Chapter V: Part 5

_Thinning._--Chile started from seed planted in the field must be thinned to one or three plants to the hill. When the chile has been thinned out properly the plant or plants in the hill branch out considerably and produce a heavier and better crop. If too many plants are left to the hill there is a marked tendency for the plants to grow too tall and more or less top heavy. The chile is thinned out when about 3 to 5 inches high. If a good germination takes place it is more difficult to thin the chile, because there are more small plants to the hill to be pulled out. Care should be had in selecting the strongest plants in the hill and in injuring as little as possible the roots of those which remain. While the common way of growing chile is to plant the seed out in the field in the spring, it can also be grown by starting the plants in cold frames early in the season and transplanting to the field as soon as danger of frost is over.

_Irrigation._--After the irrigations to get the crop started have been given, the frequency of the subsequent irrigations depends upon the weather and soil conditions, and for that reason no specific statement can be made just when and how often the chile should be irrigated. One thing, however, is important to keep in mind, and that is that the chile plant keeps bearing as long as it is growing. If the growth should be checked by the lack of irrigation the plant stops bearing and the blossoms and the very small pods are likely to drop off. The grower himself should study his local conditions and decide for himself when and how much to irrigate. While the chile plant resists considerable drought, at the same time, it should not be allowed to suffer from the lack of irrigation. When the chile is grown on ridges the space between the ridges should be allowed to fill with water almost up to the plant. If the water is simply turned in and allowed to rush down the furrow to the other end the ridges will remain practically dry, necessitating frequent irrigations to keep the plants from suffering. In irrigating the chile on ridges always aim to hold the water long enough in the furrow for the ridges to get fairly well soaked through. In the level plat the irrigation is more simple and the soil around each hill gets wet sufficiently while the water is running down to the end of the plat. When the plats are quite long and are made up of a series of squares as soon as each square is filled with water the border, dividing that square from the next one, is cut and the water rushes into the next square which is treated the same as the one before.--(N. Mex. Col. Ag. and Mech. Arts 67.)

CHIVE.

This is a small onion-like plant having flat, hollow leaves which are used for flavoring soups. The chive rarely forms seeds, and it is propagated by the bulbs, which grow in clusters. The leaves may be cut freely and are soon replaced by others.--(F. B. 255; S. Dak. E. S. 68.)

CITRON.

The citron is a type of watermelon with solid flesh which is used for preserves and sweet pickles. The rind of the watermelon is frequently substituted for citron. The cultivation of the citron is the same as for the watermelon.--(F. B. 255; U. Idaho E. S. 10.)

COLLARDS.

The culture and uses of collards are the same as for cabbage and kale. Collards withstand the heat better than either cabbage or kale, and a type known as Georgia collards is highly esteemed in the Southern States. Collards do not form a true head, but instead a loose rosette of leaves, which, when blanched, are very tender and of delicate flavor.--(F. B. 255; U. Idaho E. S. 10; P. Rico A. E. S. 7.)

CORN SALAD.

Corn salad is also known as lamb's-lettuce and fetticus. Sow the seed during the early spring in drills 14 to 18 inches apart and cultivate the same as for lettuce or mustard. For an extra early crop the seed may be planted during the autumn and the plants covered lightly during the winter. In the Southern States the covering will not be necessary and the plants will be ready for use during February and March. The leaves are frequently used in their natural green state, but they may be blanched by covering the rows with anything that will exclude the light. Corn salad is used as a salad in place of lettuce, or mixed with lettuce or water cress. The flavor of corn salad is very mild, and it is improved by mixing with some other salad plant for use. It is also boiled with mustard for greens.--(F. B. 255.)

CRESS.

Under the name of cress there are two forms, the water cress and the upland cress. The upland cress, sometimes called peppergrass, is easily grown from seed sown in drills a foot apart. As the plants last but a short time, it will be necessary to make a sowing every few days if a continuous supply is desired.

Water cress can be grown all the year in small open ditches containing running spring water. It is best and most easily produced in water from rather warm springs in limestone regions. A sufficient supply for family use can be grown in a small spring-fed brook, and the plants may be started either from small pieces of plants or from seed. Cress is used in salads, to which it imparts a pleasant pungency.--(F. B. 255; U. Idaho E. S. 10; P. Rico A. E. S. 7.)

CUCUMBERS.

_Soil._--The soil best adapted to the cultivation of cucumbers in the open is a light sandy loam, one which responds quickly to temperature and fertilizer. Such soils are prepared early in the season and thrown into gentle undulations, so as to produce slight ridges upon which to plant the seed to insure good surface drainage.

_Fertilizers._--The soil for cucumbers should be made very rich by the annual application of heavy dressings of stable manure to be incorporated with the soil. During the time it is not occupied by cucumbers or lettuce, cowpeas are frequently grown upon the area and turned under prior to planting a fall crop of lettuce. In addition to this, liberal applications of a fertilizer carrying a considerable percentage of nitrogen are employed.

