The Washington times., 1913-07-28
FAMILY GARDENING
ON LOT 90 BY 70
Capital Citizen Proves That One
Can Raise Fruits, Vege-
tables, and Flowers Easily.

large municipality in the country are
endeavoring to bring about CITY
beautiful by encouraging the culuva-
ton of lawns and back. yards, WASH
ington has a most unusual example OF
what may be accomplished on a small
piece of ground in the work OF T. II.
Halbach, 1925 Park road.
In a plot of ground twenty feet VIDE
by ninety feet long he has small
orchard, a grape trellis, a vegetable
garden. a berry patch, flower garden
a bed of ferns, 225 square feet OF grana-
told walk, and plenty of very hne SOD.
Nor does the whole have the appear
ance of being crowded. for so judici-
ousIy are the various units arranged
that the yard suggests a miniature park.
Two years ago the ground was raw
land
The best yield so far has been from
the fourteen large Kansas black rasp-
berry bushes that grow along the fence.
These yielded twenty-five quarts of
berries this spring, the kind that were
then retailing for 30 cents quart. so
far as the expense is concerned TINS,
one crop alone paid for all the plants
in the yard and for enough ferun-
zer to sustain them one year.
Cost OF his Garoen.
Mr.. HaIbach's original expense for
fruits and berries follows:
Fourteen raspberry plants, 81 per
dozen, sl.l7; five grape vines at 10 cents
each, 50 cents; 10 currant bushes, 10
cents each, sLoo; one peach tree, one
pear tree, one apple tree, one plum
tree. one cherry tree. 30 cents each, sl76.
Total. sS.42. In addition to the above
he has six healthy Ponderosa tomato
plants, a ten-foot row of lima or put
ter beans, a patch or string Deans
which has supplied his table Tor three
weeks. some rare varieties OF begonia,
large hydrangea bush, lilac bush,
perennial pea vine on small trellis,
roses, and cannas.
Mr. Halbach arranged his yard by put
tine the raspberry bushes along the
fence, on the left hand side of the
ward as one faces 1t from the house
The fruit trees and currant bushes he
placed in the center row, the currants
taking up the space between the trees.
on the extreme right, alongside the
walk, he has his grape treilis, the nNe
vines representing four varietles-Con-
cord Niagara. Delaware, and Moore's
Early. There is a fine sod between
these three main rows.
Vegetables In Rear Of Lot.
At the rear of the garden, which is
the suuniest spot. his tomato plants
finish out the row of raspoerries' which
do not extend quite all the way 10 the |
back fence. The lima beans extend |
across the rear of the yard, and IN front |
of them is the string bean patcn.
The flower garden Is up next 10 the
house, the begonias, whlch wouiI pe d
credit 10 any greenhouse, making
border for the walk which curves from
the rear porch steps 10 the pasemsnt
door Where this walk curves around II |
leaves a small triangular patch almost |
under the porch, and here is the ierh
bed 1t is necessarily in shady place
and contains more than twenty Na
9iaa ~ ferns. all of which have been |
gsfbered from the woods OF Rock |
Creek Park
"Some people are afraid to start cui-
.i,,s zion Of even such, small patch /
as this on account OF the work inNoN |
ed, :" said Mr. HalbGch, as ne surNeyeu
.I,ut I can work every tree, bush. ana
nIant 7 have here in an hour. and can |
wa ter them all in twenty minutes;
COT necessity / have used artincial
fertilizers altogether and nave mao
treat success with them. But they must
ha need like medicine. The Importance |
of not OVERRIDING ii cannot be empha-
s;zad too strongly. / put fertilizer on |
INV plants Just about like 1 put salt
on my steak.
Methods OF Fertilizing.
.T use nitrate of soda for most OF
tbe nIants and generally apply II by /
dissolved a little in a sprinkler fun OF I
water. For the grapes. | have used sui
nbate of potash and muriate OF potash. |
Rone meal is also excellent for all
growing things and for the lawn In
The snring there is nothing better than |
wood ashes.
..IVbere, concentrated fertilizers are
applied, they should be sprinkled very
lightIv on the surface OF the ground
not TOO close to the stem or trunk. Inc
grourd here l found very sandy and |
containing more rock tnan SOIL.
oofhered a little leaf mold from the |
woods near here ana that heipeu the
ficwers a great deal
.It Is not an exaggeration to say that
the cost is trivial, even for Govern
rent clerk" laughed Mr. Halbach.
WHO Is himself employed in the War
rtment. Il have showed you that
he cost of the plants is very small.
Ia as for the fertilizer, 1 have not used
tiva Rounds of nitrate in year.
.srbere Is no excuse for an i'll kept |
,,,,.r yard SO far as ! can see. And |
!, tas heen my experience that when
ona man in a block fixes up MS place,
bis nejghbors are quick to follow his (.
EXAMPLE. l know that The Times mas
beiped this work by puohSnlng PIC,