The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-02-28

One of the mos important adjuncts
to any home is kitchen garden. A
large area of land is not needed for
the work and there are thousands of
homes both urban and rural which
would profit greatly by a well man
aged garden plot. In these days of
high living costs the garden should
receive much more attention and con-
sideration than has been bestowed
upon it in the past. In the first place,
it may be made to provide fresh and
wholesome vegetables at practically
all seasons of the year. and as these
are costly and difficult to get it will
lessen the marketing bill for the
month by several dollars. Even on a
city lot gardening is not as difficult
an undertaking as it would seem to be
to the layman. We hear frequently
now of the necessity for exercise, es-
pecially on the part of those who may
have more or less office work to do.
OF course, exercise is a very desirable
thing, and one can take it in many
ways, but if there is a more whole
some or desirable method of securing
1t than through the operation of
small garden the writer is not ac-
quainted with it. Gardening is not
exhausting work; yet there are few
side lines which may be taken up cal
culated to give greater pleasure to the
individual. Certainly it is beneficial
to work out in the open air and keep
to some extent at least in touch with
nature. Surely it is inspiring to work
with such a great variety of seeds and
plants, and learn at first hand how the
growth and development in this or that
variety may be stimulated by different
methods of fertilization land cultiva-
ton. Gardening is not only an entic-
ing occupation, but it is of information
al value as well. One who works with
soils and plants has his mind so fully
occupied with these things that many
of the cares and burdens of business
will disappear.
Gardening Time.
The season is at hand when the
gardener must HE forth with the
spade, hoe and rake to engage in his
fascinating occupation. The prepare
ton of the land is one of the most inn
portant steps in the growth of vege-
tables which must be developed quick
ly to be succulent and palatable.
Where the area of ground is very small
the spade must be resorted to for
turning and loosening it, On larger
areas the pillow should always be used.
On light soils deep blowing is not
essential, but on heavy soils thor
ough stirring of the land becomes
very desirable. 1t is not necessary
for the owner of a small lot to main
tain work stock to operate a garden
as it is seldom narrowed the planting
and cultivating is best done by hand,
for of course, gardening to be sue
cessful must be carried along on in
tensive lines.
After the ground has been thorough
ly prepared it should be we'll MANFRED
for most crops. This may be accom-
plished in one of several ways. There
is good deal of litter accommodating
on every place and a little compost
heap should be made at the begin
ming of the season and all trash thrown
thereon. The mass should be forked
over two or three times during the
year By the following winter a mass
of rich, soft friable earth will have
been accumulated. There is nothing
better to put in the drill rows and
mix with the soil before planting most
seeds. If one cannot have compost
heap, then some stable manure should
be secured. 1t is desirable that it be
well rotted. By one or both of these
means vegetable matter may be Sc
cured in sufficient quantity.
Fertilizers.
Next, artificial fertilizers should be