Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-26

gardener often has a garden superior
to that of the man who works over
half an acre or more; the former has
less to claim his attention and conse-
quently gives what he has more care
than is possible when a garden is larg
er and but one or two people available
to do all the labor. The department
emphasizes the fact that the secret of
| the best backyard gardens is fertility
| of soil-which is true of all gardens.
The Importance of the vacant-lot gar
den' agricultural experts allege, must
not be underestimated. Vacant lots are
very often of an ideal size for the rails
ing of potatoes, caulifiower, corn, as
paragus, eggplant, peas, spinach. mel
ons and other plants that cannot be
successfully grown irf ordinary back
yards. Boy and girl scouts and other
clubs are urged to interest themselves
IN these vacant lots which can be made
most productive. People with any es
| thetic sense will welcome these gardens
in many unsiGhtly spots, for If growing
plants do nothing else they are often
the means of hiding ground which, left
TO itself soon becomes Uttered with
every sort of disiguring debris.
X
Last year many favorable reports
were submitted to the department
showing the result of work on vacant
| lots performed by the country's boys
and girls. Children are paid we'll for
vegetables they raise. 1t has been as
certained that, in innumerabIe in
stances they have been paid a higher
price than markets could obtain for
practically the same commodities. This
was an incentive to the child. but the
department. thinks it wiser for each
city to adopt a scale Of prices
At the office of pomological and horti-
cultural investigation some interesting
data can be found. For example. from
reports relative to boys and girls home
gardens of less than 500 feet the fol-
lowing is shown: Average area per
garden, 166 square feet; average ex-
pense per garden, 60 cents; average
hours OF labor per garden. H." Gar
up between school boys and girls
strong. enough to do their share of
work thoroughly, and who were able to
assume easily the expense. Their in
terest was unquestionable, as was the
knowledge and experience accumulated
during the season. The experiment.
also necessitated practical lessons in
economies.
clubs, some of which were bows clubs
ana some girls. an average was struck
which showed that the "averare area
per garden was 1909 square feet; aver
age expense per garden, S2b1: average
hours of labor per garden. az" Ger
tainly the expense was reasonable the
TOLL as measured in hours was moder-
ate and each garden covered an area of
more than 500 square feet
IN this connection the departnent
AYERS that any well kept garden of
approximately half an acre can he
made TO produce not only an abundance
Tsa Us 'eEetaoies d,'n, Tor an average family's
use during the growing season, but
also liberal supply for storage. IF
MES. Smith goes to market and nur-
cnaseS from time to time the same
quantity OF vegetables that can be
grown in single season from half
an acre OF ground. she will find that
she eXpends between 500 and soon In
vegetables alone. But IL Mrs Smith
aGtuaLy aS mad no garden, and felt in
dollars in vegetables. 1t is probable
that she would be compelled fn da-
prive herself of certain favorites, for
are exceedingly necessary for the
housewife to purchase. However if a
neighbor persuades Mrs. Smith to trv
a garden she will, in all probability.
manage TO nave one each season there
after. as the advantages derived are
manifold.
Gardens under the supervision of
schools or institutions are often more
successful than gardens raised by the
average individual, assuming that he
is novice. This is because an or
ganized body of persons has trained
men or women who have acquired
HluCH pIdtliCdl hnOWleuge tnrOmRh
years of study and experience and un-
der whose management all horticui-
tural work comes. In club work the
members soon develop a good -natured
spirit of competition, which stimulates
a course in gardening.
In casting about for available gar
den space the amateur is cautioned
against choosing any area shaded for
a great part of the day. Such q snot
may seem highly desirable because of
location, size, etc, but to plant seed
in soil that has less than three or four
hours of sunshine each day Is to court
disaster. Foliage crops can be coaxed
to flourish with but three sunny hours
To expect peppers or tomatoes for in
stance, to respond to less than five
hours of sunshine daily is to foredoom
them to failure.
Soil is the next consideration. A
cursory examination will quickly dis
close it's character. Hardy plants will
adapt themselves to about any kind of
soil except that which is made up pri-
marily of stones. bricks and mortar.
In case soil is found to be sticky and
clayey, the department advises a two
or three inch sprinkling of coal ashes.
Ashes and soil should be thoroughly
mixed.
In other localities a sandy loan may
dominate. and in seeking to improve
this condition the gardener must re-
sort to fertilizer which will correct