Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 May 1917 — Page 2

Will You Raise a Garden This Summer

—anc/ help increase the national food supply so that living costs may be reduced and a victorious peace be assured : : :l/ This is a matter of vital importance to every one of us

by Robert H. Moulton

4 . 1 ■ y*

■AR MAY end that great American anomaly, high cost of living in a land of plenty. It probably will be the means of bringing -into cultivation practically untouched arable land, of awakening the country to the value of native food staples of which many are still ignorant, and of enforcing a system of distribution which will supplant the wasteful and Inefficient methods now in vogue.

It is unlikely that the United States will ever be in the position of the belligerent countries in Europe, especially Germany, where land is scarce as compared with the farm acreage on this, continent. The problem of feeding the more than 100.000,000 of inhabitants of the United States as well as supplying Great Britain and France ■ean besolved theenormous agrtcul•tural resources at the disposal of the American nation. Prudence, foresight and efficiency are needed. National policy decrees that there should be a big increase in our acreage, and this being so, the nation as a whole and not the farmer as a class should and must assume the major part of the risk involved. Each section of the country must become as nearly as practicable agriculturally independent. This is a good policy in time of peace and is a vitally important policy now that we have entered the war, with every prospect that our transportation systems will eventually be chiefly occupied with the transportation of soldiers and military supplies. From Washington comes the caH of the nation—al emergency food garden commission, which would see a million food gardens planted throughout the United States. This plan is similar to that which was followed in Germany when the lawns of private houses, the parks and the grounds about hospitals alike were subjected to the spade and hoe. The Germa hr •the intensive development of every inch of Soil; as for that matter are other European nations. The call to the garden, however, will undoubtedly have some effect in providing food for those who are thrifty and pqtient enough to look after their own gardens. Benjamin F. Albaugh, known nationally as an enthusiast In the subject of city lots gardening, and author of several books on the subject, says that the “gardenette,” or back yard farm, is oue of the surest means of combating the rapid rise in the price of foodstuffs. In his book, “The Gardenette,” Mr. Albaugh has pointed out the possibilities of unoccupied building lots, and now taking an active part in the general campaign •which has been inaugurated to educate the city dweller up to the potential worth of a few square rods of ground. If one has an unoccupied* area in the rear of bis home, even if It is only 25 by 50 feet in size, then he has the means of cutting down the cost of summer foodstuffs almost two-thirds, says Mr. Albaugh. The soil need not be particularly fertile to yield satisfactory returns in garden crops, if treated right. And the .soaring equationson all varieties of vegetable foodstuffs make the~effort •well worth while. The backlot garden has been tried successfully in the East and in many ofiief; sections of the country At firsT the backyard gardening in the larger centers of population was undertaken By people of foreign birth, who from a desire to effect practical economies, er from an inherited penchant for the work, began industriously spading up the small areas of unoccupied ground Around their homes. Two or three months later these thrifty intensive agriculturists were selling hundreds of bunches of or lettuce about the •neighborhood, and receiving the 1 nil market price for their wares' Housewives augmented the'family- income with, a strip of garden land 15 or 20 feet in width and 40 or 50 feet in length. The amount of vegetables"that can be grown on such a lot, when intelligently cultivated and carefully tended, is astoni filing. There is a threefold incentive to city lot gardening. The first is a handsome saving if the vegetables are consumed by the family, or a neat profit if they are sold in the neighborhood. The second is the incomparable superiority in crispness and flavor of garden-grown produce. The variety purchased after several days of transportation and exhibition in stock is often tough, leathery and flavorless. r Mr. Albauglr is authority for the statement that «three square rods or a space of ground, say 18 ■by 45 feet, can be made to produce a large’ part •of all the vegetables needed to supply the table of a family of five or six persons, throughout >the season. He, himself, has repeatedly produced ion such a plot, but containing four square rods, the following: Thirty dozen green onions, one bushel dry wantons, ten messes green peas, 15 dozen beets, 22 dozen radishes, 200 heads fine celery, 25 choice plant fruits, 25 extra fine squashes, 50 messes ilettuce, 20 messes endive, ten messes kohlrabi, •eight dozen sugar corn, ten ■messes green beans, cauliflower, 25 heads cabbage, 20 ■messes spinach, ten messes chard, 20 messes as* paragus, ten messes salsify, ten dozen carrots, ten dozen parsnips, 50 fine muskmelons, 200 pickling cueumbers, ten slicing cucumbers, five bushels toumitoes, two bushels early potatoes, eight quarts lima beans, three bushels tuhilps, three quarts okra, and three dozen sweet mangoes. At a low estimate these crops were worth well qyer SSO, Often they would cost much more to buy. ¥et the plot was cultivated In Mr. Albaugh's - :

