Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-09
WAR GARDENS ADVOCATED
BY FEDERAL DEPARTMENT
BY F. F. ROCKWELL,

Garden" Home Vegetable Gard
ening," Etc.
A well known politician used to tell a
story, by way of illustrating what the
promises of some of his political OPP
ponents amounted to, Of splendid
boulevard he once came across in a
western city. 1t began as fine avenue,
! fanked with magnificent trees on eth
er side, and wide enough for three
coach and-fours to drive abreast, but
! Just beyond the town limits it became
dirt road, and then a cowpath, and
finally became squirrel path that ran
I'D a tree and ended in a knot-hole!
Some of our war gardens" are go
ing to end like that this year Every
season in fact, war or no war, there are
many gardeners who start out most
enthusiastically in the spring and do
excellently in getting their gardens
started, only to have their good resolu
lions peter out" toward midsummer,
and finally let things slide entirely.
This means that they not only lose the
opportunity to get fall as well as a
summer crop from their gardens, but
forfeit the benefits of much of the,
work they have already done, and by
raising a crop of weeds, waste the fer
tility Of the soil and SOW lot of trou-
BILE for next season. Weeds are always
ready to go to work and produce a
crop of seeds just as soon as the
gardener stops producing crops of veg
etables. But don't play into the hands
OF the enemy! Even if you can't push
this years campaign any further, at
least hold what you have gained for
next springs drive.
Summer neglect of the garden is
caused more often by ignorance of
Just what should be done than by care
lessness. 1t may seem a waste of
time to cultivate soil from which you
have already succeeded in freeing from
weeds; or to pull weeds in the rows OF /
vegetables that have made their full
growth, and VIII be gone by in a
week or two.
But it is not All the soil between
the rows should be cultivated or stirred
frequently until you are ready to take
out the first crop and plant another.
Every weed that is left, whether it is
directly injuring any vegetable or not,
is robbing the soil; and most of them
will have matured seed and thus pro-
vided for many hours ftiresome labor
on your part before you suspect that
they are half-grown, because the flow
ers and seed-pods are so inconspicuous'
How Dust Saves Water.
Anyone can easily understand that
cultivation after wet weather-as soon
as the soil is dry enough to work in
without being sticky-will help to
loosen it up, and dry it out by admit
ting the air. It is more difficult to ex-
plain to the beginner that frequent
cultivation, in a long period OF dry
weather also helps to keep the mols-
ture in the soil. That is, if the surface
of the soil, all over the garden, is kept
finally pulverized and dry, the mois-
ture below the surface can be saved. /
The dry dust mulce" on the surface
acts just as a covering of leaves or
strawey manure would do, keeping the
moist soil below it protected from the
sun and wind, which otherwise would /
cause it to be used up rapidly by
evaporation.
This frequent summer cultivation
should not be deep enough to cut or
break the plants roots One to two
inches is deep enough. If you have
not got wheel hoe, which is just the
thing for this work, get slide or
scuffle hoe. This will cost but fifty
cents or 80; will do the work quicker
and better, and will last for years, A
blade eight inches wide is better than
a wider one for general use,
Keep All Ground Busy.
The quick growing crops, such as
radishes, lettuce, beans, kohl rabi.
early turnips, and peas, which every
one plants in Che spring, are often
absent from the fall garden. There is
no reason why you should go without
any of these if you like them, as there
is still time to plant them, and usually
plenty of room to fit Them in after
early crops just as soon as the latter
can be got out of the way. Many
gardeners don't even wait for the first
crops to wholly be used up, but make
their succession planting between the
rows of such things as are nearly har-
vested so that they will be ready TO
take their places without any lost OF
time in between. Use summer or WIN