The Wilmington morning star., 1946-03-04


start this season. The demand for
food will be no less than in war
years. There is likelihood that
most foods will be higher in price
and so the wise person is he who
will have a garden in 1916 if he
has any kind of fertile spot on the
farm. It promotes health. provides
food, and saves money.
H. r. Niswonger, extension her-
ticulturist, seems to be afraid that
we shall all let down in our garden.
ing now that the fighting is over
and feel that there is. no need tt
be concerned about food supply
The need, he thinks, is greater thar
ever. ...
Early maturing garden vege.
tables not only pay better divi'
dends, he says, over longer pro
duction season but they also gel
a Jump on insect pests. Niswonger
is emphasizing the Importance o.
early planting this year. NORTH
Cardinals climate is suitable fol
early planting of many garden
crops and when this is done, they
produce more on the same length
Of rows than later paintings.
Less insect trouble may be ex-
pected on these first paintings ane
this is especially important with
just crops as cucumbers, melons
and summer squash. Early plant
ing and the use of early varietie:
of these particular vegetables pro
vides the easiest control methods
over the pesky worms which usual
ly infest them.
Several weeks sometimes can b.
saved by preparing ridges on which
to plant the early garden crops
North Carolina gardeners have
found by experience that ridgec
soils dry out quicker and warm
up earlier than where the. soil il
allowed to remain flat and the veg.
etable seeds planted down in the
furrow. 1t may be true that the
earlier varieties are not always the
best for the main crop canning
however, they are harder than the
later varieties against cold.
Hotbeds, coldfr ames, and special
plant hill covers all help in the
direction of earliness. Many North
Carolina gardeners use the com
mercial hill covers so as to get
earlier crops of tomatoes, melons,
cucumbers and the like. Early va
rieties of these vegetables can
sometimes get a head start of two
weeks under covers. The more ten
der vegetables also may be plant
ed as much as three weeks earlier
| than would be safe for open-alr
planting when these hill covers are
used. W
This reminds me of letter re.
ceived the other day from Mrs. R.
M. Holder of Brookhill Farm,
Route l., Selma, Johnston County
wanting to know how to build a
strawberry barrel. John Harris, ex-
tension horticulturist, says thai
while there is no set way in when
to build one of these barrels, the
general idea is to have one with
capacity OF about SO gallons
which is open at both ends. Holes
are put into the barrel about ~
inches apart and the strawberry
plants set in these holes. The holes
should be from 3 to inches IN
diameter. The barrel is filled win
a good loamy soil such as should
be found in any fertile garden spot
But before this soil is placed in the
barrel, run two-to three-1ncn pipe
down through the middle, perforat-
ed with small holes so as to pc
able to water the plants from the
center outward. When it becomes
necessary to water the plants, III
this pioe with water and this leaks
slowly outward through the small
holes, keeping the soil moist. .un
less this soil IS unusually fertile,
Mr.. Harris suggests that at Least
| one-half a gallon Of good garoe /,
| fertilizer be mixed with the soil
before it is placed in the barrel.
Some folks have found that 1ne e:
can get a good supply of straw,
berries by having such a barre,
~. T., SUNNY place in the yard
or garden. cleo that
farm people are conIinuii a;,a IT. n
great interest in rural housing s;,o -
spite of rain and bad wea s.a,.d