-odd- moments, without-in any way interfering with his usual pursuits. For the—business —or professional man, who toils all day in office, bank, factory or shop; the change to the light physical labor in the open air and sunshine, gives just the needed change necessary for health of both body and mind. Such employment will be found restful and soothing to the overtaxed and wearied mind and nerves. For city lot soil that is hard, impoverished or rocky, Mr. Albaugh has invented a new system of gardening. From it he has achieved such surprisingly favorable results as to augur a great future for the new “sandwich” method of city lot cultivation. The “sandwich* garden is, in a sense, an artificial creation. It may be constructed on brick or cement pavemenUnreven the tarred or tile surfaces- of the roofs of buildings. By -this method of growing vegetables, the products of the garden are always earlier, and at the same time of better quality than can possibly be produced in any other way. In making a “sandwich bed,” Mr. Albaugh first places a layer of straw or stable litter or leaves, about five Inches thick, upon the surface selected and then tramps or packs it rather smooth and firm. Over this he spreads about one inch deep of rich, fine stable manure; Another layer of stable manure about two Inches thick goes over this, after which a hose is turned on end the mass given a thorough soaking, caie being exercised to stop before leaching begin.--. The next step is to spread evenly over the bed at least four inches of street scrapings, avoiding, however, streets that have oil or asphalt in their make-up. If street scrapings cannot be readily obtained, a composition of equal parts of fine river sand, rich garden soil and old, fine stable manure may be used instead. This should be thoroughly mixed by shoveling over in a heap, and then, after it is in place, tramped until it is firm. The bed is then ready to plant. In some instances the real “sandwich bed” is not possible or practicable. If this be the case, and the soil is yet reasonably fertile, and in good condition, excellent results may be obtained by tne following method: Procure one load of rich stable manure for each square rod of ground (a square rod is 16 by 16 feet) and dump it near where the beds are to be made. Then with a spading fork, beginning at one end of the bed. spade a furrow across the. bed, till the furrow nearly full of manure, and trainp i t down firmly. Now spade a not her furrow, throwing the dirt from this over the trampeddown manure in the first furrow. Fill the furrow withmahureand tramp it down as before, and throw over this the dirt from the third line of spading, and so on until the entire bed Is spaded. Finest vegetables, says Mr. Albaugh, can be grown on hard, stony, or alkaline soils, where or-

SUFFERING CATS!

Enemies of Tom and Maria Accuse Them of Many Serious Crimes.

““Suppress the cat I” was a recent demand made on the legislature of New York state according to a bill for llcehsing felines. Connecticut and other commonwealths also are crusading against outlaw Grimalkin. , Millions of cats are leading lives of vagabondage. They roam the wilds, .seeking what they may devour. Birds are slain by them Tn large numbers. They do harm in other ways. The cat has an ancient history. Tradition has it that the creature appeared in Egypt about 1500 B. C., and being highly regarded there as a fireside Sphinx snuggled down near the seats of the mighty and made himself very much at home. Mummy cats are found in the pyramids. The first cat is believed to have been of African origin. Travelers from Greece seeing the cats so comfortably ensconced in Egypt saw to it that some of them were brought to Athens, apd from the ancientseat of culture the cat is supposed to have spread over Europe. The animal in Europe was adopted by man as a pet about the ninth century. There is something so inherently wild about the cat that even when he reposes on silk cushions and has his fur combed with celluloid and has cream every day he has within him the old spark of ~ savagery. <■•■ The cat is of the race of the saber-toothed tiger and is credited with an Insatiably bloodthirsty disl>ositiqn. He torments his prey. He has no abiding affection for those whose hands have fed him. Chateaubriand said to his friend. M. de Marcellus, -that there is in the eat an ungrateful spirit which prevents him from being attached to anyone. The principal goad of the nationwide crusade against the "villainous, false cat” comes from the

