B 321 N3 ~1 pes dition 1Ol9 WAR GARDENING and Home Storage of Vegetables ae ONES NONTCmeEDy —TLAGe Published by National War Garden Commission Washington, 1B Ge Copyright IS19 by NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION A WAR DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON June 7, 1918. NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, D.C. Dear Sirs: The War Department finds much satisfaction in the creation of War Gardens at various army camps by the Conservation and Reclamation Division of the Quartermaster General’s office. Food production at these camps has been the subject of some concern with the department. The large areas of tillable land within many of the military reservations have been regarded as offering potential food production on a large scale, and I feel that the army is to be congratulated that the utilization of this space has now taken concrete form. ‘ Camp War Gardens will serve more than one useful purpose. The pro- duction of food at the mess door is of great importance in that it not only lessens the army’s demand on the usual sources of supply but eliminates transportation as well. To the National War Garden Commission I extend the thanks of the Depart- ment for its quick response to the appeal of the Quartermaster General’s office for co-operation. Not confining itself to mere compliance with the letter of the request, the Commission entered fully into its spirit. At a time when funds were not available through Government channels the Commission voluntarily provided seed, fertilizers and equipment which made possible the establishment of a War Garden of 300 acres or more at Camp Dix. For this generous contri- bution and for swift action to overcome the handicap of a late start I take pleasure in making this acknowledgment and in expressing the hope that the Camp Dix War Garden of the National War Garden Commission will prove an unqualified success. Cordially yours, (Signed) NEWTON D. BAKER, Secretary of War. UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION Baltimore, Maryland. September 14, 1918. NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, Maryland Building, WASHINGTON, D.C. Gentlemen: We wish to express to you our appreciation of your helpfulness in our war garden, canning and drying work in Maryland during the season of 1918. Your book on canning and drying has been of great value, while the canning outfits which you so kindly gave us made it possible for us to establish canning centers throughout the State, with results of far-reaching importance which could not have been otherwise accomplished. We are equally appreciative of your prompt and willing response to our request for the services of one of your trained investigators to assist in our war garden work. Your spirit of prompt and willing service is cordially appreciated. Yours truly, (Signed) EDWIN G. BAETJER, Federal Food Administrator for Maryland. DEC 30 1918 ©clA511325 eS © | ou AKE YOUR WAR GARDEN A GARDEN OF VICTORY By CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President National War Garden Commission MERICA’S responsibility for the world’s food supply did not stop with the ending of the war. In peace, as in conflict, this country must carry the burden ef Europe’s food problems. With the advent of peace these problems have become intensified. America is now expected to furnish the solution and this can be done only through the continued application of high pressure food production and un- wavering food conservation. _ For two years of war the War Gardens of America produced food- stuffs which helped establish the balance of power between starvation and abundance. In the spring of 1918, General Haig declared, ‘“We stand with our backs to the wall.” Of that call to the civilized world no phase was more vital than its inter- pretation and answer in terms of food. During that year the answer was given by the American people with true American spirit. The war gardeners of the United States re- sponded with a vigor which carried the War Gardens over the top to victory. By the addition of more than five hundred million dollars of crop value to this country’s food production they made it easier for America to feed her own people and the people of France and Belgium. The Victory Garden is now as vital ds the War Garden. Peace brings new food needs. In reclaim- ing territory from the enemy France and Belgium have greatly increased the number of their people who must be fed. By restoring these former expatriates to citizenship these coun- tries have also assumed the burden of feeding them. This will mean a vast increase in the demands on America as the source of Europe's food supply in 1919. Europe can- not feed herself during the first year of reconstruction; Russia faced famine conditions in the winter of 1918- 1919, and Mr. Hoover says that the world’s food shortage will last for another seven years. The war gardener’s responsibility, therefore, did not end with the com- ing of peace. His War Garden must now be made a Victory Garden in the full’sense of the words. It must help solve the problem of feeding people rendered helpless by years of ruthless and terrible war. The garden.crop of 1919 must be even greater than that of 1918, and there must be more canning and dry- ing for winter use. The people of America have a real duty to perform in this respect and the nation counts confidently on full measure of in- dividual response. PLAN