8
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Gardening on
W. H. Robertson, nisi slant horll
nlturlst of the Department of Agri
culture lor the province ot British
Colombia, has just completed an arti
cle treating of gardening on a city
lot. As the climate in British Co
lumbia la quite simitar to that of
many sections in Washington and
Oregon, the findings should prore of
interest to otrr readers. The first in
stallment of this article fallows.
THE expenditure (or vegetables for
a family of five where all vege
tables are purchased has been
estimated at 35 cents per day, or
1126.75 per year. This sum repre
sents from one-fifth to about one
eighth of the income of the average
man. The greater part of these
vegetables could be produced on
spare land surrounding the home at
an expense of but a few dollars for
seed, tools, and fertilizer; and, be
sides, the vegetables grown would
be fresher and more would be used
than when purchased.
Because of the mild climate of
the Coast and Island districts a good
supply of fresh vegetables may be
had at all times of the year, as is
shown by the following table:
Month. Vegetables.
January Kale, parsnips, leeks, let
tuce, parsley.
February-Kale, parnips, leeks, let
tuce, parsley.
March Spinach, broccoli.
ApriL..Radish, onions, rhubarb,
broccoli.
May Asparagus, peas.
June Early cabbage, carrots,
beets.
July Early potatoes, parsnips,
beans.
August T o m a t o e s, cauliflower,
onions, cucumbers, sum
mer squash.
September-Cabbage, salsify, herbs.
October Celery, Brussels sprouts,
leeks, Winter squash.
November-Tall lettuce, early spin
ach. December ..Same as for January and
February.
Besides the fresh vegetables which
may be had through the Winter
months, the gardener can have a
large variety stored, including pota
toes, beets, carrots, onions, celery,
squash and turnips.
Preparation of the Ground.
Too much stress cannot be nlaeed
on the importance of preparing a
goon seed-bed. In the Fall, land in
tended for eardenine nnrrtoRp.s
should be cleared of all robish and
ploughed or spaded to a depth of
not less than seven inches. This
operation will leave the land roueh
and, besides opening the soil to the
eirects or the weather and permit
ting it to absorb a maximum of
rainfall, will aid in freeing it from
injurious insects or other pests. No
other operations are necessarv until
Spring, unless some fertiliser is to
be applied; the kind. time, and
amount to apply is taken up under
fertilizers."
Even though the soil was well
spaded in the Fall, the Winter rains
will have packed it, so that another
spading will be advisable in the
Spring. Previous to this operation,
all manures other than nitrate of
soda should be applied, so that they
will work well into the soil. Fol
lowing this, the surface of the soil
should be raked over with a hand
rake several times to rid the soil of
any clods and to ensure a. firm seed
bed. As the planting is not all
done at once, the unplanted area
should be hoed and hand-raked be
fore planting, in order to kill all
weeds which may have started and
to hold the moisture which is nec
essary to start the seed growing
when it is planted. ,
Fertilizers.
Undoubtedly, well-rotted stable
manure is the best fertilizer for the
garden. Besides the plant-food it
contains, it has a great value in Im
proving the physical condition of
the soil. It lightens heavy soils and
makes them earlier, while it has a
binding action on light soils, which
increases their capacity for retain
ing moisture and accelerates the
liberation of plant-food. Where Win
a Small Scale
ter rains are common, it is best to
apply manure In the early Spring
and work it into soil immediately.
Commercial fertilizers are also
valuable, especially where manure is
not available, and also when used
in conjunction with barnyard ma
nure. Their main value lies in the
amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid,
and potash they contain. These three
elements may be purchased ready
mixed as a complete fertilizer, or
the elements may be purchased sep
arately and applied. Potash and
phosphatic manures should be ap
plied during the Winter months;
nitrate ot soda, in which we find
nitrogen in the most available form.
should be applied to the growing
crop, as it is easily washed out of
the soil.
As a rule, crops grown for the
leaf production, as spinach, cabbage,
and lettuce, require a higher per
centage of nitrogen than those
grown for the root or tuber produc
tion, such as beets, carrots, pota
toes, etc., which require a greater
amount of potash and phosphoric
acid. Since the vegetable garden Is
usually mixed as regards the ferti
lizer requirements, it is best to give
a general dressing of fertilizer in
the following proportions: Nitrate
of soda, 10 lbs.; potash, 15 lbs.;
phosphoric acid, 30 lbs. This applied
to a garden 40x40 feet gives about
1 lb. to each 30 square feet, which
should prove ample. The three need
not be applied at once, as the best
results come from applying them as
mentioned previously.
The application of lime is also
very beneficial to the soil, and when
used should be applied during the
Winter; 75 to 100 lbs. would be
ample for a plot 40x40 feet.
In case the reader desires more
information on the use of commer
cial fertilizers, he should secure Cir
cular No. 28 from the Department
of Agriculture
Planting and Cultivation.
When planting, a garden-line is
necessary in order to ensure straight
rows. All the tools that will be
necessary are a strong spade or
shovel, hoe, and gardeh-rake. A
trowel for transplanting work will
also be found to be useful. Depth
of planting seed will be found In
the tables on this page. Transplant
ing should be done during the latter
part of the day, and the plants are
always set deeper than they stood
In the seed-bed. When transplant
ing, be sure that the earth is well
packed around the roots in order
that root-action may start at once.
