Vegetable Growing
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Adobe And Peanuts
Is adobe land good for the peanut? Is it harder to start than in other soils or not? It is not good at all. Peanuts require the finest, mellowest loam with sand enough to prevent crust, and moisture even and continuous. The surface must be ke... Artichoke Growing
Is the Globe artichoke a profitable crop to raise commercially? Near Pescadero a company has been formed to raise it for Eastern shipment. Is it a very profitable crop to raise? Are certain varieties worthless? Considerable quantities of Globe... Asparagus Growing
What is the average commercial yield of asparagus to the acre in California? Also, how long it takes asparagus to come into full bearing, and what yield could be expected after two years' growth? Is asparagus resistant to moderate quantities of ... Bad Conditions For Potatoes
Our potatoes were planted early and were frosted several times while young. As we come to harvest them we find them with very large green tops but the potatoes are about the size of a hen's egg and from that they run down to the size of a pea. T... Bean Growing
I want to plant beans of different varieties. The land is rich, black loam with a little sand. When is the best time to plant? If planted early, what shall we do to keep the weevils out of them? It is desirable to plant beans as early as you c... Bean Growing
We have a small field of beans, and would like to know which is the best and most profitable way to crop them. Cultivate the beans so that the plants may have plenty of moisture to fill the pods, then let them dry and die. Gather the dry plant... Beans As Nitrogen Gatherers
I grow string beans in my rotation to restore nitrogen, but I see it stated that not all beans are valuable for this purpose. Are the common bush varieties nitrogen gatherers? Probably they are all doing it in various degrees. Pull up or dig u... Beans On Irrigated Mesas
Would white and pink beans do well on the red orange land at Palermo with plenty of water? I have in mind hill land, the hills being very red and running into a dark soil in the lower part. How many beans could I get per acre? Probably nothin... Big Worms On Tomatoes
I have a nice patch of tomatoes in my garden, and only recently I notice large green worms on them with one large brown horn on their head. They strip the leaves off. They look to me like a tobacco worm. They are tobacco worms; that is, they a... Blackeye Beans
What is the best way to prepare land for Black-eye beans? How much seed is required per acre, and what is the estimated cost of growing them? ... Blackeye Beans Are Cow Peas
I sent for some Blackeye cow peas; they look like Blackeye beans. Am sending you a sample of what I got. What are they? Yes, they are in the cow pea group, but there are other cow peas which would not be recognized as having any relation to th... Blanching Celery
I desire to know the different methods by which the celery is bleached, and particularly whether boards or other material other than earth is used for this purpose. There is some blanching of celery with boards, cloth wrappings, boot-legs, ol... Blooming Brussels Sprouts
Are Brussels sprouts male and female? Some of my plants are flowering and show no signs of sprouts, while those that are not, show some small eyes at stem that look like young sprouts. Brussels sprouts ought to form the sprouts without floweri... California Grown Seed
Which are the best garden seeds to use, those raised in Ohio and the East or those raised in Washington and Oregon or those raised in this State? It has been definitely shown by experience and experiment that is does not matter much where the... Canada Peas For Seed
I want to raise Canada peas for the seed. In what month of the year is the best time to plant them; also how many pounds to the acre to be sowed broadcast on rolling land in Napa? Broadcast from 80 to 100 pounds of seed per acre as soon as you... Cloth For Hotbeds
Would cloth do to cover a hotbox to raise lettuce, radishes, etc., for winter use where we get a very heavy rainfall? Yes, if you make the cloth waterproof for its own preservation from mildew and other agencies of decay. The following recipe ... Continuous Cropping With The Same Plant
What would happen on the crops of cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplants, etc., planted on the same place continuously? There would be in time a decadence of crop from soil exhaustion, but that you could prevent by fertilization. The greatest dange... Corn In The Sacramento Valley
Is it practical to raise corn in the Sacramento volley? Are the soil and climatic conditions suitable? The success of corn on plains and uplands in the Sacramento valley has not yet been fully demonstrated, although good corn is grown on river... Cucumber Growing
I have a piece of red so-called orange land which has produced excellent wheat. Will you give information about its adaptability to cucumbers? Are there pickle factories in the State which would demand them in quantities, and is there much other... Cutting Potatoes
What would be the most profitable potato to plant in the Salinas valley, and how small can a potato be cut up for planting? How many eyes should each piece contain in order to make a good growth and be profitable? Probably the best potato for ... Cutting Potatoes To Single Eyes
Some say only one eye to a piece; others say several eyes - which is better? In one experiment potatoes cut to single eyes with each piece weighing one-sixteenth of an ounce yielded 44 bushels to the acre, while single eyes on two-ounce piece... Double-cropping With Potatoes
