The Pulaskian., 1915-02-05
BOOK GARDENING ovERDRAWN.
 Bv D. M. McLees

BOOk GAHDENtNG OVEhDRAWN N.
 By D. M. McLees.
 In many of our popular magazines at this season of the year are articles on the home garden. These are pro- fusely illustrated with cuts of the ul- innate results to be obtained by fol lowing the authors instructions. In terspersed with these are types of the most beautifully gowned ladies and daintily dressed children, happy-faced and enjoying themselves among the dewey leaved tomatoes, beans, water melons, carrots, and cabbages.
 The seedsman is often accused of ovedrawing the beauties of the prod Icts of his seeds, but 1 am constra1n- ed to believe that the seedsman is not to be compared to his friend, the ar tist, who makes the cuts for the home garden author.
 I saw in a popular magazine a few weeks ago, an article in which for il- illustrative purposes was drawn in true architectural style, a diagram of rectangular plot twenty-five by thirty feet In the table accompanying this diagram were seventy varieties of vegetables to be planted in this plot.
 I judged from this cireumstantial evidence that this author was either not a vegetarian, a person of very limited gastronomic capacity or else a perfect fiend for variety 1 also perceived his evident distaste for such a plebian vegetable as onions. He had allotted a small row and circumscribed it's dimensions not to exceed ten feet in length, requiring very little outlay for seed (one quarter ounee). I pre- sume this gentleman had very good private reasons for using seed instead of customary sets. Not possessing a fondness for this vegetable, he desir- ed it's maturity postponed in the hope that they might possibly perish in a summer drouth. But you know that you cannot possibly have a garden without onions, and for this very good reason they were included.
 Upon examination of this plan thought I saw one great improvement that might be added. He did not have
 
 order, and I was going to comment on this oversight and the neglect of put ting up boards of varying heights with the letter painted near the tops to serve as an index, to facilitate har- vesting in emergency cases. One might have an eleventh-hour guest who had previously expressed a. Haste T. days culinary propaganda 1 think an index might be used to advantage; especially among so many varieties.
 But there is scientific reason for everything that appears in these dia- grams that had not manifested iself upon casual inspection. The rows were not placed in alphabetical ar engagement for a very good reason. In one column was arranged a time table, such as is used by railroads. The figures I learned, indicated the due-dates in days after planting when that particular species would be in prime condition for dietary purposes. l l was considerably disappointed not to hear the moon or rather the two moons spoken of in these articles. You know there are two moons usually considered in such matters; one dark and one light. But of course these articles are covered in an exhaustive manner in scientific form, yet simple language, such as Latin and French, and success can only be avoided by di- verging from the rules as laid down and the timetable.