132 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
May, 1917 
A City Garden. 
(Mrs. -John Geiger, Oshkosh, at 
Annual Convention.) 
The subject assigned to me is 
A City Garden and having passed 
the High School age, I can write 
only upon a subject of which I 
know a little something at least — 
and in writing about A City Gar- 
den I can only tell a little of my 
own experience. This has been 
confined to my own garden which 
is the back yard of an average 
sized city lot. Planning, plant- 
ing and caring for this garden has 
been my principal recreation for 
a number of years. 
Having been raised in the coun- 
try,. I, no doubt, inherited a nat- 
ural liking for digging in the dirt 
and watching things grow. These 
tilings seem to be absolutely nec- 
essary to my happiness. 
City dwellings are usually with- 
out front yards of a sufficient size 
to permit of much planting except 
perhaps around the foundation of 
the house, so attention must be 
given to the back yard. 
Almost everyone, who does not 
live in an apartment, has at least 
a small plot of ground back of the 
house which too often is simply a 
dumping ground for refuse and a 
place to hang up the washing. 
Even though the backyard is a 
small one it may be made to yield 
much in fun and food, health and 
happiness. 
Gardening is man’s greatesl 
outdoor sport, antedating war 
and golf by Scriptural account 
The fact that we live sucli 
strenuous lives in the city make.' 
it all the more necessary that we 
provide for ourselves an oppor- 
tunity to relax and regain 
strength amid beautiful surround- 
ings and a little garden spot in 
the back yard is one of the best 
places in the world to rest after 
a day of nervous strain. 
Almost any patch of ground 
will grow something well worth 
while if given only half a chance. 
There probably is not a back 
yard in any small city that would 
not yield wonderful returns if it 
were planted and cared for. 
What an excellent thing it 
would be for the community if all 
the land which now lies idle were 
planted to useful and beautiful 
things ! We must buy vegetables 
unless we grow them, and in this 
time of high cost of living, rais- 
ing one’s own vegetables will 
make a material difference in the 
household expenses, while the in- 
creased consumption of good, 
fresh vegetables will greatly im- 
prove the health of the family. 
And to a great many of us flowers 
are just as necessary to our hap- 
piness as fresh vegetables are for 
our health. 
Sunlight, good drainage, a good 
soil, a few good tools, such as 
a spading fork, a rake, a good 
strong hoe and a trowel, the very 
best seed obtainable, together 
with a love for the work, are all 
that are necessary to start a gar- 
den. 
Each one must decide for him- 
self what he wants to raise in his 
own garden, but it is possible, by 
careful planning and planting and 
cultivating, to raise practically 
all the vegetables the average 
family will want, in the back 
yard of the average sized city lot, 
as well as one’s favorite flowers 
to brighten and beautify the 
home from early spring until the 
snow flies. 
If one has only a small garden, 
a few rhubarb roots, a small as- 
paragus bed, a few currant and 
gooseberry bushes and a straw- 
berry patch are not out of the 
question and will furnish many 
a delicious dessert. Two or three 
grape vines may also be planted 
along the fence and will add much 
to the beauty of the landscape. 
Intensive farming is what must 
be practiced in the city garden be- 
cause of lack of space. The crops 
must be planted so that all the 
ground is used all the time. 
Our springtime enthusiasm 
will start the garden off in fine 
shape and we plant some lettuce 
and radishes, some tomatoes and 
cucumbers and our favorite flow- 
er seeds. The early vegetables 
will be harvested early and unless 
we plan to plant other crops on 
the same ground only part of the 
ground will be working after the 
early vegetables are gone. By a 
little thought and planning in ad- 
vance, at least two or three crops 
may be raised on the same ground. 
Lettuce and early radishes can be 
planted together in the same rows 
and between these rows set tomato 
or early cabbage plants. By the 
time these plants are of any size 
the lettuce and radishes are gone. 
In the same way peppers, cauli- 
flower or kohl-rabi may be set be- 
tween the rows of onions. By 
planting at intervals and by using 
different varieties, a great many 
of the quick growing vegetables 
may be had practically all summer 
instead of only a few weeks in the 
spring. 
But the planting is only a small 
part of raising a garden. It is 
not enough to know what to grow 
and how to plant it, but we must 
also know what not to have in a 
garden, and first in this class 
comes weeds. 
Weeds, like the poor, are al- 
ways with us ; but, unlike the 
poor, Ihey need no assistance, but 
the strongest possible resistance. 
Cut off their heads and cut off 
5 If 
