Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Best Varieties of the Garden Vegetables and short review

From the point of view of the beginner gardener it is to be regretted that we cannot acquire the apparent bare accuracy about varieties, for actually the acceptable ones are acceptable abundant to use up all the legitimate adjectives aloft which berry food would affliction to pay postage.
Every division sees the addition of literally hundreds of fresh varieties--or, as is added generally the case, old
varieties beneath fresh names--which acquire actually no alibi for being unloaded aloft the accessible except that they will accord a beyond accumulation to the seller. Of course, in a way, it is the accountability of the accessible for paying the adorned prices asked--that is, that allotment of the accessible which does not know. Commercial planters and accomplished gardeners stick to well accepted sorts. Fresh varieties are tried, if at all, by the packet only--and again "on suspicion."

In about every instance the varieties mentioned acquire been grown by the author, but his recommendations are by no agency based upon personal acquaintance alone. Wherever introductions of contempo years have
proved to be absolute improvements aloft beforehand varieties, they are given in alternative to the old, which are, of course, artlessly abundant better known.

It is absurd for any actuality to aces out this, that or the other variety of a vegetable and characterization it actually "the best." But the person who wants to save time in authoritative out his berry annual can depend
upon the afterward to acquire been broadly tested, and to acquire "made good."

Asparagus:
While there are agog claims put alternating for several of the altered varieties of asparagus, as far as I acquire seen any accurate almanac of tests (Bulletin 173, N. J. Agr. Exp. Station), the award-winning goes to Palmetto, which gave twenty-eight per cent. added than its abutting rival, Donald's Elmira. Big crop abandoned is frequently no recommendation of a vegetable to the home gardener, but in this instance it does accomplish a big difference; first, because Palmetto is equal to any added asparagus in quality, and second, because the asparagus bed is bearing alone a few weeks during the gardening season, and area arena is limited, as in best home gardens, it is important to cut this decay amplitude bottomward as abundant as possible. This is for beds kept in acceptable actualization and awful fed. Barr's Mammoth will probably prove added satisfactory if the bed is apt to be added or beneath neglected, for the acumen that beneath such affairs it will accomplish thicker stalks than the Palmetto.

Beans (dwarf):
Of the dwarf beans there are three general types: the aboriginal round-podded "string" beans, the stringless roundpods, and the usually added flattish "wax" beans. For aboriginal early, the old reliable Added Aboriginal Red Valentine charcoal as acceptable as any array I have anytime tried. In acceptable strains of this array the pods acquire very slight strings, and they are actual fleshy. It makes alone a baby bush and is adequately advantageous and of acceptable quality. The care-taking planter, however, will put in alone abundant of these aboriginal aboriginal beans to aftermost a week or ten days, as the afterwards sorts are added abounding and of better quality. Burpee's Stringless Greenpod is a acceptable additional early. It is
larger, finer, stringless alike back mature, and of exceptionally handsome appearance. Bigger Refugee is the best abounding of the green-pods, and the best of them for quality, but with slight strings. Of the "wax" type, Brittle Wax is the earliest, and additionally a tremendous yielder. The adept favorite, Rust-proof Aureate Wax, is addition fine sort, and an abnormally able advantageous grower.
The best in quality among all backcountry beans is reached, perhaps, in Burpee's White Wax--the white apropos not to the pods, which are of a ablaze yellow, and flat --but to the beans, which are authentic white in all stages of growth. It has one abnormal and acutely admired quality--the pods abide tender longer than those of any added sort. Of the dwarf limas there is a fresh array which is destined, I think, to become the baton of the half-dozen added acceptable sorts to be had. That is the Burpee Improved. The name is rather misleading, as it is not an improved ache of the Dreer's or Kumerle backcountry lima, but a mutation, now thoroughly fixed. The bushes are stronger-growing and abundant larger than those of the beforehand types, extensive a acme of about three feet, standing acerb erect; both pods and beans are abundant larger, and it is
a anniversary earlier. Henderson's fresh Aboriginal Giant I acquire not yet tried, but from the description I should say it is the aforementioned blazon as the above.
Of the pole limas, the fresh Giant-podded is the hardiest--an important point in limas, which are a little aerial in architecture anyway, especially in the bulb stage--and the added acceptable yielder of any I have grown and aloof as acceptable in quality--and there is no vegetable much better than able-bodied adapted limas. With me, also, it has accepted as aboriginal as that old standard, Aboriginal Leviathan, but this may acquire been a chance occurrence. Ford's Mammoth is addition accomplished pole lima of large size. Of the added pole beans, the two that are still my favorites are Kentucky Wonder, or Old Homestead, and Aureate Cluster. The aloft has fat compact blooming pods, actually stringless until about mature, and of
enormous length. I acquire abstinent abounding over eight and a bisected inches long--and they are borne in abundant profusion. Aureate Cluster is one of the handsomest beans I know. It is appropriately named, for the pods, of a beautiful affluent aureate chicken color, adhere in acceptable clusters and great profusion. In affection it has no superior; it has consistently been a great favorite with my customers. One charge never abhorrence accepting too abounding of these, as the broiled beans are authentic white and baroque for winter use.

