Part 8

The first sweet corn should be planted early in April, and should be of some small-growing, very early variety, such as the Cory or Minnesota. This corn will have to struggle with the frost and chilling nights, but with the aid of the ever-present worm, which inhabits each ear, will be ready for use long before any of the really fine kinds can be had. There is only one good thing that I have been able to discover in the worm’s favor in connection with his labors in horticulture, and that is the way in which he assists in ripening all the earliest specimens of the different fruits. To be sure, his efforts in this line are not always appreciated, but he is always there when you find a fruit ripening before its regular time. About the third week in April a second sowing of this early corn should be made, and at the same time should be planted some early large-eared variety, such as Crosby’s Twelve-rowed, and an equal amount of a late variety, such as Stowell’s Evergreen. Thereafter a planting should be made every ten days or two weeks, of a favorite sort, which, with me, is Stowell’s Evergreen, although I plant other kinds throughout the season, for the sake of variety. These plantings should be kept up until the 10th of July, after which the late kinds will hardly mature; but if the ground can be spared, I would keep on planting until the 10th of August, as, if the fall should be late, it will come in very acceptably. Most gardeners exhaust their supply about the middle of September, as they do not continue to plant late enough. If there is danger of heavy frost early in the fall, the corn that has well-set ears that have not yet ripened should be cut off at the ground and stacked against the south side of a fence or building; it should be stood up nearly two feet in thickness, to prevent freezing, but should not be thicker, as it will heat too much and will be awkward to handle when sorting over for the good ears. Treated in this way it will provide ears for use well into November, but of course they will not be of as fine a quality as those matured in the ordinary way.

As the earliest varieties only grow about three feet high and have the ears set close to the ground, the best way of planting them is to drop the seed ten inches to one foot apart, in drills. Sow plenty of seed, and if it comes up too thickly it can easily be thinned out when hoeing; all suckers should be broken off at the same time, so as to throw the strength of the plants into the ears.

If two rows are planted across the garden at each planting they will furnish an ample supply for the average family. If it is needed for canning or drying, an extra large planting should be made early in May, which will mature after the heavy harvest work is over and before the fall fruit is ready to preserve.

If some fine compost is placed in the drills or hills, it will help greatly to give the young plants a good start until they can reach the manure with which the garden has been dressed; where this compost is put in it should be covered with an inch of soil before the seed is sown.

The climbing snap beans may be planted in the hill with the tall-growing corn, or hills of pumpkins; squashes or cucumbers may be made in every fourth hill and every third row, although the vines will be very much in the way of continued cultivation if the ground is inclined to be weedy. Sweet corn should not be planted within one hundred yards of field or pop-corn, as the pollen will be sure to mix and spoil the quality of the table corn. It will sometimes mix at greater distances, but this distance would be safe in most cases.

VARIETIES OF SWEET CORN.

THE CORY.--This is the earliest variety known, and is at the same time superior in size and quality to the varieties which have been grown as extra early, before its introduction. It ripens nearly a week in advance of any other variety, while the ears are much larger than either the Minnesota or Marblehead. The grains are well formed to the tip of the cob, making a much handsomer ear than the other early varieties, while in sweetness and quality it is also superior.

AMBER CREAM.--This is a medium early variety; it is a strong, vigorous grower, reaching six to seven feet in height; the ears are about ten inches in length and the quality is rich and sugary. When used on the table the grains are milky white; the “Amber” of its name coming from the ripe seed, while the “Cream” is evidently an attempt to describe its excellent quality. In planting and picking for the table, the size of the ears of this variety and of Stowell’s Evergreen should be taken into account; a dozen ears being nearly equal to two dozen of some of the smaller-eared kinds.

CROSBY’S EARLY TWELVE-ROWED does not grow quite so tall as the Amber Cream, nor are the ears as large; although called “twelve-rowed,” it frequently has only ten rows. The great merit of this kind is in its excellent quality, it being very sweet and juicy, and fully equal to any variety that I have ever eaten. It is one of the best sorts to plant after the very early kinds.

