WHY THE HOUSEKEEPER GARDENS 
SARAH M. McCOLLOM 
Her Personal Interest in, and Attention to, the Garden Alone Will Insure that Full Return Which, 
as “ General Manager ” of the Business of Home, as Well as Chief of Commissary, She Demands 
/.»'* -4. r v 
•' & v 
LIME SHOULD BE APPLIED LIGHTLY AND 
OFTEN AND MANURE SHOULD BE 
WELL WORKED OVER 
The annual use of enough lime to whiten the ground 
without actually covering it, as shown at the left, is 
best; while such forking over and mixing as the 
compost heap at the right is undergoing assures 
its prime condition for application to the ground 
H E one big factor 
that causes disap- 
P°' ntment ar >d su b- 
sequent failure in 
garden making is lack of in- 
terest. For lack ’of interest 
and neglect travel together. 
That was always the trouble 
between my garden and me, 
and 1 suppose it would still 
be the same if I had not 
suddenly awakened to the 
fact that 1 had really a com- 
mercial enterprise out there 
in the back yard. Where- 
upon 1 was interested — since 
1 have the “commercial in- 
stinct” 1 fear; and becoming 
interested. 1 began to give 
attention to the garden — real 
attention — with what were, 
to me at any rate, amazing 
results. For I had never 
really believed in the kitchen 
garden; it had seemed just a 
fad to be somewhat indul- 
gently regarded, until the war set everyone to talking about it 
seriously. 
Of course all these results went into my accounting pages; 
and of course 1 am going to draw on these to prove my thesis — 
not in wearisome detail but in round numbers. Our particular 
garden plot is approximately fifty feet square. For this the 
seeds cost $5.90, plants (early Cabbage, Cauliflower, Big Bos- 
ton Lettuce, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers and Celery) were 
$2.45, and manure, labels, poles, pea brush and two bags 
of hydrated lime were $13.55, giving a total outlay of 
$21.90 which 1 am going to call $23, inasmuch as there were 
some further trifles such as raffia for tying things up and 
tobacco dust and such — not amounting to a dollar all told, 
however. 
The plan of the garden speaks for itself, and shows the amount 
planted of each thing. The quantity gathered of each vegetable 
and the number of weeks of their bearing are shown in the 
accompanying table. 
To produce the foregoing 
the following quantities of 
seeds and plants were used:— 
1 pint Bush Beans, Black Valen- 
tine; 1 pint Pole Beans, King of 
Garden; 4 oz. Beets, Electric; 1 oz. 
Swiss Chard; 2 oz. Carrots, Gue- 
rande; 1 qt. Corn, Golden Bantam; 
1 oz. Lettuce, Big Boston; 1 oz. 
Lettuce, Ideal; 2 oz. Onions, Yellow 
Danvers; i qt. Onions (sets) white; 
1 pkt. Parsnip, Hollow CrownjLqt. 
Peas, Gradus; 1 pint Peas, Cham- 
pion of England; 4 oz. Radish, 
French Breakfast; 4 oz. Spinach, 
Long Standing; 1 pkt. Spinach, New 
Zealand; 1 oz. Rutabaga, Purple 
Top; 1 pkt. Cabbage, Flat Dutch; 
1 pkt. Cauliflower, Snowball; 1 pkt. 
Parsley, Moss Curled; 1 pkt. Thyme; 
1 pkt. Sage; 1 pkt. Sweet Majoram. 
Plants: 2 dozen early Cabbage; 2 
dozen Early Cauliflower; 3 dozen 
Big Boston Lettuce; 3 dozen Toma- 
toes, large fruited; 6 Eggplant; 6 
Peppers; 5 dozen Celery. 
It was on May 17th that 
we had our first returns. 
Radishes — and we had them 
occasionally until July 1st. 
By that time they were so 
strong we threw out the balance. June 1st brought the first 
Spinach, and it does not need an expert to tell that the first 
is the best. We had it until July 10th, when we started 
cutting New Zealand Spinach which lasted through the season 
so we were never without abundance of greens until frost. On 
J une 6th we started to pick green Onions from the sets, and when 
the seedling Onions were large enough we thinned these and 
used the “thinnings” for green Onions. And in fall we had 
about a bushel of full grown bulbs to put away. 
On June 8th we gathered the first head of Lettuce. Peas 
were rather late, but that was a general condition, and the qual- 
ity was wonderful when they did mature. We had these every 
day from June 23rd until July 20th and then practically every 
other day until August 1st when they succumbed to mildew. 
Carrots we started to use July 1st, Beets July 4th, String Beans 
July 5th, and of these vegetables we had a continuous supply 
throughout the summer. Corn was ready July 28 and our sup- 
ply lasted until October 6th. Of course we did not have this 
What Was Gathered, and When 
Radish 
May 17th to July 1st 
24 bunches 
Spinach 
June 1st to July 10th 
12 pecks 
Onions 
I une 6th to July 31st 
22 bunches 
Lettuce 
June 8th to Oct. 15th 
149 heads 
Swiss Chard 
June 15 th to Oct. 13th 
14 pecks 
Peas 
June 23rd to Aug. 10th 
58 quarts 
Parsley 
June 23rd to Oct. 15th 
60 bunches 
Carrots 
July isttoOct. 15th 
41 doz. 
Beets 
July 4th to Oct. 15th 
37 doz. 
String Beans 
July 5th to Oct. 15th 
73 quarts 
Cabbage early 
July 10th to Aug. 10th 
22 heads 
Spinach, New Zealand 
July iothtoOct. 15th 
40 pecks 
Corn 
July 28th to Oct. 6th 
34 doz. 
Tomatoes 
July 29th to Oct. 1 5th 
65 quarts 
Lima Beans 
Aug. 2nd to Oct. 6th 
36 pecks 
Eggplant 
Aug. nth to Oct. 6th 
1 1 doz. 
Peppers 
Aug.- 22nd to Oct. 15th 
10 doz. 
Cauliflower (late) 
Sept. 17th to Oct. 1 5th 
1 5 heads > 
r 
The Following Were Canned or Stored fcr Winter 
30 cans Tomatoes 
2 bushels Ruta-bagas 
1 5 cans Beans 
1 bushel Onions 
12 cans Lima Beans 
1 bushel Carrots 
6 cans Beets 
36 heads Cabbage 
12 cans Succotash 
f bushel Beets 
8 cans Spinach 
1 bushel of Parsnips 
12 bundles of Parsley and Herbs 80 heads Celery 
15 bushels Tomatoes 
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