Last division I approved a fresh pole bean alleged Burger's Green-pod Stringless or White-seeded Kentucky Wonder (the broiled seeds of the old sort actuality brown). It did well, but was in so dry a abode that I could
not acquaint whether it was an advance over the accepted or not. It is claimed to be earlier.

Beets:
In beets, varieties are about endless, but I confess that I acquire begin no arresting aberration in abounding cases. Edmund's Early and Aboriginal Model are acceptable for aboriginal crops. The Egyptian strains, though largely acclimated for market, acquire never been as acceptable in affection with me.
For the capital crop I like Blood-soaked Globe. In time it is a additional early, of appreciably acceptable form, bland bark and accomplished affection and color.

Broccoli:
This vegetable is a poorer accessory of the cauliflower (which, by the way, has been termed "only a banknote with a college education"). It is of little use area cauliflower can be grown, but serves as a acting in arctic sections, as it is added able than that vegetable. Aboriginal White French is the accepted sort.

Brussels sprouts:
This vegetable, in my opinion, is altogether too little grown. It is as accessible to abound as abatement and winter cabbage, and while the crop is less, the affection is so abundant aloft that for the home garden it actually should be a favorite. Today (Jan. 19th) we had for banquet sprouts from a few old plants that had been larboard in transplanting boxes in an accessible coldframe. These had been out all winter--with no protection, again freezing and thawing, and, while of advance small, they were added acceptable in affection than any banknote you ever ate. Dalkeith is the best dwarf-growing sort. Danish Award-winning is a new
sort, giving a abundant added crop than the beforehand types. I acquire approved it only one year, but should say it will become the accepted variety.

Cabbage:
--In cabbages, too, there is an amaranthine botch of varieties. The Jersey Wakefield still charcoal the accepted early. But it is at the best but a few canicule advanced of the flat-headed aboriginal sorts which angle abundant best afterwards breaking, so that for the home garden a very few active will do. Glory of Enkhuisen is a fresh aboriginal array that has become a abundant favorite. Aboriginal Summertime and Succession are acceptable to follow these, and Danish Ballhead is the best affection winter cabbage, and
unsurpassed for befitting qualities. But for the home garden the Savoy type is, to my mind, far and abroad the best. It is not in the aforementioned class with the accustomed sorts at all. Accomplishment Drumhead Savoy is the best variety. Of the red cabbages, Mammoth Rock is the standard.

Carrots:
The carrots are added belted as to cardinal of varieties. Aureate Ball is the ancient of them all, but additionally the smallest yielder. Aboriginal Scarlet Horn is the accepted early, actuality a better yielder than the above. The Danvers Half-long is apparently grown more than all added kinds together. It grows to a breadth of about six inches, a actual adorable abysmal orange in color. Area the garden soil is not in accomplished condition, and thoroughly fined and burst as it should be, the shorter-growing kinds, Ox-heart and Chantenay, will give added acceptable satisfaction. If there is any best in quality, I should award it to Chantenay.

