Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-03-19
keep The YARD
BUSY PRODUCING
FOOD FOR FAMILY
25x7O-Foot Ploe Will Pro-
duce Vegetables for
Family.


Even the smallest back yard may
be made to yield supply of fresh
vegetables for the family table at but
slight expense if two or three crops
are successfully grown to keep the
area occupied all the time, according
to the garden specialists of the de-
partment. People who would dis
charge clerk if he did not work the
year round will often cultivate a gar
den at no little trouble and expense
and then allow the soil to lie idle
from the time the first crop natures
until the end of the season. Where
a two or three crop system is used
in connection with vegetables adapted
to small areas, space no larger than
25 by 70 feet will produce enough
fresh vegetables for small family.
Corn. melons, cucumbers and potatoes
ands other crops which require large
area should not be grown in garden
of this size. Half an acre properly
cultivated with careful crop rota-
ton may easily produce 500 worth
of various garden crops in a year.
When to Work Soil.
If the garden was not broken in
the fall, it should be plowed in the
spring as soon as the frost is out OF
the ground Small areas may be
worked with 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 favor
able opportunity to go out and work |
the heavy clay soil before it is dry, |
are not only wasting their energy, |
but are doing a damage to the soil |
from which it will take years for it 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. If the ball of compacted earth |
is dry enough for cultivation, it will
fall apart when the hand is opened.
A garden spot near the house is
often more desirable than plot which
is in better filth but located at an
inconvenient distance. A garden which
is near the house will receive many
a spare hour of care from adults and
children which would otherwise be
wasted. Where there is ample room
for the selection Of a garden site, the
slope of the land should be carefully
considered. A gentle slope toward
the South is most desirable for grow
ing early crops, while it is a decided
advantage to have the plot protected
on the north and northwest by either
a hill, group of buildings, or board
fence.
Drainage of the garden is of great
Importance. The land should have
sufficient fall to drain off surplus
water during heavy rains and yet not
be SO steep that the soil will be washed
or quilted. The surface should be
nearly level so the water will not
stand in hollows. Where the natural
slope of the land does not provide
sufficient natural drainage, bitches
may be dug or tile drain put in.
This will prevent waste water from
the adjoining land from washing over
it.. Such water may carry weed and
grass seed into the garden, which are
later culled out with difficulty.
How to Fertilize.
The soil in the average back yard
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 for garden
produce requires that careful atten-
ton be given to its preparation. After
spading the Enclosure thoroughly, the
upper three inches should be made
fine with the use of hoe and rake.
Stones and rubbish should be removed
and clods of dirt broken. The sur
face should be made even and as level
as possible. 1t may then be marked
off for planting in conformity with
the general plan of the garden.
Barnyard or stable manure is the
best fertilizer because it furnishes
both plant food and humus. An appli-
cation at the rate of from 20 to 30
tons to the acre of well-rotted manure
is very satisfactory. This should be
applied after blowing or working with
spade, and distributed evenly over
the surface and later worked in with
hoe and rake. On many soils it is
advisable to apply commercial fer
tilizer, especially phosphate. in addi-
ton to the manure. An application
of 900 to 600 pounds of acid phosphate
to the acre is usually sufficient. If
additional potash is needed. which is
often the case with sandy soils, this
may be economically supplied in the
form of wood ashes. If the wood ashes
are unleached they should bs dis
tributed over the garden, using 1000
pounds to the acre. If they have been
wet, or leached, 1900 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
hnfOra the nitrogen in the manure has
become available. 1t should be borne
in mind that commercial fertilizers
will not yield good results unless the
soil is we'll supplied with humus Sod
or other vegetation which has over
grown a garden spot may be used to
advantage. 1t should be turned under
with pillow or a spade and will aid
in tightening the soil and providing
humus. as3
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