Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-05-26

are successfully grown to keep the
area occupied all the time. People
who would discharge q clerk II he did
not work the year round will often cai-
tivate a garden at no little trouble and
expense and then allow the soil to lie
idle from the time the first crop uaas-
lures until the end Of the season.
Where q two or three crop system 10
used in connection with vegetables
adapted to small areas. q space no
larger than rs by 70 feet will produce
enough fresh vegetables for a small
family. Corn, melons, cucumbers and
potatoes and othex crops which re-
quire large area should not be grown
in a garden of this size. Half an acre
properly cultivated with a careful crop
rotation may easily produce 500
worth of various garden crops In q
year.
When to Work Soil.
II the garden was not broken in the
fall 1t should be plowed In the spring
as soon as the frost Is out OF the
ground. Small areas may be worked
with a spade, pushing the blade In to
it's full depth and turning the soil
to break up the clods. Heavy soils
should never be worked when wet
Overzealous gardeners. ready to seize
the first warm spell as favorable OPP
portunity to go out nd work the
heavy clay soil before it is dry. are
mot only wasting their energy. but are
doing a damage to the soil from which
it will take years for 1t to recover.
To determine when heavy soils are
ready for blowing a handful Of earth
should be collected from the surface
and the fingers tightly closed on it. II
the ball of compacted earth is
dry enough for cultivation it will fall
apart when the hand is opened.
How to FertiIize.
! The soil in the average backyard
is not only lacking in plant food. but
also has been packed until it is hard
and unyielding. To loosen up such
soil and make it suitable fer garden
produce requires that careful atten-
ton be given to it's preparation. After
spading the Enclosure thoroughly, the
upper three inches should be made
fine with the use of hoe and raSa.
Stones and rubbish should be removed
and clods of dirt broken. The surface
should be marked of for planting Ia
conformity with the general plan OF
the garden.
Barnyard or stable manure Is the
best fertilizer because 1t furnishes
both plant food and humus. An appli-
cation at the rate Of from 20 to 30 tons
to the acre of we'll rotted manure is
very satisfactory. This should be ap-
piled after blowing or worked with q
spade, and distributed evenly over
the surface and later worked in with q
hoe or rake. On many soils 1t Is ad-
visable to apply commercial fertilizer.
especially phosphate. in addition to
the manure. An application of 300 to
600 pounds of acid phosphate to the
acre is usually sufficient. II addition
al potash is needed. which is often the
case with sandy soils, this may be eco
nomically supplied in the form of
wood ashes. II the wood ashes are un-
leached they should be distributed
over the garden, using 1000 pounds to
the acre. II they have been wet, or
leached, 1000 pounds should be used.
An application Of 100 pounds to the
acre of nitrate Of soda may be used In
the spring to start the plants before
nitrogen in the manure has become
available. It should be borne In mind
that commercial fertilizers will not
yield good results unless the soil ID
we'll supplied with humus. Sod or
other vegetation which has overgrown
q garden spot may be used to advan.
tage. It should be turned under with
a pillow or a spade and will aid in light
ening the soil and providing humus.