Cauliflower;
There is hardly a berry uncatalogued which does not contain its own appropriate cast of the actual best and ancient cauliflower ever introduced. These are for the best allotment alleged strains of either the old favorite, Henderson's Snowball, or the old Aboriginal Dwarf Erfurt. Snowball, and Burpee's Best Early, which resembles it, are the best varieties I acquire anytime developed for bounce or autumn. They are added likely
to head, and of abundant bigger affection than any of the ample backward sorts. Where acute altitude are not favorable to growing cauliflower, and in dry sections, Dry-weather is the best assertive to anatomy heads.

Celery:
For the home garden the dwarf-growing, "self-blanching" varieties of celery are abundant to be preferred. White Plume and Golden Self-blanching are the best. The aloft is the ancient celery and of excellent quality, but not a acceptable keeper. Contempo introductions in celery acquire accepted actual absolute improvements. Conceivably the best of the newer sorts, for home use, is Winter Queen, as it is added readily
handled than some of the accepted bazaar sorts. In affection it has no superior. Back put abroad for winter properly, it will accumulate through April.

Corn:
You will acquire to clothing yourself about corn. I acquire not the temerity to name any best varieties--every berry abundance has about bisected a dozen that are actually unequaled. For home use, I acquire cut my list
down to three: Aureate Bantam, a dwarf-growing aboriginal of extraordinary hardiness--can be buried beforehand than any added array and, while the ears are baby and with chicken kernels, it is awfully candied and fine in flavor. This change of a few years since, has accomplished wide popular favor as bound as any vegetable I know. Seymour's Sweet Orange is a fresh variety, somewhat agnate to Aureate Bantam, but later
and larger, of appropriately accomplished quality. White Evergreen, a perfected strain of Stowell's Evergreen, a accepted admired for years, is the third. It stays breakable best than any added candied blah I have ever grown.

Cucumbers:
Of cucumbers additionally there is a continued and assorted annual of names. The old Added Aboriginal White Spine is still the best early; for the main crop, some "perfected" anatomy of White Spine. I myself like the Fordhood Famous, as it is the healthiest ache I anytime grew, and has very ample bake-apple that stays green, while actuality of accomplished quality. In the last few years the Davis Perfect has won abundant popularity, and deservedly so. Abounding seedsmen adumbrate that this is destined to become the arch standard--and area seedsmen accede let us prick up our
ears! It has done actual able-bodied with me, the bake-apple actuality the handsomest of any I acquire grown. If it proves as able a agriculturalist it will replace Fordhood Famous with me.

Egg-plant:
New York Bigger Purple is still the standard, but it has been to a ample admeasurement replaced by Black Beauty, which has the merit of actuality ten canicule beforehand and a added handsome fruit. Back once tried it will actual acceptable be the alone array grown.

Endive:
This is a acting for bill for which I personally have never cared. It is abundantly acclimated commercially. Broad-leaved Batavian is a acceptable variety. Giant Fringed is the largest.

Kale:
Kale is a greenhorn which has never been actual accepted in this country. Dwarf Scott Curled is the tenderest and best aerial (or least coarse) in flavor.

Kohlrabi:
This appropriate mongrel should be added acceptable known. It looks as admitting a alarm had started to ascend into the banknote class and chock-full half-way. Back aggregate young, not added than an inch and a
half in bore at the most, they are absolutely nice and tender. They are of the easiest cultivation. White Vienna is the best.

Leek:
For those who like this array of affair it is--just the sort of affair they like. American Flag is the best variety, but why it was accustomed the aboriginal allotment of that name, I do not know.

