Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-25
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DeLdcacies From the Home Garden

Now is the time 10 prepare for the
autumn garden There il often a good
season in the soil in July which should
Re taken advantage OF. for, as all know
who have had experience. II good
stand can he secured. most crops can
stand Z considerable amount or dry
weather ana still make fair yield IL
the ground becomes dry and hard De-
lore the planting is done. however. poor
results are almost certain TO follow
Some crops planted now viii De ready
= Tor use IN September. others will ma
ture a little later on, and so the garden
may be made TO produce variety or
crops until frost comes. While most
reople have an excellent spring garden.
what may be termed the summer and
autumn garden are frequently neglected
The importance Of the garden cannot
be over-emphasized. for IL has been
shown that a variety Of vegetables IN
the dietary constitutes one of the best
means of preserving the health Of the
family.
Among the crops which may be plant
ed during the month OF July are second
crop Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes
which may be made 10 follow the spring
crop of Irish potatoes, corn. tomatoes,
snap beans. cabbage. collards and tur-
nips. The ground should be carefully
prepared II is naturally supposed that
a garden soil will be in good condition
and well supplied with available plant
food. II is not practicable or desirable
at this season of the year TO resort 10
the use Of compost or yard manures.
While these are invaluable they should
be used in the late fall or early spring.
If applied at this season Of the year
they may be the means of causing the
nanFnp-
and II a dry season follows they will
not be broken down with sufficient
rapidity to make the plant food contain
ed Of any material value to the crop
growing on the land that season.
Garden crops require liberal fertiliza-
ton. and there are very few soils which
contain a sufficient amount of nitrogen
Therefore. this element should be APP
piled freely. Most garden soils are also
deficient in phosphOric acid. and many
in potash as we'll These elements may
be derived from any convenient and
economical source. but probably acid
phosphate provides phosphoric acid in
as cheap and desirable form as il can
be secured for most garden crops Pot
ash fertilizers are not now available
by reason OF the war prevailing IN
Europe OF course. If one has any wood
ashes they should be scattered over
the ground at the rate OF several hun
dred pounds per acre Wood ashes
SHOULD not be mixed with acid phos-
phate. but should be applied separately.
Nitrogen may be derived from several
sources. but probably cotton seed meal
will provide this element in satisfac-
tory a form as it can now be secured
good grade Of cotton seed meal also has
the advantage of providing phOsphoric
acid and about l-I5 per cent OF potash
A good preparation to use on garden
soils would be a mixture made up OF two
sacks Of cotton seed meal with 4OU
pounds Of acid phosphate If used at the
rate of 500 pounds per acre, il Will pro-
vide as good a garden formula as can
be obtained and at a reasonable cost, all
things considered. This fertilizer should,
as a rule be used under the drill rows
and should be well mixed with the soil
or subsoiI. depending on the narure OF
the crop to be planted The use of or
ganic nitrogen may be objected 10 by
some, but they will find that the nitro
gen in cotton seed meal will become
available with sufficient rapidity to meet
the requirements OF the average garden
crop, as they all occupy the ground for
"a considerable period Of time.
The idea that the use of fertilizers IN
midsummer will cause the crops to burn
I'D is without foundation The trouble is
not due TO the use of fertilizers. but To
a lack OF moisture and a failure to Guilt
vate the garden and so handle il as 70
preserve a part Of the water which falls
as rain for the use of the growing
plants II those who cultivate garden
will realize that the production OF the
= average crop calls for the handling BY
the plants Of 1900 10 1000 tons of water
per acre. they will have a clearer idea
OF the Importance Of water and the ne
cessfty for conserving it.
StoweIrs Evergreen corn, IL planted
at this season, will mature in Septem-
Der, and IL properly worked and cared
for, will yield an abundant crop of ears
of the finest quality and flavor. The
corn should be planted in rows three
feet apart and left about eighteen inches
in the drill. and should be fertilized as
f.. indicated above Planting in shallow
: furrow is often an advantage at this
season OF the year Tomatoes may be
planted for the second crop any time
during this month; the sooner the bet
ter. They do not require as rich land as
some crops. but. in the writer's expe-
rience, the use OF commercial plant food
has proven profitable. The tomatoes
should be set three feet apart in each
direction Some prefer TO stake them
believing that they ripen TO bettef ad-