The Pensacola journal., 1917-08-07
WAR GARDENING
By J. NJ. Tate.

= late. Il
of corn once more erect, saturated
with perspiration, and thoroughly eX-
hausted by my unceasing efforts. I
sat down under the cool shade of the
corn blades which now like Jonah's
gourd afforded me a temporary shell
ter from the rays of a mid-day's
sun. Gradually I reIapsed into a
deep revery. While l sat thus pens
lively engaged suddenly there came
not a rapping as some one gently
tapping at my chamber door, but
vigorous and compelling saIutation,
which caused me to sit up, while the
following conversation ensUed, part
ly real and partly mythical:
Hello! Hello. Professor! What in
the world are you doing ?"
Being thus suddenly aroused,
turned to find Bro. S., a neighbor-
ing farmer who loves a joke and
whom I imagined was there to guy
me about my methods of farming. l
resolved to forestall him by assuming
a serious and innocent attitude, re-
plying:
only tolerably we'll I thank you,
How are all your folks ?"
"Ha! Ha! Ha." said he, Il did not
ask you about your health, but what
are you DOING"
"I heard distinctly" said l, "and
my reply answers both questions y
! You see I am endeavoring to comply
with The Journals request to do
my bit" This I wish to do in an in
telligent way, but so many methods
have suggested themselves that l am
at a loss to select the proper one.
Each method has its merits and COM
mends itself to my consideration. The
more I study, the more | am confus-
ed, for each has also its defects, ana
is interdependent upon the others
Now, if I could, with the inventive
genius of Edison, consolidate them
under one cooperative head, believe
that I would succeed as an embryonic
farmer, and at the same time furnish
food for meditation to others who
know no more about agriculture than
l. Now that you may understand my
dilemma, it may be we'll for me to
name these methods and perhaps,
with your assistance, l may eXtrlCate
myself. They are as follows:
The economic method, the inten-
sive, the theoretical and practical;
the intallment plan, rotation of crops,
etc.
I deeply sympathize with you" J."
said S, "and if l can assist you in
any way I am at your service. On
my approach I found you oblivious
to every sound and had to call hello
thrice before I could engage your at
tention. What seems to trouble
you ?" and looking at my work, added,
"Your corn rows resemble potato
ridges"
"That is exactly what they are, ,"
l replied. They we're originally corn
rows, but with hoe, they become by
phenated as corn-potato ridges" l
intend to plant potato slips between
each stalk The corn blades will shade
them until they are rooted; then the
corn wiil be gathered, the stalks re
moved, and presto! the rows are
again metamorphosed, and are now
strictly potato ridges. Upon your
arrival I was ruminating upon the
economic plan, whether it would be
cheaper to beg the slips for plant
ing, or wait until my friendly neigh
bors have harvested their crops and
then beg the potatoes"
You say you are using the in
tensive plan in farming, please for
my edifcation describe in detail how
you used it."
at is just this way" said I, "Mr.
Hardy who is a practical and sue
cessful farmer, for my benefit, sup
piled the formula and according to
recollection consisted in the following
dimensions: 2, by 2. These dimen-
sions I considered altogether out of
proportion, and these l modified so
as to amount to same total, 2x6X4.
This permitted rows feet wide with
space in the middle for peas, corn IN
the drill two feet and planted to q
depth of inches. I congratulate
myself on being an expert IN aver
ages"
Hold on there Prof. you have got
ten the whole thing down wrong.
These numbers in Mr.. Hardy's formu-
la has nothing to do with dimensions,
they refer to a certain percentage
of chemicals, such as nitrates, phos-
phate, ammonia, etc"
Il beg your pardon" said l, "these
are the exact dimensions as remem-
Der coming from this eminent agri-
culturist, and by following his direc-
tions I found them to be of great
assistance in harmonizing the con
ficting elements of the aforesaid
scientific methods now in vogue You
see by planting my vines 4 inches
deep and ? feet distant in the hill
this locates each potato vine midway
between the corn stalks and still vii
be feet distant from row to row