A Suggested Program 
For Garden Sanitation 
About 75% of the work and much of 
the damage caused by insects can be 
eliminated by a simple, regular pro- 
gram of sanitation. Preventive dusting 
or spraying is much easier than wag- 
ing a losing battle against bugs when 
they appear. Usually, less than 30 min- 
utes a week should be needed for a 
regular sanitation program for both 
flowers and vegetables. 
Along with a regular program of insect 
control, plan on destroying weeds along 
the edges of your garden, the place 
where insects hide during the winter. 
If possible, control the weeds for a 
distance of at least 25 feet on all sides 
of the garden. Not only will this elimi- 
nate insect hiding places, but it will 
reduce the number of weed seeds that 
might otherwise blow onto your garden. 
This program involves two chemicals. 
Apply a 5% dust of D.D.T. to the grass 
and weeds about every three weeks, 
so that most insects that might other- 
wise move into he garden will be killed. 
So will mosquioes, chiggers and harv- 
est mites that man make gardening so 
unpleasant. 
USE CAUTION WITH 2,4-D 
The regular use of 2,4-D will keep 
down all of the broadleaved weeds. 
without danger of poisoning animals, 
children or of damaging equipment 
with corrosive sprays. In using 2,4-D 
around flowers and vegetables, however, 
be extremely careful not to allow the 
spray to drift onto these, as most gar- 
den plants are as easy to kill with this 
material as the weeds. 
Any spray that will kill grasses will also 
hurt the soil so that it can't be used for 
growing plants for several years. If this 
is not objectionable, use one of the non- 
selective weed killers—and clear the 
ground of all vegetation (as on drive- 
ways, tennis courts, etc.) Ask us for 
details. 
Notes On Building Hotbeds and Cold Frames 
Normally, these do not pay if used only 
for growing seedlings, but the advanced 
gardener will find them useful for pro- 
tecting plants in fall, for storing winter 
vegetables or for growing lettuce and 
radishes until long after they are avail- 
able in the open garden. 
These should be located on the south 
side of a hedge, fence or building to 
break the wind, and must have at least 
six hours of direct sunshine during the 
day. 
TYPES: Hotbeds can be heated with fresh 
manure, leaves, electric cables, electric 
bulbs or through a basement window. 
Standard hotbed sash is three feet wide 
and six feet long, so if sash is purchased, 
make hotbed of these dimensions. Many 
gardeners use a storm window after the 
worst cold of winter is over. Frame 
should be sloped by making north side 
six to eight inches taller than south side 
to catch sunlight and to provide good 
drainage. 
Dig hole six inches larger on all sides 
than the frame on which sash rests. 
Pit should be 24” deep. Fill to top with 
fresh strawy horse manure and press 
down six inches. Set frame over manure 
and fill around outside and inside to 
level of ground. Add three inches of 
sifted soil inside frame. Heap leaves or 
straw around outside to conserve heat. 
If manure is not available, dried leaves 
or chopped straw may be used by adding 
a handful of ammonium nitrate or am- 
monium sulfate to each bushel of leaves. 
This will not, however generate as high 
a heat as manure. 
HOW TO BUILD A COMPOST HEAP 
The compost heap is a ‘‘must”’ for the 
permanent garden. Select a spot be- 
hind a shed or otherwise hidden (if 
your garden is in the open) and 
spread out your garden wastes over 
this area in a layer six inches deep. 
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Use weeds, old vegetable and flower 
plants, vegetable waste from the 
kitchen and lawn clippings. Trim- 
mings from lawn edging are partic- 
ularly valuable. 
On each six inch layer, sprinkle a 
little lime and a liberal amount of 
a good mixed fertilizer, The fertilizer 
will feed the bacteria that cause the 
vegetable wastes to decay. Then ap- 
play a layer of good garden soil over 
the lime and fertilizer. Repeat until 
the pile is two feet high, Wet down 
if rain doesn’t fall. 
In six months all weed seeds and 
other vegetable matter will be broken 
down by the bacteria into a rich, home 
made ‘manure’ that will go a long 
ways toward making yours a perfect 
soil. 
You need not waste the space used 
for the heap, since cucumbers, melons 
and squashes never grow as well as 
when planted in shallow depressions 
in the compost heap. 
As soon as frame is in place, water 
well, insert thermometer in soil and 
cover with sash, airing daily until ther- 
mometer drops below 85 degrees, This 
is time to plant tomatoes and peppers. 
For cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and 
kohlrabi, allow thermometer to go below 
75 degrees. 
On sunny days ventilate thoroughly, but 
even on cloudy days a crack of air may 
be needed to get rid of ammonia odor. 
Cover glass at night with blankets, old 
rugs or hotbed mats to conserve heat. 
BASEMENT WINDOW GREENHOUSE 
The frame for a basement window green- 
house is made the same as for a manure 
hotbed, but the back is omitted and no 
pit is dug. The open back fits against 
the basement window. The open window 
both ventilates and heats, so that in most 
instances no further ventilation will be 
needed. On very cold nights, a 100 watt 
electric bulb will keep up heat. 
Electric hotbed cables are usually in- 
stalled over a bed of sand six inches 
thick, and covered with ¥2” mesh hard- 
ware cloth. Electric lights (two 100 watt 
lamps for each 3 x 6 sash) can be used 
and controlled by a chicken brooder 
thermostat. 
COLD FRAMES 
A cold frame is the same as a hotbed 
without manure or other source of arti- 
ficial heat. It depends upon the sun for 
heat, and must be covered with hotbed 
mats to conserve this heat at night. It can 
be used only after the weather has 
warmed up somewhat, but before the 
danger from late frost is past. Lettuce 
and radishes planted in the cold frame a 
month before frost is expected can be 
grown until late in the year if the glass 
is kept covered at night. 
