details in regard
to these vegetables will be found in
the free garden book of the National
War Garden Commission, which The
Star is distributing and will send to
any reader.
Spinach, for instance, is believed to
be an excellent nerve tonic. 1t should
be planted as soon as the ground can
be prepared. Work up the soil well
and give a liberal amount of manure
or fertilizer. After it gets started
keep it well hoed and cultivated.
When the largest leaves are large
enough to use do not pull the plants,
but just pick off the large leaves and
In this way many pickings may be
made right up to hot weather. Even
after the plants send up seed stalks
the leaves On these stalks may be
picked and cooked. Every gardener
ought to let some of the plants pro-
duce seed for growing the next crop.
This applies to many vegetables and
will be found to be saving and
worth while from other points of
view.
Nice golden carrots are the richest
looking root crop from the gar
den. The carrot is an early crop and
easily grown after it gets started In
order to grow long and shapely roots,
as the carrots should be to attain
their best growth. the ground should