THE SPRING MANUAL OF THE UNITED STATES SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF THE !NTER10R BUREAU OF EDUCATION • WASHlNCTON GOVERNMENT PRlNTlNC OFFICE 191~ \ • UNITED STATES SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY ADMINISTRATIYE OFFICIALS Fll.\~li'LIN K, LAJ\'li:, PUfLAJ'IDEllP. CUS.TON, Secreta'J'y, Oommu8w1WI', })epartment of tne In,te.,,ior. B1.tr'ea'lt of Education. JOliN :K FnANCllS, Dlreotor. REGIONAI~ DIRECTORS CrAUflXCE M. 'YllEJ), FREDtlRIOK ,A. MERJUI,L, Northeastern States. S()U,thWesterl~ Statee. LESTEIl S. I vrx e, CYIlTh A. &'EDUrNS, Oen-t'r-oJ, &attJI_ TVe"ti:ll'n States. JOUN L. RANDALl., Soutli~a.sterll States. REGIONAL AREAS NO'1'th-f)(Ujtern St.ater!: Meine, New Hnmpehire, Vermont, Masenchn- sects, Rhode Island, Connecticut. New York. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Mnryland, District of Col umbi n. Southeastern 8ta,tcs: Virginia) West Virginin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgin, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi. Southtweste1'n State8: Tennessee, Kentucky, .Mlssouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado. New Mexico. Ocn.h'al States; Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min- nesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota! Nebraska. lr'c$'ta"n States: Montenn, Idaho, Wyoming! Utah, Nevada, Ari- zona, Washington, Oregon, Califorrrin. A Garden for Every Child, Every Child in a Garden, (') THE SPRING MANUAL OF THE UNITED STATES SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY A LETTER FROM MR. HOOVER UNITED STATES FOOD .ADMINISTRATION, TVashington, December 23, 1918. To the M IYmb."s of the United States School Garde .. Army: The work that you have done during the past months of war has been no small contribution to the great cause of humanity. The actual food produced in your gardens was of material help by making possiblea saving of staple foods available for export to OlU' men abroad and the allies, thus giving them just that much more of the food so vital to them. The growing of supplies for local use was also a definite assistance in relieving the strain upon our railroads. The example set by you in your under- taking has stimulated and inspired others to produce where they had not produced before. It would be a matter of regret if this work should not go on. America's food obligation to the stricken countries is great and affords no less opportunity to help than during the past season. (Signed) HmwElRT HOOVER. (Sf • THE WORLD NEED Against the background of the chaos of present 'World conditions a little list of good varieties of cabbage: Early-Jersey • Wakefield and Charleston Large Wnkefield. Medium-Copenhagen and Succession. Late-Danish Bullhead and Autumn King. It is important to get carefully selected strains of cabbage seed. GROWING THE CROP The plants should be transplanted us soon as the soil can be worked in good condition. They should be placed about 12 to 18 inches apart in the row and one-half to 1 inch deep. The rows should be from 30 to 36 inches apart for convenient culti- vation with the wheel bee. Seed for the fall crop should be planted in June. Transplant the plants na soon ue they are about 4 inches in height and the soil contains sufficient moisture to inSU1'C their proper growth. Cabbages UtG sometimes injured by club-root, a disease caused by It slime mold which causes the roots to grow abnormally. This disease is not likely to injure the plants in 8. soil that has been sweetened with plenty of lime Or wood ashes. Cabbages are ready for usc as SOOn as the heads are well formed. The interior of the cabbltb'"eplant should be white. It takes about 150 days for the cabbage plant to mature. In the '. ( .. South early cabbages may be followed by potatoes, okra, or corn. ) • GROWING YOUR OWN POTATOES The Irish potato is a native of. America but was called Irish potato after its introduction into Ireland. It is grown successfully in nearly all parts of the United States nnd many countries of the Old World. It grows best on a well-drained sandy loam, rich in humus. In any garden which is Jorge enough to grow a lot of vegetables some potatoes may well be planted. If tharo is not room to grow enough for the family supply, SOlnO early potatoes may be planted to bridge over the time when the new crop comas in at a high price. Beginners often plant too many potato eyes, in 1J, hill. From each eye a stalk [s likely to come. The more stalks in each hill tho smaller will be the potatoes, because the plants