Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-03-08
EXPERT TELLS HOW
10 PREPARE GROUND
FOR WAR GARDENS
Entenssye Meme Garaenins Waa Be
Carrfed On Again IBls Year, Bat
Mere Care Needed

The great incentive 10 make gar
den. tluring the past twO years has
been the means of adding many many
Thousands ID the ranks Of omE noble
band 81 gardeners. The slogan " Food
VIII win the War, Produce II. " seems
to hare awakened al garden owners
and allotment holders to the necessity
~ answering lii the call, with the re-
salts that ii Is estimated that IN 1913
these war gardens produced 1000
lstufgs 10 the value of s52s. 0O0. 900, We
must do as we'll or even letter this
year and the road to suceess' viii be
made easier Ly making early prepa ra-
ltions for the campaign One Of the
first steps IN this direction Is to plan
the Garden now, decide on what is TO
he planned, and order the seed 10 good
time that there may be no holdnp
when ground and weather conditions
are propitious.
Although the war gardens we're IN
1.-The aggregate so highly successful
last year. yet some failures were to be
noted, but In the majority OF instances
the lack of success could be traced 10
Is failure TO either thoroughly under
stand the first principles of gardening,
Tor, by starting rather late IN the sea-
son
The great desideratum ia successful
gardening is the thorough preparation
/ Of the SOIL. This Includes deep digging
Tor blowing, and the introduction of
fhumus making material. for lacking
humus in some form or other the gar
dener ID handicapped at the start
Humus may be supplied in the form
Eof dead and decaying residue Of roots
land leaves OF former crops, or dress
lfngs OF dung or other organic ma
Enures. 1t consolidates d light soil and
improves heavy land BY making It
more porous. and absorbing water like
q sponge, with the exception Of peat
land pure vegetable manure, also by
turning under green crops grown for
1.-The purpose BY the addition Of the
IaLoye d light soil is rendered lighter,
more porous aud easier to work. Car
bonic acid is evolved, which helps to
corrode phosphates and liberate pot
j ash from the soil.
i In the small garden humus fl u.s.
|ually added to the soil Iii the form Of
manure, and when it ID applied In the
spring. Ii should be we'll rotted. Horse
manure is rather richer than COW ms
1nure but more liable to loss Id keep
ling Sheep manure Is very rich In
nitrogen and pig manure intermedi %
between that Or COW and horse. All
Iare however, OF much value ia Inn
proving the condition oG the ground
lbesides introducing valuable plant
foods
OF quite as much importance as ma
nure, the land must be properly pre-
pared for the reception of the crops.
This preparation consfsta Of turning
1t over deeply, atsthe same time work
ing IN the manner. III the operation is
carried out with the spade. 1t Id al
simple matter to break up ell Jumps
or clods Of earth with the spade IS
digging proceeds. for what We have
to aim for Il q well pulyerized soil,
lLklOAuuGAAy uIhlube8Khleug ana MauG nB
fine az possible This fine condition
LOT the SOL Is also necessary for the
seed bed h order that the early growth
may be encouraged Although for d
certain time the seed supplies to the
young plant which is being developed
from It all the nourishmeRt 1t re-
quires; but, as the little rOotIets will
soon have to take upon themselves
the duty of obtaining food from the
soil, therefore IL the hneness O9 the
soil does not admit Of q close approach
Of these rootlets. they fail to establish