Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-24
LARGE AREAS NOT NECESSARY
FOR HOME-GARDENING SUCCESS
Backyard Yield 10 by IL Feet Will Keep Family in
Tomatoes, Beans and Saad-What Can Be Done
Larger Patches-Queries Answered
BY JOHN BARTRAM

IJOw much space will be required for O
L i garden in which the profits will meas
urably reduce the high cost of green gro
ceres and thus make the family budget &c
further?
This Is the Inevitable question asked the
amateur gardener who prates Of his plenti'
full and fresh limas, salad and peas. IL Is
a pertinent question, too, for II ones limited
space cannot be turned to account in such
wise as to make the labor worth while and
IL 1t cannot be utilized except by the person
OF much leisure the entire proposition OF
home gardening falls fiat.
Speaking from experience, ] can say that
plot IS by 100 feet affords an ample area
to harvest crops sufficient, and more. to
keep a family of five or six In green vege-
tables all spring, summer and fall with
some to can or store fer the winter.
This means relief from the burden of buy
ing anything at all except potatoes. 1t is
not feasible to grow potatoes profitably
enough in such an area, as they take up
a good deal of ground to furnish enough
for family of that size. II is better to
diversity the crops instead of having too
much risk with single thing such as pota-
toes, expensive as these have grown. Rice
and hominy furnish excellent and eco
nomcal substitutes for potatoes whereas
there are no cheap and satisfactory substl-
tutes for the green things that are needed
by the system. and greatly craved IN spring
and summer.
FOR FAMILY OF 9 OR 3
Everybody has not the territorial facili-
ties for gardening laboratory such as de-
scribed. but smaller areas may be made to
bear In proportion. For instance, for a
family of two or three one-third to one
half the space should provide bounteousiy.
IL the ground possible to cultivate is still
more circumscribed the additional asset of
In ftaer rN,. e.
gone, but enough can be cropped to keep
the table supplied with several kinds of
vegetables from spring till fall by making
the rows close and keeping the ground
working. through successional crops.
On plot of the size first stated it is
possible to grow a wide variety. Corn, to-
matoes, eggplants, Swiss chard, lima, wax
and string beans. romaine and head salad,
turnips, cabbage of three kinds. caulifower,
spinach. cucumbers. peppers, peas brussels
sprouts, beets, onions, parsnips satisfy or
oyster plant, kohl-rabi (or turnip-rooted
beet), popcorn. summer squash, Hubbard
squash for winter, celery for winter. and
even few rows of potatoes for experiment,
were arn-~g the crops.
There was enough for the family of five,
and much company and some for friends, all
through the months from m'd-Aprll till the
end of October.
Celery lasted. in storage til the end of
the following winter. Cabbage. beets
squash, onions and turnips were put away
in boxes for the winter. Tomatoes and
stringless and wax beans were canned by
the sterilization process in canning appa-
ratus that cost something less than IS, and
which should last for many seasons. Limas
and some kinds of soup or baking beans
were dried for winter use. All this, remem-
ber. on an area of about 1000 square feet
with very slight expense for labor. except
the plowing and narrowing that cost $780,
and at no burdensomc tax on ones time
A great deal can be accomplished on a
suburban plot stolen rom the back lawn,
of say twenty by thirty or :orty feet Fiji
teen TO twenty twcnty-fcet rows two feet
apart would be possible, or ten or twelve
rows on the thirty or forty feet length basis
These would allow enough room for work.
ing and from $50 to 500 worth of truck
should be harvested. Two rows of toma-
toes, two rows of wax beans. two of string
less greenpod beans. two of bush lmas, one