OF GARDEN 50 by 75 feet, in which careful attention has been paid to proper relation of the season’s crops and to a continuous supply of the more important vegetables. q | ie | Hot Bed | Cold Frame Asparagus Rhubarb se . | ARRANGEMENT OF SEASON’S CROPS | Peas, followed by late Tomatoes Peas, followed by Celery fos Fae BA ee Onion Sets, followed by Turnips Corn, followed by Spinach Beans (bush), followed by Beets Beets, 14 row; Carrots, 14 row, followed by Corn ‘ Turnips, followed by Bush Beans Potatoes, followed by Spinach Spinach, followed by Potatoes Cabbage, with Lettuce and Radishes between, followed by Carrots Beans, Bush Lima Chard, 34 row; Parsley, 14 row Parsnips, 34 row (radishes to mark row); Salsify, 14 row Corn, followed by Kohirabi, 144 row; Cauliflower, 44 row Peas, followed by Corn Beans, Bush Lima Early Potatoes, followed by late Cabbage _Early Tomatoes Peppers, 144 row; Potatoes, Okra or Eggplant, 144 row Potatoes Potatoes Pole Lima Beans Pole Beans Corn Corn Corn Cucumbers Squash Squash Musk- (bush (winter) crook neck) Rows are 50 inches apart. If soil ig very fertile rows may be closer. Planting was begun at hotbed end of garden and plantings were made a few days.apart ” : to insure a constant supply of vegetables. Planting table on page 23. PART TE WAR GARDENING MANUAL As a result of emergency created by war the home garden of America has become an institution of world-wide importance. The planting and growing season of 1918 demonstrated that the products thus raised are essential to the feeding of the people of the United States and‘the Allied Nations. Under the impetus given by the National War Garden Commission the people of this country last year produced a crop valued at $520,000,000 in gardens cultivated in backyards, on vacant lots and on other land previously untilled—the patriotic gift of the war gardens to the nation. “Peace can in no wise diminish America’s responsibility for feeding Europe. The recovery of vast areas of devastated country in France and Belgium greatly increases the number of people to be fed and adds heavily to the food burden of America. less necessary than the War Garden. Because of this the Victory Garden is no WAR GARDENS HELP SOLVE TRAFFIC PROBLEM War-time brought the most serious traffic congestion the. United States has ever seen. This condition has no meaning more signifi- cant than that the gardens of this year must do even more than those of 1918 in freeing the overburdened railroads from the need for transporting food products. With food short- age threatening the Allied Nations and with railroad congestion as an added factor, the war garden results of the coming season must be considerably greater even than the vast yield of last year. COMMUNITY GARDENING Excellent results are obtained through co- Operative gardening work. If several fami- lies join forces they can reduce the cost of gardening in time, labor and money. Fami- lies having adjoining or neighboring garden plots may use one set of tools. To prevent clash of convenience it is well to have an understanding in advance as to the time when each gardener is to have the use of particular tools. By this arrangement it is possible to have complete equipment at ex- pense much less than if each gardener bought his own. Money can also be saved in buying seeds, fertilizers and spraying materials by clubbing together and gaining advantage of the lower prices for large lots. One of the advantages of doing commu- nity work is that it is possible for the gar- deners interested in the project to employ a man and a team to prepare their gardens by plowing and harrowing. In this way the man and team can be kept busy throughout the day and the expense to each gardener will be slight. On a larger scale this principle should be applied to garden plots on tracts of vacant land allotted to individuals in or near cities or towns. Each plot in such a tract is a separate garden, belonging to the individual or family to whom allotted. In many in- stances the municipal authorities, the mayor’s war garden committee or some similar local organization, will provide an expert to super- vise work on community gardens of this character. This expert will give advice and instructions as to preparation, planting and cultivation and on other technical subjects. If an expert is not provided in this way it is wise for the gardeners to club together and arrange for one at their own expense, if the project is large enough to make this possible without too great individual cost. The help of an expert is of great value. School children and parents may work to- gether to good advantage on these garden plots. In some communities school au- thorities allow the children to spend a por- tion of the school hours, on stated days, in their garden work. Through co-operation with street cleaning departments a munici- pal government may arrange to deliver manure to war gardeners at nominal cost. In at least one important city this is done at a charge of $2 per load. It is a good plan for municipal govern- ments to arrange for lectures at school houses or other places on practical problems in gardening. This increases efficiency. 