18 PLANNING THE HOME GARDEN 



This scale is called the unit of measure. The unit of measure 

 furnishes the proper proportions, and represents the exact 

 number of feet of ground the garden is to occupy and the 

 distance between the rows of plants. For example, the 

 drawing of the garden plan on the paper must necessarily 

 be smaller than the garden, and therefore we must have what 

 is known as the reducing unit, or scale. If the scale in which 

 one-fourth of an inch equals one foot is used, then one-fourth 

 of an inch on the paper will represent one foot on the ground. 

 If the garden is twenty by thirty feet, then to reduce it to 

 the scale in which one-fourth of an inch equals one foot, the 

 size of the paper would have to be six by eight inches. If the 

 garden is one hundred by one hundred and fifty feet, the 

 paper must be twenty-five by thirty-eight inches. The sizes 

 indicated are the exact sizes the paper must be to draw 

 the garden, but in all plans, a larger size should always be 

 secured to allow for an inch or two of margin. If the garden 

 space is large, one-eighth-inch scale can be used, which 

 means that for every one-eighth of an inch on the paper 

 there must be one foot on the ground. By making use of 

 the unit of measure, the rows of vegetables and fruits can be 

 located in their proper places. In using the reducing scale 

 the grower must always remember that for each linear 

 foot in the garden, he must use one unit of measure, say one- 

 fourth inch or one-eighth inch on the paper. 



Location of the Garden. — In selecting the site for the garden, 

 several important points should be considered: (1) The 

 garden should be located conveniently close to the kitchen, 

 and since it is considered as a part of the kitchen equipment, 

 it should necessarily be in close proximity to the objective 

 point. (2) The soil, when possible, should be a sandy loam, 

 but where this is out of the question and it is a heavy clay, 

 it should be improved by adding well-rotted manure, sand, 

 sifted cinders, etc. (3) A gentle slope to the south or south- 

 east should be selected where this is possible. A sunny 

 slope dries off and warms up earlier in the spring and makes 

 planting possible earlier than if the ground sloped to the 

 north. It is also more pleasant to work on a southern 

 exposure. A slope also gives the garden good air drainage, 



