Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-25
Your War Garden

The need that every back yard and
vacant lot should produce food this
year 50 that the maximum of vege-
tables may be grown for home use. and
thus reduce the quantity Of food to be
purchased. demands that every one
plant garden, even tho it be no more
than square rod. If you have only
q few square feet plant garden. If
intensively cultivated any patch OF
ground can be made to produce two or
three crops in one season.
The needs of food demand garden
production on a scale never before
known. The national government and
the state are urging it. Have you
back lot? Will you cultivate it? Or will
you let it lie a wasteful, can-infested
Stacker garden? Put it to work. Get
to work on it yourself.
II you have no garden space Of your
own, find a vacant lot or a part of
vacant lot Find the owner and make
terms with him for it's USE If he at
tempts to hold you up report the case
to George NJ. Lyon, or the city council.
Many owners will allow the use Of
vacant lot for a garden for nominal
sum or for nothing. No vacant land
should be allowed to go to waste or
run to weeds in this city this summer.
Many lots have been spoken for al
ready. Those who do not hurry will
find them all taken. If you haven't one
go see Mr.. Lyon.
It is none too early to plant your
garden, or even to do some planting.
You can at least begin spading and
be ready to get the seeds in the
ground. Taking advantage Of the
present mild weather will give the
gardener an early start 1t is not too
early to plant the earlier and harder
vegetables especially II the soil is
sandy loan like in the northern part
of the First ward. Lettuce. onion sets
and radishes may be planted now and
the crop will be out Of the way in
plenty Of time to replant the ground
second time.
venturesome gardeners who want to
take chance for the sake OF beating
the other fellow to table with the
vegetables are justified in planting
some smooth peas, early potatoes and
even sweet corn now or very soon.
Freezes may damage the plant, but
the start Is so early there will be
plenty of time for replanting later.
It is assumed that everyone who at
tempts a garden knows some Of the
fundamental rules for successful gard
ening. The ground should be plowed
or deeply spaded and very carefully
pulverized into q fine seed bed. There
is no general rule to govern the depth
of planting seeds. The larger the seed
the deeper it should be planted. One
rule Is plant four times as deep as the
seed, but this rule must be followed
with caution as there are many ex-
ceptions. Also seeds planted early IN
the season should not DO planted as
deeply as those planted later when the
ground is warmer. Seeds should DO
planted deeper in sandy, light soils
than in heavy Soils. The very small
seeds should be covered lightly.
good rule to follow in planting 10 not
to plant the more tender varieties OF
vegetables until "the oak leaves are as
large as squirrels ears" when the
weather will be settled, the ground
warm, danger of frost is over and the
seeds will sprout quickly and grow
rapidly
There is scarcity Of plowmen to
plow gardens, Mr.. Lyons reports.
There are high school boys who are
looking for jobs to spade gardens. If
you want a husky boy to spade for
YOU. call Mr.. Lyon. He will get you