_Planting._--There are almost as many methods of planting cucumbers as there are growers. Some plant in hills the standard distance of 6 feet apart each way; others plant in hills 6 feet apart in one direction and 2 or 3 feet apart in the row, while others plant in drills or broad belts 6 feet apart and chop out the plants to stand about a foot apart in the row after all danger from insect depredation has ceased. The methods which seem most economical under the conditions at hand will of course be adopted by the grower. In outdoor culture the cucumber is frequently used as a companion crop to other crops, like beans. Beans being of rapid growth come on quickly and form a partial protection or wind-break for the young cucumber plants. When arranged in this way, cucumbers are planted in drills or in hills 6 feet apart and a row of beans is placed between two rows of cucumbers, a method which insures a very complete and satisfactory use of the ground. The quick maturity of the beans allows them to be harvested and entirely removed from the area before it is required for the cucumbers.

_Harvesting._--Cucumbers intended for pickling purposes are harvested when they have attained a length of from 2-1/2 to 5 inches. Because such cucumbers are bought by weight it will readily be seen that the small-sized pickles are less profitable to the grower than the larger ones, and in order to secure them before they have attained an unsalable size it is necessary that the picking be repeated at frequent intervals, as cucumbers grow rapidly and a delay of twenty-four to forty-eight hours in harvesting would render many of them unsalable. It is therefore necessary to have regular intervals to harvest certain areas of the patch and to continue this routine throughout the bearing season. Another point which is of prime importance in the management of the cucumber patch is that none of the fruits be allowed to come to maturity. The ripening process, which means the development and maturing of the seeds, produces a heavy strain upon the growing plant, the life and yield of the plant being in proportion to the number of fruits which are allowed to ripen. If no fruits are allowed to come to maturity the plants will remain green and in an active vegetative condition longer and will produce a much larger aggregate number of fruits.

_Dill Pickles._--Dill pickles, which are much prized and command the highest price among pickles, can be made from fresh cucumbers as they come from the vines, or from vat stock which has been carried for some time at the salting station.

_Cucumbers Grown in Cold Frames for Market._--Soil for use in cold frames should be a well-enriched sandy loam of the type of the usual sandy loam. If it can be dark in color, this is an advantage. If normally light, the color can be changed by the addition of muck or by incorporating well-decomposed stable manure with the surface soil. A dark color is of some advantage in helping to raise the temperature in the frames under the glass.

_Watering._--Since the glazed sash prevent the soil beneath them being moistened by natural means--that is, by rain or dew--it is necessary that means be provided for watering or irrigating the plants. This can be done by arranging pipes upon the surface of the ground or at a convenient height overhead, so as not to interfere with cultivation, from which water can be drawn to sprinkle the surface of the beds at desired intervals and as the plants may require. The work of watering should, however, be very carefully done. The same general precautions necessary for the care of plants in cold frames should be observed--that is, to do the watering in the morning on bright days only, when air can be admitted and when the sun will soon dry the moisture from the leaves of the plants. In this way much can be done to protect the plants from injury from such diseases as the damping-off fungus and mildew.

_Ventilation._--Besides the precautions to be observed in watering plants in cold frames, extreme care is necessary to give the plants sufficient air to keep them in a healthy condition. If the atmosphere is allowed to become close and very hot, the plants will be weakened and thus rendered more susceptible to the attacks of plant diseases.

_Forcing Cucumbers Under Glass._--Forcing is a technical term used by gardeners to designate the growing of plants out of their normal season under an artificial environment. The cucumber is one of the few garden plants which lend themselves to this manner of cultivation in addition to their more extensive cultivation in the open ground. Under the stimulus of forcing work, two distinct types of cucumbers have been developed. These are recognized in the trade as the English type and the American type. The English type is purely a product of forcing-house conditions, as the climate of England is not congenial to the growth and development of the cucumber in the open. The American type of cucumber is primarily a product of field conditions, and the few varieties which have been developed to meet the requirements of the forcing house are simply modifications of the existing field or outdoor forms. The English type of cucumber is a long, cylindrical, uniformly green fruit, with few seeds and a very fleshy seed cavity; in fact, the normal seed cavity of the forced cucumber is almost entirely wanting. The triangular shape characteristic of the normal outdoor cucumber has been lost, and the cylindrical outline almost perfected. There is considerable difference in the size and length of the various English varieties of cucumbers. The American type of cucumber is primarily grown in the field, the product to be used either for pickling or for slicing. Forcing cucumbers in America is confined to those varieties which produce large fruits suitable for slicing. Only three or four of the better and larger field varieties are adapted to this purpose. Notable among these is the White Spine, the Arlington White Spine being the variety which has been especially developed for forcing. The Long Green, or a modification of it, is also sometimes used, but aside from these two varieties there are few that ever find their way into the forcing house. Such varieties as the Boston Pickling, Chicago Pickling, and the cluster varieties in general are not adapted to forcing purposes. The forcing of cucumbers presupposes that an adequate forcing house or greenhouse is at hand for such work. The chief desideratum in a forcing house for cucumbers is a maximum amount of light, sufficient headroom, and adequate radiation to maintain a temperature varying from 65° to 85° F. The amount of radiation will, of course, depend upon the style of heating employed, whether steam or hot water, and upon the location of the greenhouse, whether at the north or the south; the outside temperature determining to a considerable extent the amount of radiation required in the house to maintain a given degree of heat.