After the seedlings begin to show
and after any transplanting is done,
cultivation should be the rule. By
keeping the ground thoroughly hoed,
not only is moisture held in the
soil, but the plant food In the soil
is made available through the action
of the air. On large garden-plots
a wheel-hoe with planter attach
ment will be found to save time in
planting and to decrease the cost of
hoeing.
Raspberries
Gooseberries
Currants
Rhubard
Asparagus
Strawberries (old bed)
Early Potatoes
Radish Lettuce Herbs
Peas
Spinach
Onions
Carrots
Beets
Parsnips
Turnips
Beans
Sweet Corn
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Late Potatoes
Strawberries (new bed)
Plan for a Small Garden.
Garden-Plan.
The following plan Is only a sug
gestion of the systematic way in
which a piece of ground 40x40 feet
may be planted. In soma cases the
area that can be devoted to vege
table gardens may be larger or even
smaller. Rotation should be prac
tised, so that by the time the early
radish, spinach, peas, etc, are fin
ished, their place would be taken by
cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, etc.,
which have been started in a hot
bed, window-box, or secured from a
greehouse.
Points to be remembered in draw
ing up a plan are:
(1) Make a measurement of your
lot,
(2) The planting table shown
will give some idea of distances for
planting.
(3) Plant in straight lines to con
serve space.
(4) Keep the perennials (such as
small fruits) together.
(6) Plant early season vegetables
together, so that when they are re
moved the same piece of ground
may be planted to a late crop.
Tus
Barthold-Barg Co.
Inc.
127 Fourth Street, Portland, Ore.
Instrument and Steel Tape Repairing
High-Class Blue Printing
ExeiuBivo Dealers in
DRAWING MATERIALS
dtirveying and Drafting
Instruments, Architects' and Engineers'
Supplies.
Lee Miller Sanatorium
A High-Grade SANATORIUM for Men
tal, Alcoholic and Drug Cases. ETHI
CAL TREATMENT.
AT THE SERVICE OP AJJfc PHYSICIANS
Correspondence Solicited,
References: R. L. Gillespie, M, D. ; B. Xj.
Norton, M, D,; 8. E. Josephi, M. D.
LEE MILLER, Manager.
201 East 82d St. N. Portland, Ore.
Take Montaviila Car. Phone Tabor 5077.
BULBS, ROSES, TREES
FOR FALL PLANTING
BEST STOCK IN THE WEST.
Vim hare no agents, guarantee our stocli
and prepay charges. Don't buy until you
read onr NEW OFFER,
Free 84-page Catalog No. 90 Tells All.
' - Z-I.ttAtk-lit
iSk-fr.0
'aoseconnbe. PortiandOri.
WOOD TANKS
For Water, Oil, Wine, Mining
and Cyanide.
Weal rV far IrrifetUa. Or Spttsn,
Waist fewer Masts
WE DO NOT SELL LUMBER
but devote our time and energy to
producing the best tanks and wood
pipe lines, and when you purchase
material bearing oar trade name
"PACIFIC" you are getting an
article that will give you complete
satisfaction.
Send your inquiries to
Pacific Tank&Pipe Co.
Box 144 Kenton Station, Fort
land, Ore.
Manufacturers
WOOD TANKS AND FTPS
HOTEL ACKLY
Cor. 12th and Stark St, Portland, Oregon,
RATES: 2.50 per week up. With privat
bath, $4. 0 op. CLEAN OUTSIDE ROOMS.
CANCER dI..:
cured without drugs or knife
NATURAL SANATORIUM
178 East 60th Street, Portland, Oregon
WELL DRILLING
Geo. E. Scott, Contractor
crrr, railroad and ranch wells
6 to 12 INCH
Also Bridga and Building Sonndingi
P. O. Box 481, Portland, Ore.
P. O. Box 501 P- - Box m
Salem, Ore. McMinnTiiia, ura.
TRADES YourFam
All Kinds of Houses to Trade for Farm
T. J. LONG
G20 Henry Building, Portland, Oregon,
WHY IS A WALNUT
like red clover? Tho walnut indus
try today is just where the clover in
dustry was twenty-five years ago,
when few people realized its value.
We made a small fortune growing
clover hay before the average farmer
realized its possibilities. So we are
.... . 1 . t. J 1ia n.nlullt ItW
staking our lauu
uus.ry uj ,.4..v...ft o c .
and are already reaping a harvest.
Whilo it lias a very small acreage in
walnuts, the Northwest has thou
sands of acres 01 tue worm a lines
walnut land.
1 1 1 JCOIO V' cuv.; - - -
pared to give informal Ion concerning
varieties, culture, soils, etc. We
grow the finest grafted walnut trees
on me market. ,
Ferd Groner & McClure
Route 2, Hillsboro, Oregon. 1
The Strongest and
Best Constructed
Ladders on the Market
Guaranteed Against Defects of
Material or Workmanship.
Write for further particulars.
Special discount to dealers.
SCHLEE'S
Ladder Works
267 Second St,, Portland, Oregon.
Manufacturers of
Step Ladders, Orchard Ladders, Ex.
tension Ladders, Trestles, Ladder
Jacks, Window Cleaning Ladders.