The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-06-04

One Of the greatest joys in farming
IS the growing of fine vegetables for
home use. On the average farm, with
plenty of land and dressing, we can
grow better vegetables than we can
| buy, and so do the work that will be
a pleasure rather than burden.
To get the best results we must
start with a well.thought-out plan, and
study the business until we become
enthusiastic, and take a pride and in
terest in the work.
Study the seedsmen's catalogues
early and order the seeds before the
supply is exhausted. 1t Is good prac-
tice to consult with some of the sue
cessful gardeners and truck growers
and get all the points possible.
They make q study of the business
in order that they may take advantage
of any new improvements and grow
varieties adapted to local conditions.
Such men will give us valuable infor-
nation about new things which they
have tested.
1t is not easy to make garden in
one year, although one years work,
rightly done, will show good results
for several years. Begin the work
the previous fall; rake together ref
use and put it in the compost heap;
then pillow the ground rather deep
and leave the burrows on edge during
the winter.
Freezing, thawing and soil aeration
are beneficial and destroy insects. In
the spring such soils dry out in a
few days and are easily prepared for
planting.
All garden crops require immense
quantities of plant food. The plants
have been so changed by improved
methods of selection and different en-
vironments that they require a great
amount of plant food to reach their
best possible development
Barn manure is the best fertilizer
Chemicals are good in their place.
and when used by experts produce
truly wonderful results, but they are
unsafe in the hands of a novice and
should not be used until one has had
experience and have our soils in
high state of fertility. 1t is better
to limit the size of the garden to the
amount of available manure.
Before blowing in the fall make a
heavy application of manure, end in
the spring, after fitting the seed bed,
use plenty of the well-composted ma
nure in the rows and hills. Failure
with vegetable crops is due more to
lack of manure than any other thing
Intense cultivation during the grow
ing season destroys the weeds and
keeps the soil in ideal condition for
plant roots to thrive in. The secret
of success in transplanting cabbage,
onion, lettuce and other plants is in
keeping the weeds under control un-
til time to set out the plants.
Allowing seed weeds to terminate
and destroying the weeds early in the
season saves much work of cultiva-
ton and hoeing.
Eliminate beds. Plant long rows
and leave room at the ends to turn
around with the horse and cultivator.
Plant potatoes at each end Of the
garden, for they are not seriously
damaged by tramping while turning
around.
We grow enough potatoes in this
way for the home use and seed the
ground with turnips after the pota-
toes are harvested. Keep down the
weeds, for q small plot we'll titled
will afford all the fine vegetables
needed by large family.
Much back-aching and knee-aching
work is avoided IL one has good inn
plements. BY housing and carefully
handling, few tools can be bought
from time to time, until one has a
good set.
A wheel hoe is labor saver, and
in killing small weeds when they are
starting. The wheel hoe can be used
either between the rows or on each
side of row, in level culture. 1t
can be set to throw the dirt either
way, and eliminates much hard work.
Plant rows wide enough to get
through with q horse and cultivator.
A few well-chosen implements are
better than a whole lot OF miscella.
neous ones. Plan to 60 over the gar.
den at least twice q week during the
growing season.
Every garden maker should vary
plans to suit his needs, as no two
families will agree as to the amounts
and kinds of vegetables they will
grow. The time to plant varies with
each locality. Consult experienced
gardeners in your locality about the
time to plant the various vegetables.
Study the approximate time it takes
for each crop to mature, and plan to
keep the ground occupied by some
growing crop all times during the
growing season.
In this way we get more crops of
given area and keep the soil in