I am told that here two crops of potatoes can be raised by planting the second crop in August. I have five acres which will be ready to dig in July. Can I dig these Potatoes and use them for seed at once for another crop, or won't they grow? I h... Dry Farming With Chili Peppers
If I set chili pepper plants down six or eight inches lower than the surface of the ground and fill in as the plants grow larger, will this help in case I could not get water enough? My soil is a deep sandy loam. We have had between five and six... Flat Or Hill Culture For Potatoes
Is it better to hill potatoes or not? During the dry time of the year potatoes should be grown with flat cultivation, except as it may be necessary to furrow out between the rows for the application of irrigation water. Potatoes grown during t... Forcing Cucumbers
Give information on growing hot-house cucumbers, and also if you think it would pay me to go into the business in southern California. Forcing of cucumbers has been undertaken for a number of years in California and formerly was considered unp... Giant Japanese Radish
In discussing sakurajima (giant Japanese radish) Eastern publications advise planting late, about August 1, and not earlier than July 1. What can you tell me about the plant here? The Asiatic winter radishes can be successfully planted in Cali... Ginger In California
We have ginger roots in a growing condition with sprouts and bulbs growing an them, but we do not understand how to raise the plants. Growing ginger in California in a commercial way has not been worked out, although roots have been introduced... Globe Artichokes
I have land that will grow magnificent artichokes. Two plants last year (variety unknown) produced heavy crops of buds, but the scales opened too wide and allowed the center to become fibrous and were unsalable. Is this due to climate, lack of s... Grape Sugar In Canned Grapes
How can I prevent the formation of grape sugar in canned grapes? Take care that the syrup is of the same density as the juice of the grape when the fruit and the juice are placed together in the can. The density of the syrup and the juice are,... Growing Castor Beans
Give information on the castor oil bean; the kind of bean best to plant, when to plant and harvest, the best soil, and where one can market them. Castor bean growing has been undertaken from time to time since 1860 in various parts of Californ... Growing Horse Beans
Does the soil need to be inoculated for horse beans? I intend to plant five acres about January 1, on the valley border in Placer county and they get heavy frost in the morning. Does frost hurt them? How shall I plant them? California experie... Growing Lentils
Give information regarding the planting and raising of lentils. Can they be grown in the Sacramento valley in the vicinity of Colusa, and at a profit? Lentils are as easily grown in California as common peas, and will do well as a field crop ... Growing Niles Peas
How shall I plant and handle a crop of Niles peas? Niles peas are hardy and will make a good crop on any good soil, if planted early in the season so as to make the main part of their growth before the heat of the summer comes on. Under garden... Growing Onion Seed And Sets
Will you give localities of the leading production of onion seed or dry sets in your State? Onion seed is grown in several parts of the State, largely in the Santa Clara valley adjacent to the city of San Jose. Onion sets are largely produced... Growing Sweet Potato Plants
How shall I make a hot-bed to raise sweet potato plants? I don't mean to put glass over bed, but want full description of an up-to-date outfit for raising them. Manure hot-beds have been largely abandoned for growing sweet potato slips, thoug... Growing Sweet Potatoes
Please inform me how to keep sweet potatoes for seed; also how many pounds it takes for one acre, and what distance apart to plant, and the time to plant. Sweet potatoes may be kept from sprouting by storage in a cool, dry place. Sweet potato... Handling Winter Melons
Give particulars regarding harvesting, storaging, and shipment of winter melons. How do you harvest and pack them for distant market? There is no particular system in the handling of winter melons. They are gathered into piles on ground where ... Harvesting Peanuts
I would like information regarding the curing of peanuts. Should they be bleached, and, if so, how is it done? Does bleaching affect the keeping qualities? It is not usual to bleach peanuts. They should be grown in such light soil that they w... Harvesting Sunflowers
What is the method used in saving or threshing the seed from the Giant Russian sunflower? Cut off the seed heads of your sunflowers when the seed seems to be well matured but before any of it falls away from the head. Throw these heads on a s... Hoeing Beans
Should beans be hoed while the dew is on the vine? Beans had better be hoed with the dew on them than not hoed at all. The only objection to hoeing with the dew on is that the hoer will get his feet wet, the vines will become untidy from adher... How To Cut Seed Potatoes
Would it pay in returns to use large potatoes for seed in preference to culls? Large potatoes are better than culls, but medium-sized potatoes are better than either. Many experiments have been made to determine this. At the Arkansas station ... Irrigating Tomatoes