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

dinary cultivation would be utterly fruitless. For best results plants need aeration at the roots. If air cannot penetrate to thtj roots the plant languishes and dies from suffocation. When the surface of the ground is covered with water, the plant suffers in the same way and for the same reason. The “sandwich beds” can neither be drowned nor smothered. The air circulates through the several layers of material, and if too much water is applied, it readily passes through the fibrous beds and does no harm. Other advantages of these beds are that the fertility is placed just where it can be easily absorbed and assimilated up earlier than does the natural soil, apd the decaying mass of fibrous material retains moisture to such an extent that only a nominal ..quantity of hydrant water Js required. A steel garden rake, spading fork, small garden trowel, a long handled shovel, a manure fork, and a small hand sprayer are about all the tools that need be purchased. Mr. Albaugh uses a small hand sprayer which is cheap and very satisfactory. It has a quart Mason glass jar for a reservoir, and has the advantage of blowing the spray nt right angles from the barrel of the machine. With it the under side of the leaves can be effectually reached, and this is often essential to success. The barrel should be of brass, as many spraying compounds are corrosive on Iron. With this little machine, and a supply of bordeaux mixture, hellebore, tobacco extract or tea, paris green, aphine, etc., the careful gardener Is well fortified against attacks of Insects and fungi. The provisioning of the country will be much Hided by the educational work among boys and girls of the United States which has been carried on through the co-operation of the department of agriculture and the rural school garden clubs of the various states. The younger generation has been stimulated in the falsing of vegetables and fruits on waste land and in the backyards in the cities and towns. An example of what can be accomplished by the pupils of rural schools was strikingly demonstrated last year by the Cook County, Illinois, Garden club which had a membership of 2,387. The club cultivated over 260 acres of land, upon which grew nearly $48,000 worth of vegetables. After deducting expenses the club members had a net proflf of $41,629.28. If these 2,387 boys and girls had -not grown these gardens, probably 75 per cent of them would have been idle —doing hrowiug..a way time and energy. ’ The gardens gave helpful exercise, stimulated interest, and encouraged thrift and ownership. The economic side of the problem is astonishing, but greater still, and of far more importance, is the wholesome, moral influence brought to bear upon the lives of these young people who are receiving most excellent training - in doing worthwhile things.

tijeiids of the birds. The cat is a erftfty bird catcher by nature. Cats have been seen lying in wait for the winged victims which are attracted to •he feast so bduntifully spread. They have even been accused of decoying birds within the reach of their paws by imitating the note of the feathered >.-ngsters. 'they climb the trees by night and day in quest of eggs and fledglings. T'hn Burroughs declares that cats kill more birds than do any other animals on this continent. It is also charged that the cat kills squirrels and hares and rabbits, moles and shrews and fish and useful insects, w hile as a ratter he is greatly over-rated. Rat traps, when well handled, are credited with surpassing the cat in efficiency. The other day there was put on exhibition an illustration of the efficiency of the cat. The cabin of a steamship was fumigated with the result of a mortality of one eat and 24 rats, which the cat was supposed to keep away. When the cat is right on the premises the mice play just as much as when he is away, say the enemies of the cat. only they keep out of sight. “Few persons in a normal lifetime,” Insists Dr. A. K. Fisher, who is in charge of economic investigations for the bureau of biological survey of the United States department of agriculture, “run across more than half a dozen cats that habitually attack rats.” j When the cat is permitted to run wild the experts decline to give him the slightest excuse for living. The known facts are that the domestic cat, straying Into the fields and woods, whether a pet, a vagabond or a wild dweller in the open, is a menace to wild li/e and a detriment to the general welfare. As a further argument against the cat the charge is made against him that he disseminates disease by becoming the playmate of sick children and that he carries microbes in his fur, lockjaw in the scratch of his claw, and rabies in the bite of his teeth.—Nejv York Sun. ‘