crowd one another. Two or three good plants will produce more potatoes of the right size tlinn II d01.6n will. So cut the seed potatoes into pieces thllb have two or three eyes each, hut leave a good deal of white pert on each piCC6. They Should weigh at least 2 ounces each in order to give the shoots a good start. VARIETIES It These are good varieties of early potatoes: Eauly Ohio, Early Bovee. Irish Cobbler. And these are good for the main crop: Green Mountain, Oarmnn No.3, Gold Coin, Sir Wulter Raleigh. !'LANTING Prepare the soil thoroughly, choosing where possible a piece of ground that has had much manure worked into it in previous seasons. Line the sews 2 feel. apart, Dig the furrows about [, inches deep. Work 'into the bottom of the 'furrows a light dressing of commercial fertilizer, mixing it well with the soil. Drop the cut tubers 12 or 14 inches apart .. Cover 4 inches deep. GROWING Boo or rake the soil surface two or three times l~fterthe plants come up. In northern regions, where danger of injury by long periods of drought is not grelt~, hill the rows at the third hoeing. For enl·ly sorts hill the rows nnyway. Spray with Bordeaux mixture lind arsenate of lead two or three times, be- ginning when the plants are about 8 inches high. Dig the early crop ns soon us the potatoes are large enough to eat. At first, instead of pulling np the whole plnnt and thus checking ita further production, reach in beside the hill and pull out the • large tubers. (25) . SWEET CORN TO EAT AND TO CAN Sweet corn can be grown to advantage in those home gardens that have room for the cultivation of the larger vegetables. Corn can be canned or dried if desired and kept for winter use. The InWl\D.Sused to plant corn at the time in spring when the oak leaves are us large as squirrels' cal'S. This is a good rule to-day. It is about the time of the last killing frost. Luter plantings should be made £01' succession. In growing sweet corn it is important to have It good-sized patch. One or two rows alone are likely not to do well, because the yellow powder, called pollen, that comes from the tassels is blown away. To get good Cal'S, some of this pollen must fall upon the silk of the young torn ears. So it is 11 good plan to have the corn in It square block rather than in long rows, When two gardens are near together it will help to have the corn plots in the two gardens next to each other. You thus double the chunccs for the pollen to do its work. . A good succession of varieties is Golden Bantam, Country Gentle- mun, and Stowell's Evergreen, A pint of seed is sufficient for 200 i • feet of rows: PLAN1'ING As soon in spring as the ground has warmed up and danger from frosts has about passed, prepare it thoroughly. Apply commercial fertilizer broadcast and rake it in. Line the rows 30 inches apart for dwarf varieties j 3 feet apart for tall kinds. For drills, make the furrows 2 inches deep and sow n kernel of COI'll &very 4 inches. Cover 2 inches deep. For hills, hoe out a space every 2 foot and scatter six kernels in each hill, having each kernel at least an inch away from the ochers, Cover 2 inches deep. GROWING Hoe and weed the corn plants as soon as they are up and continue hoeing tho surface at least once a week. A month after the corn comes up thin the plants-if in drills to 10 or 12 inches apart j if in It-ills to three plnnts to a hill. Leave always the most vigorous plants to grow. It is sometimes advised to pull off the suckers at the base of the corn plants, but careful experi- ments have shown that it is better to leave them to grow. (26) • • CUCUMBERS -FOR SALADS AND PICKLES Cucumbers are easily injured by the cold. They grow best in a rich mellow soil If an early crop is desired, the plants should be started in a hotbed and transferred later to the garden. Two 01' three weeks may be saved by using this method. These are good varieties of cucumbers: White Spine, Davis Per- feet, und Emerald. PLANTING Cucumbers are usually planted in hills. When nil danger of frost is past, prepare the soil thoroughly and open the hills n. foot deep and 2 feet.. across. EHl each hole two-thirds full of barnyard manure nnd mix in fI, spade bill of soil. Cover this with about 3 inches of soil. Drop 8 or 10 seeds on the hill and cover with au inch of fine soil. 1£ the cucumbers are planted in TOWS, open the furrows about 5 feet apart. Scatter manure along the furrow aud mix with the sell. Plant the seed about 2 inches deep. Thin young plants to 12 01' 18 inches apart in row. It is advisable for early cucumbers