Make Your Garden Feed You

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Many are the difficulties that beset the person equipped for the first time with a spade, a packet of seeds, and a plot of soil. “How deep must I plant them?” “Do they need watering?” “What will they look like when they come up?” These are only a few of the questions that dismay the novice.

The experienced gardener in war-time is in little better position. He knows the way he has always gone about his tasks, he knows when to put his seeds in and what to do with the seedlings when they appear. But now he ought to ask himself: “ Is my garden yielding as much per square foot as it should do ? ” “ Am I getting the best possible results in the shortest time or could I perhaps do better if I changed my methods ? ” In addition, he has two very big problems—what to use for manures now that many kinds are unobtainable, and how to curtail waste which was previously unimportant but now is criminal.

Answers to all these questions could be discovered eventually by experiment—the process of trial and error. But at a time of national emergency there is neither leisure nor material for this method. The necessary information has to be acquired quickly and with the minimum of effort. Make Your Garden Feed You has been written to meet this need.

The book is severely practical. The author takes a plot of ground—90 feet by 60 feet—and shows exactly how it must be arranged and treated to make it yield the maximum amount of food for the minimum expenditure of money and labour. He explains why it is economical to keep fowls, rabbits, and bees, in addition to growing vegetables and fruit, and he gives sound advice on how to overcome the war-time difficulties of manuring the ground and feeding the livestock.

The best way to use this book is to read it straight through as far as the end of the section on vegetable growing, and to spend half an hour or so absorbing the details of the plan shown on pages 2 and 3. The next step is to adapt the author’s arrangement to suit your own garden or allotment. You may have to leave out the fruit trees or decide bee-keeping is unsuitable in your neighbourhood. But the main features of the scheme—especially the inclusion of three vegetable plots—can be kept for any garden, whatever its size or special peculiarities. If you only have room for one or two rows of vegetables you can plan to grow different crops from one year to the next.

CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT FROM THE CONTENTS LIST

When you have fixed the layout for your own garden and have the preliminary details worked out, then look at the contents list on page v. This shows the range of subjects covered by the book and all you need to do is to turn to the page where your special problems are solved. How deep to dig the ground, how much seed to buy, when to put it in, when and how to transplant the seedlings—the answers to all such questions can be found immediately. Some difficulties, however, are not easy to clear up in words; the distinction, for example, between a useful plant and a dangerous weed requires an object lesson rather than an explanation. These obstacles, therefore, are removed by a number of very clear illustrations which will be of use and interest to beginner and veteran alike.

TO PLAN YOUR CROPS

WHATEVER the shape and size of your allotment or garden, you are advised to decide where everything you intend to grow is to be planted before you start. Similarly the sites of the shed, greenhouse, manure heap, etc., should all be chosen at the outset.

The diagram given here (Fig. 1) shows the layout recommended for a plot measuring 90 ft. by 60 ft. If your allotment or garden plot is smaller you should not have much difficulty in adapting the layout to suit your individual need. For instance, if your plot measures go ft. by 45 ft. and you propose to go in for all the four departments of food production, all it means is that the three vegetable plots will be 27 ft. by 28 ft. instead of 42 ft. by 28 ft.

IF THERE IS NO FENCE

It is to be hoped that the 90-ft. long north boundary consists of a solid fence, since this simplifies things considerably; but if it happens to be a wire-strand fence, or even no fence at all, this little difficulty can be overcome easily enough and without the outlay of a lot of money.

Should there be no fencing, run three strands of stout wire from the greenhouse and a post in one corner to the corner of the general-purpose shed, and again from the east corner of the shed to the corner of the poultry house, covering this with 1-in. mesh, 4-ft. high wire-netting. Support by means of 3-in. square stakes placed about 5 ft. apart.

PLACING THE FRUIT TREES AND TOMATOES

Leaf-mould is invaluable, particularly in these days when stable manure is so difficult to obtain, so provision has to be made for its storage. And the same is true of the compost heap. These 6 ft. by 5 ft. areas can be fronted by 5-ft. high trellis with a bed in front for planting soft fruit climbers.

At the back of the seed-bed and between the frames and the north boundary cordon, fruit trees or tomatoes may be grown if the wall is solid. If the fence is only of wire strands, tomatoes are ruled out, because they would not be sufficiently sheltered.

It is suggested that espalier fruit trees should be planted at the north end of plots 1 and 2, and that a herb bed, 4 ft. in width, should be sown or planted at the far end of plot 3, while to accommodate a greater number of soft fruit bushes 8 ft. or 10 ft. long pergolas—a string of connected arches—should be erected at each end of the two main paths. The bee-hives can be placed conveniently close to the fruit trees of the centre plot, where the bees will help to fertilize them.

