Evening star., 1915-04-04
BACK YARD GARDENS
FOR SUBURBAN HOMES
Intensive Cultivation" Needed to
Bring Best Results
in Small Space.
Succession Of Crops utilizes Ground
During Entire Growing Season.
Plan of Small Garden.

~SeAA
cation. experiment and actual demon
stration work on the part Of garden ex-
perts Of the Department of Agriculture.
Provision has been made in the plan
for a hotbed. cold frame and open seed
beds running the length of the garden:
also for an asparagus bed and a rhu-
barb or perennial herb bed. The other
vegetables are planted in rows running
across the width, and the suggested
order in which the various kinds might
appear. and in which later crops might
follow, Is given herewith:
Lettuce, radishes. followed by celery
Onion, followed by celery.
Parsnips, followed by celery.
Carrots, followed by kale.
Beets, followed by kale.
Peas, early varieties, followed by fall
cabbage.
Peas. late varieties, followed by fall
cabbage.
Beans, followed by fall potatoes
Cabbage. followed by fall potatoes
Caulifower. kohl-rabi, followed by
fall potatoes.
Tomatoes, followed by spinach.
Eggplants, peppers, followed by spin
ach.
Cucumbers, followed by turnips.
Muskmelons or squash. followed by
turnips
Early potatoes, followed by fall
Sweet corn, followed by fall peas.
Plan Of Cultivation.
In the above plan the first two rows
are devoted. one to lettuce and one to
radishes, the two crops to be followed
later by celery. The next three rows
are devoted to onions from seed sown
in place and are to be followed later
by celery.
The next two rows are devoted to
parsnips, to be followed later by celery,
and the next two rows are devoted to
carrots. to be followed in the autumn
by kale. The next three rows are to be
devoted to garden beets sown in sue
cession and followed in the autumn by
a crop Of kale.
The next two rows, which are three
varieties Of peas, the first sown about
a week before the second row, and
after the crops are removed the land Is
to be devoted to autumn cabbage. Two
additional rows are to be sown to late
peas planted in the same order as the
first, and also followed by autumn
cabbage. The pea patch adjoins three
rows devoted to beans, which are to
be followed by autumn potatoes. The
next two rows are devoted to cabbage,
followed by autumn potatoes.
The next row is devoted to caulifowerl
or kohl-rabi, to be followed in the
autumn by potatoes The next twol
rows are devoted to tomatoes tied to|
been harvested the land is sown int
spinach. The next row is devoted part
ly to eggplants and partly to peppers.
to be followed later in the season by
spinach. The next row, which Is six
feet from the eggplants, is devoted to
cucumbers, to be followed. after the
cucumbers are harvested, by an autumn
crop of turnips.
The next row is eight feet from the
cucumbers, and is devoted to muskmel-
ons or sQuashes, followed by turnfpsl
in the autumn. The next two rows are
devoted to early potatoes. followed by
autumn-sown beans, and the next three |
rows are given over to sweet corn.
proper season for planting has arrived, |
and to be followed in the autumn byl
peas.
Hand Work Best.
Where the distance between the rows
Is less than two feet. hand cultivation
with a wheel hoe is contemplated. If
a hand cultivator or wheel hoe is not
available, the rows should be at least
two feet apart to give sufficient spaceI
for the horse cultivator Straight lines
should be followed, no matter what
method of culture is used.
VI course, In0 pan lS oAiAS Su66SSN1'>'
and each grower will have to devise ad-
ditional plans to suit his own condi-
tions. Among the things that particu-
larly must be considered in each spe-
cific case is the location of the garden.
| In this connection the question OF proA-
unity to the house should be given nrst
| consideration. AS the work of caring
| for the garden is usually done in spare
time. the location selected should be as
near the house as possible. The slope
and type of soil should be the next con-
sideration. A slope to the south or
! southeast is usually preferable, be-
cause here the soil warns up early IN
the spring, which permits early plant
| ing and stimulates the early growth OF
crops. Practically any type OF soil
can be used for the garden. put SANDY
| loan is to be preferred.
Good drainage is of prime Importance
| The land should have sufficient rail- TO
drain off surplus water during heavy
great as to wash the soil. II the land
near the house is level. artificial drain
age should be employed. Open bitches
or tile drains will be satisfactory. On
drained it is necessary to plant on
ridges or in beds to prevent drowning
the crops during wet weather. The
ridges or beds should be as wide and
flat as conditions will allow. for mar
row, sharp ridges dry out quickly.
Succession of Crops.
In planning the location of crops,
consideration should be given to the
matter of succession, In order that the
land may be occupied as large part
of the time as possible. 1t is not ad-
visable to have a second planting of
the same crop or a closely related crop
follow the first. Cabbage should not
follow oaulifiower, brussels sprouts,
mustard, or kale. for many of the same
diseases and insects affect all of these
crops. Tomatoes. eggplants and pep
pers should not follow each other. In
the diagram this point has Seen. consid- !
a