The Springdale news., 1916-04-14
ORCHARD AND GARDEN CROPS
No. 5.-The Home Garden.
By J. S. Knox, Extension Horticulture
list, University of Arkansas.

By J. S. Knox, Extension Horticulture
list, University of Arkansas.
NO other area on the whole farm
will compare in value with the home
garden. If properly prepared, fertil-
lied, planted and cultivated. a one
acre garden is easily worth $4,000 to
the farmer, and, if he counts in the
garden truck at the same price he
pays for it at the grocery store, he
will find that 800 90 is low esti-
mate OF the crop grown in the gar
den. There are hundreds of homes
in the state of Arkansas where, ex-
cepting possibly in early summer,
there is nothing TO be had from the
garden, and every year we are send
ing thousands of dollars TO other
states TO buy vegetables that should
be grown in our own gardens. We
do not need better market for what
we can grow in a small garden than
that of supplying our own tables
Location.-In selecting location
for the home garden the following
points should be considered: % The
Soil. In order to grow vegetables
that are of the highest quality it is
necessary to have deep, rich, loose
and MISUNDERSTANDING soil. Vegeta-
bles grown on poor soil where
growth is slow are very apt to be
tough and stringy or unfit for eating
purposes. The misunderstanding
property is also a desirable one, es-
peeially during the dry, hot days of
summer. Unless the soil is loose it
is very hard to get stand of the
small seeded plants. because they do
not possess the necessary vitality TO
push their way through hard erusty
soil. Then, too 1t is very difficult to
cultivate small plants when the soil
is compact or crusty
(2) Site.-The garden should, II
possible, be located on a gentle south
or southeast slope. Such slopes are
more exposed to the sun and will
warm up some earlier in the spring of
the year If there is considerable
slope and elevation il will be all the
better. | have noticed in several diff
ferent instances that vegetables locat-
ed on a slope are not killed so early
in the fall by frost as are those in
the level lowlands. 1t quite often
happens that we have a killing frost
early in the fall. and after that it
may be a month before We have an
otner frost This was true this last
fall. and the gardens on the sloping
places could therefore be used to ad-
vantage some weeks later. CD Near
ness TO water supply. If an abundant
supply of water can be had, it is so
much the better. Considerable water
may be needed in the transplanting
of the different vegetables. (4 Near
ness to home This | consider very
important factor, because gardens
that are located a long distance from
the home seldom receive the attention
they deserve. The garden should, if
possible, be located near the home, so
that 1t will require only few steps
for the housewife to gather the days
supply of vegetables.
Seed.-Too little stress is generally
laid on the importance or good seed
for planting purposes. No matter how
IDEAL the soil, climate, site, rainfall,
etc, one cannot get best results when
only half of the seed terminate This
can partly be overcome by sowing
twice as many seed as are necessary,
but the plants are also apt to lack in
vitality. 1t is therefore good idea
to test garden seed before planting,
or at least to get them from some re-
liable seed house Any farmer can,
within very short time, prepare
seed tester at home. The following
kind is very satisfactory:
Take an ordinary dinner plate and
place on the shelf Now take piece
of heavy cotton flannel and wet it
thoroughly put one end into the plate,
and onto this count 100 seed of the
kind which you desire to test. Now
fold the other end of the cloth over
this and press firmly, so as to bring it
in direct contact with the seed. Next
invert second dinner plate over this
one and place the tester in fairly
warm room, where the temperature
does not fall below IS or 20 degrees
+. Keep the cloths moist for eight
or ten days. then remove the top plate
and the cloth cover and count the
number of seed that have terminated
(sprouted) The number that have
terminated will be the per cent of
termination. The above is a very
simple and inexpensive way of deter
mining whether or not your garden
seed are worth planting, and as it
can be done during the winter or be
fore the planting season is on. 1t
should always be done