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THE PATRIOTIC GARDEN 



FOOD FOB THE KITCHEN DOOR 



He also Fights who ^ Helps a Fighter Fight 



— r^mT^ND^AVE-SUGA^ 



p-NUTS-AND ^^ 



CALLING THE CLASS OF 1918 



CUS approach the city garden . problem for this year in a 

 sane spirit, planting only those vegetables which experience 

 has taught us will grow under the adverse conditions of soot, 

 poor soil and limited sunlight. 



As a member of a committee that has been going over the results of 

 last year's war garden campaign I have seen so much misguided effort 

 that I feel impelled to offer these remarks: 



Tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and the roots such as beets and carrots, 

 will thrive in most places, but the yield per foot from corn, peas, and 

 lima beans is too small to be of value, and potatoes are hopeless except 

 in well fertilized garden soil that has been worked several times. 

 String and wax beans may prove a success but they are "chancy" and 

 subject to blight. 



The following suggestions may be helpful: 



A beginner is prodigal in the way he plants and his wastage is great. 

 Let him try sowing three seeds at a time, three inches apart in the row. 



Manure is of course the best all around fertilizer, but it is often impos- 

 sible for the city dweller to procure, and he should know that a certain 

 amount of commercial fertilizer may be used. 



He should never plant to have more of a crop than can be used at 

 its best. Four to six feet of lettuce planted every week will be far 

 better than ten feet planted all at once. 



Let him have no fear of short lengths of a variety, even if the rows 

 look broken, if he remembers to keep the tall growers at the back. 



If his ground is low, let him dig a trench around his garden and 

 through the middle to drain it, otherwise some rainy day he will 

 find his cherished seeds or little plants afloat. 



If he plants spinach, it is the most successful dried vegetable 

 there is. 



His green tomatoes should be brought into a cool cellar at signs of 

 an early frost, and each one wrapped separately in oiled paper. 



His cabbages will be greatly improved if dug two or three days 

 before they are to be used, and left turned upside down on the ground 

 with their roots exposed to the air. 



All old vines should be dug in to enrich the soil, and a little place 

 kept for a compost heap of leaves, lawn clippings, the outside leaves 

 of lettuce and cabbage, and the whole lightly covered with soil to pre- 

 vent an unsightly appearance. 



Another matter to which the attention of the Garden Magazine 

 readers should be called is the preparation of vegetables for market. The 

 consumer has come to demand that all root vegetables shall be washed, 

 asparagus cut in equal lengths and tied in bunches, lima beans shelled, 

 and apples polished. This requires an enormous amount of labor, 

 which might be released for more important work, and in no case would 

 the buyer suffer. The roots have to be washed again before cooking, 

 there is waste in cutting the stalks of asparagus to make them even, 

 lima beans keep better in the pods, and the light fuzz on the apple is 

 its natural protection. 



Stalls in the markets might advertise their goods as a trifle cheaper 

 when prepared in the latter way. 



The question of labor on all farms is so serious that every possible 

 aid should be given the farmer in simplifying his w r ork, that he may keep 

 up production to the nth power. 



Cleveland, O. Kate B. Burton. 



A War-Time Garden anna m. burke 



BASING PLANS FOR THE 1918 GARDEN ON THE MEASURED RESULTS OF A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT LAST YEAR 



A PLOT of land 50 x 60 ft., and a 

 family of three to provide for! 

 These were the conditions that 

 faced us in the spring of 1 91 7, after 

 a winter in which the prices of ordinary food- 

 stuffs had soared to almost prohibitive heights. 

 Our problem was to plan a garden that, with 

 succession and companion crops, would pro- 

 duce all the vegetables needed through the 

 summer, and as large a part as possible of our 

 winter supply. 



We succeeded fairly well in accomplishing 

 our purpose and have better plans for the 

 present year. From the first of May the 

 garden supplied us with fresh vegetables for 

 the table, and we sterilized 76 pints for winter 

 use. We did not succeed in raising enough 

 potatoes, turnips or onions to last through the 

 winter, and had to supplement our supplies. 



TpHE accompanying plans show the garden 

 ■*• as finally planned and planted last year, 



with the revised scheme for 1918. 



While the plan practically explains itself, 



a few words may be said about some of the 



combinations. 



' I V HE early cabbage was started in a small 

 ■*■ _ frame near the house and transplanted 

 about April 15th, radish seed being planted 

 between them. As each head was cut a small 

 lettuce plant, also started in the frame, was 

 slipped into the vacant spot. No special 

 part of a garden need be reserved for radish 

 or lettuce, as they may be planted in the 

 row with slower maturing vegetables. We 

 wish to register again our satisfaction with the 

 radish Icicle. We have used it from early 

 spring to late autumn, pulling some Novem- 

 ber 15th from the open garden, and have found 

 it crisp at all times. 



' I TIE first row of beets was planted about 

 ■*■ the middle of April, thinned out for 

 greens about May 15th, when a few seeds of 

 summer squash were planted at intervals be- 

 tween the little plants. As the squash grew 

 the beets were pulled to make room for them. 

 We prefer to pull all beets when about 2 

 inches in diameter, canning by the cold-pack 

 method those not needed for the table. They 

 have a much better flavor than when allowed 

 to grow large, and require less time for cooking. 



76 



The second row of beets and the two rows 

 of carrots were planted the last of April, and 

 in the space between them the lima beans 

 were sowed June 1st, Henderson's Bush lima 

 being the variety chosen. The beets and car- 

 rots were out of the way by the time the 

 beans needed the entire space. 



IT^OR several years peas and tomatoes have 

 *■ been a favorite combination in our gar- 

 den. The peas are planted as early as 

 weather conditions permit, leaving a space 

 of 4 feet between the double rows. In the 

 middle of this space lettuce plants are set, 

 and about May 15th tomato plants are set 

 between the lettuce. Low growing varieties 

 of peas are selected, supporting them on brush, 

 and they are followed by some late crop. In 

 1917 the early peas gave way to late endive, 

 while the late peas were followed by Chinese 

 cabbage, which latter failed to head, although 

 the summer before it produced good heads. 



ONION sets and peppers are another 

 standard combination. The onions are 

 planted early, leaving spaces for the pepper 



