Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-14
Effective Summer Labor
How to Cultivate a Small Garden to Supply Fresh
Vegetables for the Home Table.

! one good row of potatoes could be grown
in it, or, at the most, by crowding two
rows. If. however, good earth Is heaped
| to a depth of two feet over the three
foot width of space, and the top of the
bank is flattened and the sides are
| packed gently but firmly to prevent
slipping three rows of potatoes can be
| raised, all of them under conditions
| that will favor their growth. You will
need to water more often by this meth
cd.
String beans and lima beans are
grown in the same way. They both
| need a rich SOIL which holds moisture
but is we'll drained. Frequent, shallow
cultivation must be given. Never cul-
tivate while moisture Is on the vines.
There are two ways of growing string
beans and lima beans-low, bush vines
and bean vines that climb poles. Pole
beans are best for small gardens. Plant
beans and bush limas one inch deep,
four to six inches apart in rows. Plant
pole beans and pole lima beans in hills
one inch deep, four seeds to the hill,
the hills three feet apart. Thin to two
plants to the hill. Before planting, fix
firmly in each hill a pole five or six
feet long. If desired, have two rows of
hills and slant the poles so that each
set of four may be tied together at the
top like an Indian teepee. This pre-
vents the poles from falling, but re-
duces the yield of the vines. Help the
vines to start twining around the poles
from right to left. Plant lima beans
with the eye of the seed downward.
Cultivation.
Tomatoes form one of the favorite
crops of the home garden, as they will
grow in any type of soil. Sandy loan.
with plenty of humus, is ideal for
growing tomatoes. Plants suitable for
setting out should be four to six inches
high, having a thick stem and dark
green leaves. Begin cultivation as soon
as the plants are set out. Cultivate
deeply and close to the plants at first,
but later cultivation should be more
shallow, to prevent injury to the roots.
Cultivate frequently to keep the soil
loose over the surface, preventing evap-
grafton. Always cultivate after rain.
Train the plants to stakes or other
supports. They may be trained on
wires or on poultry wire fastened on
posts set about Is feet apart in rows.
Barrel hoops foot apart fastened to
stakes ID inches apart are sometimes
used. The stalking method permits the
planting of such vegetables as radishes,
lettuce, and beets in the rows between
the tomato plants. Small pieces OF
cloth may be used to tie the plant to
the stake. The, fruit on stakes ripens
more quickly and more evenly.
When the plants have reached height
of two or three feet begin to prune
them, reducing the number Of branches
to three or four, selecting the strongest
branches. False branches found right
at the junction of the stem as it
branches out from the main stem of
the plant also should be pinched off, as
this strength should go into the fruit
itself. Do not remove flower clusters.
When the plant has reached height
of five feet, cut off the top. When.
three or four clusters of fruit have
formed and some of the fruit is as
large as a silver dollar prune the
leaves at the base one-half. This has
tens ripening. Once a month, apply
little commercial fertilizer around each
plant.
Sow. carrot seeds half an inch deep,
using one-fourth ounce of seed to- IS
feet IN a row Thin to- two or three
inches apartsWhen the roots crowd each
other Radisf1es are planted and grown
the same as carrots.
Sow beet seeds rather thickly in
row, using one ounce of seed to so
feet Of space, but thin the young plants
by pulling until the survivors are four
inches apart. The pulled plants make
fine greens for cooking or canning. The