For March, 1920 



93 



Making the Home Garden Productive' 



EDWIN JENKINS 



01*" the many changes wrought upon our national 

 life by the great war, none has had a more bene- 

 ficial effect than the increased interest in the Home 

 (iarden and none is more worthy of perpetuation. For in 

 addition to countering, in some measure, the H.C.L. — its 

 effect upon the general health and welfare of the people 

 will be tremendous. 



To those who have eaten the home-grown, fresh vege- 

 tables, it will be unnecessary to expatiate upon their 

 superiority in comparison with the purchased product, 

 but for the bL'nefit of those to whom this blessing lias 

 been denied I would say, that there is almost as much 

 difference between the sweet-corn, peas, beans, and many 

 other vegetables that you may gather from your own 

 garden, and cook within a short time of picking, as there 

 is between day and night — there is simplv no compari- 

 son. 



Fertility. — In making the Home Garden more pro- 

 ductive, one of the first considerations is fertility, 



A garden that is of low fertility would take the heart 

 out of the most enthusiastic and ardent gardener, for 

 the crops will be stunted, poor flavor, and in every way, 

 unsatisfactory. 



The very best manure for the garden is rich, well de- 

 cayed farm yard manure, applied in large and impressive 

 doses. You hardly need fear putting too much on. This 

 well-rotted manure should be incorporated with the soil 

 by digging and mixing in. Fertility, coupled with plenty 

 of water and siuishine, is the foimdation of rich-flavored, 

 succulent vegetables. 



Where it is difficult or impossible to obtain manure, the 

 next best method is to supply the much needed humus 

 by digging in leaves or other decayed veg.etable matter, 

 and then using a good dressing of any of the standard 

 brands of commercial fertilizer. 



Seeds and Seed-sowing. — ^Get a seed catalog of a 

 reliable seed-house, and study it. You will find much 

 useful information therein. Make up your mind what 

 you would like to grow. Order early, so as to have it on 

 hand. Seed will keep in any dry, cool place, if protected 

 from mice. 



Varieties. — .\ few suggestions as to varieties for the 

 Home Garden will probablv be of service to some. 



BHANS — (Dwarf, String) Early Red Valentine, Longfellow, 

 Liinas, Fordhook, Bush. Yellow — Golden Wax Improved. 



BICETS — Early Eclipse, Crimson Globe. 



CABBAGE— Earlv Wakefield, Danish Ballhead. 



C.VRROTS— Early Scarlet Horn, Danvcis half-long. 



LETTUCP'. — Hanson Improved, Salamander, Tennis Ball. 



CAULIFLOWER— Snowball. 



CELI-;R\'— White Plume, Golden Self Blanching. 



ONIONS— Yellow Globe (yellow), Red Globe (red). Silver 

 King (white). 



SWEET CORN — Golden Bantam, Country Gentleman. 



I'EAS — Liule Marvel, .Volts's Excelsior, Daisy. (.Ml dwarf 

 kinds). 



CUCUMBER— White Spine. 



SQU.\SH — Crookneck (summer), Hubbard (winter). 



TOMATO— Earliana, Dwarf Stone. 



TURNIP— Early Milan, White French. 



W here the Home Garden is, without a greenhouse 

 or good hot-beds, it is better to buy plants already .started 

 of Tomatoes, Eg.g-plant and Peppers, but a little parsley, 

 thyme, and any of the other herbs fancied for flavoring 

 should always be sown in the Home Garden as they 

 ^re easily grown if. sown the latter end of April or 

 beginning of Ma\-. 



Siiecessiun Crops. — Remember, that the hardier things 

 such as peas, beets, carrots, spinach, turnips, lettuce, etc., 

 may be sown in early April or before. Onions a little 

 later, whereas corn, beans, etc., should not be sown till 

 May, so that, in allotting space these things must be 

 borne in mind. Also, space should be allowed for sow- 

 ing lettuce at periods two or three weeks apart so as to 

 have one crop succeed the other. 



Keep all the ground working. As soon as a crop of 

 peas, for instance, is oft' any given piece of ground, sow 

 lettuce, spinach, carrots, or whatever is most desired to 

 take its place, and the same spot may well produce at 

 least two, and sometimes three crops in one season. 



In sowing seeds, be sure the soil is in a fairly dry 

 fine, workable condition, not too wet and sticky, as that 

 is the worst possible state for seed sowing. Cover the 

 seeds to a depth of J/2 inch to two inches, according to the 

 size of the seed and press the soil firmly on the seeds 

 by laying a board on top and walking on it or some 

 such means. 



Cultivation. — Frequent, light stirring of the surface of 

 the soil with the hoe, or some other implement, is the best 

 means of promoting growth and keeping the weeds down. 



Insect pests of all kinds must be kept in check and 

 the old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a 

 pound of cure." is a ,good one to bear in mind in all 

 garden matters. In dry weather, water must be applied, 

 if possible, and in watering, give enough to soak well 

 down to the roots, rather than in light doses, as a small 

 quantity is apt to cause bakin,g of the surface, and more 

 harm than good may follow. 



Transplanting. — Such plants as celery, lettuce and to 

 a lesser extent, cabbage and cauliflower, are very much 

 benefited by transplanting once or twice before being 

 ])laced in their final growing quarters. This needs be 

 done carefully however, so as to give as little check as 

 possible to the young plants. Care in this means shad- 

 ing and watering until the plants take root in the new 

 soil. 



FUnvers in the Home Garden. — No Home Garden 

 would be com])lete without some flowers to make the 

 garden a pleasanter spot to work in. and the home a more 

 beautiful place to live in. 



A row of Sweet Peas either a,gainst a wall or fence 

 will ,give lots of cuttin.g for the house, beside shutting out 

 some more or less unsightly object. 



Sweet Williams, Pansies. Poppies. Campanulas (Can- 

 terbur}- Bells), Phlox, Mignonette. Candytuft are a few 

 of the old favorites which should find a place in every 

 Home Garden and the same recommendations of fer- 

 tility and cultivation are applicable to the flower border 

 as well as the Vegetalile Garden. 



'For tlie non-proft'ssioiial gardciier. 



In every situation, however, though seemingly hope- 

 less, there may be a ray of li,ght. It is not impossible 

 that the cost of nursing one's indigestion may soon 

 become prohibitive. In this case, the sufferers will 

 have to .give up all of the rapidly accumulating cures, 

 and be forced to go along just as if they didn't have 

 anything the matter with them. They will forget 

 tliemselves, and thus recover. Providence, after all, 

 is not such a bad taskmaster. — Life. 