_Propagation._--There are a number of methods of propagation followed by successful cucumber growers, all of which have some advantages. Three of the more common practices are as follows: (1) To plant the seeds of cucumbers in the soil of the bench where the plants are to grow and mature; (2) to plant the seeds of the cucumbers in 3-inch or 4-inch pots filled about half full of soil and after the seeds have germinated and the hypocotyl or stem of the seedling has elongated to fill the pots well up to the seed leaves with soil; and (3) to plant the seeds in cups similar to those used for harvesting strawberries, except that the cups for this purpose are usually made of Georgia pine. In the first case, where the seeds are planted directly in the soil on the benches, cucumbers are usually employed as a crop to follow lettuce, seeds being planted in the lettuce benches before the crop is entirely removed, heads of lettuce being taken out at proper distances to allow for the correct spacing of the cucumber plants, and the seeds of cucumbers planted in the areas so left. In the other two cases the rearing of the plants for forcing purposes can be carried on in a small house especially designed for this purpose or in a general propagating house, thus obviating the necessity of heating and maintaining normal conditions in the growing house during the period previous to which the plants begin to run.

_Planting on the Benches._--As soon as the plants show well-developed runners and are 10 to 12 inches long they should be placed in their permanent position upon the greenhouse benches. Plants grown in pots must be carefully removed from these receptacles to the bench, but those grown in the wooden cups above referred to can be planted, cup and all, in the soil of the bench. The utmost care should be exercised to keep the plants of the cucumber growing rapidly at all times. If cucumbers receive a severe check or are placed under conditions which are not entirely congenial to them, they are liable to become dwarfed and stunted, and as soon as vigorous growth ceases they become the prey of the melon aphis, mildew, and other pests and diseases which are so annoying to growers of cucumbers under artificial conditions.

_Distance to Plant._--After the plants have attained a height of 10 or 12 inches and are in a vigorous growing condition they should be placed about 15 or 18 inches apart in single rows upon the side benches of the greenhouse, which are normally 3-1/2 feet wide, or if planted on 8-foot benches they should be planted about 10 or 12 inches from the edge of the bench and 15 to 18 inches apart and parallel with the edge of the bench. In the broad benches, where more than a double row can be carried, plants can be set about 18 inches apart and in rows about 2 feet apart. A satisfactory plan for an 8-foot bench will be a row parallel with and 10 inches from each edge of the bench and a double row 18 inches apart through the middle of the bench. It is well, however, to allow as much space as possible. The cucumber is a rank-growing plant and many side branches will develop if sufficient space is allowed.

_Training the Plants._--As soon as the plants show a tendency to run they should be trained so as to keep them from becoming unduly tangled and in order to fill all the space upon the trellis. Galvanized wires No. 16 can be run lengthwise of the house and stapled to the supports, which should be placed about 6 feet apart. Upon side benches which are elevated it will be necessary to train the cucumbers to the framework of the greenhouse. For this purpose screw eyes about 8 inches in length can be placed in the sash bars at intervals of 4 or 5 feet and the parallel wires to which the vines are to be tied stretched 12 inches apart lengthwise of the house through these screw eyes and firmly fastened at the ends. The vines should then be loosely tied to the supporting wires with raffia or soft cotton yarn. When the fruits become heavy, as in the case of the English varieties, it will become necessary to truss them to prevent their weight breaking the vines. Heavy fruits will cause the supporting wires or bands of raffia to break or girdle the vines unless they are supported independently. The American varieties seldom attain sufficient size to require this precaution. Fruits of these varieties as soon as they are 8 to 10 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter are harvested for market. The vines are usually sufficiently strong to withstand the weight of fruit of this size.

_Pollination._--The cucumber, like the other members of the gourd family to which it belongs, bears two kinds of blossoms on widely separated parts of the plant. The staminate or nonfruit-bearing flower is the first to appear and is in general borne near the base of the plant. The pistillate blossom with the embryo cucumbers at its base appears later and is borne near the extremity of the newly forming and rapidly growing shoots. Since these flowers are normally produced in this way, it is necessary that a transfer of pollen be made from the staminate to the pistillate flowers throughout the agency of insects or by other artificial means. Under greenhouse conditions and at the time of year that the cucumber is forced it is necessary to provide for pollination. In small establishments this work can be done by hand. The staminate blossoms are removed, the petals turned back so as to allow the anthers to project, and the pencil thus produced is then thrust into the cup of the pistillate flower in such a way as to distribute pollen upon the stigma of the pistillate flower. In large establishments where hand pollination is out of the question a colony of honey bees is placed in each house to accomplish the work.--(F. B. 254, 255; Mass. Ag. Col. E. S. 87; Iowa Ag. Col. E. S. 47.)

