Home Garden

EVERY family may have a home garden if they have four square feet of earth. The success attained depends not so much on the size of the home garden as on the way one relates himself to the task. A love for plants and flowers is the prerequisite. Health and happiness may be found in cultivating plant life, and the study of where and under what conditions each variety thrives is indeed fascinating. Happy is the man or woman who loves nature and whose life is enriched by lessons learned from growing plants and flowers. Health of mind and body may be found in seeking the acquaintance of plant life.

Preparation of Soil.—In planning for a garden, the first thing to consider is the preparation of the soil. This may be done with ordinary hand tools. If the soil is covered with a sod or is inclined to be heavy, a spade may be used. However, if it is mellow, a fork is very serviceable Care should be taken not to work the soil when it is sticky. Wait until it has dried sufficiently, so that it will crumble when it drops from the spade. This is - important, for soil that is disturbed when wet is likely to bake and become hard, and this greatly hampers production. After spading, the surface should be allowed to dry; for this will aid you much in preparing the seed bed, a most essential factor.

Don't let the surface become crusty. This hampers capillary attraction in furnishing moisture for the plants. An inch or two of dry earth checks evaporation and avoids loss of moisture, which is important in growing good plants. If you exercise care in keeping loose mulch over the surface, you will eliminate your water problem except in case of drouth. If the plants need added moisture, water them in the evening, but be sure to rake the soil the next morning to conserve the moisture.

Selection of Seeds.—When purchasing seeds, the best obtainable is always cheapest, for poor seed will produce inferior plants. It is advisable to purchase your seed from a reputable seed house. One should be familiar with the requirements of the seed he is sowing.

How to Plant.—The seed should be well covered (depth of planting varies according to size of seed). Many gardeners recommend tamping the soil lightly after planting to aid in surrounding the seed with earth and to conserve the moisture. But be sure the soil will not bake and become hard, or the seeds will not be able to break through the crust which may form. This practice should be followed only in soft, sandy loam.

When to Plant.—The time of planting depends upon the locality, but seed should never be planted until the weather is warm, so that the plants' growth will not be retarded by cold weather. Some seeds, such as sweet peas, garden peas, lettuce, radishes, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, and salsify, will thrive in cool weather and stand a few degrees of frost. Nevertheless, great care should be taken not to hurry in starting the more tender plants out in the open. These should be kept under glass until danger of frost is over.