The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-17
GARDEN OWNERS SHOULD
PREPARE FOR PLANTING
An Early Start On Spring Gardens
Means Much In Getting Early
Vegetables. Much Work Can Be
Done At This Time.

t6SSCdDleS. MUCH w OK Aau DC
Done At This Time.
Home gardens were boons to
thousands of families in the United
States last season, and the garden
habit seems to have become fixed
with a large number of persons.
In most sections the late fall gar
dens have all been killed by frost
and in many cases the debris still
filters the ground. Bean poles and
tomato stakes, with their burden OF
frosted vines are toppled over and
give the garden an unkept and ragg-
ed appearance. Aside from the
aesthetic influence of cleaning up the
garden, it is important, specialists of
the United States Department of
Agriculture say, that all rubbish and
dead plants be removed and burned
to protect the crops of next season
. from the insects and disease spores
which infest the debris. A few
! hours of work in the garden now
will save serious losses another year,
Gather the bean poles, tomato stakes
and any removable trellises or wires,
store the good ones until they are
! again needed; then pull, rake togeth-.
er. and burn all the dead vines and
plants left in the garden. If these
are too wet or green to burn, they
! may be gathered in small piles for
a few days to dry and then piled to-
gether and burned.
Spread Manure In Winter
Winter is a good time to spread
rough manure over the garden. This
serves a double purpose, in that il
adds fertility to the soil and also pro-:
tects the soil from washing and blow
ing. Heavy clay soils should be
broken up and left rough and lumpy
before applying the manure. The
kmd of manure to use for this pur-
pose is not important, so long as it
is not filled with weed seeds or trasE
of any kind. Manure in which
straw has been used for bedding can
be taken direct from the stable and
spread on the garden as a surface
cover during the winter, the rough
part being either plowed under in
the spring or raked off and put in
the compost heap. The finer part
remaining on the ground can be
worked into top soil in preparing
| the seed bed next spring.
Compost made by pi1ing up sods;
manure, and any material having
fertilizing value will be needed in
| preparing special soil for seed. beds
| and for starting plants next spring.
| Now is the time to make compost
heap. The best method is to obtain
| a load of manure, prepare a level
I space by feet, spread 2 I or 3
| inches of the manure over this, space,
follow with a layer of sod which has
been chopped into pieces with a
| sharp spade, then additional layers
of manure and sod until all of the
manure has been used. A few leaves
also can be mixed with the sod and
manure. 1t is good plan to
sprinkle a little bone meal or phos-
! plate over each layer. The earth
should be banked little around the
| edge and a slight drain cut around
the pile to keep out surface water.
If the materials are dry, it will be
necessary to throw a pail or two OF
water over each layer as a pile is be-
ing built.
AS rule, the natural rainfall dur
ing the winter will be sufficient to
| keep the pile properly moistened, and
as spring approaches. roof or
boards, or other covering, should be
placed over the pile SO it will not be
too wet for use when needed. When
the time comes to use it, the COM
post should be cut from one end of
the pile with a sharp spade, then
thoroughly worked over and screen
ed before it is placed in seed boxes
OF in the hotbed.
Protecting Young Trees
Experienced gardeners keep a
compost Aeap going in one corner OF
the garden from one years end to
another. and all surplus manure. and
sod are placed in it. AS a. conse-
quence. these gardeners always have
a supply of good loan for preparing
special plant beds or top-dressing
piece of land for the growing of let
tuce or other intensive crop.
If there, Is a particularly good
young apple tree or two in some part
Of the garden, do not fail to clean
the grass or weeds from its base and
protect the trunk from mice and rab-
bits with fly screen or closely-woven
galvanized wire. Thousands or
young apple trees are lost every win
Ter in certain sections, from being
gnawed by field mice and rabbits
AS a rule, the mice work just at the
surface of the ground, especially
where grass and rubbish is left
around the roots of the trees. Rab-
bits are more likely to gnaw the bark
from the trunk above the ground,
especially while there is a deep
snow and they are prevented from
getting green food on the ground
For this reason the protectors
should extend at least 2 feet above
ground and inches under ground
Fruit trees that have borne dur
ing the last year should be. gone
over during the early winter, and all
rorp, nified Pruits removed and burn.