Our Country Needs the Planters' Best 



Mr. J. H. Sloan of Jersey City, N. J., tells just how he supplied his family of six persons with an abundance 



of fresh vegetables from a plot 25 x 50 feet by planting 



HENDERSON'S TESTED VEGETABLE SEEDS 



It is your patriotic duty to supply your family with vegetables from your own grounds as far as possible, however limited in extent they 

 may be. To induce a greater number of owners of small plots to raise their o'wn vegetables, we have made up a collection of the varieties 

 used by Mr. Sloan, which we have called the "Home Garden" Collection of Seeds. We offer this complete, for $4.00. For particulars see 

 opposite page. 



MR. SLOAN TELLS HIS EXPERIENCES 



Q. What is the size of your lot, Mr. Sloan, and what is its situation? 



A. The entire lot measures 25 feet wide by 125 feet long, so after allowing 

 ' some ground for a lawn and flower beds, I had at my disposal a plot 25 feet 

 by 50 feet at the rear, upon which I decided to raise vegetables for my family. 

 It has a southerly exposure, which is of course the best that can be found. 

 My garden catches the sunshine early and keeps it late. To this, in great 

 measure, I attribute my success in raising Peas (I have Peas on Memorial 

 Day), Beans and Corn much earlier than anyone else in this neighborhood. 

 Then my plot is surrounded by a board fence which protects it from chilly 

 north and northwest winds. You may see it in the picture. It is a great 

 aid to earliness. 



Q. What is the nature of the soil and when did you prepare it for planting? 



A. I am sorry to say that it is a rather stiff clay, but I brought it into 

 productive condition by manuring and cultivation. As soon as the frost was 

 out of the ground and it was dry enough to be friable (I consider it friable 

 when a compressed ball of earth in your hands crumbles apart when released) 

 I set about the digging and did it all myself, as it is important that this be well 

 done. It is the secret of successful gardening. 



Q. What fertilizer, and how much did you use? 



A. I did not use fertilizer except in small quantities occasionally, to stimu- 

 late growth, and at the time I made a second planting. In making garden in 

 the spring I rely on stable manure, which I can procure easily in my neighbor- 

 hood. I use 10 barrels on my plot every spring, because, owing to the nature 

 of the soil, I need stable manure to improve its physical condition. I spread 

 the manure before commencing to dig. Failing manure, I would use 25 lbs. 

 commercial fertilizer. 



Q. How many times did you find it necessary to cultivate the early crops 

 before they came to maturity? 



A. Three times with the draw hoe, I should say, but the work was thor- 

 oughly done, and weeds cleaned out root and branch. It trebles the work to 

 let the weeds get a start. By this "hoeing up" process I stimulated growth, 

 and at the same time conserved the moisture in the ground by keeping the soil 

 loose and broken up on top. 



Q. What varieties of vegetables did you grow first, and about how many 

 feet of row, or number of hills, did you plant? 



A. I kept a record, which will show you the quantities of seed I used for 

 the first planting, the number of hills and the length of row of the different 



kinds. Also the date of planting and the date of picking. (Sir- opposite page ) 

 I call it the "Home Garden" Collection for Small Suburban Backyards. (Tins 

 is described on page 5.) 



Q. You have already stated that you began picking from t ho early crops 

 about the 1st of June. About how long did they last? 



A. Well, we dined on Henderson's Prosperity Peas on Memorial Day 

 and on Nott's Excelsior Peas on June 4th, and we had other things as shown 

 in my table. I made second plantings beginning July 11th, and we had an 

 abundance of fresh vegetables until the end of the season. 



Q. Then what did you do? 



A. I removed the Pea vines when they were through bearing and dug up 

 the ground for a second planting. I did not dig in any more manure, but added 

 a little of Henderson's Garden Fertilizer to both the hills and trenches. 



Q. Did your second crops require as much cultivation as the first? 

 A. No, not nearly so much, only one really good "hoeing up" with a draw 

 hoe, and an occasional stirring of the soil to keep up an earth mulch. 



0- About how many hours a day would you say you averaged in work on 

 your little garden plot? 



A. Taking the entire season through, I should say that the time spent on 

 it would not average more than half an hour a day. The work is not at all 

 laborious on a plot the size of mine. It is just about enough to harden a man's 

 muscles and get the blood circulating. I could easily manage a plot twice 

 the size. 



0- Did you have enough vegetables of each kind you planted to fully supply 

 your family? 



A. I had an abundance for our family, which consists of six adults, and also 

 some to spare, which I gave to neighbors. 



Q. In a garden the size of yours, would you recommend the growing of 

 a greater variety of vegetables than you planted? 



A. Absolutely no! It is a bad plan to attempt to raise too many vegetables. 

 As you may see from my list, I raised those vegetables which must be freshly 

 gathered if they are to have flavor when cooked. Flavor and quality are the 

 really essential things. 



Q. If you had to buy the vegetables you raised in your garden from the 

 grocer, about what would they have cost you? 



A. Certainly not less than fifty dollars at the prices ruling in my neighbor, 

 hood, and they would not have been fresh at that. 



What was the cost of the seeds that you used in your garden? 

 Four dollars for seeds. 



Henderson's GARDEN GUIDE and RECORD 



described on 

 page 2 of cover 



FREE 



WITH ORDERS OF $2.00 OR OVER 

 IF ASKED FOR 