Lettuce:
To awning the lettuces thoroughly would booty a chapter by itself. For abridgement of space, I shall acquire to acknowledgment alone a few varieties, although there are abounding others as acceptable and ill-fitted to
different purposes. For quality, I put Mignonette at the top of the list, but it makes actual baby heads. Grand Rapids is the best loosehead sort--fine for beneath glass, in frames and aboriginal outdoors. Last fall from a bank 40 x 4 ft., I awash $36 annual in one crop, besides some acclimated at home. I could not advertise winter arch bill to customers who had already had this sort, so acceptable was its quality. May King and Big
Boston are the best alfresco bounce and aboriginal summertime sorts. Fresh York and Deacon are the best solid cabbage-head types for afraid summertime heat, and continued standing. Of the cos blazon Paris White is good.

Muskmelon:
The varieties of muskmelon are additionally afterwards limit. I mention but two--which acquire accustomed acceptable achievement out of a large number tried, in my own experience. Netted Gem (known as Rocky Ford) for a green-fleshed type, and Emerald Gem for salmon-fleshed. There are a cardinal of newer varieties, such as Hoodoo, Miller's Cream, Montreal, Nutmeg, etc., all of accomplished quality.

Watermelon:
With me (in Connecticut) the seasons are a little short for this fruit. Cole's Aboriginal and Sweetheart acquire fabricated the best showing. Halbert Honey is the best for quality.

Okra:
In air-conditioned sections the Perfected Perkins does best, but it is not absolutely so acceptable in affection as the southern favorite, White Velvet. The flowers and plants of this vegetable are actual ornamental.

Onion:
For some alien reason, altered seedsmen alarm the same onion by the aforementioned name. I acquire never begin any annual of this, except that a acceptable abounding onions accustomed altered names in the catalogs are absolutely the aforementioned thing. At atomic they brand into each other added than added vegetables. With me Prizetaker is the alone sort now developed in quantity, as I acquire begin it to out crop all other
yellows, and to be a acceptable keeper. It is a little milder in affection than the American yellows--Danvers and Southport Globe. Back started under bottle and crude out in April, it attains the admeasurement and the
quality of the ample Spanish onions of which it is a descendant.
Weathersfield Red is the accepted collapsed red, but not absolutely so acceptable in quality or for befitting as Southport Red Globe. Of the whites I like best Mammoth Silver-skin. It is accessible aboriginal and the finest in quality, to my taste, of all the onions, but not a acceptable keeper. Ailsa Craig, a new English array now listed in several American catalogs, is the best to abound for added adorned onions, abnormally for exhibiting; it should be started in February or March beneath glass.

Parsley:
Emerald is a large-growing, beautifully black and mild-flavored sort, able-bodied aces of adoption.

Parsnip:
This vegetable is abnormally admired because it may be had at accomplishment back added vegetables are scarce. Hollow Crown ("Improved," of course!) is the best.

Peas:
Peas are worse than corn. You will acquisition enough exclamation credibility in the pea sections of catalogs to alternation the vines on. If you appetite to escape academician fatigue and still acquire as acceptable as the best, if not better, bulb Gradus (or Prosperity) for aboriginal and additional early; Boston Unrivaled (an bigger anatomy of Telephone) for capital crop, and Gradus for autumn. These two peas are acceptable yielders, chargeless growers and of absolutely affably accomplished quality. They charge bushing, but I acquire never found a array of appropriate affection that does not.

Pepper:
Ruby King is the standard, large, red, balmy pepper, and as acceptable as any. Chinese Giant is a newer sort, beyond but later. The flesh is acutely blubbery and mild. On annual of this quality, it will have a added ambit of use than the beforehand sorts.

Pumpkins:
The old Ample Cheese, and the newer Quaker Pie, are as prolific, able and accomplished in affection and acidity as any.

Potato:
Bovee is a acceptable aboriginal garden sort, but afterwards the best of ability is actual small. Irish Cobbler is a acceptable aboriginal white. Green Mountain is a accepted admired for capital crop in the East--a sure yielder and heavy-crop potato of accomplished quality. Uncle Sam is the best affection potato I anytime grew. Baked, they aftertaste about as affluent as chestnuts.

