The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-29
~ ISAAC L. TOTEM.


took up the subject Of High Cost OF
Living" the editor requested several
men about the city to send in their
views on this subject.
Many responded to this request: and
in the various letters reproduced.
there was much food for thought.
There was one letter that comes to
mind in which it was stated that il
the back yards of many of the city
homes we're utilized for growing vege-
tables, a large portion of the family
food problem would be solved, or
words to that effect.
A large number, no doubt, of those
who read that letter resolved that
when the garden making season OF
1912 arrived they would test the truth
Of the statement.
OF course, We may be little pre-
vious to this article but it Is always
well to begin everything in time.
Therefore permit us to suggest that
right now is a good time to procure
seed catalogues and to plan the gar.
den.
Some may think that there is plenty
of time for thinking about the garden,
and there may be, but considerable
amount Of pleasure can be had in
starting the plans now, and adding
to them as ideas come to mind.
AS a suggestion, suppose We take
a blank sheet OF paper and a pencil.
and outline our little garden plot.
Naturally we will want to raise all
of the garden truck that we can on
the little garden patch, and as many
will be advisable to indicate the rows
of vegetables. by means of lines on
the outline of our garden plot.
We will not make the garden into
small plats or beds. One large plat
covering the entire garden is suffi-
cient, and by making just one plat we
will save a great deal Of time and la
Dor. From the writer's point of view,
the garden that is made into one large
plat is much more pleasing to the eye
than when it is cut up into small beds.
If the garden is maintained as
permanent source of our summer vege-
table supply, it will be we'll to set
aside a small portion of the little
patch for rhubarb and horse radish,
which, as we all know, remain in the
ground throughout the year.
The remaining portion of the gar
den is to be planned 50 that every
square foot will do practically double
duty. This can be done by raising
more than one crop on the ground
during the season.
For instance; lettuce, radishes.
| spinach, peas, etc, may be sowed
about every two or three weeks. 1t is
| the best practice to SOW a small
amount at a time and SOW often. BY
SO doing a fresh tender supply of
vegetables may be had all during the
season. Many of the earlier vegeta-
bles are out of the way in time to
SOW seed of the latter varities.
There are SO many different tastes,
that it would be difficult to suggest
just what should be put in q small
garden in order to get the most good
out of it.
In the writer's garden we usually
have lettuce, onions, parspips, carrots.
satisfy. beets, turnips. beans, peas.
sweet corn, sween potatoes, irish po-
tatoes, musk melons, tomatoes, cab
bage, cauliflower, kohl-rabi and
SQUASH But, Of course, our garden
here on the farm is much larger than
the garden would be on the rear Of 4
city lot.
Our garden is about 60 by 120 feet,
and on this plat we grow sufficient
amount of vegetables for both our
summer and winter supply. That is,
excepting potatoes. While we have a
few rows of early potatoes in the gar
den for early use, our winters supply
is raised elsewhere.
1t is claimed that q tract of land Is
x5O feet can be made to produce all of
the vegetables an average family uses
in a season; consequently If any city
man is so situated that he can have
garden patch it will pay him to
have one.
There is considerable pleasure in
store for any city toiler who has
garden in which he can produce
something for himself
Not only is there pleasure in work
ing among the growing plants, but
one can get large amount of exel-
else in the pure outdoor air that will
yield double returns.
We imagine that it is difficult to get
any one to pillow garden patches in
the city: but this need not worry any
one that is not adverse to taking
little strenuous exercise. With a spad-
ing fork. one can spade the garden in
few evenings, and a garden that is
we'll spaded is much nicer than when
plowed.
If the best results are to be obtain
ed. the garden vegetables must have
sunlight. heat, moisture. soil. plant
food and attention.
1t is best to have the garden where
the sunlight will strike it during as
much of the day as possible. OF course,
all city premises are not SO located
that the sunlight can reach them
throughout the entire day.
Although we have no direct or posi-
tive control over sunlight, yet We can
keep the weeds out of the garden,
which If allowed to grow might pre-
vent the light from reaching the
young plants. 1t is claimed that the
first greatest damage caused by weeds
is due to the fact that they shut off
the light from the growing plants