Evening star., 1921-03-25
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN FOR
BENEFIT OF THE HOME TABLE
The Stars Household Expert Tells How to Obtain
the Best Results From Small Plot of
Ground-The Rotation of Crops

, sired. they should be grown from
plants.
Planting Hints.
Plant cucumbers and squashes Ave
feet apart each way. Tomato plants
They will not cover the intervening
space for a month or more after they
are set out. What would you like tc
raise between the rows before the to-
mato plants need the space? Early
peas are harvested in plenty of time
ground. and SO are early radishes. let
tuce and other vegetables. How can
you make the best use Of the opportu-
I nifty? II you raise tomatoes or sweet
corn. plant early radishes or lettuce
! betwee the rows. If you raise early
| can plant an early variety of sweet
corn between the rows for late au-
tumn use. If you raise early beets,
sow second time in the same rows.
They will mature early enough for
fall and winter use and beets are best
when not allowed to grow too large.
An early crop of radishes can be
taken from the soil before cabbage or
caulif1ower plants are set out. String
beans or lettuce for fall use can be
the 1st Of August. Late lettuce should
always be planted in light shade. so
that the heat cannot make it bitter.
1t is a good plan to tack mosquito
netting across lettuce bed as soon
as the seeds are sewn. This allows
ground. but protects the seeds from
birds. and as soon as the lettuce is
nicely started the netting can be re-
moved. Radishes are the easiest
grown of all vegetables. A tiny
patch OF ground will give good rad
en-
thing else.
A radish in the early varieties will
be ready for use in four weeks from
the time Of planting. Plant the little
round radishes for an early crop and
the long shape for a latero OF midsea-
con crop. 1t is necessary to make a
succession of paintings about once a
week in the early spring in order to
have constant supply.
TO Grow Early Potatoes.
About three weeks before planting,
which In most places should be done
ABOUT the middle of April. the pota-
where they will have sun for at Ieast
part Of the day. The room need
rave no artificial heat il the tenibera-
ture does not run below 35 degrees
the danger point for sprouting peta-
shape and rather small. The whole
potato should be planted, as this will
secure an earlier growth than the use
ef cut pieces. Within a week the
petatoes will be putting out green
sprouts. All of these, except two OF
three OF the stoutest at the seed end,
should be broken off. The ground Tor
the potatoes should be spaded to a
good depth and pulverized as thor
oughly as it's condition permits.
When the soil is ready the potatoes
may be planted, for a hard freeze will
nor iniure the seed. The whole pota-
toes should be set, sprouts up, two
inches in the ground, eighteen inches
apart in the row and with the rows
two feet apart.
II the weather is not too damp or
cold, the seed will begin to root i'm
mediateiy. and in a few days the
tops will begin to appear In case
frost threatens, earth may be pulled
up over the tops. With proper care
the, vines will have potatoes large
, enough to use in about ten weeks
from the day they were planted.
There is a method Of planting white
potatoes that gives a maximum yield
from a minimum area 1t is the bank
ing system. which is admirably
adapted to the home garden, al
though not to be recommended for
extensive planting. Suppose the space
available is only three feet wide and
only of moderate length. BY the
| level. only one good row Of potatoes
could be grown in it, or at a pinch,
and by injudicious crewding. two
rows If, however. good earth is
heaped to depth of two feet over
the three-foot width of space, the
, top of the bank is fatttened and the
| the sides are packed gently but frm-
ly to prevent Slipping. three rows OF
potatoes can be raised. all OF them
growth.
Potatoes need q moderately rich
| soil. and it is essential that the soil
/ he well drained. A bank like that
above described can, in the making
| be made as rich as one pleases and
the drainage of it will be nearly per-
| feet. Moreover, the stalks and the
| foliage of the plants. falling over the
sloping surface OF the bank, act as q
natural mulch that helps to keep the
bed from drying out The long po-
tato roots will piecere deeply into
the heart of the soil and find moisture
| there. The danger from drying out is
the only danger to which this method
| is exposed. but this will be minimized
IL early potatoes are grown. They get
the benefit OF the abundant spring
rains and are nearly matured by the
time the heat and the drought OF
summer come on; In any event. they
will be SO far along that they will
Withstand conditions that would In
ture younger plants.
To use this method one must have
plenty of good earth. Well-rotted
compost is excellent to add to the
| bank. but the richer ingredients
should. of course. be we'll mixed with
the heaped-up soil. Where one row
of plants will produce two bushels of
potatoes by the ordinary method. the
same amount Of land will produce
six bushels by the terrace or banking
, system. If one row produces four
bushels, the bank will produce
! twelve. and because of the advantages
that have been mentioned the proper
tion may be even greater. The sys-
ter requires little extra labor. but
| it will pay.
a Nerb Garden.
A home with even a small strip of
land should find a place for growing
herbs to use in cooking. A plant Of
sage of the large-leaved variety