POTTER’S EXCELSIOR.--An excellent medium early variety; the ears are of good size, with twelve rows of deep grains. It is remarkably sweet and juicy, and quite productive, averaging two good ears to a stalk.

STOWELL’S EVERGREEN.--This is, in my opinion, the finest variety for late and general planting. It is strong-growing and prolific, while the ears are of large size and handsome appearance. The quality is rich and sweet, while the grains are juicy and luscious, when picked at the right stage. To have the finest corn of any variety it should be picked in just the right condition; that is, when the skin of the grain breaks at the slightest puncture, and plantings should be made frequently enough always to have a supply at this stage. The quality is inferior if it is a few days too old or too young.

CUCUMBERS.

In raising cucumbers care should be taken to procure seed that is perfectly pure, as it mixes readily with other varieties and deteriorates rapidly. The seed should be planted in hills, prepared in the manner described for cantaloupes, three feet apart in the row, and the rows 4½ to 5 feet apart. If there is not enough compost at hand to manure them, as directed in the manner of making them, the hills can be raked up a few inches above the surface and the young plants allowed to feed on the general dressing which has been applied to the whole garden; the elevation serving to give the young plants a better start than on the level surface. While the cucumber is a lover of heat and moisture, it is apt to damp off in its early stages if it should be cold and wet; the hills tending to lift the young plants up into a drier and warmer soil. A liberal quantity of seed should be sown in each hill, say twenty to forty seeds, that there may be enough young plants to survive the depredations of the striped cucumber bug and of the borers. The young plants should be dusted every few mornings with ashes, plaster or slug shot, to destroy these pests, and as soon as the plants are sufficiently large to take care of themselves they should be thinned out to only three or four plants in a hill. The first planting should not be made before the middle of May, for they will not stand cold. The cucumbers should be picked as soon as they attain sufficient size and before the seeds become developed or hard; this should be done every morning while it is still cool, and the cucumbers placed in a cool cellar. The very best way is to put them in the water in a cool spring-house; there is no place where melons, squashes and cucumbers retain their freshness and crisp, fine flavor so fully as in such a spring. If the picking is carefully attended to and all the fruit picked off as soon as large enough, the vines will continue to grow and bear all summer, especially if they are in a rather shady situation, such as among the sweet corn. A few fine specimens may be allowed to ripen for seed, but if many are left the vines will dry up and die as soon as they have ripened a crop. Where a quantity of small pickles are wanted, the best way is to make a planting about the first week in August or latter part of July. These will produce large quantities if the ground is rich, and will continue to bear until killed by frost. Like the summer crop, they should be picked every day or two, and as soon as they are of the size desired, as they will bear a great many more if not allowed to grow large; also the smaller the pickle the more attractive it is, and the more readily it sells.

VARIETIES OF CUCUMBERS.

EARLY RUSSIAN.--The earliest variety grown, and is of very good quality for table use, but only grows about three inches in length; it is very solid and has but few seeds. Its small size and earliness render it a very good variety for pickles.

EARLY GREEN PROLIFIC.--This is largely grown for pickling, and is immensely productive. The shape, quality and great bearing make it a very valuable kind.

IMPROVED EARLY WHITE SPINE.--This variety is more generally grown than any other, and is deservedly popular for both table use and for pickling. It is of medium length, and from 1½ to 2 inches in diameter; when not too old the flesh is very crisp and fine flavored.

LONDON LONG GREEN.--Grows from twelve to sixteen inches in length, is a very dark green in color, and presents a fine appearance, while the flesh is firm and crisp, and the quality excellent.

EARLY RUSSIAN CUCUMBER.

EARLY GREEN PROLIFIC CUCUMBER.

IMPROVED WHITE SPINE CUCUMBER.

LONDON LONG GREEN CUCUMBER.]