How much water does it take (in gallons or cubic feet) to properly irrigate an acre of land for tomatoes? The soil is adobe, and the customary way of planting tomatoes is 6 feet apart each way, plowing a trench of one furrow with the slope of th... Jesusalem Artichokes
What is the best time for planting Jerusalem artichokes? Jerusalem artichoke tubers are planted in the spring after the ground has become warm and the heavy frosts are over. The planting may be done in rows far enough apart for cultivation, th... Keeping Potatoes
Advise me how to keep my potatoes. What is the best way? Would a dark room be suitable? Some people are digging holes in the ground to put them in. Potatoes, if properly matured and free from disease, will keep for a considerable time in dark... Leases For Sugar Beets
I have land in Yolo county that has made an average yield yearly of from 12 to 18 sacks of wheat and barley. A beet sugar company proposes renting this land and plant it to sugar beets and I would prefer not to consider any agreement of less tha... Legume Seed Inoculation
Is there any virtue in inoculating plants with the bacteria that some seed firms offer? I refer to such plants as peas and beans. If the land is yielding good crops of these plants and the roots are noduled, it does not need addition of germs.... Less Water And More Heat
What chemicals should I put into the soil to insure a good crop of vegetables, such as tomatoes, string beans, or other over-ground producers? Last year my tomatoes and string beans grew plentifully, but never produced any tomatoes or beans, yet... Licorice Growing In California
I have for some time been seeking far some information as to the method of preparation for market and sale of licorice roots. I have a lot of them and have never been able to find a market, and do not know how they are prepared for market. Li... New Potatoes For Seed
Can I plant American Wonder potatoes for the first crop, and let enough of them mature to use for seed for the second crop, to be planted the first or middle of July? It is possible to use potatoes grown the same year as seed for the later cr... Northern Potatoes For Seed
Do you regard northern-grown seed potatoes sufficiently better to make it worth while paying freight on them from the State of Washington? Experience seems to indicate the superiority of northern-grown seed potatoes, not only in this State, bu... Onions From Seed
Will onions from seed mature the same season if they are irrigated? Some tell us they will not, so we would be very much pleased to hear from you. Onions grown from the seed do fully develop during the growing season following the planting of... Onions From Sets
Will onion sets planted in July grow and mature in the fall months? Good onion sets grown during the winter and spring should be mature by July and if planted after drying would proceed to make a full growth of large onions if growing conditio... Plant Corn In Warm Ground
I also put in a lot of corn and none of it came up. The ground was damp and rather cold, as well as being alkali. Corn should never be planted in cold, wet ground - in fact, very few seeds should be. Besides, corn has no use for alkali. ... Planting Whole Potatoes
One man states the only way to cut seed is to take a potato and cut the ends off and not divide the potato any more; or, in other words, a whole potato for each seed. Good results are obtained by planting whole potatoes, but in that case ther... Potato Balls
I find in potato writings of forty years ago that the seed from the potato balls which form on the tops of the plants is recommended for growing the best potatoes. In later books I find no mention of them and all are advised how to cut the tuber... Potato Growing
In what locality are the best early potatoes grown in California? Can they be raised on wheat lands without irrigation as an early crop? Early potatoes are grown in regions of light frosts in all parts of the State - around the bay of San Fran... Potato Planting
How many sacks of potatoes are to be planted to an acre, and how many eyes are to be left in a seed? If, for instance, we plant seed with three eyes, how many potatoes should we get from that vine? Potatoes are planted all the way from five to... Potato Planting
I have ten acres of land in Placer county which I propose to put into potatoes next spring. It has been recommended to me to put potatoes in as early as January. It seems to me that January is rather early; however, it is said that this land is ... Potato Scab
Can potatoes be treated in any way before planting to prevent the new ones from being what is called "scabby"? There are two successful treatments for scab in potatoes. One is dipping in a solution of corrosive sublimate. Dissolve one ounce in... Potato Yield
What is the yield per acre of potatoes on the best land around Stockton, Cal., where work is done properly; also what is the yield for potatoes along the coast? The average yield of potatoes in California, taking the whole acreage and product... Potatoes After Alfalfa
I have been a successful potato grower in Ohio. I have the best alfalfa soil and it is now in its fourth year of productiveness in that crop. I would like to grow potatoes in a small way. Proceed just as you would at the East in getting potato... Potatoes And Frosts
Can I keep frost off of potato tops by building smudge fires! I would like to plant about February 1, but we usually have a few light frosts here during March. If I were to turn water in the field when too cold, would that keep the frost off, an... Potatoes On Heavy Land
