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Show I ittaltms ti)e 33ack iarti gott trttle EVERYONE is getting the garden fever. If he has any soil at all he is j-" studying methods of intensive cultiva- fr tion, and if he has none he is wondering I if he cannot get the use of a piece and, I in any case, he is interested in how the trick of turning out vegetables and cheapening their cost should be done. ' The back yard is now assuming an im portance never given to it heretofore, and I many a person who undertakes to comcrt , it into a garden will get little but bitter experience unless he pays heed to the instruction of those who arc wiser than he in horticultural matteis. The United Slates government is taking an Interest in its citizens and is giving practical assistance as-sistance hi telling what to do with soils of varying characters and how to plant and cultivate garden crops. Practically all garden crops do better on a sandy loam soil than on one that is sticky and heavy, says the department's counsellor Larger sized crops, however, such as cabbage, tomatoos, beans and ', peas, will do well on heavy soil provided It contains the ucccssaiy vegetable matter. The soil in most back jard gardens is e distinctly heavy. It will help the soil greatly if the owner woiks into it a good amount of finely sifted coal ashes free from all cinders Coal ashes arc used 1 largely for the physical effect in bicak- 1 ing up a compact, licav. soil. Such ashe3 i do not take the placo of feitilizer. j Plentiful use of well rotted manure is M still more beneficial in brenking up heavy soil because this improves the texture nnd ', adds fertilizing material Many gaidcn soils are sour. To offset acidity and also to improve the phjsical ? properties of the soil the garden spccial- Iists recommend the use of lime. Burnt lime should be applied at the late of 1,000 pounds to the acic or slaked lime at the rate of about 1,500 pounds an acre. A garden plot 50x100 feet is approximately one-ninth of an acre. To apply the lime, broadcast it and mix it freely with the surface soil by hni-rowiug hni-rowiug oi lakmg. Lime should be applied ap-plied befoio the crops arc set out or planted and should not be applied at the same tunc that fertilizer or manure is put on. Manure will greatly impiovc land. If well lotted manure is not available iL k may he advisable to use n complete chemi-jjr chemi-jjr cnl fcitilizcr. Apply at the rate of S00 to 1,000 pounds an acre a mixture containing con-taining 2 to -1 per cent nitrogen, S per cent phosphoric acid, 1 to 2 per cent potash. The amateur gardener will find ; it easier to use ready mixed foitilizcr, which can be obtained from any leliablc dealer, Xo amount of fertilizer, watciing and cultivation will make up for the absence of sunlight, in a garden. Homo gardeners bcfoie attempting for the first time to use a back ynid "or other space should consider caiefully how many hours a day any pait of the ynid is in shadow from buildings, fences or trees. At least five K hours of sunlight a day is neccssnry for I a successful garden. The more sunlight they get the belter it is for most veg- . ctables. For this reason it is bad practice prac-tice to put plants of low habit between tall growing plants which will shade them for the greater part of the dny. |