DANDELION.

Sow the seed of dandelion in spring in drills 18 inches apart, covering it one-half inch deep. Thin the plants to about 12 inches apart and give good clean cultivation throughout the summer. In the colder parts of the country it may be desirable to mulch slightly during the winter to prevent the plants heaving out of the soil. Early the following spring the plants will be ready for use as greens, but they are greatly improved if blanched by setting two boards in the forms of an inverted letter V over the row. The blanching not only makes the leaves more tender but destroys a part of the bitter taste. Dandelion greens should be boiled in two waters to remove the bitterness.--(F. B. 255-68; S. Dak. 68; U. Id. E. S. 10.)

DILL.

Grown as fennel which it greatly resembles, both being well known herbs used for flavoring pickles, and both being of unsurpassed hardiness.--(Mich. E. S. 20.)

EGG PLANT.

This delicious vegetable is not so much cultivated in our gardens as it should be. This has arisen largely from the difficulty of getting the plants from seed in the open ground. If you have no greenhouse, hotbed, nor frame, it will be best to buy the plants at setting-time from some one who grows them early in pots. Plants pulled from a bed are seldom worth planting, as the egg plant is slow to recover from a serious check.

_Kind of Soil._--A sandy loam will be found excellent soil; this should be well drained and have a moist subsoil. Land that has been drained, if all other conditions are proper, will make an excellent field. This plant is a deep feeder, so that the land should be plowed as deeply as possible. A new field should not be taken, while one might succeed, the chances are not so good as on an old and well-tried piece of land. Be sure that all rubbish and matter that could interfere with cultivation has been removed. Fertilize the field broadcast; there is little or no danger of the plants failing to get the food if it is in the soil. The best way is to apply the fertilizer just before plowing the field, and then apply a smaller amount where the plants are to stand; work the fertilizer in well a week or two before setting out. Lay the land off into rows four feet apart, and set the plants three or four feet apart in the row. At convenient distances a row may be skipped to make a road to gather the crop. After the crop has been planted there is little or no use for a hoe; the plow can and ought to do the work. No weeds should be allowed to show more than the seed leaves, and the ground should be kept mellow enough to let a person sink nearly to the ankles in dry times. When the fertilizer has been applied properly the roots will seek the deeper soil, and the ordinary horse cultivator will not reach them at all. Eggplant raising pays best under high cultivation. By replenishing the fertilizer, plants may be kept in bearing until frost kills them in the fall, but it will be found more profitable to renew the field, if a summer or fall crop is desired.--(U. Id. E. S. 10; N. C. E. S. 132; Fla. E. S. 31; F. B. 255; Iowa E. S. 47.)

ENDIVE.

The endive is a form of chicory. Sow the seeds thinly in drills, and when the plants are well established thin to 8 inches. Water and cultivate thoroughly in order that a good growth of leaves may be made. When the leaves are 6 to 8 inches in length draw them together and tie them so the heart will blanch. The leaves should not be tied up while wet or decay will follow. The heads should be used as soon as blanched. For winter use sow the seeds rather late and remove the plants, with a ball of earth adhering to the roots, to a cellar or cold frame, and blanch during the winter as required for use. Endive is used as a salad at times of the year when lettuce and similar crops are out of season.--(F. B. 255; U. Id. E. S. 10; S. Dak. E. S. 68.)

FENNEL.

Cultivated for the sweet aromatic foliage and fruit is an herb used for flavoring pickles.--(Mich. E. S. 20.)

GARLIC.

Garlic is closely allied to the onion, but will remain in the ground from one year to another if undisturbed. Garlic is planted by setting the small bulbs, or cloves, either in the autumn or early spring. The culture is practically the same as for the onion. The bulbs are used for flavoring purposes.--(F. B. 255.)

GINGER.

Ginger, the underground root stock of _Zingiber officinale_, is perhaps most commonly used dry as a spice, though the fresh root or green ginger is common in autumn, being used in pickle making, preserving, and in other ways. The young and tender ends of the branching root or rhizome, called ginger buds, are the most delicate portion as regards both texture and flavor. Large quantities of ginger root are preserved in rich sugar syrup, the round stone jars of "Canton ginger" being an old-fashioned confection which is still much prized. The crystallized or candied ginger is even more common and is frequently served as a sweetmeat, and is also used in making deserts of various sorts.--(F. B. 295.)

HERBS.

To this group belong a number of plants hardly recognized as vegetables in the common use of the term, yet of sufficient importance to entitle them to a corner in the family garden. The herb garden or "patch" is too often considered a worthless gift or fashion handed down from grandmother's day. In every well ordered garden there should be a few of the common herbs. The same conditions concerning care, cultivation, etc., will answer for all. The site selected should be out of the way so that it may not be disturbed. As the bed is to be permanent it should be made fertile and cultivated deeply. In sowing classify according to whether they are annuals or perennials. The plants may be grown from seed but whenever possible, propagation by root division is much more easy and certain. In autumn before frost the leaves and stems of those desired for winter use should be gathered, tied in small bunches and hung up to dry in an airy room. Where the seed is desired, it should be allowed to ripen and harvested.--(U. Id. E. S. 10; S. Dak. E. S. 68; N. C. E. S. 132.)

