The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-03
THE CALL OF SPRING AND
THE BACKYARD GARDEN
Patches of Ground Made 20 Pay In
More Ways Than
Ono.
WAY TO REDUCE COST OF LIVING
Back-Door Garden or Orchard Can he
mt Every Suburban IIOme-May Even
De In City.

Have YOU ever felt the call to the
garden. to go out and dig, to hoo and
rake. to watch things germinate? No
doubt you have IL you live in the
suburbs or out In the country. and IL
you haven't responded to It to the eN-
tent OF cultivating that patch behind
your house or setting out a few fruit
trees then you have been the cause of
an economic loss you have helped to
maintain the States large unpro-
ductive area and the high cost OF liv-
ing, which we hear so.much talk about.
If all the patches of land suitable
for nome gardens and for raising
fruit trees just to supply the. family
could be put together. In Virginia and
North Carolina alone they would
amount to some thousands OF acres of
arabic land. now representing lust
that much taken out of the food pro
ducing area OF the two States. Even
tho smallest backyard garden will
save money and pay dividends In
health besides. y halfacre devoted to
various kinds of garden crops will
supply a family with Sl0O worth nj
vegetables during year, ana the7
"ilt be strictly fresh vegetables, TOO.
something you do not always get In
the markets. i.,.
Uncle Sam Relieves In It,
1t might be supposed by some that
Dackdoor farming was too inconso
quential for the great United St.te.
government to notice, but ii isn't. he
cause II all backwards were nron-
cry cultivated there would be very
considerable increase In the countrv,s
1000 production, and that is what your
ohcie sam IS after all the time In
aeed' as a stimulus to this kind OF
iarming the Department OF AgricuI
thre very recently issued some SIMPLE.
Dut fundamental rules for turning, :.
oacS lot into vegetable garden or
an orchard for raising, Instead OF buy
ing me Things which form such n
large part OF the summer dietary
IL Is now nearly too late for the
suburbanites around Richmond. for in
stance who have made no gardens at
nome TO take advantage of all ~
-hcie SANS good advice for this vcar,c
consumption. but "a they. sit on tbn,,.
porehes to-day and read these few
lfhes they can make up their minds to
10 petter things another YEAR
The ENprrts SqueaII Ont.
in the first place, lest you becon,.
discouraged at the start, the govern
n'eht experts say IL Is really, surpris-
ing TIE change that can 'bc[w roucnt i'm
poor SOIL In n single season. First I'm
Importance in garden making they mi
tho necessity for good drainage. some
way by which the surplus water in
heaVy rams can run off your patch in
scanning III DuduleS. The
second rudimentary principle is to
renee OFF the garden from animals and
cnicKens. Then the selection of fer
ul-er IS an important step in the back
ward garden because the Kind nsad
mas l marked influence on Tho char
'ncter ard aLaiitv of the vegetables uro-
duced. Fertilizers, saw the experts
should nave passed through the fer
Mentati"n stage before heirg used. and
weii-rotted barn manure has no eouaI
in this respect.
For II good garden the government.
recipe calls for early sp9dinr ar
fioughing so that the soil mrs Tim.
I" settle before planting Another si,p
gestion Is TO dig or plow deone. ,h"n
the farmer does for the reason TINT
The roots of garden vegetables grow
deeper than farm crops. SubsoIlnc-
di9Gng down two spade lengtbs--.is
really the best plan. or course nearly
everybody knows that after this tho
soil must he pulverZcd. Uncle Sans
advice is that this should not sto1,
with the surface. but extend as deep
as the spading. The better tile soil IS
prepared the less care the crops will
require.
Crop rotation liz recommended for
the backyard amateur farmer Just as
for the professional Study success
sior so that all. the garden may be 20
Ing all the time and don't plant the
Continued on Third Rage.y D =