WHY THREE VEGETABLE PLOTS ARE ESSENTIAL

Whatever else you may not do, you should divide the area to be used for growing vegetables into three separate plots. It does not matter whether these are separated by a path, as shown in the diagram, or not, but you should mark their confines in one way or another.

Much of the success that will attend your efforts depends upon planning your crops in three groups. Here are the reasons:

1. No crop should be taken off the same plot two years in succession.

2. Some crops are shallow-rooting and only take plant food from the surface, while others are deep-rooting and obtain their food from the lower soil. By arranging for a deep-rooting crop to follow a shallow-rooting one, and vice versa, you are saved spending a lot of extra money on manure or chemical fertilisers.

3. Some plants require a large quantity of one kind of plant food, but others need little of it. Again, manure is saved by growing one such crop after the other.

The three plots are marked : Plot 1, Green Crops; Plot 2, Peas, etc.; and Plot 3, Root Crops. The second year the crops are shifted round, so that Plot 1 carries the roots, Plot 2 the greens and Plot 3 the peas, etc. The next year they are moved a step again, and so on. Each crop comes back to its original site every third year.

VEGETABLES YOU ARE ADVISED TO GROW

Various points have been taken into consideration in the choice of vegetables to be grown, and the amount of space which is devoted to each—easy cultivation, high food value, health-promoting qualities, and a regular supply of vegetables in season without a surplus of any. In connection with the last point it must be remembered that the requirements of the rabbits and poultry have to be taken into account.

The vegetables to be grown are set out below in the order in which they are placed in their respective plots.1

GREEN VEGETABLES ON THE FIRST PLOT

Reading from the left side of the diagram (Fig. 1), the crops recommended are as follows:

SUMMER CABBAGES.—Two rows, with 18 in. between the plants, giving a total of 56 heads.

SUMMER CAULIFLOWERS.—Two rows, 18 in. between the plants, a total of 56 plants.

EARLY SAVOYS.—One row, 15 in. between the plants, a total of 34.

LATE SAVOYS.—Two rows, 18 in. between the plants, a total of 56.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS.—Three rows, 2 ft. between the plants, a total of 63.

AUTUMN CAULIFLOWERS.—One row, 2 ft. between the plants, a total of 28.

BROCCOLI.—One row, 2 ft. between the plants, a total of 28.

KALE OR BORECOLE.—One row, 2 ft. between the plants, a total of 28.

These crops take a long time to grow to maturity. To conserve valuable space, turnips, early carrots, lettuces, summer spinach and salad onions should be sown between the main vegetable crops as catch-crops. These crops will all be ready for harvesting before the main vegetables attain any great size and require the space they occupied.

VEGETABLES FOR THE SECOND PLOT

On Plot 2 the crops are as follows: Early peas, 2 rows; main-crop peas, 3 rows; dwarfed runner beans, 2 rows; celery (grown in a trench), 1 row ; dwarf French beans, 2 rows; leeks, 1 row ; and shallots, 1 row. It is not possible to say how many bushels of peas and beans will be produced, but with 1 ft. between the plants there should be 42 heads of celery and, with 6 in. between the plants, there will be about 84 leeks.

Lettuces and other salad plants should be grown as a catch-crop on the ridges at each side of the celery trench, sowings being made every three weeks to provide a succession.

THE ROOT CROPS ON THE THIRD PLOT

The two rows of carrots are placed close to the path, the reason being that this crop is not thinned in the usual way, but young roots are pulled as they are required in the house. Ultimately the carrots should stand 3 in. apart, so 168 are available for storing for winter use.

Two rows of early potatoes—the new potatoes which are so acceptable after months of stored ones—should suffice for the average household. Seven rows of main-crop potatoes are allowed for, however, not only because they are wanted for many months, but so that there will be a goodly number for the fowls and, possibly, the other live stock. The 126 beetroots from the single row should prove sufficient both for pickling and cooking as a vegetable; the 252 onions from the two rows should see the family through the winter; and the 56 parsnips, grown 9 in. apart in the one row, is about the correct proportion for these vegetables.

These crops—with the exception of the parsnips, which are best left in the ground, at any rate until after there have been a good few frosts—are cleared off the ground some time before October, when a number of crops should be planted. When the potatoes have been gathered, two rows of broad beans should be sown and the remainder of the ground planted with spring cabbages. When the carrots, beetroots, and onions have been harvested, their places should be taken by prickly spinach and winter lettuce.

FRUITS OF THE THREE-YEAR CROPPING PLAN

If you follow the three-year cropping plan suggested above, you will never be without delicious vegetables from year end to year end. How does this succession appeal to you—and to the members of your household ?

