Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-07
Amateur Gardening and Neighbors'
Chickens.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Being an amateur gardener from way
back l read with much interest an inter-
view by a Star man with an employe of
the Agricultural Department few days
ago. AS far as he went the employees ideas
were good and we'll expressed, but was
struck with his failure to impress upon the
reader the Importance of fertilization and
cultivation. Almost all land is improved
by the admixture of manure or some kind
of fertilizer, and without exception all
plants and trees should be cultivated. How
to prepare the ground, how to plant, how
to cultivate, and the best implements to
use would require more space than could
be expected or would be allowed In this
communication. A crop properly planted
may be said to be half made. A novice is
liable to think that all that is required Is
to put the seed, tree or plant in the ground
and they will grow and produce fruit with
out cultivation; also that ANIMALS are per-
ennials we'll An educated city man once
asked ME If watermelon seed had to be
planted every year; and another one If the
vines had to be cultivated. In this line
the stupidity and amount of ignorance is
wonderful.
But how to get rid OF neighbors chickens
without fuss or scrap is question that
has worried and puzzled amateur garden
ers from time immemorial. Finally after
much cogitation few weeks ago I struck
the key note. I advertised them For sale
cheap only Is cents apiece" Not in the
papers. but in the shape OF posters in man
uScript, better than printers ink and
stuck them up at the village blacksmith
shop and other conspicuous places-some
of them on the fences and outhouses Of the
real owners. OF course. almost every one,
after reading the conspicuous words: lone
hundred chickens for sale at ID cents EACH"
over my signature, were satisfied that I
was offering for sale in good faith my own
chickens. To make the ruse more fetching
and appear realistic, I gave as reason
for disposing of them at such a low price
that 1 was about to commence gardening.
Also inducenent to buyers, / said
they are doubtless in good condition,
either for layers or the pot, for have been
feeding them year or so.
The immediate result was that many buy
ers rushed up to my house, fearing that
they would all be gone before they got
days, Notwithstanding each and every GUS
toner was told the facts 1t Is well known
that people seldom If ever read the whole
of an attractive and startling advertise
ment but jump at a conclusion as to the
purport, then make hasty steps for the
bargain counter. To avoid any possible
trouble and preclude the possibility Of
SALE I stipulated that they. the chickens,
must be seen and taken away in daytime.
for where they roasted was unknown to
me; also that they must be caught by the
purchasers within my Enclosure, or no sale.
Being more or less wild and always on the
alert. the f1eetest boy could not overtake
one before escaping through the wide OPEN
ings In the fence everywhere.
The upshot of the business was that we
had a good deal of fun, the owners of the
chickens accepted 1t as good joke, and
relieved me of their troublesome and de-
structive fowls. w. LEE WHITE