ICE PLANT.

This plant (_Mesembryanthemum cristallinum_) gets its name from the crystalline ice-like covering of the leaves. In hot countries the leaves are used as a salad or boiled the same as spinach.--(S. Dak. E. S. 68.)

HORSE-RADISH.

This plant will thrive best in a deep, rich soil, where there is plenty of moisture. The rows should be 3 feet apart and the plants 12 to 18 inches apart in the row. Tops cut from large roots or pieces of small roots are used for planting. A comparatively few hills of horse-radish will be sufficient for family use, and the roots required for starting can be secured of seedsmen for 25 or 30 cents a dozen. This crop will require no particular cultivation except to keep down the weeds, and is inclined to become a weed itself if not controlled. The large fleshy roots are prepared for use by peeling and grating. The grated root is treated with a little salt and vinegar and served as a relish with meats, oysters, etc. The roots should be dug during the winter or early spring before the leaves start. After being treated with salt and vinegar the grated root may be bottled for summer use. As this has always been considered strictly a cold-weather plant, is would seem useless to try to grow it in Porto Rico, but, as it gave very favorable results at this station, it can no doubt be produced for local consumption. It is practically unknown in Porto Rico, but most people acquire a taste for it, and foreigners, who are used to it in their native country, will find it very gratifying that they can grow it here. In the North it thrives in any soil from a light sand to a heavy clay, but prefers a medium heavy loam. Here it grows luxuriantly in heavy clay but may not do so well in sand. It is planted from cuttings of the lateral roots, which should be from 4 to 6 inches long and planted at a distance of 12 to 15 inches in rows 24 to 30 inches apart. Root cuttings can be obtained either in spring or fall from any seed firm, and these should be planted when received. The roots can be dug when large enough for use or can be left in the ground until wanted.--(F. B. 255: U. Id. E. S. 10; P. Rico E. S. 7.)

KALE, OR BORECOLE.

There are a large number of forms of kale, and these are thought by some to be the original type of the cabbage. Kale does not form a head and has convoluted leaves and thick leaf stems. It is cultivated the same as cabbage, but may be set somewhat closer. This crop is very hardy and will live through the winter in the open ground in localities where freezing it not too severe. The flavor of kale is improved by frost. Kale is used for greens during the winter, and as a substitute for cabbage.--(F. B. 255; N. Car. E. S. 132; U. Id. E. S. 10.)

KOHL-RABI.

Kohl-rabi belongs to the same class as cabbage and cauliflower, but presents a marked variation from either. It is, perhaps, half-way between the cabbage and turnip, in that its edible part consists of the swollen stem of the plant. For an early crop, plant and cultivate the same as for early cabbage. For a late crop or for all seasons in the South the seed may be sown in drills where the crop is to be grown and thinned to about 8 inches apart in the row. The rows should be from 18 to 36 inches apart, according to the kind of cultivation employed. The fleshy stems should be used while they are young and quite tender. Prepare kohl-rabi for the table in the same manner as turnips, which it very much resembles when cooked.--(F. B. 255; U. Id. E. S. 10; Mich. E. S. 20; N. C. E. S. 132; La. E. S. 90.)

LEEK.

This plant belongs to the same class as does the onion, but requires somewhat different treatment. Leeks can be grown on any good garden soil and are usually sown in a shallow trench. The plants should be thinned to stand about 4 inches apart in the row and the cultivation should be similar to that for onions. After the plants have attained almost full size the earth is drawn around them to the height of 6 or 8 inches to blanch the fleshy stem. The leek does not form a true bulb like the onion, but the stem is uniformly thick throughout. Leeks are marketed in bunches like young onions, and they may be stored the same as celery for winter. Leeks are used for flavoring purposes and are boiled and served with a cream dressing the same as young onions.--(N. Car. E. S. 132; La. E. S. 90; F. B. 255.)

LETTUCE.

This crop attains its best development in a rich sandy loam in which there is plenty of organic matter. Lettuce thrives best during the early spring or late autumn and will not withstand the heat of summer. In order that the leaves may be crisp and tender, it is necessary to force the growth. The usual method of growing lettuce for home use is to sow the seeds broadcast in a bed and remove the leaves from the plants as rapidly as they become large enough for use. A much better method is either to thin or transplant the seedlings and allow the plants to form rather compact heads and then cut the entire plant for use. In the Southern States the seeds may be sown during the autumn and the plants allowed to remain in the ground over winter. At the North the seeds may be sown in a hotbed or cold frame and the seedlings transplanted to the open ground, or the seeding may be in rows in the garden and the plants thinned to 5 or 6 inches in the row. Lettuce may be grown in rows about 12 inches apart. In order to produce crisp and tender lettuce during the summer months, it may be necessary to provide some form of partial shading.--(F. B. 255; N. Y. E. S. 208; N. Car. E. S. 147; Tenn. E. S. 2; Purdue Ind. E. S. 66 and 84; Kas. E. S. 70.)

