The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-14
SHOWS CORRECT WAY TO
GROW BACK YARD CROP.
Miss Ella Agncw, State Superinten.
dent OF Extension Work for Girls,
Urges Planting of Quick
Emergency Gardens.
GOVERNOR ENDORSES IDEA
Minute Instructions Given As TO How
a Successful Vegetable Bed Must
Be Arranged-Netessary for Anna
tours to Supply Foodstuffs.

Practical advice and Information
on how to cultivate back yard gar
dens was given by Miss Ella Agnew.
superintendent of the extension work
for girls and women in Virginia, in
the John Marshall High school yes
terday. Governor II. c. Stuart in
troduced Miss Agnew. gave talk on
the absolute necessity of cultivation
by amateurs. and heartily endorsed
the gardening movement now being
discussed in every state. The talk
was under the auspices Of the James
| River Garden club, of which Mrs.
NJ. c. Patterson is president.
Governor Stuart stated that he was
glad to express his approval of the
movement for cutivating all waste
land. by his presence at the meeting
yesterday. Il give my most unquali-
fed endorsement TO the movement as
a most practical remedy for the food
shortage facing us and | commend
the ladies for this good work" he
said.
Farm Hands Arc Scarce.
He explained that the food short
age is here and Is rapidly increasing.
I
one to cultivate it. he pointed out,
land farm hands are scarce az they
are all migrating cityward. thus in
creasing the consumers and decreas-
ing the producers. To help overcome
the empty pantries facing us. those
who have never before produced must
add to the food supply. To amount
to anything products must come from
hitherto unproductive sources These
I n I'd vi N
lots that must be cultivated by fami-
lies.
shows How to Do 1t.
Following this impression of the
necessity of small farming. Miss Ella
/ Agnew in a most comprehensive and
! practical manner gave instruction on
how to do 1t. She limited her in,
struction to small back yard posi-
/ biities. The only implements neces-
sary are a small combination hand
wheel plow and rake costing S2.5o. Il
, ten-cent weed hooker with FIVE
prongs, and u light hoe with round
/ and pointed ends. That is all.
| First, get a man to spade up your
| land from eighteen inches TO two feet
/ deep. Put on some good fertilizer
| and let IL stand for two days. Rake
the soil soft and lay out your ground
, in long rows, Do not cut ii up in
squares. Get the rows straight ami
use the wheel plow for making the
grooves. After the seed are planted, a.
/ few minutes a days systematic work
! to keep weeds out will ward off diff
Guilty.
l. Study Seed Catalogues.
! Wha, kind or seed should We get?
! Study seed catalogues. advised Miss
Agnew and get the kind advertised
| by the same name in all. These. are
apt 10 be the standard and best
| Don't cover small seeds with too
much earth--one-fourth to one-half
an inch is enough. Place climbing
vegetables around the fence. Con-
slider what will pay best in a small
plot. IL is not too late for English
peas. Plant snaps and string beans
/ as soon as all of the frost is gone
! Tomatoes produce well If pruned and
not allowed 10 send out more than
three branches. Plant the vines two
! feet apart. Cabbage and potatoes
take too much ground. and asparagus
and celery are difficult for the anna
| teur. As soon as one crop natures,
plant another that requires a differ
| emit kind Of food. Study your seed
catalogues for this
Prepare For Fall Crops.
AS soon as the summer crops are
! 0ut. ABOUT August, put IN your IAN
/ and winter crops. Cauifower is easy
! To grow. Lettuce. carrots. endive and
| parsnips will grow in all months en-
| cept January and February. Plant
| silver onions five inches deep in Au-
! gust and you will have a good winter
crop Buy onion sets rather than
seeds Miss Agnew also recommended
! hetheds far starting tomatoes.
! Miss Agnew introduced Miss Ferris
| of col East Franklin street, the dis
! trict agent: Miss Sylvia Slocum. r. +.
| n. No. 5, the Henrico agent. and Miss
| Jessie Logan Chester, Va. the Ches-
| terrified agent. Any of these will fur
! nish further information II requ5af"N
: The movement for which they weiA.
| is partly financed by the state of Viz
ginia and partly by the United States
! government.