Spring (February 15th to May 15th).—Beetroots, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, late savoys, and spinach.

Summer (May 15th to August 15th).—Broad, French, and runner beans, beetroots, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, lettuce, onions and peas.

Autumn (August 15th to November 15th).—Runner beans, beetroots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, lettuce, onions, spinach and turnips.

Winter (November 15th to February 15th).—Beetroots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, early savoys, spinach and turnips.

1 For quantities of seed and planting details, see pages 19, 27, 28-53.

TOOLS TO MAKE OR BUY

IF the allotment or garden plot is to be cultivated properly a certain number of tools is necessary. The list is a fairly long one, and if all are purchased by each individual gardener it runs away with a lot of money. There are certain tools which are in frequent use, such as a spade, fork and hoe, and these should certainly be bought. It is suggested, however, that many of the others might well be bought by a number of allotment-holders and used on a communal basis. Failing this, an agreement might be come to for one to purchase one or two articles, another one or two different ones, and so on. For example, a syringe, garden hose, and a spraying machine are required now and again, but not sufficiently often to warrant individual purchase.

It must be for war-time gardeners to decide which tools should be bought outright and which obtained collectively; so perhaps it is better to enumerate the different ones and give brief particulars regarding them.

TOOLS YOU CANNOT DO WITHOUT

DIGGING TOOLS.—One of the most important duties in connection with gardening is digging, so the first requirement is a first-class spade. It is worth while spending an extra shilling or so and getting a good one. It should be of the correct weight, a point which can be ascertained after handling a few at the shop.

Two forks are really necessary. One should be a four-pronged model, with round prongs, for all ordinary purposes. The second should have flat prongs, this being wanted for lifting manure, gathering up vegetable refuse, such as potato haulm and cabbage stalks, and also for lifting potatoes. And a trowel is essential for making holes for the reception of plants raised in the seed-bed.

RAKES AND HOES.—After digging comes the preparation of the surface soil—the production of a fine tilth. A couple of iron rakes and a wooden rake (the latter for the final raking) are needed. One iron rake should be 8 in. and the other 12 in. If you can get hold of an old 12-in. iron rake accept it as a gift, break off all the teeth with the exception of the two outside ones, and you will have an excellent tool for drawing two drills at once.

Hoeing is a job which must not be neglected, so both a Dutch and a V-shaped hoe should be bought.

THE GARDEN LINE.—Some kind of a garden line is required when drawing drills. Blind cord can be used for the purpose, attached to a wooden stake at each end. But unless treated carefully the cord is liable to perish rapidly. It really pays to invest in a proper line with an iron stake at one end and a staked winder at the other. Such a line lasts for years; the cord dries well, since the centre of the roll is hollow. Although not essential, as a 5-ft. tape measure does well enough, a 12-ft. rod marked off into feet, with the first 3 ft. marked off in inches, is useful for spacing out rows and plants.

OTHER USEFUL TOOLS

There are many occasions when a wheelbarrow is needed. One can be made at home, mounted on one or two wheels from an old perambulator; but as they do not cost a lot the war-time gardener may decide to buy one.

Watering is another necessary duty, so the purchase of a watering-can suggests itself. A syringe is also an asset.

The tools which are only wanted occasionally, or perhaps never at all, are a hose-pipe and roller, a spraying machine, mower (not likely, as grass is at a discount in war-time), a light garden roller, secateurs, pruning-knife, hedge shears, edging shears and a garden basket.

SEED BOXES, TRAYS, PEA STICKS, AND STRING

For raising seedlings in the frame or greenhouse seed-boxes or pans are required. The former are the better. The boxes should be 15 in. long, 10 in. wide and 3 in., 4 in., and 5 in. deep. All pans and boxes must be fitted with drainage holes in the bottom.

If the amateur food-grower has a greenhouse, flower-pots must be bought. Flower-pots range from 2 in. in diameter to 18 in., but these outside measurements can be forgotten. A few sixties, forty-eights, thirty-twos, twenty-fours and sixteens should prove sufficient.

It is recommended that seed potatoes should be sprouted before being planted. Trays are used and one or two should be knocked up out of 3/4-in. thick battens, 3 in. wide. The trays should be made with a sparred bottom and the two ends should be rather higher than the sides so that, when they are piled on top of each other, the contents of all receive plenty of air. These trays are also excellent for storing other things, such as onions.

Lastly, bean and pea sticks are required, but the former may be dispensed with if the runner beans are dwarfed. A ball of fairly stout string and some raffia complete the list of things you will need to carry out all the necessary work.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR GARDENING TOOLS

Gardening tools cost a considerable amount of money, so it is folly to neglect them. They can all be made to give excellent service for many years if properly looked after. A golden rule to adopt is that each one should be thoroughly cleaned immediately after use and then returned to its allotted position in the general-purpose shed—a shed which should be damp-proof, if possible, and in which a tin of oil (not paraffin) and a bundle of clean rags are kept handy.