LLEREN (_Calathea allouya_).

This vegetable, although cultivated in Porto Rico for a long time, is not extensively known. The plant at a cursory glance resembles a canna. The edible tubers, which are formed in great profusion, can be eaten boiled like potatoes; but, unlike potatoes, they do not become soft, but appear hard and crisp after prolonged boiling. Lleren somewhat resembles boiled sweet corn in taste, and most people pronounce it delicious without needing to acquire a taste for it. The best soil for lleren is a rich, moist, well-drained loam, which is usually benefited by an application of wood ashes or sulphate of potash; an excess of nitrogen causes the production of large tops and few tubers. The stools or roots immediately adhering to stalks are the parts used for propagating; the tubers will not germinate. Lleren should be planted at intervals of 2 feet in rows 4 feet apart, and cultivated like any other vegetable. It requires ten to fifteen months to mature tubers, which are 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter, and may be harvested at any time when large enough, but can be left in the ground for a long time without spoiling. It is a good shipper and if introduced into the northern market it would soon create a demand.--(P. Rico E. S. 7.)

MARTYNIA (_Unicorn Plant_).

The curious, long beaked fruit is used for pickles. The plants are quite hardy and ornamental, the fruit being no less conspicuous for its odd shape than the large wax-like flowers of whitish color with purple and yellow spots.--(Mich. E. S. 20.)

MELON--MUSK.

_Soil and Location._--The soil for muskmelons must be well drained and contain an abundance of humus and readily available plant food. If these conditions are met, it matters little what the particular type of soil may be. A knoll or ridge sloping gently to the south and protected by timber on the north and west furnishes an ideal site for melons. Such a location will usually produce earlier melons than a north or west slope and is better than a level area because the soil dries out more quickly after a rain, thus permitting more timely tillage in a wet season, and resulting in the production of melons of better flavor. It is only in dry seasons that low, flat land, unless thoroughly tile-drained, produces good melons. The condition of the soil in reference to its supply of humus has a marked influence upon the welfare of the melon crop. Because of its abundance of humus, newly cleared timber land is well adapted to melon culture, but is difficult to work on account of the stumps and roots. Land slightly deficient in humus can be put in condition for growing melons by plowing under a clover sod, or a crop of cowpeas or rye, or a coat of manure applied broadcast. If melons are to be grown as one of the crops in a regular rotation, they should constitute the crop immediately following the leguminous crop designed to add humus and nitrogen to the soil. In regions where winter wheat and clover are grown, a rotation of wheat, clover and melons is highly satisfactory. Another good rotation would be: oats, clover, melons, corn. In regions where clover does not thrive and wheat and oats are not grown, a rotation of corn, cowpeas, and melons may be employed, or the rotation extended by seeding to grass after the melons are harvested. Even with careful attention to rotation and the incorporation of humus by plowing under catch crops or manure, ordinary farm land--including good corn land--is not sufficiently rich to produce a satisfactory crop of melons without the use of fertilizing material in the hills. It is only on garden soil that has been made exceedingly rich by repeated applications of manure, that it is wise to attempt to grow melons without special treatment of the hills.

_Manure for the Hills._--The manure for use in the melon hills is ricked up in the fall in long low piles, about eight feet wide and two or three feet deep. The sides of the pile are made as nearly perpendicular as possible and the top is flattened so that rains will soak in instead of running off. Sometimes a layer of dirt about three inches deep is placed on top of the manure to help retain the moisture. Early in the spring, work is commenced on the manure to put it in condition for use. The pile must be cut down and the manure turned and mixed until it is thoroughly decomposed and of fine texture. Formerly this work was done by hand with a fork, and entailed a large amount of labor. Now some of the large growers do all this turning of the manure with a disk and plow. The pile is worked three or four times at intervals of one or two weeks.

_Time of Planting._--The melon is a warm season crop, and unless the soil is warm and the weather favorable the seeds will not germinate nor the plants grow. It is therefore usually unwise to plant in advance of the normal season in the hope of securing an early crop. Occasionally, such plantings do well, but usually the stand is poor, necessitating much replanting, and the early plants which do survive are likely to be so badly stunted by reason of the cool weather that they do not mature their crop much in advance of the later plantings which have had the benefit of warm weather from the start.