Kin Hubbard Essays

TOADYN’ AFTER TH’ GREAT .

“Ze thing' about your Amerika which Impresses me ze most is ze great army o’ bores —let me see—hero worshipers I think you call ’em—that camp on ze trail o’ ze great,” said Signor Antone Colorado Maduro, th’ cele 1 brated Icelandic accordton player, while hidin’ in a box stall at th’ livery stable t’ avoid th’ entertainment committee o’ th’ Ladies Art society. "In no other country in ze world have I found so many—let me see—toadies I think you call ’em —as I find in your Amerika. They no let me sleep! They no let me walk! It’s ze tea, ze dance, ze reception an’ ze luncheons. Ino take a bath. See, my beard has grown beyond my control! I can no shave! I shake ze hand an’ eat all ze time! My stomach no good! It’s —let ■me see —all shot t’ pieces I think you call it!” Th’ craze t’ be mixed up in some way or other with th’ great an’ almost great has about reached th* limit

Hidin' In a Box Stall at th' Livery Stable t' Avoid th’ Entertainment Committee o’ th’ Ladies Art Society.

in this country let us hope. In time th’ fad will drive our own great celebrities abroad, as well as discourage those o’ Europe from seekin’ fresh laurels an’ other things among us. Real celebrities want t’ be let alone jest like reg'lar human beln’s. Great speakers an’ musicians an’ statesmen an’ actors an’ actresses must rest an’ bathe an’ shave jest like paperhangers an’ lawyers an’ other folks. If great people dldn’ need th’ money an’ publicity they wouldn’ stand a minute fer th’ average celebrity trailer. It seems t’ be as much a part o’ th’ contract of a celebrity t’ stand fer bein’ bored air th’ time as it is fer ’em t’ play or sing or speak. What a tryiri’ ordeal It must be fer a Norwegian xylophone player, or a Scandinavian ’cellist, or a Peruvian pianist, or a noted exponent o’ altruism, t’ be surrounded by a bunch o’ perfumed an’ powdered tea pourers while he feels th’ need o’ a bath, or a shave, or a steak with onions.

THE WALKIN’ ENCYCLOPEDIA

In ever’ community ther’s a meek, glossy, smirkin’, Indolent walkin’ encyclopedia whose means o’ support baffles th’ most searchin’ Investigation an’ whose wonderful fund o’ Information is th’ envy of all th’ students. Early on his rounds, with plenty o’ begged terbacker an’ a cheerful word fer all, this gentleman o’ leisure an’ wide Information is ready an’ willin’ t’ untangle any discussion or t’ be tapped at any moment fer th’ news o’ th’ world. On th’ blacksmith shop campus, by th’ spattered grocery stove, on th’ pustofllce cbrner,’at th’ foot o’ th’ K. o’ T. hall stairs, or behind th’ prescription case o’ th’ dimly lighted dry territory drug store this fluent bureau o’ information may be encoun-

Those Whose Daily Lives Are Too M uch Taken Up With th’ Perplexities o Ther Own Existence V Permit T hem t’ Foller th’ Various Wings an’ Second Joints o’ th’ German Arm y, or t’ Gather Anything Beyond a Meager Smatterin’ o’ th’ Actlvltie s o’ th’ Allies, Are Appalled at Ther Own Ignorance Whil* In th’ Prese nee o’ th’ Intellectual Nonproducer.

