Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-04
Backyard Garden Soils
Improved by Fertilizers

The best garden soil is a sandy
| loan. Such a soil is we'll drained,
well aired and warns up early in the
! spring. 1t furnishes a good medium
| for the sprouting of seeds, is less in
clined to bake than other soil types
and lends itself readily to cultivation
and wedding.
However, the prospective gardener
who has a rather heavy, poorly
drained soil should not be discour-
aged. Much can be done to improve
poor soil. Adding a little sand or
coal ashes will Tighten up" n heavy
soil. A dense soil can be made more
porous by the incorporation of or
ganic matter. the best source of
which is stable manure.
Other organic materials such as
lawn clippings, vegetable remains,
autumn leaves, shrubbery trimmings.
etc, may be thoroughly composted
and worked into the soil The decom-
position of these soils in a compost
pile will be greatly fastened by the
addition of lime and plenty of
water.
Where space will permit crop of
rye, seeded after the middle of Au-
gust and as late as October. will
make good growth by the time it is
spaded under in the spring.
Have the garden soil as fertile as
possible. Plant food is supplied in
a number of ways. Spading under
green matter not only adds a small
amount of plant food directly, but
its decay also tends to liberate other
wise unavailable plant food in the
soil.
The application OF barnyard
manure is the best way of adding
soil fertility. If applied in the spring
the manure should be we'll rotted 1t
is best to apply fresh manure in the
fall and during the winter. If ap-
piled in the fall and spaded under.
the ground will be in good condition
in the spring. 1t is frequently i'm
possible. however, to secure manure
in the ideal condition. Manure in
any condition is better than none at
all.
The quantity of manure to be used
will depend on the crops grown and
the previous treatment of the soil.
A good general recommendation is
to apply an ordinary half-ton load
over space of twenty-five by thirty
feet. If celery, onions, cucumbers.
lettuce or green's are grown, a half
ton to every 500 square feet will not
be excessive. For these crops, also.
hen manure in addition, at the rate
of a peck to 500 square feet. will
prove beneficial. Too heavy manur-
ing will cause root crops to run to
leaf.
If stable manure is at a premium
there are other alternatives. Turn
ing under green matter, as stated.
is one of these. Green matter is low in
phosphorus, amineral needed to pro-
duce good vegetable fruit crops.
like tomatoes and peas. Phosphorus
may be supplied through what is
known as sixteen per cent acid phos-
phate, applied at the rate of one
pound to fifty square feet. This
element may be used to supplement
manure or green matter when spaded
under. Where rye is used as a green
crop. pulverized or dried hen manure
or sheep manure, either of which is
obtainable at seed houses, will sup
ply the lack of nitrogen. Either of
these fertilizers should be applied at
the rate of about two pecks of ma
nure to 500 square feet of land.
Potash, which under normal prices
may be used to advantage, is selling
at a price which makes its use inn
practicable. Nitrate of soda, although
high in price, may be used to top
dress any crop needing additional
stimulation, at the rate of one pound
to 200 square feet.
Circular No. SO, on Backyard
Gardening" may be obtained free of
charge by addressing the Department
of Agricultural Extension. State Col
lege, Pa.