_Preparations for Planting._--Melon ground should be plowed early in the spring, or replowed if it was broken in the fall. After plowing, it should be thoroughly pulverized by the use of a disk or harrow, or both, and then kept in good, friable condition by occasional working until planting time arrives. Shortly before planting is to begin, the field should be furrowed out both ways with a single-shovel plow or a one-horse turning plow. The furrows should be about six inches deep, and as far apart as the hills are to be placed. On some soils melon vines make only a moderate growth and the hills may be planted as close as four feet apart each way; but on rich soil, where they make a stronger growth, they should be at least five by five, and in some cases six by six. After the land is furrowed out the rotted manure is applied at the intersections of the furrows. From a quart to a half-peck of manure is used for each hill, depending upon the quality of the manure and also the quantity available. The manure is dropped into the bottom of the furrow, and either mixed thoroughly with the soil there, and covered with a layer of pure soil in which to plant the seed, or is merely covered with the soil without any mixing. The latter method seems to give fully as good results as the former, especially when a small quantity of manure is used, and is a great saving of labor. In either case, especial care should be taken to compact the soil over the manure so that when the seed is planted it will not suffer from lack of moisture by reason of any vacant air space in or about the mass of manure. Sometimes the manure is covered with soil by merely plowing a furrow on each side of the furrow containing the manure, but unless the soil is in exceedingly fine condition, this method is not as satisfactory as using a hoe and giving each hill individual attention. In making the hill, some planters compact the soil with the hoe, while others use the feet. When ready for planting, the hill should be practically level with the general surface of the field. If too low, the hill will become water-soaked in case of rain and the seeds or plants injured; if too high, there is likely to be insufficient moisture to insure proper germination and growth.

_Planting the Seed._--If the hills have been made more than a few minutes before the seed is dropped, the top layer of dry soil should be scraped aside with a hoe so that the seed may be placed in immediate contact with moist soil. The area thus prepared for planting the seed should be at least six inches across, and should be smooth and level. From ten to fifteen seeds should be scattered uniformly over this area, and covered with about half an inch of fine, moist soil. This should be firmed with the back of the hoe and then covered with a sprinkle of loose dirt to serve as a mulch. If a heavy rain packs the top of soil and a crust is formed before the plant appears, it is wise to go over the field and carefully break the crust over each hill by means of a garden rake. The method of preparing the hills and planting the seed described above applies to field rather than garden conditions and to soils of medium rather than excessive fertility. In a market garden where the soil is exceedingly rich as a result of repeated manuring for onions or cabbage, and is in fine tilth, it is a common practice to sow the melon seed in drills six to eight feet apart, by means of a garden seed drill. This is done without any special preparation of the soil where the plants are to stand, or application of fertilizing material other than manure applied broadcast before plowing.

_Thinning._--While ten to fifteen seeds are planted per hill for the sake of insuring a full stand, only two, or at most three, plants are left to make the crop. Thinning is usually deferred until the plants have become fully established, and the struggle against the striped beetle is nearly over. However, the plants must be thinned before they begin to crowd badly, or those which are to remain will be stunted in growth. Usually the thinning is completed by the time the plants have four rough leaves. If the seed has been well scattered in planting, so that each plant stands apart by itself, the superfluous plants may be pulled with the fingers, but extreme care must be taken to avoid disturbing the roots of the remaining plants. Sometimes the plants are cut off with a knife or shears, instead of being pulled, and thus all danger of disturbing the roots is avoided. If the seeds have been sown with a drill as in market gardening practice, the plants are usually thinned to one in a place at distances of two to two and one-half feet in the row.

_Transplanting._--Since it is impossible to increase the earliness of the crop to any great extent by early planting in the field, growers have adopted the transplanting method. This makes it possible to plant the seed three or four weeks earlier than would otherwise be feasible, and to grow the plants under controlled conditions of temperature and moisture during their most critical period. It also simplifies the matter of protection from striped beetles. The main objections to this method are the expense for sash, and the difficulties attending the transplanting. A melon plant will not survive transplanting if the root system is disturbed. For this reason the seed is sown on inverted sod, in pots or in dirt bands. The dirt bands are used almost exclusively by commercial growers. These are thin strips of wood veneer, three inches wide and eighteen inches long, scored at intervals of four inches so that they can be bent without breaking. When folded ready for use, each band resembles a small strawberry box without the bottom. These bands are placed close together in a hotbed and filled level full with fine, rich soil. With a block of wood shaped for the purpose, the soil within the bands is pressed until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the top of the band. If only part of the dirt is put in at first, and is pressed down firmly, then the rest of the dirt put on and pressed, the soil in the band will be more compact throughout and will hold together better in the transplanting than if the dirt were pressed only once. Unless the soil used was very moist, the bed is then thoroughly watered. Next, three seeds are placed in each band. These are covered with fine, loose soil deep enough to fill the band. This soil is not firmed. The hotbed for melon plants should have full exposure to light and be maintained at a high temperature--about 85 degrees F. during the day and 65 to 70 degrees at night. As much ventilation should be given as the weather will permit, and care exercised to avoid overwatering. As soon as the plants are well started, they are thinned to two in a band by cutting off the extra plant with a sharp knife. When the plants are about four weeks old from the planting of seed they will be in the right condition for transplanting to the field. They are then compact, stocky plants with about four rough leaves. If allowed to remain longer in the bed they begin to stretch for light and are of little value for planting, for the long naked stems, unable to support themselves and unaccustomed to direct sunlight, would easily be sun-burned, and the plants seriously checked if not killed outright.