tered anxious an’ eager t’ come across with th’ correct pronunciation o’ Prze-mvsl-or th’ actual displacement o’ th’ late Hungarian cruiser Xenta, which now languishes beneath th’ surface o’ th’ blue 'Adriatic. Alius perfectly at ease in th' discussion o’ th’ complicated condition o’ European affairs, with th’ Washington news at his finger ends, his composure, never hampered fer dates, thoroughly conversant on th needs o’ South America, an authority on th’ Bible, familiar with th’ feelin’ In Italy or Pennsylvania, saturated with th’ history o’ Louvain, never fumblin’ th’ name of a Belgian hero or hesitatin’ at th’ name of a Ru3S * aa rivet*, never resortin’ t -0 map, this idle Solomon puts f flight all who dare

Some celebrities, o’ course, travel in ther own special cars an’ kin sleep an* shave while they hide on a side track in th’ suburbs, but they’ve all’ paid th’ price in th’ past. It’s great fun t’ watch a reception committee while it waits fer th’ train bearin’ its prey. Th’ plan o’ attack has been arranged an’ rehearsed like a fire drill. Ever’ contingency is provided fer. Th’ committee huddles t’gether with grave an’ sober faces. Each member is thoroughly sensible o’ his great responsibility. Each thinks only o’ th* part he is t’ play. Th’ occasional click' o’ a huntin’ case watch is all that disturbs th’ quiet vigil. Th’ committee knows its business. When th’ whistle blows it's th’ signal fer th’ leadin’ hardware merchant t’ crank his flivver an’ have it in readiness. Th’ leadin’ banker an’ prominent pastor move t’ a position where th’ coach bearin’ th’ celebrity is likely t’ halt. It is th ’pastor’s busi-

ness t’ greet th’ celebrity an’ pass his luggage t’ th’ leadin’ banker. At this juncture th’ mayor, who has remained in th’ offin, wa Iks forward an' extends a fat damp hand an’ escorts th’ party t’ th’ flivver. Then th’ celebrity is spirited t’ th’ home of a prominent club woman, where th’ committee on entertainment take him in charge. At eight-ten p. m., after eatln’ an’ shakin’ hands an’ inspectin’ th’ new waterworks an’ th’ heatin’ system o’ K. of P. hall, th’ celebrity appears pale an’ exhausted fer th’ evenin’s entertainment. Have you ever noticed that th’ greater a celebrity is th’ later he arrives in town an’ th’ earlier he gits out? Next t’ thunderous applause ther hain’t nothin’ a really great celebrity likes better'n jumpin’ int’ a sleeper before his audience kin recover from his closin’ remarks. Th’ penalty fer bein’ great is bein’ bored. ——

take issue with him an' electrifies th* lowly an’ uninformed. Those whose dally lives are too much taken up with th’ perplexities o’ ther own existence t’ permit them t’ foller th’ forturfes o’ th’ various wings an’ second joints o’ th’ German army, or t’ gather anything beyond a meager smatterin’ o’ th’ activities o’ th’ allies, are appalled at ther own ignorance while in th’ presence o’ th’ intellectual nonproducer. They fergit that he’s a pensioner on thrift, they overlook his soft, white hands an' th’ fact that he spins not. Meek an’ bewildered they stand while he handles th’ awful situation in Europe in a cool, impassive manner. But whether it’s th’ war, th’ potash deposits o’ North America, our

consular service, th’ value o’ butterfat or th’ sugar beet industry (fer we never know what a gentleman o’ wide general infomaHon Isgoing’t’tackle next) our student loafer will be found thoroughly equipped an’ qualified t’ meet all comers. It’s too bad that th’ great wealth o’ information along ever’ line that reclines under th’ hat o’ th' learned idler can’t be commandeered by th’ proper authorities an* distributed among th’ busy an’ more deservin’. When it comes t’ knowledge nobuddy but; « A™* class loafer kin keep abreast o’th’times. (Copyright, Adams Newspaper Servics.) Moscow university admits women M students.