Show Gardens V-Gardens on Home Front Sufficient Vegetables Can Be Raised Praised for Entire Family on Small Fertile Sites Beginners Told to Plan Plots Before Starting Seeding I However Hi Hitler e r Hirohito to and Mussolini may be kept guessing about Allied offensives offensives offensives offen offen- on the fighting fronts of the world they can just as aswell aswell aswell well be told right now that there is no secret about one of Americas America's great drives on the home front Its It's the Victory Victory Victory Vic Vic- tory Garden campaign already already already al al- al- al ready under way and expected expect expect- ed to set a national record for home food production When a national poll late last month reported that 54 per cent of the citizens interviewed interviewed interviewed inter inter- viewed were intending to grow gardens this year newspaper readers of the country became became became be be- came aware of the proportions proportions proportions of this home-front home offen offen- sive By January however it was was- no news to the governments government's governments government's governments government's govern govern- ments ment's garden promoters that thata a 1943 bumper crop of home gardeners was in sight They were already swamped with popular demands for to how-to- it go-about-it information and were meeting them with them with news releases radio programs programs programs pro pro- grams photographs and a special 1943 edition of a publication publication publication pub pub- called Victory Gar Gar- dens The garden paiden n authorities had seen what h a in 1942 19 when an estimated estimated estimated es es- es- es Victory Gardeners Garden Garden- ers shouldered spades and hoes Since then they had seen the national nation nation- al food situation change until by the beginning of 1943 19 the department of agriculture was saying The nation nation nation na na- na- na tion needs the help of everyone who can grow a good garden Will Educate Gardeners The department of agriculture it may be reported was precise in making its appeal to everyone who can grow a good garden Getting good gardens from inexperienced gardeners thus became one of the departments department's war concerns Fortunately Fortun Fortunately Fortu Fortu- n tely its bureau of plant industry in the agricultural research administration admin admin- has been dealing with this same problem in normal dimensions for many years and was all set to meet the demands for information as they might arise It is impossible of course to avoid of some vegetables Small seeds like those of carrots collards onion parsnips spinach and turnips turnips turnips tur tur- nips must be sown three or four times as thick as the plants will eventually grow because many seeds fail to grow well Surplus seedlings then have to be thinned out before the plants crowd each other When the inexperienced gardener begins to worry about not planting his seed too deep or too shallow too early or Ir too late and realizes the many other details that have to tobe tobe tobe be kept in mind he will appreciate truly the helpfulness of such publications publications publications as the dep department of agricultures agriculture's agricultures agriculture's agri agri- cultures culture's Victory Gardens and the other free bulletins that can be obtained from the government and from state stat agricultural colleges and extension services Most v valuable of all to him will probably be the one published nearest to his home for from it he her can obtain most specific information on the times of planting and ou the varieties of vegetables best bet adapted to his locality With such aids Americans Americans Amer Amer- leans and their helpers are arc this ye year yer r expected to plant Victory Gard Gardens Gar Gar- d dens dens nj of them on farms the there re rest t in their heir Ir b backyards on vacant t Run Rows Long Way i A I I r e y p- p f. f rt rl s. s i l' l Variety for Everybody lots or in community Victory Gardens Gar Gar- Gar I dens With the seed sown and the tomato and cabbage plants set out I they will still have to face the Axis agents known to gardeners as weeds I insects and diseases But they will know at least that their own on home- home front offensive is under way and that the seeds of Victory are arc in the ground The gist of garden arden fundamentals has by now been reduced to terms so simple that they make gardening seem easier than it really is so Is-so so easy in fact that a great emphasis has been put on perseverance No Noone Noone Noone to it instructions in instructions instructions in- in one reading garden it is pointed out repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly repeat repeat- edly should set his foot to the spade unless he is determined to stay by his Job without wasting seed fertilizer fertilizer fertilizer lizer or effort The first requirement that the new gardener will find in hi the specifications written by the experts is for a garden spot that is both sunny I and fertile And for his help in judging fertility he is given the thumb rule If U the weeds grow i rank the soil is fertile Good soil j moisture and sunshine are three essentials If U they arc are missing no gardener can expect to grow enough crops to justify his use of seed fertilizer fertilizer fertilizer fer fer- and effort The home gardener this year is s advised to grow just as nearly all the fresh vegetables for his family as he possibly can A garden 50 I feet by feet tended and kept growing all ill season is for example expected to produce enough vegetables vegetables vege vege- tables to give each member of a I family of five at least three servings a day which comes about as close to providing the needed four to seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables vegetables vegetables bles as many gardeners can come Smallest garden size for which a garden plan is suggested by the del department department de- de l of agriculture is 30 by 50 i feet but even smaller areas will willi i grow crow a worthwhile crop of tomatoes I and a few other crops if