4 - WAR GARDENING (be SE By eee, 2 @ eee Bo ee os 2, Se bey GOW EER Se Fig. 1—A community garden which produced excellent results. The ground was provided by a manufacturing concern for its employes and the plowing and harrowing were done by the company. This supervision is an important help to successful gardening. the work. CORPORATION GARDENS Manufacturing concerns, and other enter- prises which employ labor on a large scale, may make valuable contribution to the national food supply by encouraging their employees to cultivate war gardens. Many concerns furnish large tracts of land, which are divided into individual garden plots. These plots are allotted to such employes as are willing to cultivate them. Each plot and everything it produces are recognized as the individual property of its cultivator. The company bears the expense of plowing and fertilizing these plots and employs an expert to have charge. HOW TO HAVE A GOOD GARDEN Garden Plan Have a plan for your garden—drawn to scale on paper—before you start, to give proper order in planting and enable you to buy the right amount of seeds in advance while the selection is good. Put in one general group small plants like beets, onions, lettuce, carrots, radishes and parsnips. In another general group put larger plants like corn, tomatoes and pota- toes. Spreading ground vines, like melons and cucumbers, which need wider spacing, should be put in another general group. The reason for this grouping is that the various plants in a group need similar general treat- ment as well as spacing. In making a plan provide space in which to enter costs and yield of the various crops. This will give you a complete record which will be useful another year. Another help- ful use of the plan is that it will guide you in the rotation of next year’s crops. For this purpose save your plan for next season. In planning your garden formulate some definite plan as to what you will do with surplus vegetables. Detailed instructions for home storage of vegetables for winter use are given in Part II of this booklet. Detailed instructions for canning, drying, pickling and Expert supervisors directed other forms of conservation are given in the Home Manual on these subjects issued by this Commission. Sunshine In the location of a garden it is not always possible to choose conditions as to sunlight. It is important, therefore, that in the ar- rangement of the various varieties of vege- tables which are to be planted, due care should be given to providing the greatest exposure to the sun for those crops which need it most. Those plants which must ripen their fruits, such as tomatoes and eggplant, require the greatest amount of sunshine, while lettuce, spinach, kale and other leaf crops require relatively less. Foliage crops must have at least 3 hours of sunlight a day and plants which ripen fruits at least 5 hours a day. This is important. Vary from Last Year’s Plan It is important to remember that plant diseases and insects are apt to thrive in a spot in which they have become established. For this reason those who make gardens this year should take care not to place the individual crops in the spot in which the same crops grew last year. Varying the ar- rangement of the garden in this way will reduce the danger from disease and insects. The same vegetables in the same place each year exhaust certain food elements, and reduced yields are sure to result. SURPLUS PRODUCTS At times, even with the best of planning, a gardener will find that his garden has matured more of some varieties of vegetables than can be used immediately. None of this excess should be wasted and there is no occasion for waste. If there is no ready market for the surplus it should be prepared for winter by either canning or drying. By modern methods either canning or drying may be done with little expense of time, trouble. or financial outlay. By using the THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 5 cold-pack method as small a quantity as a single can or jar may be put up in a short time. With proper instructions it is possible for the housewife to dry a handful of peas or beans, sweet corn, a few sweet potatoes or turnips, or small quantities of many other vegetables with practically no expenditure of her time. Explicit and simple directions for canning and drying are given in the Manual issued by the National War Garden Com- mission, THE SOIL AND MANURES The back yard ga.dener must use the soil he has, but he can improve it if is poor, and Stable he must do this as far as possible. manure will help even the richest soil, and you are not likely to use too much containing 3 to 4 per cent nitrogen and 8 to 10 per cent phosphoric acid is about right for the average garden. Your dealer will inform you on this point. If the fertilizer also con- tains potash, so much the better, but this year potash is scarce and high in price. Where no manure is used the fertilizer should be spread over the surface of the finely prepared seed-bed at the rate of 5 pounds for a plot 10 feet square, just before planting. The surface soil should then be thoroughly raked so.as to mix the fertilizer evenly to a depth of 2\inches. Never place seed or trans- planted plants in direct contact with fertilizer. Thorough mixing of the fertilizer with the soil is essential to prevent injury of seed or roots. of it. During a single season professional gardeners apply as much as six inches of it. From 400 to 600 pounds can be used to advantage on a plot 20 by 20 feet. Coarse manure should be applied and thoroughly plowed or spaded under in the fall. AGS In the spring, fine, rotted Fig. 2—This shows the construction of an outdoor cold frame. built in the same way, except that for