Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-04-29
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES coNEs
INTO PROFITABLE PLACE
Practical Suggestions to City Garden
ers Who Would Convert Lots Into
Valuable Gardens.

"
The vacant-lot movement a gain.
ed a fOothold in many American cities.
IL is q good movement for several
reasons: Cd 1t improves the appear
ance of a city and enhances the Valuo
OF its real estate; (2) 1t provides
healthful employment for young and
old; (S) 1t is a means of obtaining the
most wholesome and nutritious fool
for the home table. These three con
~siderations make the vacant-lot move
ment an important proposition 20
every town and city.
Some of the people who desire TO
make gardens may be discouraged be-
cause of the impoverished condition
OF the land that is available. This.
however, should not be. a real barrier.
because it is possible to improve small
areas 81 that very good crops may be
grown. The most important factor in
making any soil good is the organic
matter which it contains. Soils def
cient in organic matter become hard
and compact after rains, are difficult
to work, and fail to produce good
crops. The best material to apply to
the soil, whether it is sandy or clayey
in character, is stable manure-eitheI
horse or COW manure is suitable for
gardening work. 1t is desirable that
the manure be partially decayed for
such crops as tomatoes, peppers, egg
plant, radishes, beets, and carrots, be-
cause fresh manure applied to these
/ crops will cause al excessive leaf and
vine growth at the sacrifice of yields.
For other V~egetablesf1 such as spinach,
kale, lettuce and cabbage, the leaves
of which constitute the edible parts,
fresh stable manure may be used with
out any Injurious results. If a soil is
very much deficient in organic matter,
four inches of manure may be used to
advantage. On the other hand, if the
soil is fairly productive, an application
Of two inches of manure over the entire
| surface should give satisfactory re-
suits. 1t should be spread evenly so
that there will be no uncovered spots.
| Then the land should be spaded or
Plewed, thus mixing the manure with
the soil. Some gardeners prefer to
apply part of the before plow-
ing or spading and the balance after
the ground his been prepared. This
results in mixing the manure more
| luOIOuSu1y liz OALA 0CPSA O1tabE'
| surface soil. Ordinarily, the lanl
should be spaded or plowed to a depth
of six or eight inches. 1t is not desir-
able to turn up a large amount OF
heavy sub-soil.
| With a general vacant-lot gardening
movement, it may be impossible for
everybody to get as much manur as
is needed to grow the best crops. In
~ G~~&S1S1~M- n
be used to supplement stable manure.
For most garden crops the CONNER
cial fertilizer should contain about
| four per cent of nitrogen and eight
per cent of each of the mineral .ele-
ments-potash and phosphoric acid.
If a mixed fertilizer car be bought that
carries a larger percentage of potash
and phosphoric acid, no harm VIII he
done to the vegetables and IT Is pos
| sible that the yields will be larger be-
cause of the increased percentages OF
the mineral elements. Intensive grew
ers often apply as much as . ton Of
fertilizer to an acre Half of-tEE
amount, however, is sufficient, II con-
siderable stable manur has been ap-
piled.
Success in growing any crop depends
largely upon the fhoroughness IN pre-
pairing the soil. 1t is much better to
harrow and rake the land until 1T rs
thoroughly fine than to attempt to pull"
verize it by cultivation after the crops
are planted.
1t is a mistake 10 plant each vege-
table in small patches. Long straight
rows count for economy IN small lots
as well as in big fields on the farm.
There is absolutely no reason Why
lettuce, radishes, paTsnips, and n
vegetables. should not be planted m
rows running the full length OF the
lot. The rows of vegetables such as
the ones just mentioned need not be
more than a foot apart. Other vege-
j tables, like cabbage, tomatoes, sweet
corn, potatoes, ETC., should have from
| three to four feet of space between the
rows. It is possible to economic in
space by interplanting with Tegeta-
| bles which are harvested earlier thar
those requiring more space. Fol- eX-
ample, it is often desirable TO plant
cabbage. lettuce and radlshes IN the
following manner:
Early Cabbage Co, Lettuce CD and
Radish.
C l. 9" C L C LC L C L c IC L C
. . Radish.. . ..-..
L L L L L L L l. L
.Radish.. . -. -.
10 l. G L C L G L G L G
This is a thoroughly practical cnl-
bination and counts for larger produc-
ton on small areas. If the small, but
ton radfshes are used, these will be
harvested in four weeks or less, the
lettuce will come out in about SIX
weeks. and then all the ground will be
given to the cabbage which will be
ready to harvest in July.
Another very good plan is the fol-
lowing:
Early Cabbage (c) and Beets CD.