BURPEE’S GIANT PERA CUCUMBER.--This wonderful new variety differs in almost every respect from the cucumber as generally grown, and in size and quality far surpasses the ordinary kinds. The vines are very vigorous in growth, with dark green, luxuriant foliage, which enables it to bear large crops of cucumbers of extraordinary size, as they are nearly three inches in diameter and are from 15 to 22 inches in length. The fruit is uniformly round, smooth and straight, the skin being of a pale green and entirely free from spines; when ripe the skin is a russet brown. The green cucumbers are fit to eat at any stage of their growth. The flesh is entirely white, not tinged with green, as in the ordinary kinds, and is crisp, tender and brittle. It has none of the cucumber taste of the older kinds, and is not always relished at first by those who are fond of the strong-flavored varieties, but after becoming accustomed to it for a short time, it is preferred to all others. In its native home it forms one of the staple foods of the inhabitants, being eaten in the natural state without any dressing whatever, in the same manner that we would eat an apple or a pear. It is certainly one of the most remarkable vegetables of recent introduction.

EGG PLANT.

Since the advent of the potato bug in our Eastern States the labor of raising this fine fruit is almost trebled, the bug regarding it as a delicacy superior even to the potato vines, and from its manner of bearing the fruit it is dangerous to apply Paris green or other poisons for their destruction. Where there is time to attend to it I prefer to have the bugs picked off by hand every day, but this is slow work, as we frequently get as many as a pint from two dozen of plants, and they do considerable damage by eating the young shoots and buds, even between such frequent pickings. The best way is to dust with Paris green or other poison, until the plants are of sufficient size to bear fruit, and then to keep the bugs off as thoroughly as possible by hand picking. In preference to Paris green or other strong poisons, I use Hammond’s Slug Shot, an insecticide that is sold in all seed and implement stores, and which is said not to be injurious to man or beast, though poison is present in the impalpable powder; it is also claimed that it is an excellent fertilizer, as well as being sure death to insects. Having used it three seasons, I have found it very satisfactory for the preservation of all small plants, excepting in one case of young seedlings just coming through the soil, in which case a too heavy application burned them up.

The egg plant is a strong, rank grower and a great lover of rich soil and of heat. The seed should be started in a warm hotbed or greenhouse about the last of March, and the soil should be as rich and light as possible. If the plants grow rapidly, they will be improved by transplanting in the hotbeds, as it will help them to form a good bunch of fibrous roots, so that they will sustain no check when planted out. They should not be set out in the garden until warm weather is assured, and then should be planted in hills enriched as for melons. These hills need not be higher than the surface of the garden, but if strong growth and large fruits are desired, a hole should be scraped out where each plant is to stand, and two or three shovelsful of well-rotted manure or compost put in, and the soil leveled off again before the plant is set. If the ground is dry when the plants are set out, water should be poured in the holes dug to receive them, and the dry soil drawn up around the stems when the plant has been set. The roots of the freshly set plants should not come in contact with the manure, but should have two or three inches of soil through which to seek it as they become established. The fruit should be cut as soon as it is of sufficient size and before the seeds become hard, as it soon loses its fine quality when it begins to ripen. The plants will also continue longer in bearing if this course is pursued, as it takes greatly from the strength of any plant to ripen its seed. When there is danger of frost in the fall all the fruits large enough to use, from the size of an egg up, should be picked off and stored in the cellar, as they will remain fresh and fit for use for over a month at this cool season of the year; by so doing I have frequently enjoyed this fine fruit long after it has disappeared from the tables of my neighbors.

The hills for the plants should be about two feet apart in the row, and the rows four feet apart. Three dozen plants, which will occupy hardly a third of one of our kitchen garden rows, will furnish an ample supply for a large family. The small early variety matures three or even four weeks before the ordinary kinds, but as they are hardly larger than a good-sized goose egg, it is not worth while to bother with them unless you are especially fond of the fruit and wish to have it as early as possible.

VARIETIES OF EGG PLANT.