to plant seed in berry baskets or paper pots in a sheltered place. Later, after danger of frost is over, move and place in the ground baskets, pots, 100d all. These will soon rot and the roots will develop rapidly. GROWING When danger from bugs is past thin to three or four plants to hill. Cucumbers should have frequent cultivation until the vines are well grown. Protect the plnnts from the cucumber beetle by spraying with arsenate of lend, or by covering the hills with Cheesecloth. Air"slacked lime sprinkled over the plants will help to keep 0 If pests. If cucumbers ere planted in hills, the waste land between the hills may be used by sowing rows of bush beans, As fast as the benus mature gather them and remove the plants as soon as the crop is gathered. (27) • MULCHES AND HOW ro USE THEM Every living thing needs water. 'I'his is as true of plants as of ani- mill. In many regions the greatest trouble in keeping the crops growing through the summer is to get water enough for the plants. In winter the soil gets saturated ,vltll water. As the days become warmer and the sunshine hotter tills soil water begins to go off into the eir-e-to evaporate as people sa.y-just uS steam comes out of the teakettle when you put it on the fire. n the soil is not plowed 01' spaded in spring the water evaporates rapidly and by early summer most of it is gone-c-leaving the dry soil behind. Every time the ground is stirred it holds the moisture bet- tor, end even a stirring of an inch or two of surface helps tct save the soil water. Did you aver lift up u board in summer and find that tbe ground was moist beneath it 'I The board had held the moisture 60 it could not escape into the ail'. You will find much the anme condition under an old bag OJ; piece of carpet lying on the ground, or even a, pile of leaves 01' straw left upon the garden. When the boards, or bags, or old carpets, or leaves, or straw are thus left upon the soil surface each acts 1113 a mulch. FOl· a. mulch is nn.rthing placed upon the ground to stop evaporation of. soil moisture. A mulch of any kind prevents evaporation. Soil moisture is COD- tinually corning to the surface nnd evaporating into the air. TIle moisture passes up through the soil in the same way that oil climbs the wick of II lamp. 'Phis movement of soil moisture is called capil- lary attraction. This movement CIlU not taka place unless the soil particles touch one another. So it happens that i:f you stir the soil £01' an inch or two at the surface you get much air between tho particles of soil and make l~l1ul1Me '1n1U4hl without using straw or bags or anything but the soil itself. A shower of rain will destroy this surface mulch) and so after each shower it is necessary to prepare another mulch. Even if no ruin falls, there is generally sufficient dew to destroy the rnutcb after a few days, The maintenance of f\ mulch throughout the gl'owing seuson 'is best for most garden crops. (28) • • • " SQUASH AND CUCUMBER BEETLES Squashes, cucumbers, melons, and other vine crops are injured by roany insects. The young plants are attacked by flee-beetles, striped cucumber beetles, and spott-ed cucumber beetles. These all bite the leaves or stems. The injuries of these pests may be prevented in either of two ways: We may cover the hills with netting or cheesecloth or we may protect the plants with poison. An ellsy wa.y to shelter the hills Is this: Cut n barrel hoop in halves. The hoop may he either of wood or wire. Put the ClJt ends of these halves into the soil of the hill in a way to make a cross arch, lib the middle arch of a. croquet ground. Put over the arch a piece of cheesecloth 01' mosquito netting large enough to protect the hill. Covel' the edges of cloth with soil to hold it in place. This protection is to be left in place until the growing leaves crowd against it, Then remove it lind store the hoop pieces and the • cloth ill a. dry place so that they may be used Mother season. The following measures are also helpful against these pests: 1. Cover the hills as soon as the plants come up with a heavy mulch of tobacco powder. Add more around the stems every two weeks. 2. Dust the young plants thoroughly, whoa wet with dew, with arsenate of lead powder. Cover the stalks and both SUI'· faces of the leaves. 3. Spray the young plnnts very thoroughly with arsenate of lead or with a combination of arsenate of lead and Bordeaux mixture. 