August, 19 13 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



17 



eggs produced in the report above quoted, 

 it is of interest to note the month or months 

 when eggs are most plenty and adversely 

 the month when eggs are scarcest and 

 consequently highest in price. Many peo- 

 ple have already observed and more will, 

 that the month of March is the big egg 

 month and the month of November is the 

 month when eggs are scarce and high. 

 What would this indicate to our suburban 

 amateur hen-man? Obviously, in March 

 he should keep all the surplus eggs and 

 preserve them in crocks with the solution 

 commonly called "water-glass" (obtained 

 at any drug store for twenty-five cents) 

 then in November when the price of eggs 

 is high and the supply short, he will have 

 plenty of eggs for home use and be enabled 

 to sell the few fresh eggs his pullets lay at 

 a very good price. 



The matter of limited space in the back- 

 yard should be no drawback, as it may be 

 overcome by regulating the size of the 

 house and the number of hens kept. The 

 old idea that hens require extended range 



and large house quarters has given way to 

 the more recent discovery that the most 

 important thing is the quantity and variety 

 of diet. In fact, the efficiency engineers 

 tell me that the hens lay best when shut 

 up and forced to attend strictly to business ! 



The conclusion is simply this. If you 

 are dissatisfied with present conditions, 

 with continually increasing prices for the 

 necessities of life, first determine whether 

 you are content to be a consumer only, or 

 are willing to become a producer of some of 

 the lines which go to make up these high 

 prices. If you find that you are only a 

 consumer, begin at once to change your 

 position to the side of the producer, for it 

 may be a long wait before any marked or 

 permanent relief from tariff revision or 

 other sources, promised by the politicians 

 before election, is realized. The high 

 prices for food stuffs is world wide, and that 

 is why everyone should seek the first 

 solution in his own home and backyard. 



On the other hand, let us not look at the 

 fact that the old farm is not profitable; 



but rather that the backyard is more 

 profitable. The farmer is not using im- 

 proved methods for "intensive farming," 

 while the young amateurs are using these 

 newer and better methods. Let us all, 

 therefore, seek to develop and get all the 

 possibilities out of our backyards whether 

 they are large or small. Whether our 

 garden must be only a hotbed in the lawn, 

 or the acre vacant lot adjoining, it is our 

 duty as a citizen to use whatever we have. 

 This applies equally well in the matter of 

 keeping hens, for if it can't be five hundred 

 hens, we can keep twenty-five. In fact, 

 from the statistics which my organization 

 has collected, there is a far greater per- 

 centage of profit in twenty-five hens than 

 in five hundred hens; while, as you get 

 up into keeping thousands of hens, profits 

 seem to disolve in losses. In short, a few 

 hens are very profitable; while a large 

 number are usually a source of loss. There- 

 fore, I not only urge you to have a "back- 

 yard" garden, but I urge you to stop 

 there and have no greater! 



His First Garden —From A Suburbanite's Diary 



May 15 — "And then I planted corn ' 



May isth, P. M. 



I planted first some early beans 



And then I planted corn. 

 I planted me some spinach greens, 



All early in the morn. 

 And next I planted melon seed 



(My back ached like a boil), 

 I stuck in then all I had left — 



(And used Old Thomas' Oil). 



June ist, P. M. 



My beans and peas and corn are up, 



is 1 



SB 





June 6 — "How cute he Is. and queer' 



(My friends have all been told). 

 My brimming cup of happiness 

 It takes both hands to hold. 



June 6th, A. M. 



I to my garden come this morn 



And what do I see here? 

 A little, striped, yellow bug — 

 How cute he is and queer. 

 Whene'er he sees me coming out, 



In the ground he hides away; 

 Or else he flies all round about — 

 Who taught him thus to play? 



June 8th, A. M. 



My peas are green, my beets are fine — 



Where are my melons gone? 

 My squashes too, they are not here. 



Where are my melons gone? 



June 8th, P. M. 



My neighbor says the robber bold 

 " Was the little strip6d bug; 

 That he, with all his pretty ways, 



"IS BETTER DEAD!" 



June 12th, A. M. 



We had a little shower last night, 



" 'Twill give my plants a show," 

 Said I, as lazily I dreamed — 



Alas, I didn't know. 

 For when the garden soon I saw, 

 The weeds obscured it quite, 

 They'd grown six inches while I slept, 



Six inches in one night. 



June istk, P- M. 



More weeds, more bugs, oh what's the use. 



The cut worm, squash bug (phew), 

 The cabbage miller, caterpillar — 



Who wants a garden? — Who? 



July ist, A. M. 



A garden is the thing my friends, 



'Tis a rose without a thorn. 

 A peck of luscious, sweet green peas, 

 From mine I picked this morn. 



August 315/ 



This is the last. My garden's done. 



June 15 — "More weeds, more bugs. Oh, what's, 

 the use" 



I'll never have one more. 

 My turnips, carrots, Indian corn, 



(Ah me, my heart is sore). 

 My peppers, squashes, pumpkins fat, 



My parsnips, — e'en my plow — 

 Are eaten all, but not by me — 



'Twas my neighbor's wretched cow. 



September ist 



The cow is dead. 



New York. 



C.L. A 



August 31— "This is the last. My garden's done " 



