Every good gardener or small farmer must have a good library to help them in their crop raising endeavors. Information can always be gathered from the internet or the library. c movies people do not think to check out their county extension office (in the State of California it is based out of UC Davis) and thus they miss out on some exceptional information. The staff at these offices is up on what are the problems in the local area so doing not miss out on this resource. However, nothing can compete with a book or an electronic book if one is so inclined.
First, Garden Insects of North America: The ultimate guide to backyard bugs. Whitney Cranshew. Princention University Press, 41 Williams Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540.
This book is HUGE weighing in at almost 600 pages. This is the premiere book on bugs, maybe more than needed by most but extra information never hurt. This book describes the insect, their habitat, sometimes insects that feed on them, and many color photos (many pages have over six). If it flies, stings, bites, burrows, nests, or lops it is found in here. Many hours can be spent just flipping out the hours as it is dragged through the garden looking at every creeping thing that comes down the path. For what it delivers, this is very reasonably priced. This wonderful book is available in paper back.
The Vegetable Gardeners Bible. Edward G. Smith Storey Publishing 210 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams, MA 01247.
This is the one garden book that everyone must have on their garden bookshelf. Mr. Smith talks about his W.O.R.D. system of gardening. W.O.R.D. is an acronym for wide rows, organic methods, raised beds, and deeply dug soil. Mr. Smith discusses the ways to grow more food in less space while using less labor than is the "usual". The author speaks of setting up permanent garden beds to make maintain good friable soil and stable garden paths. Mr. Smith talks about tools, companion planting, mulches, pests, and diseases.
