Evening star., 1927-03-19
Garden Rotation.


The rotation Of crops, that is, chang,
ing the location of any single kind OF
plant from year to year, is an ac-
cepted practice in general farming.
Experience has taught that repeated
planting of the same species on the
same area leads to rapid depletion OF
the soil fertility and, in certain cases.
to a rapid increase in diseases ana
other pests that are able to i've IN
the soil.
Some authors have advanced the
theory that certain plants are toxic or
poisonous to themselves. whether or
not this is true, it is certain that a
single kind of plant eXhausts the SOIL
much sooner than an alienation OF
different kinds of plants. Further
more, there is the large and useful
family known as the legumes, which
have the power. through the aid of
bacteria which live upon their roots,
of utilizing some of the nitrogen OF
he air. Here are included the clovers,
peas, soYbeanS. beans, Vetches, and
others. Practically every farm rota-
tion includes one of these legumes so
as to obtain the benefit of the added
nitrogen.
Systematic rotations are difficult in
the home garden. Yet, considerable
may DS Sdliltd DN CIldilSlIlS the iONti-
tion of the various species from year
10 year. In large suburban gardens. a
portion may be given up each year to
The growing Of sOiling crops, such as
the legumes. In the average small
garden, space is limited and cannot
well be spared, except for plants such
as winter rye and crimson clover,
which grow during seasons unsuitee
for vegetables. Naturally, perennial
vegetables such as asparagus and rhu-
barb cannot be shifted about, but
there is no reason WHY the planting
plan in the annual section of the gar
den should not be reversed or other
wise changed from year to year.
Hardness i'm Vegetables.
Sometimes it is rather difficult for
the new gardener to appreciate the
great difference that exists between
various plants in their ability to resist
cold. 1t would seem, for instance, that
with the vegetable garden all planned
and soil prepared, all the seeds
might be sown on a single day and
make a single job of it. But this can
not be done. because of the nature of
the vegetables themselves. If the
gardener waits until it is perfectly
safe to SOW all types Of vegetables,
say the middle of May, it is then too
late for parsnips, radishes and peas.
The parsnips will not germnate salts
factorily, the rad.shes will be wormy
and the peas will be hit by the hot
waves of late June. On the other
hand, if beans, sweet corn and GU
cumbers are Sown at the same time
as early vegetables they are almost
certain to be killed by frost.
Vegetables are thus divided by
hardness into two great groups,
hardy and tender kinds. 1t is i'm
portant that the gardener take this
fact into consideration. knowledge of
this kind becomes sore of second ma
ture to the experienced gardener and
1t is rather hard for him to realize
that new gardeners may not have
this information. The hardy vegeta-
bles Include the cabbage, radish, spin
ach, beet, carrot, chard, kale, lettuce,
onion, parsnip, pea and turnip. All
of these may be sown in the open |
ground as early as April /. On the |
other hand, the tender vegetables, |
which include corn, beans, tomatoes |
squash, eggplant, etc, can
not safely be sown in our vicinity !
until after the first of May. There |
is no use in putting expensive seed |
into the soil only to lose it from un.
favorable temperature conditions.
Seed Treatment.
DR.. e. F. Buba of the Massachusetts
Agricultural Experiment Station, writ.
Ing in the American Produce Grower,
advocates the disinfection OF all vege-
table seed used in planting. This is
sound advice for COM
truckers who use seed in
quantity, but for. the home gardener
it is of questionable practical value.
Probably the best plan is to buy the
better grades of seed from old-estab-
lished seed firms who are known to
handle good quality material.