Evening star., 1945-01-14

a productive garden, producing enou
lilies, including surplus for preserv,
Last fall there was much talk {
there would not be the need for gar
were plentiful. The papers were full;
of this. Well the war is not over
point values are back on canned
goods and the National Victory
Garden Conference has recon-
mended that the gardening effort
be expanded to 100000 productive
Victory gardens in 1945.
In short, the fourth year of the
war brings Victory gardeners Just
as big job as they had last year
However, it will be easier, for we
are better organized and we have
three years of experience back of US
We know what it takes to produce
a garden. The plans we will make
in the next few weeks will lay a
pattern that will meet the family
needs during 1945. These are all to
the good. We have learned a lot
and we will turn 1t to good ad-
vantage.
Seed supplies are ample and we
will be able to get the kinds and
varieties recommended for this area
Fertilizer is in about the same sup
ply position as in 1914. The for
mula is the same, 5-10-5, a fairly
good general fertilizer for garden
use. We may have some ammonium
sulphate to use in supplementing
the 5-1o-5 for leafy crops.
Garden tools are in relatively the
same position as last year. There
will be enough to 60 around, of sim
liar quality. Spray materials are
also about as last year. Rotenone
is still short of a normal supply,
SO we will have to conserve the little
that is available by using it only
on. those crops where it is neces-
sary-beans, lettuce, cabbage, etc.
Lead-arsenate should be used on the
other crops so long, as it is safe.
On the whole it seems that we
will have sufficient supplies with
which to grow our 1945 gardens.
The District of Columbia Victory
Garden Office is planning to con-
tinue in 1945 as they have in the
past. They are planning on retain
ing and using the better community
plots that they had last year and
will endeavor to locate other suitable
tracts If the need is made known.
Any group of Victory gardeners
seeking help should contact J. Nor
ton Franklin, the supervisor. 472
Indiana avenue NV; telephone
National 5000, extension 1887.
Montgomery County. Md, is main
tanning the same general organi-
zation they had in 1914. Mrs. E. F..
Klinge. the supervisor telephone
Shepherd 1854 will be glad to work
with any group in meeting their
needs. An Office in Bethesda and
the one in Silver Spring will be
ready to assist insofar as they can.
There will probably be some or
ganized program for Arlington
County, Va, and Prince Georges
County, Md.
Now that the new seed catalogues
are at hand, it is time to send in
that order for seeds, bulbs and plants
for the 1945 garden. 1t is only a
month until time to start seeds for
the 1945 Victory garden, SO let's get
the seed and be ready to start things
off on schedule.
Many of us have seed left from
1914 and some from 1913; it should
be tested to make sure that it is still
viable. If it is not we should not run
the risk of losing a crop for a few
cents worth of seed. To test gar
den seeds for termination, count out
100 seeds and place between wet
blotters. cover with a plate and
place near a radiator. In from I
to % days, depending upon the kind
of seed, sprouting will have taken
place. BY counting the number that
sprouted, of the original 100, the
percentage termination will be de-
termined. To conform to the Fed
eral Seed Act, fresh seed should
have termination of SIS to 80 per
NSAAu ShSOPe 1FC" GVdldl1d SptlIdCil,
in which case it is only 40 per cent.
4
| Now that it is about time to start
seeds indoors We should look up the
article on Growing Plants in
Spa ghnum Moss" in the october
1943 issue of the National Horti-
cultural magazine. This new
method gives almost complete pro-
lection from the "damping- :"
fungus that is so destructive to
seedlings.
X X X
Reports indicate very small sup
plies of nursery stock available for
the spring trade. Rose stocks were
largely cleaned out by the fall pur-
chases. However, there should be a
fair supply of perennials and it is
hoped that gardeners will put in
their orders early.
ADVERTISEMENT.