Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-05-19
HOUSEWIFE AND KITCHEN GARDEN.
By MRS. o. D. SULLIVAN.

| By MRS. o. D. SULLIVAN.
In making garden the first thing
to be considered is the soil. The good
man of the household might be OF
some assistance in putting the soil in
proper condition. and this, no doubt,
all men are glad to do, when they
think OF what good things are to fol-
low. Now the next, and an important
part too, is to have good fresh seed, so
you will not loose all Of the early sea.
son by having to replant, for it is the
delight of every housewife to be first
to have vegetables to use.
In planting, if your space is limited
great care must be taken to plant so
that those varieties which need plenty
of sun, such IS beans, corn, tomatoes,
etc, are not crowded too much, or
shaded. / cannot imagine anything
more exhilerating than to 60 out in
the early morning and work in the
garden for awhile. How wisely it has
been arranged, that nature supplies
the different fruits and vegetables, in
their season, just as our systems seem
require them. In the early spring we
crave acids, and how completely the
rhubarb fills this want and the aspar.
agus is so much enjoyed just now. If
We all could realize the medicinal
qualities OF all vegetables, l think the
doctors OF our land would have less to
do than at present.
As l drive down the street, l often
see little boys, and girls too, am sorry
to say, running in the streets playing,
where the influence thrown around
them is not such as it should be, while
the back yard, in many of their homes,
is left to grow up to weeds. Now, per-
haps, il the mother would have nice
garden plot spaded up, some OF these
children might be brought to take an
interest in that garden, and help to
care for it, thereby teaching them hab-
its OF industry and causing them to
study Nature more closely; and if they
are called on at school to answer this
question, as asked by a teacher, eff
you were going to grow garden,
would you put the seed on top Of the
ground or in itf" they would not say
on top OF the ground as once heard .
child when visiting school. /
think every man, woman and child
should have something to do, for idle
ness promotes much evil in our land !;
and if they have no duties to perform,
they surely must find something to
do, which is very apt to be something
wrong instead of good.
But 1 am deviating from my sub.
ject. The outdoor exercise of making
. garden is very healthful. The house.
wife's life is a very busy one. She has
her three meals to get, every day, and
the general routine OF house.work, and
this must be sandwiched in between
her other duties; but she will find her
meals much easier plan ned, if she has
access to fine garden, with the diff
ferent vegetables coming on in their
turn from the early spring until har.
vest time in fall. What Q pleasing
sight to enter vegetable room, in this
Western country, or q cellar in the
East, and see the golden pumpkins,
the beets, the parsnips, and other veg
etables. all stored for winter use!
How would you arrange your
Thanksgiving dinner without that
much enjoyed pumpkin pie?
My garden would not be complete
unless it included some small fruits,
and by all means, some flowers.
Flowers surround q home with that
touch of refinement that nothing
else can give, and in most cases, it is
the housewife who looks after them.
Think OF what dresry world this
would be, if it was not Tor the flowers!
What q pleasure it is to arrange
nice beds, and then to plant the tiny
brown seed and see them spring forth
into choice, thrifty plants, and later
on to see tho beautiful flowers burst
Into blooml How much q we'll ar
ranged boquet of flowers adds to the
beauty OF tablet Think of having
Easter or Christmas services without
the fowersl What an important
thing they are at all weddings; imag.
inc, if you can, a bride without flow
ers! What 10 more cheering to the
sick than nicely arranged boquet Of
flowers, and when death has darkened
our home what 10 more appropriate
than the loving remembrance of the
beautiful flowers at this timer
Now, in conclusion, we must re-
member that there are many disap.
pointments in gardening, as with any.
thing else. There are certain obstacles
to be overcome. For instance, we
prepare the soil as best we can and
then plant the seed, and if we are not
favored with proper moisture they
will not grow. However. after the
seed are once up, we can greatly assist
Nature in holding the moisture, by
giving them plenty OF shallow cultivs'
ton. Then here comes the different
kinds of bugs and worms, to prey on
them, also the gopher and mole. re-
member planting choice clemasis
which had watersd and cared for
very carefully and it had started to
grow very thriftily, when, greatly to
my disappointment, found q mole