Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-15

HNH1S spring and summer will see more
l. home gardening than for many year.
The mounting costs of living decenty and
economically enough TO keep out OF debt
have done and are doing more TO bring
Americans back to the soil than the stacks
OF books and articles which have theorized
largely and learnedly about the mistakes
of the race in abandoning agriculture for
commercial or Industrial pursuits Whether
rightly or wrongly, the condition exists and
the majority Of persons who have the choice
or opportunity have seized 1t to become
town dwellers and workers. Many Of them.
however, are now seeing the unwisdom Of
quitting utterly the benefits and profits of
garden of some sort, This applies not
Only TO thc multitude which has turned for
residence to the suburbs, but also to the
city dwellers with even a 'moderate-sized
backyard.
Needs must when necessity drives and
the necessity Of meeting increasing prices
for all sorts of staples and commodities
has brought forCbly home TO the average
thinking citizen the advisability of reduc-
ing outgo and thus stretching income by
raising right at home some of the family
green vegetables and small fruits Those
who have tried have had convincing proof
of the practically of the idea and many of
those who have looked askance at sugges-
tions to become gardeners even on n small
scale are planning to make the test this
year.
The purpose Of this series of articles ia
to give practical helpful advice, free Of
technicalites, as to the mode OF proper
procedure and to :olve problems that may
crop out in actual practice and puzzle the
home-garden maker IT will deal primarily
with the vegetable garden but space will
be found for the needs of the flower lovers
nj tp ipnp bai
places with fruit and other trees and with
shrubbery.
Economic pressure is likely TO make the
home vegetable garden help rather than
a hobby. as it often has been considered
1t can be both very easily. If one loves
the great outdoors there is no more satis-
flying way of expression in terms of nature
than caring for and developing a garden
whether flower or vegetable depends on in
clnation and need, Each has it's fascina-
tion and instructiveness.
You should have garden this year of
grace and high prices whether you have
only a modest city front and back yard or
whether you have the somewhat amper
area of a small suburban space. The more
space you have the more extensively you
should engage in amateur farming
City authorities and the Federal Gov
ernment are out pronouncedly in favor of
citizens utilizing every foot Of space to
profitable advantage The experts at Wash
ington have spent a good deal OF money
and much time in preparing bulletins to
aid the amateur trucker as well as the
professional agriculturst. Some of these
are too scientific for the man woman
who wants to make the front yard more
attractive TO the eye and the back yard
the source Of supply of tomatoes and
string beans. or even for the suburbante
of some experience who would like to turn
the rear lawn into profit in the way of
canned vegetables and stored pota toes and
turnips for the winter and plenty of deli
clous fresh vegetables from as early. in
spring possible till the frosts of late
autumn
Better living, better food. cheaper budgets
and better exercise are among the
numerous potent arguments for home gar
dening. To those who have had experience
they outweigh any disadvantages that may
be advanced.
But the questions OF the skeptic must be
considered and answered. The problem of
those who yearn for the joys of gardening
one of the perennial pleasures deep down
in every human soul--but who do not know
how to go about it, must be solved The
difficulties must be reckcned and discounted.
The tmorous must be encouraged to make
the plunge The eXperimenter must be
warned of pitfalls so that his time and
labor may have the reward of fair crops.
The advantages must be rehearsed and
maybe argued with convincing demonstra-
tion.
What can be done with the average city
backyard. which averages ten or twelve by
fourteen feet in the customary city dwell
ing? What can be done in the somewhat
ampler area of the old-fashioned back
yards of the older houses in some of our
cities? What can be done with the usual
suburban plot that permits tillage. of a
space from about forty by fifty feet?
These are the pertinent things my read
ers will desire to learn and in easy. intel
ligible and assim.lable form, without too
much exaction on the gray matter or the
brain They will want Government reports
summarized and popularized for quick un-