The tools which are most likely to be bought at first are those used in working the soil. A good rubbing with a piece of old sacking is usually sufficient but, if the ground happens to be very wet, the tools should be scrubbed and, after drying, they should be lightly oiled. This applies to the spade, forks, rakes, hoes, trowel, and the like. Occasionally it may be necessary to file the spade a little, because, if the ground is stony, it becomes blunt in course of time.

The garden basket—this is usually oblong in shape, rounded at the bottom and fitted with a handle for convenient carrying—is apt to get wet and dirty. It should be dried carefully if only wet, but scrubbed and dried if very muddy.

If the wheelbarrow can be kept under cover all the better, but, failing this, it should be turned upside down and a sack thrown over it. The only attention it requires is for the wheel to be oiled at frequent intervals.

The edged tools are the most expensive, so after use they should be wiped dry with a clean rag and smeared with oil. They call for sharpening from time to time, a scythe stone being the most suitable agent to use.

The garden hose should never be allowed to get twisted, nor should it be allowed to lie about in hot, sunny weather, as this has a bad effect on rubber. It should be attached to a roller, and care should be taken to expel all the water as the hose is being wound up.

The syringe and sprayer should be washed out with clean water and the nozzles kept free from particles of grit. New flower-pots should be soaked in water for some hours before using, while dirty ones should be scrubbed in a mild disinfectant solution and rinsed in fresh water.

FRAMES AND THE GARDEN SHED

IN normal times most amateur gardeners endeavour to raise out-of-season crops, relying upon purchase for the ordinary vegetables when obtainable in the shops. The aim of the war-time gardener, however, is to produce as much food as possible, so extra early and late crops which occupy a considerable amount of room and involve a lot of work, together with the possession of a heated greenhouse or frames, need not be considered. At the same time, if the allotment already boasts a small greenhouse this should certainly be used. In any case one or two frames should be made or bought, since they are practically indispensable.

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A GARDEN FRAME

A frame is simply a box made rather higher at the back than at the front and fitted with a glass top. If the allotment or garden plot is of only small dimensions there is no reason why a crate should not be re-modelled and a piece of glass, say, a picture-frame, used for the top. Two or three such frames might be rigged up at little or no cost.

For the larger allotment, however, it is better to buy a three-light frame or, if the amateur gardener is handy with tools, to buy the “lights” and fashion the woodwork at home.

The usual type of frame is that known as the lean-to, as shown in Fig. 3. The ordinary light measures 6 ft. by 4 ft., so the whole structure measures 12 ft. by 6 ft. The body of the frame should be 14 in. high in front and 18 in. high at the back, and it should be made of sound boarding 11/4 in. in thickness. When more than one “light” is used there must be a channelled cross-member where they come together, so that the rain which percolates between may drain away without reaching the inside of the frame, where it may do damage to young seedlings.

The series of frames should be placed directly on the ground (slightly raised, if possible, to ensure adequate drainage) and, if plants are to be grown in pots, pans, or seed-boxes, filled with a 10-in. layer of cinders or coconut fibre. If a bed is made up, in which the plants are to be placed direct, this should consist of a 10-in. layer of good garden soil.

FOR AND AGAINST A HEATED FRAME

It is questionable whether it would pay the amateur home food-producer to go in for one or more heated frames. A heated frame is mostly used for raising plants in the early part of the year before the seed can be sown outdoors so that very early crops are obtained, and this branch of gardening is not advocated at the present time. A heated frame is one raised or rested on a 4-ft. thick pile of mixed horse manure and oak and beech leaves. Stable manure is practically unprocurable nowadays, so the use of a heated frame is automatically ruled out.

There is, however, a suggestion which might commend itself to the gardener who is able to obtain a small quantity of stable manure. This is to make a sunk pit instead of a heated frame. In most cases, however, it would be better to employ the manure for digging into the soil.

To make a sunk pit, dig a hole 21/2 ft. deep and 2 in. shorter and narrower than the area covered by the number of “lights” to be used. Line this with any rough, thick wood obtainable, extending the front 4 in. above ground level and the back 8 in., with the ends sloping from back to front. Prepare a mixture of stable manure and leaves, turning it over every day for a week, then put this into the pit to a depth of 18 in., compressing each layer as it is thrown in. Cover this with 3 in. of soil and then 5 in. of ashes, cinders or coconut fibre if seed-boxes are to be accommodated, or with 4 in. of soil if seeds are to be sown or seedlings planted.