CHAPTER VIII 



THE HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN 



Economy of the home garden. The home vegetable garden is 

 an important economic factor in both country and suburban towns 

 in these days of rapidly increasing cost of living. The value of an 

 acre wisely developed as a home garden can be made about ten times 

 as great as that of the same area devoted to ordinary farm crops. 

 But the cash value of such a garden depends upon what the prod- 

 ucts are worth as additions to the daily ration of the household. 

 The fact that a carefully planned garden will contribute something 

 to the bill of fare every day in the year should not be overlooked. 

 During the spring fresh vegetables not only are greatly appreciated, 

 because they offer a change from the heavier diet of the winter 

 season, but they have also a real dietetic value. 



No area on the farm is worthy of more careful study than the 

 home vegetable garden. Its location, plan, and planting should be 

 as carefully studied as that of the chief money crop of the place. 

 If the garden must be confined to a lot in town, the scheme of 

 planting the vegetables to be grown and the succession of the crops 

 should be worked out well in advance of the planting season. The 

 location of the farm garden should be convenient to the kitchen, 

 but it must have good soil conditions, an exposure which will make 

 it possible to plant early in the season, and good air drainage to 

 give it protection from late spring and early autumn frosts. 



Plan of the home garden. The plan of the garden should provide 

 for the best possible utilization of the soil, giving to each crop space 

 in proportion to its importance. All the long-season and perennial 

 crops should be grouped together ; the short-season crops, which 

 are soon out of the way and can be followed by a succession crop, 

 should be planted in contiguous rows. This will make it possible 

 to plant the area occupied early in the season by several crops with 

 a single autumn crop. 



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