Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-05
HOME GARDENS BEING
DOOMED BY EXPERTS
Vegetables Pay Better Than Flowers,
Says Department of Agri-
culture.
oNE-HALF ACRE WILL RAISE
500 WORTH IN ONE YEAR
City Dweller at One Time in His Life
Is Enthusiastic About
Chickens.

washington, May o.-1he depart
ment of agriculture is booming the
home vegetable garden. Every subur-
banite would be better off in devoting
his time more to development of edi-
bles than to monkeying around with
flowers in the plat back of his bunga-
low, according to the department s re-
ports.
A half-acre devoted to various kinds
of garden crops win easily supply a
family with 800 worth of vegetables
during the year. A bountifu supply
of fresh vegetables close at hand, how
ever, is of more Importance even than
the money value. The department has
Just issued handy little book telling
all needful things about the home gar
den.
First of all, the booklet advises that
the land have sufficient fall to drain
off surplus water during heavy rains,
but not so much fall that the soil is
washed away. The garden surface
should not contain depressions where
puddles can remain. A good fence
around the plot is indispensable. The
soil should be well plowed up and pull
verized. Hand-spsding is unnecessary.
Enthused About Chickens.
Nearly every. city dweller sooner or
later gets enthusiastic on the subject
of chicken raising. So do the country
dwellers, for that matter. There has
been many wonderful stories of for
tunes made out of chickens and egg
production. But the prospective chick
en- raiser must learn his work and do
things scientifically, if he expects to
get profits.
One of the first things to be learned
about chicken raising, in the opinion of
the department of agriculture, is the
Importance of proper housing for the
fowls. The department has just made
public in little booklet, experts rec
concentrations for poultry house that
is suitable to practically every climate.
BE it known there are two popular
ways in which to raise poultry-the
intensive" and the "colony" sys,
tens, The first claims to have steps
Long stationary houses are used. 1t
is easier, however, to, ,keep the birds
healthy and to reproduce stock under
the second system, the department be.
lieves. &.
Under tae colony plan the fowls are
allowed free range, the houses, which
hold about 100 hens each, being PLACED
from 200 to 500 feet apart so thai
stock will not kill the grass.
This system may be adapted to Sc
we're winter conditions by drawing the
colony houses together in convenient
place at the beginning of winter. The
INTENSIVE" system is more suited foi
hens used solely for the production OF
market eggs than for those used tC
breed stock.
Fences mean an outlay of money and
this outlay is more or less continuous
as they must be maintained after be
ing installed. There should be as few
fences as possible dividing the lots and
the yards as land can,be kept "sweet
more easily if not fenced, and fresh
sweet land is valuable asset in poul
try raising.
On good soil greensward may b,
kept up by allowing 200 to $50 squar,
feet of land per bird. This means 81
or ia birds to the acre. Plymouth
Rocks and the other heavy variet,
meat birds in small yards requir
fences to 6 feet high, while a fencl
6 or feet high is necessary for leg
horns.
All poultry buildings and fence
, should be painted or whitewasled. TIL
latter is the cheapest of all paints an,