

THE PATRIOTIC GARDEN 



FOOD F'O-B THE 



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KITCHEN DOOK, 



helps a Fighter Fight 



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Managing a Half Acre War Garden Frances johnstone paris 



Feeding a Family of Eight 



Editor's Note. — Among the many, very many, war-garden campaigns of last year none was more successful than that conducted by the Gar- 

 den Club of Flushing, N. Y. It is, of course, but typical of many others. At the beginning the active cooperation of other local organizations 

 was enlisted and a definite, aggressive programme laid down. The author of this article was Chairman and "saw things through" to the end. This 

 year the work is being carried farther and on a larger scale stretching out far and wide, and enlisting all local efforts and the country 

 and state agricultural organization. Mrs. Paris' s own garden was a success, and she plans to repeat it this year. This article tells what she did 

 and how; and it will serve as a reliable guide to the home gardener who wants results this year. 



MY GARDENING experience here- 

 tofore had been confined to the 

 growing of a few beloved flowers, 

 some tomatoes, and salads of 

 various kinds. Urged by patriotic considera- 

 tions, I decided to see what could be done 

 on a half acre of ground by intensive garden- 

 ing of vegetables. The result is here set 

 down for a guide to the 1918 intensive 

 gardener. 



Half of this ground had been used the 

 previous year for celery and Dahlias, the 

 other half being new sod ground. All was 

 covered with well-rotted stable manure, 

 plowed, disc-harrowed, raked down by 

 hand, and all sticks, stones, etc., removed. 

 The garden was divided into two parts with 

 paths through the centre and rows on either 

 side ninety feet in length running north and 

 south to get the advantage of the sun. 

 One fourth the space was reserved for corn 

 and potatoes. 



The ground was cold, but dry, so early 

 varieties of peas and spinach were planted 

 on the second day of April. Before planting, 



the peas were inoculated with Farmogerm. 

 Peas are a cool-weather plant and must 

 become well established during April if 

 crops are to measure up to expectations. 

 Furrows were made, the seed put in, the 

 ground pressed down firmly, and the magic 

 work of nature began. New York Market, 

 Gradus, Sutton's Excelsior, Duke of York, 

 and Telephone were all planted by the 

 seventh of April. These varieties matured in 

 the order named and furnished a continuous 

 supply from June the fourteenth to the very 

 last of July. One row was planted to Long 

 Season spinach which, with monthly sowings, 

 gave a constant supply throughout the 

 season. Lettuce, radishes, parsley, and onions 

 had previously been planted in cold frames. 

 Both the early and late varieties of to- 

 matoes, Earliana, Chalks' Jewel, Stone, and 

 Ponderosa had been planted in flats the last 

 day of February. After twice transplanting, 

 they were set in coldframes the middle of 

 April, and transplanted into the open ground, 

 three or four feet apart each way, the latter 

 part of May. The early varieties were left 



to grow without training, but the late 

 varieties were pruned and tied to stakes 

 five to six feet in height. Fewer, but much 

 larger and superior fruit resulted from this 

 method. An occasional spray with arsenate 

 of lead helps counteract blight and leaf curl. 

 The large green tomato worms should be 

 picked off and destroyed. 



Early carrots, turnips, beets, endive or 

 escarolle, and romaine lettuce were planted 

 in rows for succession. 



Cultivation or grinding up of the soil 

 gives plant life more to feed on. Therefore, 

 frequent and thorough cultivation was 

 given to conserve moisture and release 

 humus. For cultivation and keeprng down 

 the weeds, which act as pumps drawing 

 moisture from the soil, I found nothing to 

 equal the use of the wheel-hoe with its 

 numerous attachments. 



Three bushels of Maine white potatoes 

 were planted, one eye to a hill, in mellow, 

 but not too rich soil. The cuttings were 

 dipped in a formaline solution for one hour 

 to prevent scab. The potato plants were 



Here's a weli-ordered patriotic garden in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Slivka grew a full supply of twenty varieties of vegetables and an abundance of flowers for cutting. We must not for- 

 get those "rays of sunshine" in this year's war gardens 



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