School lIom~Gl1rileo Circular <l,
                   DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERJOR
                     BUREAU OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON
                TITE WTNTER VEGETABLE GARDEN.
   This pamphlet is intended for the use of teachers who are con-
ducting home-garden work in the schools of the South, and shows
how the garden can be made to produce during the winter months.
                                  SOlL REQroREMENTB.
   A mellow, warm, well-drained soil is essential for winter gardening,
A clay soil can be made mellow by a liberal dressing of well-rotted
manure; by adding sand or fine conl cinders ns well as wood ashes
or lime i and by deep, thorough tillage. This means plowing or
spading and immedintely harrowing 01' raking when the soil is neither
too wet 1101' too dry. It may be tested by squeezing some soil in the
hand j if it crumbles it is not too wet. A sandy soil is mnde mellow
by a liberal dressing of well-rotted rnnnui-e. A. soil is made warm
not only by the SllJ1'S rays but by the decay of organic matter and by
druinege, which removes the surplus water and checks the loss of
110atused in evnporatiou.           To insure drainage, it 'is frequently neces-
Bury to sow the seeds of the winter vegetables of September lind
October in bods 5 feet wide, 3 inches high, and extending the length
of the garden. These beds are mnde by sinking a. path 18 inches wide
every 5 foot nnd throwing the soil into the beds on each side. The
top of the bed can be leveled with the bnck of !L rake. From four to
five long rows of vegetublee C3n be planted in ench bed.
                              SOHEDO'LE O,F rr.A:\'TING.
   The planting of the winter garden commences in June, when salsify
and parsuipe nrc sown, either nfter the spring vegetables are bar-
                                                                                 IJ
vested or between the rows of the curly summer vegetables. The lust
of J una or the first of July winter cabbage and collards are sown/to
be trnnsplnnted into rows in August. Onrrots may be sown in June
and July. Because the seeds II!'C small nnd slow to germlnete, it is
advisable to sow cnn'ot and radish seeds in the same row. The radish
seeds germinate quickly, nnd the plants mark the rows, so that hoeing
may be commenced cnrly. Turnips, lettuce, endive, rape, kale, spin-
ncb, parsley, mustard. und onion sets mny be planted any t-ime from
August to October.
       :14150°-16
                                                                                   •


2                      THE WINTF..R VEGETABLE GARDEN.
                                      VARI:EJTIES.
   The success of the winter garden depends upon good seeds quite
as much (LS upon mellow soil. For tills reason it is recommended
that seeds be purchased in bulk from some reliable seedsman, and the
seeds be divided into pnckages containing the quantity needed for
tile home garden. Small envelopes can be purchased at a reasonable
price for this purpose.
   Salsify: Mnmmoth Sandwich Island.
   Parsnips: Hollow crown.
   Cnl'l'ols: H,lle long Dnnver.
   Onbtmge : succceeon Chm-Ieaton 'Vfikefleld.
   Oounroe : Southern short stem.
   Turn.ll;lS: Pur-ple top, globe, seven top.
   Lettuce: Omnt White FarclDg. Big Boston.
   Entllve : Green curled, wiuto curled.
   Rnpe : Dwarf Essex.
   Kale: Dwarf curled Sootcll for A.ugust planting.     Slberfun for September-
planUng.
   Spinach:    Savoy.
   Pursley:    Dcubte curled.
   Mostllrd: (Hunt Southern curled. Ostrich plume.
   Onion sets: wbrte Pearl, Silver Skin, Yellow Danvee.
                                THttE  oe HARVESTING.
    The time of maturity of the winter vegetables depends upon the
richness of the soil and climatic conditions. Under the most favor-
 able conditions the dates are as follows:
    Parsnips, salsify, and carrots may remain in the ground during
 winter and be dug as needed.
    Cabbage and collards sown in July and trnnsplented :in August
 will mature in November. Oabbaga seeds sown in September end
 transplanted in November will mature in the spring.
    'Iumips sown in August mature in November.
    Lettuce sown in August is harvested in October, Lettuce sown
in September should be transplanted in cold frames in early October
 and harvested in December and January.
    Endive matures more slowly than lettuce. It can be picked uny
 time after the leaves are 4 inches long, The large leaves to be tender
 should be blanched.
     Rape, kale, spinach, parsley, and mustard sown in August should
 mature in December,
     Rape, kale, and spinach sown in September should mature in Feb-
 ruary,
     Onion sets planted in August can be used continuously during the
    inter. Those planted in September mature in March.


                  THE   WlNTER   VEGETABLE         GARDEN.                                   3
  The section of the garden not to be used for winter vegetables
should be planted in a green mnnuriug crop-ccrimaon clover, winter
oats, rye, hairy vetch, or burr clover. Crimson clover can be planted
in late September or October, at the rate of 15 pounds per acre. The
other crops are planted in October-c-winter oats at the rate of 3
bushels to the acre, rye at the rat-e of 2 bushels to the acre. Hairy
vetch should be planted with winter oats or rye at the rate of 30
pounds per ucrc with 1 bushel of oats or rye. This green covering
will make the garden attractive during the winter months as well as
add organic matter to the soil when turned under in the early spring.
                                 WAIIHlN(I'I'ON ; COYl;1l.SMlIlN'1'1'1l'~tIN(I O"ICJIl ;.,1111
                                                                                               '.