the hotbed a pit and manure are required. See page 7 for directions for making cold frames and hotbeds. manure is applied, just before plowing or spading, preceding the planting of any crop. If the ground is fairly rich, and well-rotted manure is scarce, the manure may be scattered in the row only, and should be mixed into the soil before the planting of seed. Loam is the best garden soil. Sand, with manure, gives good results. Clay is hardest to work, but is greatly improved by well- rotted manure and vegetable matter—called humus. These should be well worked in with hoe and rake. Sifted coal ashes, en- tirely free from clinkers, will help loosen up clay when mixed into it, but will not remove an acid condition nor increase fertility. Commercial Fertilizer Many gardeners experience difficulty in obtaining supplies of well-rotted manure. | In such cases commercial fertilizers should be used. Even where stable manure has been secured and worked into the soil it is well to supplement with moderate quantities of quick-acting fertilizer in order to give plants an early start and hasten maturity. It is safest to rely upon the ready-mixed fertilizers usually obtainable at seed and hardware stores. Several specially prepared mixtures in convenient packages are now on the market. For large areas, 100 to 200- pound bags may be obtained. A mixture A hotbed is Where manure has been worked into the soil, reduce the fertilizer application ap- proximately one-half. Tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, spinach and some other crops requiring rather long growing seasons, are materially benefited by a second application of fertilizer when half grown. Side dressings of this kind should be scattered between the rows at the rate of four ounces (one-half pint) to 10 feet of row, when rows are spaced 2 feet apart; and pro rata for rows spaced a greater or lesser distance. To insure even distribution mix the fertilizer with fine, dry earth just before spreading. Compost Compost is especially. desirable when quick growth is wanted. Compost is thor- oughly rotted manure or organic material. It is prepared from six to twelve months before being used, by putting the manure and other material in piles having perpen- dicular sides and flat tops. These piles are usually from 2 to 4 feet high and 6 to 8 feet long. Besides the usual waste of garden rubbish, there is a large waste of leaves, weeds and the skins and other unused portions of fruits and vegetables. These should all be thrown on the compost pile to decay for use on the 6 WAR GARDENING garden next spring. Destroy all plants which are diseased. The compost pile should be built up in alternate layers of vegetable refuse a foot thick and earth an inch or more thick. The earth helps to rot the vegetable matter when mixed with it. The top of the pile should be left flat that the rain may enter and help in the process of decay. If the pile can be forked over once a month when not frozen and the contents well mixed together, they will decay quite rapidly and be in good usable condition in the spring. The compost may be either spread over the garden and plowed under or it may be scat- tered in the rows before the seed are sown. This is, of course, not as rich as stable manure, but it is a good substitute. Compost is also used as a top dressing dur- ing the growing season for hastening growth. In the cities and towns tons of leaves are burned every fall. This is a loss which ought to be prevented. These leaves properly composted with other vegetable waste and earth would be worth hundreds of dollars to the gardens next spring. In planning a permanent garden, a space should be reserved near the hotbed or seed bed, and in this space should be piled, as soon as pulled, all plants which are free from diseases and insects. This applies to all vegetables and especially to peas and beans, as these belong to a group of plants which take nitrogen from the air, during growth, and store it in their roots. When these plants are decayed they will return to the soil not only much of the plant food taken from it during their growth but additional nitrogen as well. Nitrogen in the soil is necessary for satisfactory leaf growth. The material so composted should be allowed to decay throughout the winter, and when needed should be used according to the instructions given for using compost. The sweepings of pigeon lofts or chicken coops make valu- able fertilizer. When cleaning roosts from day to day add %4 as much acid phosphate as sweepings. When needed «| apply 1 pound of this mix- |}/f ture to every 5 square feet of ground, mixing it thoroughly into the soil. Prepared sheep manure, where procurable — at a reasonable price, is possibly the safest concentrated fertilizer. It should be used in small quantities rather than spread broad- cast. Scatter it along the row before seed is © sown or apply by mixing it with water in a pail, stirring the mixture to the consistency of thin mush, and pouring it along the rows of the plants. Green Manure Green manure is useful as a fertilizer. It consists of green plants turned under by plowing or spading. Rye is the most satis- factory for this purpose. If planted in July or August the crop may be turned under in the fall if early spring planting is desired. If planted later, it is usually turned under in the spring. When not turned under until spring, the growth will prevent the leaching of soluble plant food or the