Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-12

That the interest in home gardening
is becoming more widespread and
the people of Harrisburg are alive 10
the need of growing as large a guam
tity of vegetables as possible IN thelr
own yards, is emphasized by the re-
quests for garden seeds that are pour
ing into the Harrisburg Benevolent
Association.
The HARRISBURG ELEGRAPH
announced last week that an oner OF
800 worth of seeds, sufficient Tor
planting $4,000 square feet. had oeen
made to this newspaper for contrl-
button among deserving persons py
the National Emergency Food Garden
Commission, of Washington, u. ",
and that the offer had been accepted
and the seeds would be turned over TO
the Harrisburg Benevolent Associa-
ton who would supervise their dlstrl-
| button. Since the announcement ap-
peared scores of requests for seeds
have been coming nbt only from Har-
risburg but from outlying towns.
The Harrisburg Benevolent Assocla-
ton extends its activities only wlthln
the city limits, and since it will have
sole charge of distributing the seeds
| only residents of Harrisburg are priv
ileged to share them. Those who are
deeply interested in growing their
! own vegetables and intend to do IN,
tensive gardening This spring ana
summer and who cannot afford to buy
large selection of seeds will be sup
pHp If YOU m ~ want a selection of these
seeds send in your name now to the
Harrisburg Benevolent Association or
the Associated Aid Charities.
Announcement of the arrival OF the
seeds and the distribution points Will
be made by the HARRISBURG
TELEG RAPH. The seeds are eX-
pected sometime this week.
The Food Garden Primer issued oy
the National Emergency Food Garden
Commission contains wealth Of prac-
tical suggestions for home gardening.
The Primer says
I'm this year of national peril the
cultivation of food gardens becomes
the patriotic duty of every citizen who
has the opportunity in this way to aid
in economic preparedness. .'
"The food garden not only makes
the individual family largely indie
pendent of other supplies of food, but
! it takes away from the railroads
| transportation labor that is needed for
| the movement OF war supplies; ana,
equally important, it allows the gen.
eral farmer to devote more land TO
growing breadstuffs.
"There are few, If any, cities which
do not have enough vacant ground
! for all who wish to garden. If the back
yard is too small to plant, there are
vacant lots to be improved by grow
| ing vegetables. Dwellers in apartment
| houses can cooperate in the. tillage
of the larger tracts and secure gardens
at a minimum of labor and expense.
ANY person, adult or child, who
| has access to a plot of ground in any
region where rain falls or water runs
! in supply pipes, possesses, together
with his own arms and brain, the es-
sentials for successful garden. The
| ha
cheaply. All but few have the time
mornings and evenings to give the
cultivation which growing plants re-
quire.
Foot for foot, gardens in city or
country yield 10 to 15 times more
abundantly than farm land devoted
to general crops. The gardening is an
| intensive farm on small scale. A
half-acre easily produces vegetables
worth 500 at normal prices, while
smaller tracts do even better.
Have a plan for your garden
drawn on paper-before you start, to
give proper order in planting and en-
able YOU to buy the right amounts of
seeds in advance when the selection
is good.
lettuce. carrots, radishes and parsnips
in rows that are 10 inches apart;
larger plants like corn, tomatoes and
| potatoes
Spreading ground-vines like melons
and cucumbers need even wider space
The Soil
The back yarder must use the soil
he has-but he can improve it If it
! is poor Stable manure will help even
! the richest soil. You can not use too
much of it. Professional gardeners
spread as much as six inches in sin
Loan is the best garden soil. Sand
with manure gives good results Clay
is hardest to work, but manure and
vegetable matter-called humus-
spaded in-greatly improves 1t. Sifted
coal ashes, no cinders, will help loosen
up CLAW when mixed into 1t.
Long unused land, especially under
lawns, is usually sour, needing air.
slaked lime, pound to 80 square
feet, raked in after spading.
The sweepings Of pigeon lofts or
After the frost goes out of the
ground test it by squeezing a handful
of dirt. If it crum bles, the soil is ready
for spading. If 1t packs into a mud
ball, the ground is still too wet
Spade deeply, up to 15 inches, unless
this depth turns up poor clay ano
buries the richer soil of the top. Pow
der the dirt deeply with a rake, break
ing all clods under the surface. If clodl
are hard u lawn roller may crusf
them.
Indoor Planting
Earlier crops can be secured b.
planting certain seeds indoors ant
! setting the young plants out in thu
open garden after the weather be
comes warm. Such plants are toma
toes, cabbage, lettuce, caulifiower, pep
, pers, and eggplant.
, Any wooden box, shallow and wild
/ If possible, will make an indoor gar
den. Put l inch of gravel or cinder
5 in the bottom for drainage, and fill u
5 the top with good soil. Rows of plant
| may be 2 inches apart
' Plant s or 10 seeds to the inch
{ keep the soil damp. and set the bo,
4 in a window. When the plants are al
r inch high pull most of them out. leav
ing the rest growing 1 or inche
5 apart.
Before transplanting to the gardel