The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-09
VACANT LOT
CULTIVATION
Corn, Potatoes and Beans,
are Easiest Crops to
aise.

To those who are thinking of gar
dening vacant lot or two and have
not yet chosen ground, or having
chosen II have not yet broken 1t, a few
words Of advice may save a good deal
OF backache and disappointment lat
er on.
Choose, IL possible, a lot that was
plowed last year. Less work will be
| needed to make such q lot productive
than will be necessary on raw lot.
| II you must choose q sod lot avoid a
quack grass sod. ouack grass has a
long under root stalk that when 1t has
taken full possession of the land is as
hard to fight as a barb wire entangle-
ment. Wise farmers take a whole
season to kill such q sod. either sum-
mer following 1t by blowing and disk
ing several times throughout the sea-
son or by planting a smother crop
like sorghum or hemp to shut off its
light and air.
II you have but small patch Of this
grass, however, you can kill 1t thor
oughly at the very start by taking out
by hand all the roots as you prepare
your garden bed for planting. Be sure
TO get out every root, for every inch
will send up q shoot. The roots are
long, white and tough and can be
cleaned out with q little time and pa
thence.
There is a choice OF crops for the
vacant lot farm. Don't plant too many
you will find before the season is over
that you will not have time enough
to work the whole lot by the 10 finger
exercise. Crops like onions, carrots,
beets. ETC., need much handwork.
The easiest crops to till are corn,
potatoes and beans. Potatoes have
enemies-blight ana beetles-that will
take time to conquer; beans may have
anthracnose-a deadly disease. Corn
Is nearest pest free Of the three easy
crops. Beans dry are the most
easily marketed and most easily stored
and held. Your sweet corn, If mar
keted, will have to be sold in the husk
or in cans It can be dried, however,
as your grandmother used to do it.
Treated thus 1t is both palatable and
nourishing. Ripe sweet corn parched
is not poor food. Save everything
that grows in the cornfield.
Popcorn Is one Of the best items you
can put In your field. Rightly Guilt
waited It yields good returns, Is always
salable and Is one Of the most nu-
tritious foods known to man. It can
be held for years without losing it's
value. Raise enough Of this to supply
your own family at any rate.
Some people are guessing that the
potato crop will be overdone this year.
This may be possible but Is not very
probable. However. 1t Ii well to re-
member that the potato is a crop that
cannot be shipped far except at great
expense; that 1t Ia q poor keeper, espe--
cially in the average cellar, and that
at the best 1t cannot last more than
ten months. But every lot owner
should try to supply his own potato
needs.
With the three main crops you can
put in good many side lines. All
your green vegetables should be raised
on your lot. Many families have raised
al Its summer vegetables and few
winter roots on backyard garden not
over s0x40 feet, With good management
you should raise vegetables enough on
one vacant lot to net $50 over all out
lay. Beside this you will have the sat
isfaction Of having your vegetables
fresh from the garden,