CONTENTS

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

XIX.

APPENDIX

Color Plates

WILL YOU HAVE A PART IN VICTORY?

"Every Garden a Munition Plant"

James Montgomery Flagg

A Poster Spreading the Idea of Militant War Gardens

Maginel Wright Enright

A Poster for 1919, Symbolic of Victory

Maginel Wright Enright

CAN VEGETABLES, FRUIT AND THE KAISER TOO

J. Paul Verrees

A Poster Which Was Used in 1918, and Which, Amended–Following Germany's Defeat–Was Also Forceful in 1919

OTHER POSTERS

Beets

     Sow seed rather thickly in row, using 1 oz. to 50 feet, but thin the young plants by pulling until the survivors are 4 inches apart. The pulled plants make fine greens for cooking or canning.

Brussels Sprouts

     Grown like cabbage.

Cabbage

     Set plants from indoor seed boxes or pots 15 inches apart in rows, the rows being 30 inches apart. Between these rows early lettuce, radishes, and other little crops may be planted. Early cabbage should be gathered as soon as it has formed solid heads. Lat cabbage may be stored in the trenches and covered with straw and earth.

Carrots

     Sow seed 1/2 inch deep, using 1/4 ounce to 25 feet of row. Thin to 2 or 3 inches apart when roots crowd each other.

Cauliflower

     Grown the same as cabbages, except when the heads form, the loose outer leaves should be tied together over the heads to keep out the light and bleach them.

Celery

     Sow seed in seed boxes and set plants in garden in June or July, 6 inches apart, trenches 6 inches deep and 3 feet apart. Make the trenches 6 to 8 inches wide at the bottom so that rains will not wash the earth over the young plants. As the plants grow, cultivate the ground into the trenches. When plants are large heap earth around stalks to whiten them.

Celeriac

     This is a large rooted form of celery. It is grown like celery, except that the plants do not need bleaching. The large root is cooked for use. The plants should be protected in freezing weather by straw or mulch (half-rotted manure and straw), and dug when needed.

Corn, Sweet**

     Plant 5 or 6 seed 1 inch deep in hills 3 feet apart. When plants are 4 inches high pull out all but 2 or 3 plants in each hill. Make new planting every 2 weeks until July or August so as to have corn for use during the entire season.

Fig. 17––Corn, planted properly, at depth of 2 inches.

Cucumbers

     Plant 8 to 10 seed 1 inch deep in hills 4 feet apart. Later thin to 2 plants per hill. Do not plant until soil is warm and frosts are over. Hoe or cultivate only until plants start to vine, then pull weeks by hand.

Eggplant

     Little plants from seed boxes are set 2 feet apart in rows 3 feet apart.

Endive

     In midsummer sow seed 1/2 inc deep and later thin plants to 8 inches apart. To blanch hearts raise leaves and tie together over heart.

Kale

     Sow seed 1/2 inch deep in rows 18 to 24 inches apart. Thin the plants until they are from 6 to 8 inches apart in the rows.

Kohlrabi

     Sow seed 1/2 inch deep and later thin plants to 4 or 6 inches.

Lettuce

     Sow seed 1/2 inch deep in rows 1 foot apart and later thin out until plants are 5 to 6 inches apart. There should be successive plantings, but lettuce is not grown in extremely hot weather. Sow seed the last of August and in September to be transplanted to the cold frame in October.

Mint

     Roots may be procured from a seedsman or neighbor. Plant one or two clumps of these roots in a corner of garden in the spring.

Muskmelon

     Grown like cucumbers except hills must be 6 feet apart.
     Muskmelons are difficult to raise and are not recommended to gardeners who are not experienced in their culture.

Okra

     Sow seeds when corn and beans are being planted. Sow 1 inch deep a few inches apart in rows 3 to 5 feet apart. Thin plants to 18 or 24 inches apart. Until plants are almost grown cultivate frequently and not very deeply.
     Pick young pods every day to keep plant bearing.

Fig. 18––Corn, planted properly in hill, at a depth of 2 inches and with corner kernels 3 inches apart.**

* [ed. note] see Mulch, Intensive and Lazy Gardening Books for alternative methods of preparing the soil and planting.

**[ed. note] the book Native American Gardening : Stories, Projects and Recipes for Families has instructions with diagrams on how to plant a Native American Three Sisters Garden (Corn, Squash and Beans).

"Carrots Love Tomatoes" is a good reference for companion planting - which plants like to be planted closer to each other and which ones do not like each other.