Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-01
MIDSUMMER GARDEN WORK
Good Cultivation to Keep Things Grow
ing; Succession Crops, Etc.


ingj Succession Crops, Etc.
BY F. F. Rockwell, Author of "Around
the Year in the Garden" Home
Vegetable Gardening" etc.
Copyright 1917. BY W. Atlee Burpee &
Company, Seedgrowers, PhIla-
delphla.
Abraham Lincoln used to tell a
story, by way Of illustrating what the
promises OF some of his political oppo-
nents amounted to. of splendid boul-
evard he once came across in western
city.
1t began as a fine avenue. f1anked
with magnificent trees on either side,
and wide enough tor three coach-and-
fours to drive ABREAST, bat just beyond
the town limits it became DIRT road,
and then a cowpath, and finally became
a squirrel path that ran up tree and
ended in knot-hole!
Some of our war gardens" are 60
ing to end like that this year. Every
season, in tact, 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-
tions "peter out" toward midsummer
and finally let things slide entirely.
This means that they not only lose
the opportunity to get fall as we'll as
a summer crop from their gardens, but
forfeit the benefit OF much of the work
they have already done, and by raising
a crop of weeds, waste the fertility of
the soil and SOW lot of trouble for
next season.
Weeds are always ready to go to
work and produce crop of seeds just
as soon as the gardener stops produc-
inr crops of vegetables. 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 tor next springs drive.
Summer neglect of the sa-L-. 10
caused more often by ignorance OF just
what should be done than by careless
ness. 1t may seem waste of time to
cultivate soil from which you have al
ready succeeded in freeing from
weeds; or to pull weeds in the rows OF
vegetables that have made their full
growth, land will be "gone by IN
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 ane ther.
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 tor many hours of tresome labor
on your part before you suspect that
they are half-grown, because the flow
ers and seed-pods are so lnconspIcuous'
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 stlcky-will help to
loosen it up, and dry it out by admit
ting the air. 1t Is more difficult to ex- {
plain to the beginner that frequent
IN long period of dry
weather, also helps to keep moisture
in the soil. That IS. if the surface of
the soil, all over the garden, is kept
finely pulverized and dry, the moisture
below the surface can be saved. {
The dry "dust mulch" on the surface
acts just as a covering of leaves or ,
strawey manure would do. keeping the /
moist soil below it protected from the I
sun and wind, which otherwise would 8
cause it to be used up rapidly by evap- I
oratlon. 4
This frequent summer cultivation t
should not be deep enough to cut or :
break the plants roots. One eer two
inches is deep enough. If you have {
not got a wheel hoe. which is just the /
thing for this work, get slide or !
,cuffle hoe. This will cost but fifty
cents or SO; will do the work much I
quicker and better. and will last for
years. A blade eight inches wide IS
better than a wider one tor general :
Use. c
KEEP ALL THE GROUND BUSY. :
The quick growing crops, such as 4
lettuce, beans. early turnips
md peas. which everyone plants IN the i.
Jpring, are. often absent from the fall 5
.arden. i