Home Vegetable Gardening

Home Vegetable Gardening, by F.
F. Rockwell

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Title: Home Vegetable Gardening A Complete And Practical Guide To
The Planting And Care Of All Vegetables, Fruits And Berries Worth
Growing For Home Use
Author: F. F. Rockwell

Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7123] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on March 12,
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Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOME
VEGETABLE GARDENING ***

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HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING
A COMPLETE AND PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE PLANTING
AND CARE OF ALL VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND BERRIES
WORTH GROWING FOR HOME USE
BY
F. F. ROCKWELL
Author of Around the Year in the Garden, Gardening Indoors and
Under Glass, The Key to the Land, etc., etc.

PREFACE
With some, the home vegetable garden is a hobby; with others,
especially in these days of high prices, a great help. There are many in

both classes whose experience in gardening has been restricted within
very narrow bounds, and whose present spare time for gardening is
limited. It is as "first aid" to such persons, who want to do practical,
efficient gardening, and do it with the least possible fuss and loss of
time, that this book is written. In his own experience the author has
found that garden books, while seldom lacking in information, often do
not present it in the clearest possible way. It has been his aim to make
the present volume first of all practical, and in addition to that, though
comprehensive, yet simple and concise. If it helps to make the way of
the home gardener more clear and definite, its purpose will have been
accomplished.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I
INTRODUCTION II WHY YOU SHOULD GARDEN III
REQUISITES OF THE HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN IV THE
PLANTING PLAN V IMPLEMENTS AND THEIR USES VI
MANURES AND FERTILIZERS VII THE SOIL AND ITS
PREPARATION
PART TWO--VEGETABLES
VIII STARTING THE PLANTS IX SOWING AND PLANTING X
THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES XI THE VEGETABLES
AND THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS XII BEST VARIETIES OF THE
GARDEN VEGETABLES XIII INSECTS AND DISEASE, AND
METHODS OF FIGHTING THEM XIV HARVESTING AND
STORING
PART THREE--FRUITS
XV THE VARIETIES OF POME AND STONE FRUITS XVI

PLANTING; CULTIVATION; FILLER CROPS XVII PRUNING,
SPRAYING, HARVESTING XVIII BERRIES AND SMALL FRUITS
XIX A CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS XX CONCLUSION
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Formerly it was the custom for gardeners to invest their labors and
achievements with a mystery and secrecy which might well have
discouraged any amateur from trespassing upon such difficult ground.
"Trade secrets" in either flower or vegetable growing were acquired by
the apprentice only through practice and observation, and in turn
jealously guarded by him until passed on to some younger brother in
the profession. Every garden operation was made to seem a wonderful
and difficult undertaking. Now, all that has changed. In fact the
pendulum has swung, as it usually does, to the other extreme. Often, if
you are a beginner, you have been flatteringly told in print that you
could from the beginning do just as well as the experienced gardener.
My garden friend, it cannot, as a usual thing, be done. Of course, it may
happen and sometimes does. You might, being a trusting lamb, go
down into Wall Street with $10,000 [Ed. Note: all monetary values
throughout the book are 1911 values] and make a fortune. You know
that you would not be likely to; the chances are very much against you.
This garden business is a matter of common sense; and the man, or the
woman, who has learned by experience how to do a thing, whether it is
cornering the market or growing cabbages, naturally does it better than
the one who has not. Do not expect