grea greater ter space cannot be obtained Choose Vegetables You Like Liko With the area located the Victory I Gardeners Gardener's next step is putting the garden on paper an exercise not notI I only interesting but also especially helpful for the inexperienced Arranging Arranging Arranging Ar Ar- ranging the garden properly includes includes includes in in- attention to a few general principles Rows for example I l I should not run up and down hill if 1 I the garden slopes very much but if jf the area is level the rows should run the long way for convenience First plantings 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 growing growing growing grow grow- ing plants should be on the west or north side of the garden so they I will not shade other plants The main item in planning a garden garden garden gar 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 docs not notI like but within the family taste I I there are many garden products from which to choose Green leafy I vegetables vegetables leaf leaf lettuce cabbage spinach chard collards kale and 1 turnip greens should greens should be well reps represented rep- rep s I resented in every garden garden- Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes Toma Toma- toes and beans are also likely to be bei i grown generally All these are rich richi richin i in vitamins Potatoes and corn are arc aref arcI f r among the best energy foods but they require considerable space and andare andare andare are thus not recommended for very I small gardens which should specialize special special- j I ize on the valuable vitamin or protective pro- pro j I vegetables s No garden plan of course is suitable suitable suitable suit suit- able for all tastes or all aU localities but an example of one balanced garden garden gar gar- garden den is provided by Dr Victor H H. H Boswell in his' his Victory Gardens For the 30 by 50 very small gar garden garden den Dr Boswell suggests 13 vegetables vegetables vegetables vege vege- tables planted in hi 14 rows Those planted in spring include two foot 50 rows of pole snap beans two rows of pole lima beans two rows of tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes toma toma- toes half hall a row of lettuce half hall a arow arow arow row of chard and one row each of beets carrots turnips cabbage onions onions onions on on- ions radishes and spinach When these are harvested the succession succession succession sion crops include two rows of collards collards col col- col lards as well as later plantings of the other vegetables Need Only Four Tools Inevitably gardening on paper leads to the real thing and that means tools F Fortunately however at a time when metal Is 19 scarce nothing elaborate Is needed There are aro many garden Implements but four of them will serve all purposes very well well well-a a spade or spading fork a steel rake a common cammon hoe and a strong cord Spading can start as soon as the theland theland theland land is sufficiently dry in spring and the garden has been cleared of de de- bris Eight to ten inches is a good depth for spading if the top soil is deep On thin layers of top soil soU experience experienced experienced ex ex- ex- ex d gardeners are careful not notto notto notto to turn up too much of the infertile subsoil To increase the soils soil's fertility fertility fertility fer fer- the should hould mix In some well rotted manure or other other other oth oth- er decayed organic matter if these fertilizers are available Every 25 square feet of the garden can well take as much as a bushel Commercial Commercial Commer Commer- cial fertilizer will also be needed on most gardens but its application can best be delayed until after the spaded clods have been broken up and the whole garden worked up with the rake and smoothed out for planting Then the fertilizer is applied applied applied ap ap- ap- ap plied in bands along the planted rows This year Victory Gardeners will have a special fertilizer with 3 per percent percent percent cent nitrogen about 85 per cent of it organic together with 8 per cent of phosphoric acid and 7 per cent potash Described as the best formula formula formula for for- mula that can be made available to victory gardeners during the wartime wartime wartime war war- time emergency when war calls caUs for forso forso forso so much chemical nitrogen this 8 3 7 mixture comes In packages of 5 10 10 25 2550 50 and pounds net weight labeled Victory Gardener Fertilizer er for er-for for Food Production Only This fertilizer is best applied along the garden rows in a band about three or four inches wide about two inches from the line where the seeds will be sown or the plants set A wide furrow about two inches deep is scooped out with the hoe The fertilizer is spread uniformly along this furrow at the rate of 1 pound per 24 or 25 feet or row mixed with the soil and covered about two inches deep It should not touch the seed Broadcasting fertilizer is easier than applying it in bands but unless the rows are very close the tha broadcasting brings less efficient re re- suits If U the Victory Garden fertilizer fertilizer fertilizer fer fer- is broadcast it should be used at the rate of three or four pounds per square feet and then Ulen mixed thoroughly with the soil Dont Don't Sow Too Thick i Common to all gardeners at plant planting planting plant plant- ing time is the danger of sowing seed too thickly thickly thickly-a a mistake that is wasteful not only of precious seed but also of ot time For seed that is sown wastefully produces seedlings that must later be thinned at the expense of time and sometimes backaches Bean and pea seeds should be spaced as the plants are expected to stand for these vegetables should never be thinned in the rows Beet and chard seeds are really fruits containing several seeds and should thus be sown no thicker than the plants are to stand although some thinning will be needed Cabba Cabbage e and tomato and onion plants and onion sets are also placed where they will remain I Ir Y r t t H k 3 tiaM i A ss Hs li ft S X i V 1 Plants P Should iou Be Spaced |