How? When? 



HOME GARDENING GUIDE 



Where? Why? 



PRACTICAL ANSWERS TO EVERY-DAY QUESTIONS 



This is a Garden Annual that you can keep right on using long after you have 

 bought and planted your seedl 



It's packed with practical, down-to-earth facts that every gardener needs to know. 

 Even old-timers will find information that is mighty helpful. 



You'll find all of this valuable information listed under the "How? When? Where? 

 Why?" headings all through the HOME GARDENING GUIDE. Read it carefully, 

 keep it handy and use it to advantage all through the year. 



Planning before planting 



Don't expect your garden to grow itself. 

 Plan the crops you want and the amount 

 of each. List them and study the plant- 

 ing and maturity time. Determine the 

 amount of space you will need for the 

 early crops that need cool weather and 

 the time that space may again be used 

 for hot summer crops. 

 Check your soil. Do you need fertilizer, 

 humus, inoculants, seed disinfectants? 

 Are your tools in good condition? Check 

 back over your experiences of last year. 

 Was there something lacking in the kinds 

 of crops, supplies or tools? Plan now 

 to avoid repeating any of these old mis- 

 takes and place your order for needed 

 items early. 



If you still have questions unanswered 

 after reading this book, come in and let's 

 talk them over. Take advantage of our 

 wealth of experience . . . It's yours for 

 the asking. 



How Much to Plant 



Figure exactly the number of feet of row 

 to plant. Consult the chart on page 18. 



Study the chart on page 18. This will 

 tell you how far apart rows should be, 

 how long each crop takes to mature, 

 and how much space you will need to 

 provide the vegetables your family 

 likes. After you have taken into con- 

 sideration the crops you want to grow, 

 make a rough sketch showing the loca- 

 tion of each crop, with catch crops, 

 intercrops, succession crops. 



Decide how many times during 'the har- 

 vest season you want to eat a certain 

 crop, how much of that crop you ordi- 

 narily serve to your family, and plant 

 accordingly. Thus, if you like beans, 

 and if you want to serve them twice a 

 week, 1 pound at a serving, note that 

 a 50 foot row will produce about 20 

 pounds. Since beans produce freely for 

 about three weeks, a 20 foot row should 

 give you all the snap beans your family 

 cares to eat during that time. Why tend 

 50 feet of row when 20 will do? 



Succession Seeding 



DON'T work more land than you need 

 to. Conserve your energy by intercrop- 



ping, catch cropping and succession crop- 

 ping. In intercropping, short season 

 crops are grown between slower grew, 

 ing plants (i.e., plant early lettuce be- 

 tween rows of tomato plants that won't 

 need the space until after the lettuce is 

 eaten). In catch cropping, plant an early 

 crop before the main crop is planted. 

 In succession cropping the main crop 

 comes first (i.e., snap beans to be fol- 

 lowed by late turnips). In this way you 

 make better use of space, cut down the 

 number of rows to tend, and make better 

 use of water and fertilizers. 



In the smaller garden, concentrate on 

 vegetables that lose quality most rapidly 

 when shipped any distance — delicately 

 flavored green beans, summer squash, 

 early cabbage and leaf lettuce. Unless 

 you have plenty of room, better leave 

 late cabbage, dry onions, winter squash 

 and potatoes to commercial gardeners. 



Before You Dig 



Before digging or plowing the garden, 

 apply 21/2 to 3 lbs. of balanced fertilizer 

 over every 100 sq. ft. of garden. Divide 

 fertilizer into two lots, sowing one with 

 the wind and the other across the wind. 

 Or, better yet, use a fertilizer spreader. 



Next, make a mud pie test. Pick up a 

 handful of soil and pat it lightly into a 

 mud pie or cake. If this can be crumbled 

 into loose soil easily, the soil is all right 

 to dig. If it hangs together, it is too 

 wet: don't dig. 



