BEANS
Beans thrive best in a rather warm, sandy loam, but are not difficult to raise in almost any kind of soil. The soil should not be too rich in nitrogenous matter, or there will be an overabundance of foliage and stems. This will result in a poor yield of seed pods. Heavy clay is not well adapted to growing beans, as it bakes easily and prevents the seeds from germinating properly.
Beans will not survive frost, and early beans are often lost for this reason. Two or three plantings, five or six days apart, will ensure an early supply. If the first and second crops are killed, the third will usually come through after the last frost.
Beans are a very suitable vegetable for rotating with other crops, as they do not draw heavily upon the soil.
Frequent shallow stirring of the soil should be given in growing beans, and other than this they will require little care.
For a constant supply of beans, it is worthwhile sowing a succession of crops. Planting later than six to eight weeks before frost will not however, be likely to produce satisfactory results.
Bunch beans should be planted in rows from two to three feet apart. The plants should stand singly three or four inches apart.
Beans may be planted with corn, as they do not require much fertilizer. Similarly, the corn will not suffer from a lack of it, though it is better to put in poles for climbing beans so that they get plenty of sunlight.
Beans should never be hoed or cultivated while the vines are wet. If you do so, rust will gather on the beans and they will rapidly deteriorate in quality.
Lima beans can be started early in small paper cups and transplanted as soon as the chance of frost is over. By using this method, it is possible to produce a very early crop.
When selecting beans for seed, choose the pods that have the shape which you wish the next crop to have. Leave these seed beans on the vines until they have become tough and the pods are almost like leather. Then cut the vines and let the pods dry on them before picking.
Dead stumps and bushes make an excellent support for beans, peas, and other climbing vines. Cucumbers can also be trained on these natural supports. Fruit that is heavier will be able to rest on the top of the stump if the vines are trained in such a way that the fruit can rest without straining on the vine.
An old umbrella, with the cover torn off, is very effective as a trellis for beans, peas, and similar climbing vegetables or fruit to climb on.
When selecting stakes for bean, peas, and similar vege-tables, if it is possible, choose cedar stakes. This type of wood may be used for years if it is carefully stored when not in use.
If the tops are pinched off bean vines, there will be a significant increase in the branches, and this will result in more beans. When vines are treated in this way, they should be liberally fertilized and cultivated. This will provide the vines with more nourishment, greater yield and stronger vines.
BEETS
A rich, sandy loam is the best soil for beets, but they are not difficult to grow in any good soil.
Only well-rotted manure, or compost, should be used for beets. Fresh manure will force the growth of the tops at the expense of the roots.
Early beets can be raised by transplanting plants raised in a hotbed, or even in a box in the house. The transplanting must be done carefully so that the main root is not broken, as branched roots will occur. This will mean that the beet will be knotty in shape and not very suitable for eating.
There are four distinct types of beets; the ordinary garden beet, the leaf beet or Swiss chard, the sugar beet, and the mangel or stock beet. The leaf beet and garden beet are the best ones to grow at home.
Beets should be planted in drills from a foot to a foot and a half apart. When they have grown several leaves, they should be thinned, to only three or four to a foot.
Seeds should be sown in the spring as soon as the frost season has ended.
Beets usually come up very thickly because each seed ball contains several seeds. It is important to only sow very sparsely. Seed should be planted to a depth of an inch.
For a succession of beets during the summer, planting should be done every four or five weeks during the spring. Beets that are to be stored for the winter should be sown late in the summer. For winter use, sugar beets will give the best results.
Thinning beets will make good vegetable greens and should be cooked as spinach is cooked. No part of the beet should be wasted since the tops are also utilized. They are a very healthy vegetable and contain properties which are beneficial for the body.
Beets may be grown between wide rows of such crops as tomatoes, corn, melons, and similar vegetables. This will not harm the other vegetables, as the beet does not draw heavily enough upon the soil to consume too many nutrients when planted in wide rows. The combination of a quick-growing and a slow-growing plant is seldom harmful to either.