4. Destroy both vine and green fruits as soon as the crop is gathered. If the beetles are able to feed upon green squashes left in the garden through the fall they are more likely to survive the winter to attack the crops next spring. Remember always to keep arsenate of lead and other poisons out of the reach of young children, !It (29) .0 -'-' HOW TO FIGHT POTATO PESTS From the time potatoes are planted until the)' are harvested vari- ous enemies are likely to attack them. The potato beetles are the worst of these. The oval brownish black-striped beetles live over winter in the soil and come out in time to find the earliest potato plants as the leaves push through the ground. The potato beetles feed upon these leaves, biting holes in them. They also lay clusters of yellow eggs upon the leaves. These eggs soon hatch into dark grubs that feed in colonies upon the foliage. The grubs ~l'OW rapidly and if not killed soon strip the plant of its green blades. In a few weeks the grubs become full grown. Then they go into the soil and change into pupro--the stage that is like the chrysulis ' of' a butterfly. Here they remain 10 days or so and then come out as beetles again. So there are two broods of the beetles each seaSQlll and in some localities there mny be more. . These beetles and grubs 11m leaf biters. So they lllfL)' be killed by putting poison on the potato leaves. The best poison to USB is nreenate of lead. Spray 01' dust this on the vines soon after they come lip and repeat whenever the insect-sare seen in numbers. OTHER POTATO INSECTS .-- Flea beetles are very small and lively. They hop about over the plant, eating 6lD1l..1l pits 'from the leaves. Spraying with arsenate of Jeud helps to kill them but a combination of Bordeaux mixture and arsenate of lead is better. Later in the season the' slender black or gra.y blister beetles at- tack potato vines in some regions. They mu.y be controlled by hand picking or by spraying with arsenate of lead. The potato stalk borer is the caterpillar or a moth that eats into the stem of the potato plant. All infested stalks should be pulled and burned. The insect also feeds all various weeds and these should be pulled and promptly burned early in autumn. POTATO BLIGHTS There are two blights that affect potatoes j cue occurring cady in the season and the ether latex. Bordeaux mixture should be used for each. In the early blight spraying should 00 done when the plants are about eight inches high. Repeat several times at intervals of two weeks. Spray for later blight about the end of JUly. POTATO SCAB TIns is n fungous disease. The spore of the fungus lives over the winter in the BOil or on tho tubers. To "prevent it, soak seed potatoes in weak solution of formaldehyde. Uee one-third pint ., of formaldehyde to 10 gallons of water. (30) • SPRAYING WITH TOBACCO SOLUTIONS Garden crops are attacked by two great groups of inseota-c-thoee that bite t~e leaves and those that suck the sap. The potato beetle is 0,. biting insect. So you CQn kill it by put. ting arsenate of lead upon the leaves. The insect eats the poison with the Jed nud is killed. The green fly or aphis is a sucking insect. It inserts its sharp beak into the leaf and sucks out the sap. So it must be killed with something that destroys it by contact. The nicotine poison in tobacco is one of the best of these contact- killing insecticides. It may be obtained by boiling tobacco stems in water 01' extracted by various other processes. Many liquid nicotine preparations are upon the market. '.rbe best of thes~ contain about 4.0 per cent of nicotine sulphate. It is to be very 1l1.1lCh diluted; generally 1 part of nicotine sulphate to 1,000 parts of water. These liquid nicotine prepnrntioue may be used in this way unless di.1Ierent directions ure printed on the package: Spray promptly any plants on which plant-lice, thrips, leaf hop- pers, 01' other sucking insect.'! appeal', either with n Sprily pump or hand sprayer. Dilute the nicotine preparations as follows: One teaspoonful nicotine sulphate (40 pel' cent) to 1 gallon of water. Add to this one l-inch cube of hard soap dissolved in a pint of hot wnter, One Iluid ounce nicotine sulphate (40 pel' cent) to 8 gcllone of water. Add to this one-half pound hard soap dissolved in a quart 01' two of hot water. One-haif pint nicotine sulphate (40 pel' cent) to 50 gallons of water. Add to this 2 pounds soap dissolved in a gallon of hot water. . Always mix the liquid thoroughly, stu-ring it up j list before spruy- ing. Apply with a- fine nozzle that will reach every tiny insect on the plant . • (81) • o REGIONAL DIVISIONS, UNITED STATES SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.