Evening star., 1945-09-30
BY ". II. Yonnqman,
Garoen Editor.

of each town and city reminded one
of the community plots in the
States. However, most OF the Eng
lish plots contained tiny glass houses
where plants could be started. Eng
land is so far north and the growing
season so short that warm-weather
crops must be started In glass
houses" if they are to mature. The
English glass house" is substitute
for our cold frame. 1t appears to
be about by 8 feet in area. Many
of them contained large tomato
plants, some of which were we'll
fruited in late July.
Most gardens contained a splen-
did variety of crops, although the
English have more of the cool
weather crops than we do. Thus
they had fewer tomatoes and beans,
but more cabbage, lettuce, caulif1ow-
er, broccoli, beets, carrots and onions
than we. Their crops seemed to be
healthy and vigorous. with most
plots we'll cultivated and free from
weeds. The English fully realize
the importance of their gardens, but
even so, poorly tended plot would
occasionally be seen, II far less fire.
quently than in the Washington
area.
Gardens in the cities are not COM
mon because of the congestion.
However, there was very little idle
space to be seen from the car WIN
dows. Long stretches OF the right
Of way where the ground was level
contained garden plots Vacant lots
that were seen usually contained
vegetable gardens.
In France, vegetable plots were
especially noticeable. Many lawns
had been spaded and made into
vegetable gardens even among the
ruins. The space under the trees
was planted in many yards, al
though with apparently no better
success than We have in the States
Window boxes were frequently filled
with lettuce, parsley and seeding
plants for transplanting later on.
/ In Paris the seed stores were doing
thriving business selling plants,
such AS brussels sprouts, broccoli,
cabbage, lettuce, onions and leeks.
France is really making an effort
to grow food, although in the
crowded cities gardeners have a
real problem, for transportation be-
tween home and suburban garden
plot is seriously limited. However, a
great many people have bicycles
and they really use them. 1t. is quite
common to see men and women
coming home in the evening from
the suburbs with bags of fresh vege-
tables tied onto their bicycles. The
subways also bring many pas
sengers with loads of produce.
/ French gardeners have been Sc
verely handicapped this season by a
prolonged and widespread drought
Their gardens show the effects of
the lack of moisture and it is prob
able that family food supplies will
be seriously curtailed. This is unfor-
tunate, for food is scarce and high
priced. Unless a Partisan family has
a garden or has friends in the coun-
try from whom it can purchase
food it is forced to buy on the black
market. This is especially true in
the large cities. where much of the
produce offered in the stores is of
very poor quality. Eggs, butter and
meat are seldom available in the
stores and the French do not have
coffee. tea, sugar or chocolate.
/ In the smaller towns fresh vege-
tables and fruits are offered in the
stores, although supplies vary great
ly from day to day. If there is more
than Is needed it is kept over until
the next day and offered again. con-
sequently much of it soon deteri-
crates and should be dumped. In
this country it would be dumped
There seems to be no outlet for local
temporary surpluSes.
/ The variety of vegetables grown
in French gardens at this season is
much the same as that grown
around Washington. Some gardens
have potatoes, but most of them dc
not. Many local gardens contain q
few stalks of corn, but it is field
corn for their chickens and rabbits
Sweet corn is practically unknown
in Europe. Most gardens contain
bush or pole beans, collards, toma-
toes. lettuce, carrots, beets, onions
leeks and pumpkins. Young plants
Of cauliflower, cabbage tred, savoy
and round-headD, broccoli and kalt
are now being set out for winter
l'crops. Many gardens contain a few
artichoke (globe) plants whose
tubers are a substitute for potatoes
1t was interesting to see the vege-