Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-27
A VERY SUCCESSFUL GARDEN
Judicious Planting, Careful Gull
tivation and Common Sense
Pay Well in Gardening.
or MRS. WILLIAM sAFFERN.


Does gardening pay? Well, that de-
ponds. If one had to buy or rent a
garden spot and pay for all of the labor
i doubt if it would pay for small
family; but ours has been great saw
ing to us, as well as pleasure, and 1t
certainly has paid"
My husband spaded the ground and
assisted me to prepare the soil and
plant the seed, and between the two
of us, by getting up an hour earlier
each morning, we managed to cultivate
the garden without any trouble.
Our garden Is laid out in beds, the
beds, having Ike inch boards on the
edges. This enables me to plant close
to the edges of the beds. In the paths
between 1 have gravel. which enables
me to go around in wet weather with
out getting muddy. During drought
/ irrigate my garden by filling these
paths with water from our large sup
ply tank, for the garden is right close
to the windmill.
( I first laid out a bed three feet wide
around the fences. The remaining
ground made into four long beds, with
an 18-inch path between the beds and
/ around ithe four beds in the center. My
hgarden was covered to the depth of
three inches with well rotted manure
and spaded twice the depth of the
spade.
One bed at time, as I was ready to
plant them, 1 prepared my soil by
spadtng lightly again and raking thor
oughly until there was not lump in it.
Meanwhile my seeds had sprouted in a
littlefhotbed and the plants We're ready
to be transplanted. And let me say
here that you will find this the cheap
est and most satisfactory way to start
your plants, for then you know just
exactly what you are getting, and by
planting successfully can arrange to
have successive crops OF lettuce, etc
From 5 cents worth of celery seed
planted in the house, then transplanted
to the hotbed, where it remained until
1t was 6 or inches high, l sold 200
plants, the other 200 being reserved for
home use. I should also state that
before putting this celery in had that
part of the hotbed full of delicious
crisp lettuce. AS soon as my peas die
down 1 set my celery out permanently
in that place, for it is usually the rich
| est soil, as peas require lots of fertil-
! izing.
Here is a good way to force squash
/ melons, pumpkins and cucumbers 3
| month ahead Of your neighbours. Save
all of your berry boxes, fill with goot
/ rich soil and plant several seeds il
each box You can usually find space
/ here and there among the things ir
/ your hotbed to set these boxes Wher
the time comes to plant out of doors
prepare your hills, cut the bottom ou
J, of the berry boxes, being careful no
to disturb the contents, and place IL
the center Of the hill. Pull the side.
4 up just little, and, should the nights
prove cold, a newspaper placed owe
the top of each box will be protection
enough.
Our garden is fenced with wire net
ting, and against this we have crap
vines planted on two of the sides. O.
one of the other sides I planted but
ter beans, which covered the fence i
a short time. On the remaining fenc
allowed my cucumbers to climb.
cut the pickles each morning after tn
vines began to bear and realized It'd
sum from them, besides having a
that I could use. We set out straw
berries on the two sides in front {
\ the grape vines, and the second yea
fhad aigreat abundance. of delicious ber
tandSwhen it was large enough to eat
pulled every other head and in the
lplace planted egg plant and peppe
plants.
In the first of the long beds plante
carrots, parsnips. beets, onion sets, ar
down the center q row of celery
the second I planted tomatoes, turnil
and wax beans. and in the third pea
In the fourth planted Rocky Fol
melons and harvested fine crop.
forgot to say that I had small 70
of okra, satisfy and parsley
AS soon as the produce of row
utilized the old plants should be r.
moved, the soil stirred thoroughly,
little fine fertilizer worked In and
new crop started. The early varietie
such as lettuce, peas, radishes, ct
| should be planted in adjacent row
white such plants as parsnips, salsit
etc, which. grow all through the Sc
son, should be put by themselves.