Daddy Takes Us to the Garden | Page 7

I want."
"We mustn't waste too many beans just for playing games, since beans
make a good meal, especially for soldiers," said Daddy Blake. "And
much of the food raised on farms and gardens will have to go to feed
our soldiers. So we'll give Mab the first choice and let her raise beans.
What will you choose, Hal?"
"Corn, I guess," Hal said. "I like pop corn."
"Well, we won't raise much pop corn," laughed his father. "While that
is good to eat it is not good for making corn bread, and that is the kind
we may have to eat if we can't raise enough wheat to make all the white
bread we want."
"Why can't we raise wheat?" asked Hal.
"Well, we could grow a little, for it would grow in our garden as well
as in any other soil or dirt," explained Daddy Blake. "But to raise a lot
of wheat, or other grains, a big field is needed--a regular farm--and we
haven't that."
"Will you take us to a farm some day?" asked Mab.
"Yes, after you learn how to make a garden," his father told him. "So
you think you want to try corn; eh?" and he laid a package of that seed
in front of the little boy.
"If Mab raises beans and Hal grows corn we'll have succotash at any
rate," said Mother Blake. "And succotash is good to can and keep all
Winter."

"Well, we may have enough to eat, after all, from our garden," said
Aunt Lolly. "I think I'll raise pumpkins for my share of the new game."
"Then we can have Jack-o-lanterns!" laughed Hal. "That will be fun!"
"Now look here!" exclaimed; Daddy Blake. "I want you children to
have some fun in your gardens, but is isn't ALL fun. There is going to
be hard work, too, if anyone wins this prize," and he held up the ten
dollar gold piece. "You may have one pumpkin for a Hallowe'en
lantern, maybe, but pumpkin pies are what Aunt Lolly is thinking of, I
guess."
"Indeed I am," she said. "When I was a girl we used to raise many
pumpkins in the cornfield at home. So I'll raise my pumpkins between
your rows of corn, Hal."
"That's the way to do it," said Uncle Pennywait.
"I think I'll raise potatoes. They're easy to grow if I can keep the bugs
off them, and they'll keep all winter."
"I'll raise tomatoes," said Daddy Blake, taking out a package of tomato
seeds for his part of the garden. "We can eat them sliced in Summer
and have them canned, ready to stew, in Winter, I'll have to plant some
seeds in the house first to raise plants that I may set them out when it is
warm enough. Now, Mother, what will you grow in the garden?"
"Carrots," answered Mrs. Blake.
"Oh, then we can keep a bunny rabbit!" cried Mab. "I've always wanted
a bunny."
"Well, a rabbit may be nice," said Daddy Blake. "But, as I said, this
garden is not all for fun. We are going to raise as many vegetables as
we can, so we will have them in the Winter to save buying them at the
store. We can't afford to raise carrots for rabbits this year. There are
your seeds, Mother," and he gave his wife a packet with a picture of
yellow carrots on the outside.

"But there are a lot of seeds left," said Mab, as she looked at the large
opened bundle on the table.
"Yes, well have to take turns planting these," her father said. "I just
wanted you to pick out your prize crops first. Now we have made a
start on our garden. The next thing is to get the ground ready as soon as
it is warm enough. But first I think I'll start my tomato plants. I'll plant
the seeds in the morning."
"Where?" asked Mab.
"In a box in the house. You may bring me in a little dirt and I'll let it
dry out near the fire, for it is rather damp and cold yet in the garden."
The next day Hal and Mab brought in some dirt from the yard. It was
wet and sticky but when it had been spread out on a paper under the
stove it soon dried. That night Daddy Blake filled a big wooden box
with the dirt, which he worked with a trowel until it was made fine and
smooth.
"The first thing to learn in making a garden," the children's father said,
"is to have your dirt made very fine, and to be sure that it is the right
kind for what you are going to raise. Beans will grow in almost any
kind of soil, but tomatoes