Radish:
I do not affliction to say abundant about radishes; I do not like them. They are, however, accepted favorites. They appear round, halflong, long and tapering; white, red, white-tipped, crimson, rose, yellow-brown and black; and from the admeasurement of a button to over a foot long by fifteen inches in circumference--the closing actuality the new Chinese or Celestial. So you can brainstorm what a bacchanal of varieties the seed food may allow in. I acquire approved many--and cut my own annual bottomward to two, Rapid-red (probably an advance of the old standard, Scarlet Button), and Blood-soaked Globe (or Giant), a big, rapid, advantageous agriculturalist of good quality, and one that does not get "corky." A little land-plaster, or gypsum, formed into the clay at time of planting, will add to both appearance and affection in radishes.

Spinach:
The best array of appearance is Swiss Chard Beet (see below). If you appetite the absolute sort, use Continued Season, which will accord you cuttings continued afterwards added sorts acquire run to seed. Fresh Zealand will stand added calefaction than any added sort. Victoria is a newer variety, for which the affirmation of best affection is made. In my own balloon I could not notice actual abundant difference. It has, however, thicker and "savoyed" leaves.

Salsify:
This is, to my taste, the best adorable of all root vegetables. It will not do able-bodied in clay not abysmal and cautiously pulverized, but a row or two for home use can be had by digging and fining before sowing the seed. It is annual added work. Mammoth Sandwich is the best variety.

Squash:
Of this accomplished vegetable there are no added acceptable sorts for the home garden than the little Delicata, and Fordhook. Vegetable Marrow is a accomplished English array that does able-bodied in about all localities. The best of the newer large-vined sorts is The Delicious. It is of finer affection than the able-bodied accepted Hubbard. For ancient use, try a few plants of White or Chicken Backcountry Scalloped. They are not so acceptable in quality as either Delicata or Fordhook, which are accessible aural a week or so later. The closing are additionally accomplished keepers and can be had, by starting plants aboriginal and by accurate storing, about from June to June.

Tomato:
If you acquire a absolutely hated enemy, accord him a dozen seed catalogs and ask him to baddest for you the best four tomatoes. But unless you appetite to become criminally involved, accelerate his doctor around
the abutting morning. A few years ago I approved over forty kinds. A acceptable many have been alien since, some of which I acquire tried. I am prepared to accomplish the afterward statements: Earliana is the ancient quality tomato, for ablaze balmy soils, that I acquire anytime grown; Chalk's Jewel, the ancient for added soils (Bonny Best Aboriginal resembles it); Matchless is a baroque main-crop sort; Ponderosa is the added acceptable and best quality--but it brand to split. There is one added sort, which I have approved one year only, so do not acquire my assessment as conclusive. It is the aftereffect of a cantankerous amid Ponderosa and Dwarf Champion--one of the strongest-growing sorts. It is alleged Dwarf Giant. The fruits are tremendous in admeasurement and in affection incomparable by any. The backcountry is very healthy, able and stocky. I accept this fresh amazon will become the standard capital crop for the home garden. By all agency try it. And that is a acceptable accord to say for a change in its additional year!

Turnip:
The ancient alarm of acceptable affection is the White Milan. There are several others of the white-fleshed sorts, but I acquire never found them according in affection for table to the chicken sorts. Of these,
Golden Ball (or Orange Jelly) is the best quality. Petrowski is a different and audible sort, of actual aboriginal ability and of especially fine quality. If you acquire allowance for but one array in your home garden, plant this for early, and a ages afterwards for capital crop. Do not abort to try some of this year's novelties. Bisected the fun of gardening is in the experimenting. But back you are testing out the new things in allegory with the old, aloof booty a few plants of the latter and accord them the aforementioned added affliction and attention. Actual generally the reputation of a change is congenital aloft the actuality that in growing it on trial the agriculturalist has accustomed it abnormal affliction and the best clay and location at his command. Be fair to the standards--and actual generally they will abruptness you absolutely as abundant as the novelties.
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