The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-03-12

they will still have to face the Axis
agents known to gardeners as weeds,
insects, and diseases. But they will
know at least that their own home
front offensive is under way and
that the seeds of Victory are in the
ground.
The gist of garden fundamentals
has by now been reduced to terms
so simple that they make gardening
seem easier than it really is-so
easy in fact that a great emphasis
has been put on perseverance. No
one reading how-to-do-it garden in
structions, it is pointed out repeat
eddy, should set his foot to the spade
unless he is determined to stay by
his job without wasting seed, ferti-
lizer, or effort.
The first requirement that the
new gardener will find in the speci-
fications written by the experts is
for a garden spot that is both sunny
and fertile. And for his help in
judging fertility he is given the
rule-of-thumb: eff the weeds grow
rank, the soil is fertile" Good soil,
moisture and sunshine are three
essentials. If they are missing, no
gardener can expect to grow enough
crops to justify his use of seed, fer
tilizer and effort.
The home gardener this year is
advised to grow just as nearly all
the fresh vegetables for his family
as he possibly can. A garden so
feet by 100 feet tended and kept
growing all season is, for example,
expected to produce enough vege-
tables to give each member of
family of five at least three servings
day, which comes about as close to
providing the needed four to seven
daily servings of fruits and vegeta-
bles as many gardeners can come.
Smallest garden size for which a
garden plan is suggested by the de-
partment of agriculture is 80 by so
feet, but even smaller areas will
grow a worthwhile crop of tomatoes
and a few other crops, if greater
space cannot be obtained.
Choose Vegetables You Like
With the area located, the Victory
Gardeners next step is putting the
garden on paper, an exercise not
only interesting but also especially
helpful for the inexperienced. Ar
ranging the garden properly in
cludes attention to a few general
principles. Rows, for example,
should not run up and down hill if
the garden slopes very much, but if
the area is level the rows should
run the long way for convenience.
First paintings are generally best
placed along the south or east side
of the garden, with later crops being
sown progressively across the area,
and whenever possible the tall grow
ing plants should be on the west or
north side of the garden so they
will not shade other plants.
The main item in planning gar
den is, of course, choosing what to
plant. One thing is certain. There
is little to be gained in growing
vegetables that the family does not
like, but within the family taste
there are many garden products
from which to choose. Green leafy
vegetables-leaf lettuce, cabbage,
spinach, chard, collards, kale, and
turnip greens-should be well rep
resented in every garden. Toma-
toes and beans are also likely to be
grown generally. All these are rich
in vitamins. Potatoes and corn are
among the best energy foods, but
they require considerable space and
are thus not recommended for very
small gardens, which should special
ize on the valuable vitamin, or pro-
tective, vegetables.
No garden plan, of course, is suit
able for all tastes or all localities,
but an example of one balanced gar
den is provided by DR.. Victor H.
Boswell in his Victory Gardens. I"
For the 80 by SO Every small gar
den," DR.. Boswell suggests Is vege-
tables planted in IA rows. Those
planted in spring include two 50-foot