Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-17
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ooh pTopoSlIlon say LhAt there arV
three or four propositions which
the people who have been cultiyatin1
the vacant land. unused lots and outI
lying sections not employed for agI
riculture, but by the general publiX
as We'll. First and last, 1t is estiN
mated that there have been over {
thousand gardens devoted to yegeH
table raising cultivated in and about
Harrisburg this year over and abov
the ordinary number. This NAL
sound like a rash statement, bu
men who have been keeping track oI
such things say that potatoes, bean
and beets have been raised in tn s
most unexpected places and tha
cornstalks can be seen peeping oveE
fences all over Harrisburg. AS 70
cabbage and tomatoes, they hav
been grown in spots where no on
would look and which would hardl
be chosen unless the planting folk
realized the chance of raising some
thing that would help along. TIL
primary thing to be done, say tn
observers, is to get Harrisburg PED
pie to understand that they mus
plant and cultivate this year. SimplE
because the ground yielded a grea
increase this year and there Is
abundance of vegetables Is no reaso
TO suppose that food will not bE
scarce next year. Hence, they argu
that 1t should be impressed upoE
everyone that war gardens" shoul
De put down as a part of next year
work, play Or plan, whichever 1t ma
be styled. This is where the Cham
Der of Commerce can get in it's worl
Secondly, there should be some en-
! couragement for persons who hav
gone up against 1t in their gardenin
either through selection of the wron
things or lack of help at a critics
time. This is where the social worke
can help by interesting someone
assist. Thirdly, many persons wi I
simply let their gardens lie as the
are when they cut the corn or talk
off the tomatoes or dig the potatoe
They do not realize that the stalk
and vines and plants should be take
out and destroyed because Mr.. Blu
and Mrs. Worm are the best pre-
Viders for next year in the Who'll
scheme of the universe and by geG
ting rid of stalks and vines the eg
| deposits of some will be eliminated
Similarly the ground should
cleared. Advice on this subject
what the State Department of Agr
culture or the Dauphin county far
bureau can and will give for the ash
ing. Neither city or county or stat
can afford to send man around
visit each plot and give advice
each one, but the person who takt
down a telephone to ask for advic
can get it and of the best sort. An
then there is the important propd
sition of preparing the ground. Som
people got fine crops because til
ground had not been used for Ion
time and because they employe
much elbow grease. The importa1
thing is to make the ground rich I'd
next year. There are tall kinds
fertilizer, the kind that will burn u
the ground and make 1t useless an
the kind that will stimulate for
little while just like a drink will
to a man. Fertilizer use is one
the most vital questions in truck
back yard or vacant lot gardenir
and n little time spent in lookirE
over the soil, a little time in tel
phoning the facts about the groun
what you raised and what you wa
to raise next year and then less tha
a dollar. oftentimes. will repay Il
gardener. This again is the pla
where the State can help.
The scheme of cooperation viii
persons who are raising foodstuffs
meet the demands of the tin
worked out in Pennsylvania has
tracted national attention. Firs
through the innate common sense
the people they got to work and the
city, county and state lined up wi
them. Public sentiment got the u
of much land without rent. The civ
organizations helped with seed an
advice. The municipality gave pr
lection and the county and state ha
lfrtx Ixrt
cuse for anyone going wrong in ga
den projects this summer and the
will be still less next spring. II
thing for every man who has a ga
den in fact or in mind is to ask a
vice. There never was time wh}
expert information was so availah
and without cost. 1t is literally ca
ing to be used.
In connection with this talk
might be added that for the fin
time in years people have work
in gardens on Sundays and no oI
has objected. It does jar on Harr
burg's sense of Sabbath observand
and this city is noted for the way
keeps Sunday, to see people hoei
potatoes. But when one conside
that the hoer often has to work lo
lhours because of the extra deman
of war or business during the we
and that most of them hoe in t
early morning, 1t is one thing oy
which we may have to pass light
Modern war makes unusual co
ditions and has many ramificatio
industrially, agriculturally and
cially. The man with the Sund
morning hoe probably violates few
tenets than the Sunday automob
tourist. and there are doubtless
many chances to swear over t
tenacityD of roots of weeds as
afforded by golf course with wat
hazards and sand pits.
Blackbirds which have not
needed the mobilization caN a
joined their regiments are apt
have a hard time in this part of t
state. The farmers boys and i
farmers themselves and some G
gunners are out after the ru.
headed, purple throated and ott
varieties of grackles which come d
der the generic name of blackbir
Guns were to be heard banging
the four counties which lie in sig
of Harrisburg on Saturday and blac
birds in a pie are reality SON
where.
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