Beets, carrots, parsnips, and turnips only produce seed from the second year’s growth. It is easier to buy these seeds than to attempt to save them from plants.
BORAGE
Borage is worth more extensive cultivation than it usually has. It will thrive in almost any soil, but prefers a light, sandy loam. The seed should be sown where the plants are to stand during the month of May, and thinned to a distance of a foot apart.
Only the very young, tender leaves of the borage plant should be used. Old leaves are strong and unpleasant in taste.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
The end of February or early March is the time for sowing brussels sprouts.
They should not be transplanted until April, and only then if the ground has been warmed from the sun, or they will not bear transplanting well. For a late supply, sow the seed in April. Brussels sprouts require a very rich, friable (easily crumbled) soil, and planting should be several inches in depth. The seed should be sown in drills to a depth of from half an inch to one inch, and the young plants should be thinned to a distance of eight or ten inches.
A brussels sprouts bed should be sunny and protected from cold winds. When the young plants begin to push their way through the surface, a thin covering of straw or mulch should be spread over them.
In mild climates, brussels sprouts may remain in the ground all winter, but in the cold climate of the northern United States, care should be used when storing them.
CABBAGE
Cabbage requires a rich, warm soil to mature early. For cabbages to be cut late in the season, the soil should be heavier and more capable of retaining moisture than for early crops.
The cabbage worm, which infests cabbage and cauliflower, can be eliminated by a solution of one ounce of saltpeter (white salt used in gunpowder), dissolved in three gallons of water. One spraying should usually be sufficient, at least until another crop of worms appear. The use of saltpeter will not turn the cauliflower heads dark.
For early spring cabbage in the South, sow the seed in December in a hotbed and transplant them to the garden in early January. In the North, the seed may be planted in the open ground in May or June, but to ensure an earlier crop, plant the seed in the hotbed in February. Then plant them in the garden as soon as all danger of frost is over.
Cabbage rows should be from two to three feet apart, and the plants should be set from one to two feet apart.
As soon as the head is formed, cabbage should be eaten. It will keep well in winter, and it is possible to freeze it. However, it must be carefully stored in a cool place during hot weather, or it will rapidly decompose.
Frequent cultivation is better for cabbage than occasional cultivation. In fact, it cannot be cultivated too often, and it should be continued, for as long as the leaves allow space between the rows.
Only in dry, hot weather does cabbage need to be watered when being transplanted. However, it is important that the earth is pressed down firmly around the roots, and the soil should be fine and moist. Transplanting after a light shower, in the cool of the late afternoon, is the best time.
When cabbage heads show signs of bursting, pull on each head a little to break a few of the young roots. This will check the growth and usually stop the problem.
All burst heads of cabbage may be utilized by making them into sauerkraut. Cabbage grows a head very quickly once it has a good growing start, and burst heads should be carefully looked after.
The middle of the day is the best time to cultivate cabbage, as the leaves are less brittle then than at any other time, and will not break off so readily.
Burying heads of cabbage is the safest way to keep them, as they will retain their crispness and brightness. If only a few are to be stored, they can be wrapped in newspapers and laid on a shelf, not the floor, in a cool, dry place.
Another good way of storing a small supply of cabbage is to pile a layer on a shelf, with the heads turned up, then place a layer of straw on them, and another layer of cabbage, and so on. In the South, they may be ‘pitted’. This means digging a hole in the ground that is large enough for the supply to be stored, stacking alternate layers of cabbage and straw, and last of all, placing a layer of earth several inches thick over the pit.
To keep worms off cabbage, the following method is recommended. Put two ounces of saltpeter in a ten quart bucket of water and, with an old whisk broom, soak each plant. The white butterfly, which lays eggs on cabbage, quickly disappears and does not cause infestation when plants are treated in this way. Worms die quickly, and as saltpeter is a nitrate, it stimulates the growth of the plant, so that a more uniform cabbage is produced.
Cabbage is 98 per cent water.
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