The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-06-08

! the children develop gardens at home 1"
| Well said, How did il work p?
/ Did it help the children? Was any
valuable rivalry developed as to who
could raise the best truck or the most
on a given plot?"
! We'll. no" they said the children
| lost interest in it and gave it up
after season or two" One school
No. 80, has kept up flower and vege-
table gardens by classes under the
able leadership of Miss Mcmillan.
L soon discovered that they had at
! tempted the impossible. Namely. TO
develop an untried proposition against
all sorts Of active and passive oppo-
sltlon without an inspiring, enthusf-
astic leader that would create a love
for the new thing under favora BILE
conditions.
In this climate the home vegetable
garden should be a great economic
help in the majority Of families. be
sides furnishing valuable object les
sons in nature study and above all
teaching that which no teacher can
teach. Namely. observation
Locally, and this year We are pass
ing through unusual dry season
that has burnt UP all sorts Of farm
crops and truck crops besides many
home gardens.
But, again. there are many unCon-
auerable spirits who say With Ma
poleon. There shall be no Alps" They
water their gardens, pile on mulchinz
of dead oak leaves, weeds and other
refuse. they maintain a dust mulch
and bury the roots deeper and deeper.
are green where all around $ brown
and parched.
Right now ts the time 10 get ready
for . late summer garden. to take
advantage Of the July and August
rains that never fail in this latitude
p,
yard can have a. good garden by be
Ing ready when the mid summer rains
do come
What shall we plant - Nv answer
Is. start tomato plants right away
and have fall tomatoes They do
October dry spells for rinering and
maturing fruit without much danger
Of dry rot or moist rot
Plant pole beans, butter beans and
snap beans any time If YOU can water
them. Else wait until July rains
Plant ol1ra # you like. Set out sweet
potato draws If YOU have room enough
to make it worth while
II you have chickens It may be
ORTIZ while to plant sunf1owers for
them. The Russian, single head va
riety is best. They mature nicely from
a July planting; ripening when the
hens are mOulting. At this time sun
flower seed are considered very ap-
propriate food by many practical poul-
try men.
Fall Irish potatoes are best planted
August 10th to 18th They have am
pie time to mature before frost and
bear better than spring planting
IF you wish to start A strawberry
bed. put in the plants about July 18th.
They will get 2. full month Of cloudy
drizzly weather and get a good start
to bear well the following spring, If
the ground is we'll prepared and rich.
Black eyed Cowpeas can be planted
any time IN July or August for fall
pods
Turnips for greens or roots are best
planted late in August or early in
September, endeavoring to catch
rainy spell
Carrots and parsnips are best start
ed In September but must have the
ground shaded with muslin or twigs
for two months. They grow all win
ter.
For those who have not had pre-
vious garden experience. I should ad-
wise to get several good seed cata-
logs and then get practical points
from successful neighbors
In this sandy ground Of the gulf |
coast the old rule holds good: Feed |
the ground and 1t will feed YOU
If you can get barnyard fertilizer |
that. of course, is best. But it should !
be worked in deep. A good practical |
plan is to dig a trench two spades |
wide. Fill it two or three inches deep |
with old, well rotted manure Dig |
this with the dirt below it. and turn !
it over and mix it in bottom of trench. |
Then i'll trench half way with dirt |
that was taken out. Soak it up good |
with LIQUID manure if possible. Then |
plant in that bed ana gradually hoe |
dirt around roots as the |
stalks grow up. This buries the roots |
deep in the rich dirt and makes 4 |
mulch on top that has not been fer |
tilted. Consequen 1t will not en-
weed growth.
And if a dry spell should come on. |
you are amply protected, by having
the roots deep down IN rich dirt.
For later crops, onions do best if
set out October LIST. English peas
they may mature before killing frost.
| have eaten some one winter early
in February that were planted in a
sheltered place They were delicious.
OF course winter cabbage should be
set out some time In September or
October depending on soil moisture.
But the ground must be rich
For beginners it is quite advisable
not to plant too many things Try
TO learn the right season. Get the
in deep. Water the first
month If needed. AS your experience
develops. take on other things.
AS a parting word. l should like to
see every family start some beans and
in July, and turnips and cab
page in October. They are easy TO
'aiSe.
Let US see if we cant get the new
school gardens at the schools" and
De up to date with other communities
hat have these evidences Of a pro-
yreSsiVe spirit.
Later some prizes may be offered
or the best kept lawn. And as chill
iren get experience and enthusiasm AT
he school garden. they Will want to
,eautify and enrich all the waste
2laCes around the home. and in later
ears il viii not be neCeSsaTN for the