washing away of rich soil. In sowing rye for this purpose, use at the rate of 1 pound of seed to a strip of ground 50 feet long and 10 feet wide. If the ground is rough or hard it should be cultivated just before the seed is sown, and then cultivated again to cover the seed. Sow the seed be-- tween the rows of crops not yet gathered. Rye is very hardy and will sprout even though there is frost nearly every night. At a cost of about 5 cents for a pound of seed a garden of 10 by 50 feet can thus be treated to an application of green manure. The green rye plants soon decay when turned under and answer the same purpose as a light dressing of manure. Green manure, however, should not be relied upon to do the work of stable manure, as it does not provide phosphorus or potassium. Lime Land which has long been unused, or land in lawns, is apt to be sour. To remedy this condition apply evenly 1 pound of air-slaked lime or 2 pounds of ground lime- stone to every 30 square feet. The lime should be applied and raked in to a depth of 2 inches when the seed bed is being pre- pared in the spring. Instead of lime 2 pounds of unleached I} v4 y i oy, I \) pe, Yo = anny TRUSU TUTTO | UV I tt CRW TRU C ¢ yi Copy cristo Za i oy sa NUTRITIVE rr i oiern ULNT pericny A iy are RU ee eC obin aN Nn X: e ys Bor ana ‘ : s arenas vai Nie isizin ie. Fig. 3—Tools most commonly needed in a small garden. From left to right, between the balls of cord, they are: Trowel, weeder, spade, steel toothed rake, hoe, garden fork, watering pot and dibble. HE SEEDS-OF VICTORY INSURE DEE PRUMS OF PEACE ® 7 wood ashes may be used. Do not apply lime at the same time as manure or mixed fertilizers, as it will cause loss of nitrogen. As an addition to soil lime is of consider- able value. Besides correcting acidity it changes the physical structure of the soil. One of the elements of lime is calcium, which is required for plant growth. OUTDOOR HOTBEDS For early planting a hotbed may be made, located in a sheltered spot with southern exposure, where it will receive a generous supply of sun. : 25. Was Teele eee abies piers 27 | | ee ee ere eet Honing rntonits ccdo one oe 26 SOG sae oes clase Si Focsvers Be cdave etnies frame tore ote eee pee 32 Various methodssxc anew cc.ce oats escent 27. PIBOLES o0 5 Fi atone hace atertratets oveeyet dele arse. aletereseroterereiene 7 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION Mobile, Alabama. September 6th, 1918 MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, National War Garden Commission, WASHINGTON, D.C. Dear Mr. Ridsdale: I desire to tender my sincere thanks for the books which you have furnished for distribution and use among the war gardeners of Mobile, and as encourage- ment and assistance to others to take up this splendid work conducive not only to increased supply of food products, but to the health and happiness of those who wisely give Mother Earth the attention which just at this time she all the more richly deserves. It is needless for me to assure you that the books have been extremely helpful. I consider them the most complete and serviceable ever produced; and excepting only the family Bible, the foundation of all ethics and morality as well as the common law, these books are of more vital importance to every house- holder, in fact, good citizens throughout the land, than most printed matter obtainable. Your books on canning and drying are likewise of inestimable value, and your splendid co-operation in the common cause of increasing and conserving the food supply in our present crisis mects with the heartiest appreciation. Very sincerely, (Signed) HENRY A. FORCHHEIMER, Federal Food Administration Board. UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION Davenport, Iowa.) . September 5, 1918. MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, National War Garden Commission, WASHINGTON, Dac: My dear Mr. Ridsdale: We have found your publications of great value in our work in this State and it gives me pleasure to thank you for your prompt and cordial compliance with all of our requests. ; Your book on War Vegetable Gardening and the one devoted to Canning and Drying are filled with information of great value to the gardener and housewife. It has been a source of great satisfaction to us to be able to distribute your books in every County in Iowa and we.have used care to place them in the hands of people who need them and who are constantly calling for just the information contained in them. We.feel that your co-operation has been of great importance. Faithfully yours, (Signed) M. L. PARKER, State Merchant Representative, Iowa Food Administration. Ya a i oe as mK a a eT EM >, PLOTTERS OY, a BANRas w2 i885 Y, ee ZA \ k WACLE SAM i Ft ENS ye Lp Rees Ss x SS S LSSS> SS NATIONAL, WAR GARDEN COMMISSION A Patriotic Organization Affiliated with the Conservation Department of the American Forestry Association WASHINGTON, D.C. CHARLES LATHROP Pack, President. PERCIVAL S. RIDSDALE, Secretary. NorMAN C. McLoup, Associate Secretary. LUTHER BURBANK, Calif. Dr. JOHN GRIER HIBBEN, N. J. Dr. CHARLES W. ELiotT, Mass. EmersoN McMiiiy, N. Y. Dr. IRVING FISHER, Conn. CHARLES LATHROP PAck, N. J. FRED H. Gorr, Ohio A. W. SuHaw, III. Joun Hays Hammonp, Mass. Mrs. JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN, III. FAIRFAX HARRISON, Va. Capt. J. B. Wuite, Mo. Hon. Myron T. HERRICK, Ohio. Hon. JAMES WILSON, Iowa. P. P. CLaxton, U. S. Commissioner of Education.