|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 54
Beets--a much more valuable vegetable--require similar treatment.
The ground should be clean, well pulverized, and very rich. I
prefer to sow the seed the first week in April, unless the soil is
frozen, or very cold and wet. The seed may be sown, however, at
any time to the first of July; but earliness is usually our chief
aim. I sow two inches deep and thickly, pressing the soil firmly
over the seed. Let the rows be about fifteen inches apart.
Referring to the manure which had been left to decay in a
sheltered place until it became like fine dry powder, let me say
here that I have always found it of greater advantage to sow it
with the beet-seed and kindred vegetables. My method is to open
the drill along the garden-line with a sharp-pointed hoe, and
scatter the fertilizer in the drill until the soil is quite
blackened by it; then draw the pointed hoe through once more, to
mingle the powdery manure with the soil and to make the drill of
an even depth; then sow the seed at once. This thoroughly decayed
stable-manure has become the best of plant-food; it warms the
ground, and carries the germinating seed and young plants with
vigor through the first cold, wet weeks.
In the home garden there are several reasons for sowing beet-seed
thickly. Unfavorable weather and insects will be less apt to cause
a thin, broken stand of plants. In order to produce good roots,
however, the plants should be thinned out so as to stand
eventually three or four inches apart I do not advise very large,
coarse roots for the table. For home use I think only three
varieties are essential. The Egyptian Turnip Beet is the best very
early variety, and can be planted closely, as it has a small top;
the Bassano is next in earliness, and requires more room; the
Early Blood Turnip is the best for a general crop and winter use.
The beet is a root which deteriorates rapidly from age; I
therefore advise that the seed of the winter supply be sown the
last of June or first of July in our latitude.
Parsnips should be sown at the same time with early beets and in
the same way, with the exception that the seed should be covered
only an inch deep. I doubt whether there are any marked
distinctions in variety, and would advise that only the Long
Smooth or Hollow-crowned be sown.
The carrot is not quite so hardy as the parsnip, and the seed may
be sown a week or two later, or indeed at any time up to the
middle of June. Its culture and treatment are precisely like those
of the parsnip; but the roots should be gathered and stored before
a severe frost occurs. For home use a short row of the Early Horn
will answer; for the general crop, sow the Long Orange.
Vegetable-oyster, or salsify, is another root-crop which may be
treated precisely like the parsnip, and the seed sown at the same
time. The seed should be sown in a deep, rich, mellow soil, which
is all the better for being prepared in autumn. Plant, as early in
April as possible, in the same manner as described for beets, thin
out to four inches apart, and keep the soil clean and mellow
throughout the entire season; for this vegetable grows until the
ground freezes. There is only one variety.
The pea is another crop which may be put into the ground as soon
as the frost is out--the earlier the better, if the smooth, hardy
varieties are sown. There are so many varieties that the novice
to-day may well be excused for perplexity in choice. Thompson, the
English authority, gives forty kinds, and one hundred and forty-
eight synonyms. Mr. Gregory recommends the American Wonder,
Bliss's Abundance, Bliss's Ever-bearing, McLean's Advancer,
Yorkshire Hero, Stratagem, and Champion of England. Mr.
Henderson's list includes Henderson's First of All, American
Wonder, Bliss's Abundance, Champion of England, and Pride of the
Market. Mr. Harris in his catalogue marks first and best, American
Wonder, and also says, "For the main crop there is nothing better
than the Champion of England." My own experience would lead me to
plant the Tom Thumb either just before the ground froze in the
fall, or as early in March as possible. It is almost perfectly
hardy, and gives me the earliest picking. I should also plant
Henderson's First of All as soon as the frost was out, on a warm,
well-drained soil. For second crops, American Wonder and Premium
Gem; and for the main and most satisfactory crop of all, Champion
of England. The Champion requires brush as a support, for it grows
from four to six feet high; but it is well worth the trouble. I
plant the other kinds named because they are much earlier, and so
dwarf as to need no brush; they are also productive, and excellent
in quality if not left to grow too old. For the dwarf kinds the
soil cannot be too rich, and the warmer the ground and exposure,
the earlier the crop. For the tall late sorts the soil may easily
be made too fertile; they should also be planted in cooler,
moister, and heavier ground. In the case of the dwarfs I put a
fertilizer in with the seed as I have already explained. Cover the
dwarfs about two and a half inches deep, and the tall late sorts
from three to four inches according to the nature of the soil.
Plant the Champion of England every ten days until the middle of
June, and thus secure a succession of the best of all.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|