The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-08
Victory Gardeners
Must Remain Alert
Four Major Hurdles Must Be Taken Before Success
Comes; Metropolitan Life InS. CO. Issues Leaflets

AS enthusiasm willis under the
summer sun, many gardeners will
console themselves with the belief
nothing now remains except the
harvest. AS the title implies, the
Metropolitan leafet, Keeping
the Garden Going" diSpels any
complacency, and points out the
tasks still ahead. However, it is not
all work and no play. For example,
the leaflet urges gardeners to spend
short, regular periods on the job
rather than long, hard stretches at
infrequent intervals, since that is
better both for the gardens produc-
ton and the gardeners health.
Major Hurdles
Once the garden is planted, four
major hurdles stand between the
gardener and success. He must de-
feat the weeds which grow with
headstrong abandon never APP
preached by vegetables. Weeds are
a relentless and versatile enemy
They steal room, food and moisture.
Some harbor insects. And others,
ragweed for example, produce pol
lens to plague susceptible persons
with hay fever. How to wage win
ming campaign against weeds, and
the best technique to use, is ex-
planned in Keeping the Garden Go
ing"
Cultivating and feeding the gar
den is another hurdle that must be
taken in stride by the person deter
mined to make his victorious
garden. While cultivation eliminates
weeds, it also aerates the soil and
permits water to penetrate to the
roots. In a sense, cultivation Is one
form of feeding. The other type is
the application of fertilizer. AL
though the garden may have been
fortified prior to the planting, 1t Is
important to continue to feed plants
during their growing season. How
to do this and what fertilizers to
use, is discussed in the leahet.
Insects, like weeds, are an active
and ever present enemy that must
be defeated. Insects are divided into
two classes: chewing insects such as
cutWorms, beetles, Caterpillars and
others which destroy vegetables by
themselves eating the edible por-
ton; and sucking insects such as
aphids and leaphoppers which suck
the juices from leaves and stems
and cause the plants to wilt. The
Metropolitan's leaflet shows how TO
isolate or destroy insects. and also
etr fNf npt 1NC lI1C
against danger from the poisons
present In most insecticides.
Thorough Soaking
Number -Four in the quartet OF
hurdles is the matter of water.
Most gardeners" says Keeping the
Garden Going" "use the hose too
often and not thoroughly enough. A
thorough soaking once week in
dry weather Is better than me-
dunn sprinkling. Light sprinkling Is
worse than no watering at all since
the water does not penetrate the
soil, but merely brings the roots to
the surface" There are other help
full hints on watering the garden,
but the foregoing is a cardinal prin-
ciple and should be followed i'm
plicitly by all gardeners.
Succession planting, food spoilage,
canning, and storing are among
some of the other topics touched
upon In the leaflet. Also the garden
er is given suggestions to help his
own health, such as warnings
against poisons, the danger Of te-
tanus infection, hazards in the use
of garden tools, and the possibility
of overwork through sheer enthusi-
asm. Considering its small size, the
leaflet is crowded with information
all gardeners will prize, and 1t is
information that will keep the
garden going and bring nearer VIC
tory in each individual garden pro-
gram.