Varieties of vegetables.—Much of the value of any variety of vegetable depends on the selection or strain of the seed-stock. One variety is known and popular in one section and a different variety in another section, so that no list of varieties adapted to all localities can be given. It is im portant that each gar dener grow varieties or strains of varieties that are known to be gener ally successful in his own locality. Varieties change greatly from year to year, and it would be of little use to give lists.
Protection from insects and fungous pests.
There is no crop grown on the farm or in the garden that is not attacked by some pest, and if no attempt is made to control the pests many of the crops will be failures. An equipment for spraying is indispensable, and farmers and garden ers should cooperate and equip themselves with a power sprayer by which the work of a whole community may be done promptly, thoroughly and cheaply. Through the state experiment stations one can know what these pests are and how best to control them. For chewing insects we may use hellebore, Paris green, arsenate of lead or other arsenates. For sucking insects, scales, aphides, and the like, we may use whale-oil soap, kerosene emulsion, lime and sulfur wash, or other insecti cides that kill by contact. For blights, rusts, and
rots we have an almost universal fungicide in the Bordeaux mixture. Spraying or other remedy must be employed promptly and thoroughly as soon as a pest appears.
Full directions for the use of insecticides and fungicides may be secured from the state exper iment stations. [See also Chapter II, "Insects and Diseases."] Literature.
Green, Vegetable Gardening ; Fletcher, How to Make a Fruit Garden ; Fullerton, How to Make a Vegetable Garden, and How to Make a Flower Garden (two books); Greiner, How to Make the Garden Pay ; Henderson, Gardening for Pleasure ; Maynard, Successful Fruit Culture, and Home Decoration (two books); Williams, Window Gar dening; Mell, Gardening for the South ; Wickson, California Vegetables ; Bailey, The Principles of Vegetable-Gardening, The Principles of Fruit Growing, Garden-Making, The Pruning-Book, The Nursery-Book ; Bunn and Bailey, Amateur's Prac tical Garden-Book ; Card, Bush-Fruits. There are now many available books in this field, and the home gardener need not lack for enthusiastic advice.