Evening star., 1928-03-11

the United States Department of Ag-
riculture and. before your eyes, vcgeta-
bles flourish. You can almost taste the
succulent freshness of tender aSpara-
gus, and the tang OF the first green
topped onions. The house
dwcller wants to scare up little plot
of land in which to work miracles. and
the suburbanite enthusiastically begins
to lay out his garden in his minds eye,
and to order seeds, plants and fertilizer.
While making the growing of vegeta-
bles appear not at all complicated and
wedding and digging and watering mere
play, the expert warns the optimist not
to start too much II he does not con-
slider garden routine as much fun as
swatting golf balls and racing over ten
| mis- courts. or not TO start at all II he Is
not willing to devote many hours to
drudgery Out under the sun.
There are two types Of gardeners. he
says: Those who love the labor and find
pleasure In pottering about. and those
| who are willing to work. perhaps not so
hard. but consistently. in order TO enjoy
the fresh vegetables that have so much
more flavor than the ones purchased in
the market. The latter type gets a
thrill out of telling the world. These
peas grew In my garden"
According TO James II. Beattie. asso-
ciate horticulturist of the Department
OF Agriculture, a half-acre garden will
provide sufficient vegetables, II properly
cared for and the surplus stored, 10
support family OF five during the
whole year The cost of these vegetables
In market ranges anywhere from Sl00
to 5000. The money saved by having
home garden Is not TO be overlooked
and Is more than equaled by the pleas
ure enjoyed from eating vegetables
which have not lost their characteristic
flavor or deteriorated With good man.
agement and good care this same half
acre planted In vegetables viii be much
more profitable than II planted In gen.
cral farm crops
The city gardener who can devote
only small space TO vegetables migat
follow another scale by which 1t has
been estimated that plot measuring
as little as Is by 30 feet viii furnish
sufficient quantity and variety OF
vegetables 10 supply one person for a
whole year Multiplying this area by
the number OF persons 10 be fed will
produce the number of feet necessary
for family garden.
Two Groups Of Vegetables.
Both gardens provide for the planting
| Of vegetables that will permit the highly
scientific sounding rotation of crops.
and OF vegetables that will occupy space
all Summer. Varieties that park all
! season include beans OF the string~-in
the South called snap-and lima fam
lilies: potatoes. beets that highly recon-
mended friend Of the complexion, ear
rots. and corn. Cucumbers, eggplant
onions. squash and tomatoes. Among
| The vegetables which stand In line and
| await their turn are spinach, celery
fadisheS, lettuce. the cabbage family
peas and turnips.
All horticulturists agree that cer-
tain vegetables can be grown more s,,c-
| cessiully II the seeds are first planted
INDOORS. or in hotbeds, and then trans
planted. Moving them twice Is some
times of benefit IN making the little
pitnis harder and better able TO stand
the rigors of variable climate. Ex-
pefts are divided on one point. how
ever. some advising the individual gar
deners 10 grow the little plants them.
| selves. and others recommending that
they purchase Southern-erown plants
which cost very little are hardy. and
! are great help to gardeners who have
| not the time 10 spend caring for them
NOW In the proper time TO plant IN
dooiA or. In the case OF larger gardens
where great quantities are necessary. In
properly built hotbeds. seeds OF toma-
Toes. early cabbage. celery. lettuce, egg
plant. peppers, sweet potatoes. lima
beans. Ciicumbers. squash and onions
Wy doing this IL viii be possible to
eaj1y greater supply of fresh yege-
tables at least three weeks sooner than
VI the seeds had first been planted
n 40 ..fii IA
because practically all such plants fl0ur-
ish. and thinning out Is unnecessary.
Thus while the gardener Is impatiently
waiting for the cold TO leave the ground
as well as The mir. he can spend his
time To advantage.
There is no earthly use. agree gar
| dtnera, In attacking soil which IL still
| cold and wet. for seeds planted IN II
wiz rot. and expnaing the wet Clods
10 the air causes them To cake aud re-
auire much manipulation to make them
provide the light dust which should al
| wayh surround vegetables A Govern
| ment bulletin prepared by MIR. neattie
classities planting times IN four groups
according TO The date OF the last killing
frost In the Spring and contains charts
naming the earliest safe dates for
| planting In various scctiona Of the
| United States. The latest safe plant
| ing dates for crops that viii have time
10 mature before killing Fall frosts are
also suggested
Vegetables That Need rublieity.
/ There are several vegetables which
are not popular IN The United States
through no fault of their own, because
| hey are hardy, easy 10 grow. yield n
plentiful crop IN small area. are de-
| lts4Ag. Aa.A MIsS2a H.. ~.
stars. thy need publicity and tho DE
parlment ~ Agriculture Ia going 10
bec0me their press agent. Swiss chard
a vegetable and not "A new kind of AL