American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-10-03
LIBERAL DRY FARM GARDENS
One to Two Acres VIII Give Varied
and Healthful Diet and Cut Down
Living Expenses.

The dry-farmer should plant a lib
eral garden. l believe from my exper
fences that a kitchen garden of one
and one-half to two acres will not
only give a more varied and healthful
diet, but actually cut down the living
expenses of the average family from
300 to $500. writes j. b. Barber in
the Dakota Farmer.
My garden of 1911 was broken from
the virgin sod from six to nine inches
eep 1t was situated next to the riv.
er n 40 inches above it, so you can
readily see there was no chance for
sub-irrigation; soil, sandy loan I've
a gumbo hardpan at a depth of about
two feet.
l planted two-thirds acre of pota-
toes April 18th. breaking the ground
six inches deep and placing the pota-
toes (cut to about two eyes) In each
third furrow and next to the square
side so the next furrow would just
freak over them. This insures even
and uniform stand. Usually the early
planted potatoes do the best here, the
very best ones | have grown being
planted March 9th, although it Is
very probable that in a season like
1911, later planting would have given
equal If not better results.
April 18th | began to plant small
seeds such as onions. beets, carrots,
satisfy, parsnips. spinach, radish, ruta-
basa, turnip, etc. Practically no pre-
cipitation fell from the melting of the
snow, March LIST to 10th. until May
10th, when We were Favored by heavy
rain. On May "a | reworked half of
the onion land and planted to pop
corn. On May Goth | set W dozen
each of cabbage and tomato plants,
and more cabbage later on. | planted
a few hills of melon and squash May
10Th; also cucumbers. Had to replant
part OF these later owing. | believe.
to mice taking the seed. Getting &C.
casional light rains from this time on,
all h varieties grew and produced
well, and while the results would not,
perhaps. be called wonderful, they
were very satisfactory, and not only
furnished an abundance of vegetables
throughout the season, but also put in
the cellar something like 60 bushels
Of potatoes, Is bushels OF table beets,
a sack of carrots, two each of turnips
and rutabagas, several of onions, some
satisfy and cabbage; also sailed down
a keg of cucumbers for pickles. | had
between 100 and 200 melons of each
variety. Squashes, while they pro-
duced abundantly, were a worthless
mixture. Beans were omitted from the
seed order, so had none If | except
the Syrian peas. which are great pro-
ducers here.
From pound of seed of the Gold
en- Bantam sweet corn | had corn to
use for six weeks not small quanti-
ties ether besides giving consider
ably away. Also produced IL quarts
OF select shelled seed in addition.
OF onions the Southport Red Globe
Is my %fayorite, and my experience
would lead one to believe they could
be protitably produced in a CONNER
cial way upon the dry farm. There is
no patent on my way of growing
onions; they were simply drilled in
to a deeply-inverted sod which had
been well worked down and after
wards kept clean, frequently going
through hem with a fne-tooth hand
rake.
Carrots seem the best adapted to
dry-land conditions Of the root crops.
though | had rutabagas measuring 25
inches in circumference. Plant plenty
of these and the old COW viii willing
ly help you dispose Of the surplus
next winter.