General Gardening Tips For Growing Your Own Food

Gardening isn't hard. Just some folks think it is. It's easy and it's fun and it's good exercise if you'll just give it a try. And besides, with only a little effort and only a small patch of ground you can GROW ALL THE FOOD YOU'LL NEED. You can eat all you want when you want.

And if you'll can what's left over in your garden, you'll have enough food to last you all winter. And when you do, you cut down on the need for transportation to bring your food and help conserve fuel! Do YOUR part this year for the environment and yourself by GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD.

HOW TO MAKE A GARDEN - A FEW GENERAL TIPS

Before plowing, burn the rubbish and vegetable vines us they may carry disease or injurious insects. Apply a good coating of manure if you can get it. Tree leaves are also fine. Some gardeners say cover the seed four times its greatest diameter. Seed can be planted deeper on loose mellow soil than it can on clay or gumbo. The same seed should be planted deeper late in the season when the soil is warm and more likely to dry out. After planting very small seed, especially among the flowers, cover with a mulch to hold the moisture near the surface until the seed sprouts. Plant some for the worm, some for the crow, some to pull out, and some to grow. Plant abundantly enough for yourself and some to spare.

LOCATION OF GARDEN.

The kitchen garden should be located, close to the house. This gives protection against animals and thieves (makes it a lot handier too if you have a few odd moments to spend in it). The main or big garden should be so located and planned that it can be cultivated with regular farm tools. It saves a lot of weeding.

SOILS AND SHADE

Don't make your garden in the shade of big trees or in soils full of tree roots if you can avoid it. Most garden crops like sunshine and all of them appreciate and respond to good soil. Stony land and poorly drained soil are not the best.

FITTING THE SOIL

Plow or spade deeply in the fail, especially where there sod to be turned under. Do a good job. Leave the land rough to hold snow and moisture. Rake thoroughly before planting. Good preparation will save a lot of cultivation.

SIZE OF GARDEN

There is only one rule I would give and that is to 'Plant! Plenty." What you do not need for the day to day table needs, can.

CROP SUCCESSION

Plant radish seed very thin and follow at once with parsnip, carrot, parsley. asparagus, onion or leek right in the same row. Pull the radish and use when at is large enough. Plant Beets. Kohlrabi. Lettuce, 'Milliard, Spinach, Onion Sets. Radish or early Beans or Pens between rows of late Cabbage, Melons, Squash or Tomatoes. Plant radish very early followed by early Cabbage plants set every two feet in the row and after the cabbage is off sow late turnips or Chinese Cabbage. Plant two rows of tomatoes between each two Watermelon row and dig potatoes after the Melons are gone. Follow early Peas and Beans with late Cabbage. Celery may follow early Peas, Beans. Lettuce, Radish or Spinach. Plant late turnips in vacant about the garden. spaces.