The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-31
Backyard. Plot Will. Relieve
Strain or Purse and
Give Pleasure.
BE YOUR OWN MIDAS
With Touch Of Magic Hoe
You Can Transform Your
Yard to Gold.
Mary. Mary. quite contrary.


What does your garden grow?
Peas. beans, radishes, lettuce, GU
c,mbers. tomatoes, parsnips, turnips,
corn and potatoes.
That may not rhyme, but it Is at
least reasunable. Possibly the hang
ing gardens of Babylon furnished in
spiration for the poets Of those days.
but when Johnny is told to pull the
weeds in the onion bed, his language
in discussing the subject is rarely po-
etical. Johnny is not to be blamed,
for he does not realize the immense
value his services are to the house,
hold.
Gardening is paramount in the minds
Of all but the flat-dwellers at this time
of the year. The. season for Missoula
has not vet begun and. from the UNI
certain actions Of the weather during
the past few weeks. it is impossible
to- determine the opening date. How
ever. indications are that it will not
be- long before the air will be filled
with the aroma Of fresh earth.
The value, OF a garden to the people
living in town lies not alone in the
amount OF vegetables It may bring to
the family table. It's@ worth can also
be estimated in terms of the. relaxation
and pleasure the care OF it may bring
to the office man or the housewife.
"Hlttering" around in the garden In q
Joy to which the bachelors and apart
ment- house tenants never fall heir.
To discuss the preparation, plan and
care of garden would be to exceed
the limits of this article. The discus
sion of these points may be found in
other columns. The value Of the gar
den is the point often omitted in the
more technical articles.
It is in the garden Of the Americans
that the intensive system of cultiva-
ton in use in European countries is
to be found. A well-kept garden can
be made to yield from 10 to Is times as
much as the same area devoted to farm
crops. For instance, q half acre OF
garden will easily supply 500 worth
of vegetables. Your back yard can
be turned to gold under the Midas
like touch of the hoe. The gain may
not be apparent at first, but few mo-
ments spent with the figures will show
that it Ia there.
Values of the garden other than the
intrinsic worth of its produce cannot
be estimated. They are to be found in
the exercise in the open air and the joy
of accomplishment. Another point Of
value in ho rroy fc ho
lection it affords against infection.
Commercial truck gardens may not be
kept in the same kind of a location
and with the same methods as those
of the backyard farm and diseases
may be contracted as the result of the
use OF infected manures, unsanitary
location or during transportation. In
addition to the flavor of the vegetable,
which would ordinarily be lost during
the ride to market and the exposure
in the shops, is conserved in it's full
strength.
Spring fever means only that a
change of occupation is needed. Your
husbands hands are probably itching
for the feel of the rod and line. When
he comes home tonight fill his "hod"
with fine-cut tobacco. place a spade in
his hands and turn him loose in the
back yard. Within a few minutes the
ktddies will be hunting angleworms
and the head of the house will be say
ing. through that side Of his mouth
unencumbered by the pipestem:
I'm thinkin' m put the radish and
onion beds right here side the door
where you can get at 'em easy"