Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-03-20
THOSE WAR GARDENSAN UNFOUNDED RUhOR
Committee on Agriculture Of the
Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
Urges All Citizens to Get Busy.

The city of Alexandria last year
had between fifteen and eighteen
hundred fine gardens. All Of them
were not only creditable to their own
ers, but proved profitable to them as
well. This year the question OF an
adequate supply of vegetables is more
serious than ever and It behooves
every one who can do so to cultivate
a garden ana thus be able to furnish
their own table as far as possible.
The committee on agriculture of the
Alexandria Chamber OF Commerce has
the following to say concerning the
matter:
Spring weather has arrived at last
and the time to begin the preparation
of the soil for gardening is at hand.
Those who expect to make success
of their gardens this spring shculd
begin at once, to get their land ready
so that they can set out their plants
and sow their seed as soon as the
weather is warm enough.
The first thing to be done IS to rake
the ground over and gather up all
the filth left from last years crops
and all that has accumulated during
the winter and burn it on the garden
spot. Ashes make fine fertilizer and
the more stuff burnt on the land the
better.
Then as soon as the ground is dry
enough it should be plowed or spad-
ed well. care being taken not to do
this while the ground is too wet as
plowing or spading sol! while wet
makes it very hard to cultivate and
will injure the future crops.
IF any one wishes to use fine ma
nure, it should be scattered over the
ground after it is plowea and worked
into the soil before the seed Is plant
ed.
Great care should be taken to work
the ground thoroughly and make the
plant bed very fine oefore setting out
the plants or sowing seed. always
bearing in mind that little careful
work in preparing the plant-hea saves
a great deal Of hard worl: when the
time comes to cultivate among the
vegetables.
Seed will be very scarce this spring
and the committee wishes to urge
upcn every one the Importance of or
dcring Their :nppjy at once. Those
persons who arc able 10 do SO world
help a great seal If they would buy
their seed now in order to help lessen
the great rush which is sure 10 come
later in the season.
It is hardly necessary for the cons
nittee 10 call the attention OF every
cne in the city to this important work,
not only from 2 patriotic standpoint
hut from the point Of self-protect!on.
For the rapidly increasing population
o., cur city must necessarily produce
. greater demand FOR food stuff, and
owing to the scarcity of labor, the
farmers of Alexandria and Fairfax
counties will not be able to produce
even as large crop as they did last
year.
Therefore if the people of AleXan-
dria want fresh vegetables this sunS-
mer there is absolutely but one way
to get them and that is to raise them.
So we trust that every one will seek
to do his or her "bit" and also help
IN every possible way, not only oy
cultivating garden themselves, bu7
by using every means in their power
TO persuade others to have garden
too.
AS stated before, this committee
stands ready to help any one at any
time who may need help along this