_Cultivation._--Whether the melons are transplanted from a hotbed or grown from seed planted in the field, the tillage of the crop should begin as soon as the plants can be seen. In the case of transplanted plants, this will be the same day that they are set in the field. The early tillage should be deep, and as close to the plant as it is feasible to run the cultivator. The object of this deep tillage is to establish a deep root system so that the plants will not suffer so severely from dry weather later in the season. In the case of a field planted crop it is not feasible to cultivate so close to the plants early in the season because of the danger of tearing out the little plants. For this deep tillage a one-horse five-shovel cultivator, often weighted with a rock, is the tool most commonly used. It is customary to follow this with a "boat" or a 14-tooth cultivator to more fully pulverize the soil. Tillage is usually given after each rain or at least once each week so that the soil is maintained in a loose friable condition. In addition to the cultivation with a horse, much hand hoeing is required close about the plants. Any crust forming after a rain, is broken, and fresh, moist soil drawn up about the plant. Crab grass and weeds appearing in the hill are removed by hand. Most growers cease tillage and lay-by the crop as soon as the vines have run enough to interfere with the cultivator. The experience of a few growers who have turned the vines and kept them in windows so that tillage could be continued until the picking season opened, indicates that a departure from the old method is likely to insure better development of the melons and a longer picking season, though the first fruits may not ripen so early. There is another distinct advantage in this turning of the vines, in that the gathering of the crop is greatly facilitated and there is no injury to the vines from tramping.

_Seed._--No matter what variety of melon is grown, it is extremely important that pure seed be planted if good melons are to be produced. The melon deteriorates very rapidly under careless methods of seed selection. None but the very choicest specimens of the desired type, from productive vines, should be selected for seed. It is unsafe to cut seed from a field in which more than one variety of melon is grown; for seed from such a field would likely be very badly mixed, and the product undesirable for market. If a grower has sale for all his good melons, it may be cheaper for him to purchase his seed than to save it. But here again there is danger of procuring inferior seed, for much of the melon seed on the market is cut without careful selection, in order to meet the demand for cheap seed. Even cull melons are used to supply this demand. Such seed is expensive at any price. The difference in the cost of good seed and poor seed is insignificant when compared with the advantages to be derived from the use of seed which can be depended upon to produce melons of a given type.

_Picking._--There is considerable difference of opinion as to the exact stage of maturity at which melons should be picked for shipment. If allowed to become too ripe before picking, they become soft by the time they reach the market, and often must be sacrificed in order to effect an immediate sale. If picked too green, the melons reach market in firm condition, but are lacking in flavor, and are not desired by the best trade. It is a nice point to pick melons at such a degree of ripeness that they will reach the market in firm condition, and yet possess the requisite flavor. The farther from market the melons are produced, the less mature they must be when picked. Furthermore, the rapidity of softening after picking varies with the temperature to which the melons are subjected. The cooler they can be kept after picking, the longer they can be allowed to remain on the vines and the better flavor they will have. It is, therefore, essential that the melons be placed in the shade as soon as possible after picking, and be kept shaded until they are loaded into the car. For the same reason, riper melons can be shipped under the refrigeration than in ventilated cars. It is also true that melons shipped during excessively hot weather, unless under refrigeration, will soften more rapidly than those shipped during cooler weather. The condition of the vines and the rapidity of ripening of the melons in the field will also have a bearing upon the stage of maturity at which they should be picked. Early in the shipping season, when the vines are in full vigor and the melons ripening slowly, the fruits may safely be left upon the vines until more mature than would be safe later in the season when the plants have become somewhat weakened, or, by reason of excessive heat, the melons are ripening very rapidly. Melons should not be picked at the same degree of maturity under different conditions of ripening, methods of transportation, and distances from market.

While it is true that no rule can be given for picking melons that will apply under all conditions, and that the grower must exercise judgment in reference to each day's picking, the ideal will be attained when the conditions are such that the melons will reach the market in the best condition if picked as soon as the fruit will part readily from the stem when the latter is pressed with the thumb or finger. There is a tendency among some growers to pick considerably before this point has been reached, in order to run no risk of the melons becoming soft in transit. In fact, some growers make a practice of picking the melons before a crack appears about the stem or any change of color takes place, even on the under side of the fruit.

_Market Demands._--While various types of muskmelon may be disposed of upon a local market, there are certain types which are recognized as standards in the large city markets; and it is seldom wise to attempt to force upon a general market a variety not recognized as a standard in that particular market. In the Chicago market the sorts most in demand are the Netted Gem, or Rocky Ford type, and the Osage.--(Ill. E. S. 124, 139; F. B. 255; S. Dak. E. S. 67; N. Hamp. E. S. 70, 96; N. Y. E. S. 200; N. Mex. E. S. 63.)

MELON--WATERMELON.