Evening star., 1915-03-27

and bulbs. He works upon his little
6xlo plot of ground until nightfaH
sends him in to his dinner with an ap-
petite like that of his boyhood. The
city dweller who has never had an OPP
portunity to know whether pumpkins
grow on trees or underground is quite
as apt to waken some morning with
the 'back-to-the-soiI' fever strongly
developed as is the country-born per-
son who perhaps had reason to find
gardening irksome in his youth.
The amateur garden movement is be-
coming better organized each year.
... and its ad-
Advantages of vantages
Amateur Gardening. ans In sum
| urban sections of large cities it fosters
neighborliness and sociability, as we'll
as civic pride. The trash heap in the
| back yard no longer exists. 1t Is re-
placed by cultivated beds of flowers
and vegetables. The families culti-
waiting these small gardens get into the
| habit of comparing notes across lots.
They exchange seeds and cuttings and
become acquainted and friendly be-
cause of their mutual interest.
| One OF the tendencies Of the back-to-
| the-soil movement in towns and cities is
the abol.s .shment of the ugly high board
fence which separated one hack lot from
another. Even though painted and vine
covered, the high fence is a nuisance, and
when all the gardens and back yards of a
square are in cultivation 1t tends to
break vista which would be otherwise
attractive Consequently, it is being re-
placed by attractive wire fences which
separate the lots, but permit one resident
to enjoy the good appeara nee of his neigh
bors garden.
Tile rivalry among amateurs in the
| matter of flower and vegetable raising
the "Forty-second Ward Citizens ASso-
citation" distributes well selected seeds
| and plants early in the spring. Two ex-
hibitons are held, in which the products
are upon display in tent erected for that
purpose In an open square. The first is
on the Fourth of July and Is feature of
the special celebration held in this ward
| upon that day. The other comes In Octo-
ber. Prizes are offered for the best prod
uct. The October exhibition resembles
nothing so much as country fair. Gil
Santic cabbages. potatoes, tomatoes,
beets. onions, squashes and every sort of
vegetables are shown side by side with
| flowers which rival those Of the green
| houses in beauty and fragrance.
= K
| Few Of those who enter into these
friendly competitions have more than the
| space Of an ordi-
Have Only Small nary city lot in
City Lot to Use. strate their skill.
The principles Of intensive farming are
carried out to the highest degree. Not
foot of soil is wasted. AS soon as one
crop is finished something is planted in
| its place A number Of new features
are developed. One man raises prize to-
matoes by training them to climb over
the wire fence between his garden and
that Of his neghbors. This was accom-
plished by pruning the plants when they
were young. 1t had the advantage of
saving space. as when grown like bush
in the old-fashioned way dozen plants
occupied a considerable portion OF space.
while the ground taken by those planted
against the fence is negligible.
Sometimes an amateur will have a
particular penchant for one crop, and
devote most attention to that. A lady
having a small lot put It all in flowers,
except six-foot space which sne de-
votes entirely to lettuce. chard. en-
dive and other salad plants She al
ternates them during the season. and is
usually able not only to have supply
for her own table. but to play Lady
Bountiful for all the people on her
square. A clergyman .,ia had a unique s
genius for producing exceptionally fine
ones In small quantities. He has raised
cantaloupes from single hill OF SEED
planted at the foot OF climbing rose
bush at the front of his house. while
a six-foot square in his back yard gave
seemingly miraculous results In num-
bers and quality.
II is not only in the suburbs that
nized. A man who
Garden on had not a foot OF real
House Boot. has sfe for $ several vel Years
been raising flowers and vegetables
upon the fat roof covering the rear
Of his house. He secured ten wagon
loads of earth from an excavation
being made for a new building near
him. He fitted a tight board wall
around his roof and had the soil laid
smoothly in place. adding liberal
amount Of fertilizer. He attends to
tho work Of cultivation after office
hours, and claims that he took 1t up as
much for the Improvement Of his
health as any other reason. The phyei-
cal effect Of working with tho soil
has been declared by prominent physi-
clans to De tne peSt poSsioAo So 80
worn out nerves.
Two women lying IN a city apart
ment had a garden last year which
was the wonder and delight OF their
friends. The building had an open
space at one side to supply light to In
terior rooms. The bottom OF .d,.a,n this ans air
feet square, had been planted with
grass, but after several years was neg
lected and unkept in appearance: The
women received permission to plant 2
garden in that plot Of ground: One OF
them had been brought up in the coun-
4 border going all around It was
planted in nasturttums, xinnias mari
Colds. lady slippers and other old-fash-
Toned flowers, including a liberal por-
ton of the fragrant mignonette.
row each Of lettuce. onions. peas and
string beans went the entire length Of
the garden. A few hills Of cucumbers
were at one side. A bod of cosmos and
asters was planted in one corner. After
the vegetables were gone the plants
from this bed were set in the vacant