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Show FEEDING THE GARDEN fl m You must feed tho garden If you M wnnt tho garden to feed you. Tho 1H virgin soil Is not a source of plant H food, but rnther a container of plant ' R food, and nftcr tho first few crops Wm havo been grown, it Is very hard to RllJ get out oven such plant food ns tho t H soli contains. i'fl Plants must havo a balanced rntlon A if thoy nro to grow naturally. Thoy 'H eat and digest their food In certain H moro or less fixed proportions and If M only ono of tho elements they need H is lacking, they cannot grow proper- ,M ly, regardless of tho amount of tho other foods thnt may bo available. H Lack of decayed vegctablo and anl- JH mnl matter will kill plants oven tho H thero bo present enough potash and ,m phosphorls to Inst for all tlmo. This MU is tho troublo with sandy soils In most Wk cases. B If your garden did not do as well jfl Inst year as It did before, or If your neighbor has a better garden on tho 9 same kind of soil, It Is up to you to M feed your garden this yenr and If this M Is done wisely, your results will pay H What most worn soils lack Is veg- M etablo matter. Garden crops aro M heavy feeders on organic matter and . 'fl the first thing to think of In the gar- M den Is barnyard manure. Usually a M kitchen garden cannot get too much , M well rotted manure. Manure Is a nl- M trogen feed, and it promotes tho WM growth of stalks and roots ttArer than II of the fruit. II If stable manure Is hard t,ft securo WM you may get the necessary nlti;ogon yS from -any of tho ammonia .eaHa,-or Km 'from blood meal) If tho nnHjuntjuaed. H b'e small. , Mti. t 9 r 'On worn. soils In tho older sections M o ftho country the nitrogen ,1s not M tho only element lacking and. both M phosphorus and potash must bq sup- iK piled from tlmo to time, nB the crop jfl indicates tho need of moro fertility. H Phosphorus Is moro frequently lack- M Ing and It should bo applied If tho blze and amount of tho fruit Is less- M enlng yenr by year. Rone meal Is H a good phosphorus container, and It M may also be secured In ground phos- fl phute rock. H Among other functions, potash has H a very, distinct control oer the color H of certnln fruits and vegetables. As H a general thing, it is tho most plontl- H ful plant food In nil soils, but It should fl bo upplled to sandy or muck soils If H tho crop Indicates a lack of somo- H tnlng. H In studying this problom always re- H member that no garden can do woll fl unless tho soil is well drained and, well cultivated. Good seeds aro wast- H ed on a hard, lumpy scod bed, or In H a gardon whero the soil water or B hard subsoil keeps tho roots, from go- fl Ing-down as tar as ,thoy should.. - |