Will potatoes grow well in adobe land, or partly adobe, that has not been used for seven years except for pasturing? Although potatoes enjoy best of all a light loam in which they can readily expand, it is possible to get very good results on ... Potatoes Should Be Planted Early
I have Early Rose potatoes planted about May first. The tops look fine, but there are few potatoes and small, and, though not developed, have commenced growing a second time, sprouts starting from the new potatoes. When should I plant and what c... Rhubarb Rotting
I have planted rhubarb roots in the San Joaquin valley and find the root crowns rot below the surface. The old-fashioned summer rhubarb usually goes off that way in very hot localities. If there is too much alkali or hardpan, or if planted too... Ripe Melons
How can I tell when a watermelon is fully ripe? What is the method used by growers in picking for commercial shipping? Gently press the sides of a melon and if it crackles a little bit, all right; if it makes no sound then go to another. Comme... Ripening Onions
I am raising some onions from bottom sets and as they are growing nicely and are beginning to swell at the bulb some advise me to cut the tops off and some advise me to bend them over or tramp them down. Do not cut off the tops of the onions. ... Seed-ends Of Potatoes
Is it bad practice to plant the seed-ends of potatoes? The seed-end of the potato is the least valuable part of it, but it is better probably to plant than to reject it. ... Soil For Vegetables
Some of my soil bakes and hardens quickly after irrigation, but I have an acre or so of sandy soil. Would this be best for garden truck and berries? Sandy, loamy soil is better than the heavy soil for vegetables and berries, if moisture is ke... Squashes Dislike Hardship
What caused these squashes, of which I send you samples, to be so hard and woody? They were grown without irrigation. Your squashes were grown without irrigation under conditions which were too dry for them and became inferior in quality. Poss... Storage Of Seed Potatoes
We need potatoes for late planting and have found a good lot which is being held in cold storage at temperatures from 34 to 36 degrees F. They have not been there long, however. Would that hurt them for seed, and also how long could they be safe... Sweet Corn In California
I have been informed that sweet corn cannot be raised in this part of the country, an account of worms eating the kernels before the ear has matured. Is there any method of overcoming this difficulty? You have been correctly informed concernin... Sweet Potato Growing
In planting sweet potatoes, do we have to make hotbeds just like those for tomatoes, or if just a plain seed-bed will do? Is it necessary to irrigate them or not? You can bed your sweet potatoes in a warm place on the sunny side of a building... Sweet Potatoes
What kind of soil and climate does it take to grow sweet potatoes, and can I grow them in any part of Contra Costa county, and about what time is the best to plant them? Sweet potatoes do best in a light warm loam which drains well and does n... Sweet Potatoes Between Fruit Trees
I am expecting to grow a fall crop of about twenty acres of sweet potatoes. The land is a heavy, sandy loam in the interior, which has been set out this spring to almonds, apricots and prunes. I wish to grow sweet potatoes between trees. Would a... The Moon And Potato Planting
Is there any foundation to the oft-repeated story about potatoes in the light of the moon running to tops and the dark of the moon to spuds? If we paid any attention to the moon in planting, we should plant in the dark of the moon so as to giv... The Soil Is A Well-drained Clay Loam
The cost of growing is not particularly different from other beans, and will vary, of course, according to the capacity and efficiency of the plows, harrows, teams, tractors, men, etc. Every man has to figure that according to his conditions and met... The Yard-long Bean
I wish to ask about the very long bean which I think was introduced from China into California. I remember seeing one vine when I was living in California which I think must have been 20 or 30 feet long and had hundreds of pods and each of these... Topping Mangel Wurzels
Does it harm the mangel wurzels if their tops ore cut off once a month? Removing leaves will decrease the size and harden the tissues of the beet root. If you wish to grow the plant for the top, the root will continue to put out leaves for you... Transplanting Lettuce
I have lettuce plants that have been transplanted to head. Occasionally I find a head that has withered away and upon examining it find it rotted away at the stem. Can you suggest a remedy for it? Your lettuce plants are destroyed by the "damp... Vegetables In A Cold Dark Draft
What vegetables will thrive in localities where the sun shines only part of the day? I have a space in my garden that gets the sun only between the hours of 11 and 5, thereabouts; I would like to utilise those places for vegetables if any partic... When To Plant Potatoes
I have been puzzled to understand Potato growing in California. Do you have more than one cropping season, and if so, about what dates are they due? Every month in the year potatoes are being put into the ground and being taken out of the gro... Why The Beans Are Waiting
Can you tell me why pink beans which were planted early in Merced county, irrigated four times, hoed four times and cultivated, have no beans on them? The vines look finely. Probably because you had too much hot, dry wind at the blooming. This...