The diamond drill., 1918-05-25


the United States who have never
made garden during their summer
vacations. Instead they have gone TO
summer resorts or into the mountains
10 enjoy their playtime. Now, how
ever, when we re at war, they are
awakening 10 the fact that We need
food, and an enormous amount OF IL,
TO feed ourselves and our allies. AS
result every loyal man, woman and
child, who is able to do so. is plan
ming TO make a garden this year or
has already planned one. Hundreds
OF acres OF waste land are being turn
ed into gardens, and in some cities
even the flower gardens are being
plowed up, and changed into veget-
able gardens.
There are several reasons why we
should plant gardens, this year es-
pecially. One Is that there is short
age OF food everywhere. To remedy
this, we must raise more vegetables,
and must substitute what We
raise, for meat which has to be sent
10 our allies in Europe. In other
words, we will have to get along with
out foods containing meat and wheat
since. these can be sent to our allies
without spelling on the way. We
have come TO know that many of the
vegetables contain almost the same
food qualities as meat.
Our lighting boys in France need
food in order TO have strength and
courage to fight.
Gardening is not hard work, and it
certainly does not make person pale
and sickly looking. On the other
hand, TO the person who has been in
the habit of staying in the house most
of the time 1t does wonders in the way
OF improving the health. In garden
ing, one is continually exercising out
in the fresh air, and unconsciously is
getting stronger and healthier every
day.
When the long winter months come,
il is rather comforting TO think that
you have plenty of vegetables stored
away down in your cellar. With the
money saved by growing your own
vegetables you can buy thrift stamps
or war saving stamps, and perhaps a
Liberty bond.
II there are more vegetables than
you are able TO use, you can sell them,
and get more money that way. The
vegetables to be used at home may be
either canned, dried, or stored away
in the cellar, The process OF preserv-
ing the vegetables all depends on how
we'll they keep for longer period OF
time.
Another good reason why we should
plant a garden, Is that We will have
a chance to study plant life more
thoroughly Gardening is more or
less an experiment for the beginner
Some Of the plants may not grow
we'll the first year, but by studying
the plants and their growth, we can
take care of them In a better way
the next year and we will, of course,
have better results.
The planning and preparation OF
the garden is the most important part
The ground should be plowed in the
fall or very early spring to get good
results The soil should be very
rich. Therefore, a fertilizer is need
ed TO make IL rich. Manure can be
used to good advantage, using from
twenty to fifty loads per acre. To
make the soil fine, mellow and fertile
IL must be disked and narrowed sew
eral times. If the soil is fine and free
from rocks and stones, root crops es-
pecially will grow well In II, and will
be OF uniform size and shape. All
drills should be made to run length
wise II the garden is rectangular
and all small root crops such as car
rots, beets, radishes, etc, should be
placed close to the outer edges as Il
is more convenient to weed them II
planted in this way.
New seeds must be used, and only
such varieties chosen as you are
sure will grow In your locality. I'm
I'll the little plants come up the soil
above them should be kept well wa
tered. After the plants come up, the
soil around them should be kept free
from weeds as weeds take all the
nourishment from the little plants. Ii
case IL looks as II II might be frosty,
an attempt should be made to cover
all plants that are liable to be killed
by the frost. II common sense and